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On Air

Steve James Steve James / 10:00 - 12:00


Antony Rogers



Chris Williams - Chris was born in Copenhagen, far too long ago. A restless man with itchy feet and a complex career, he has lived and worked in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France - and Wales, and has travelled throughout the continent. Life in Europe has given Chris a life-long interest in all kinds of music, ranging from 70's rock to European dance & disco. His favourite music varies day to day, but Indochine, Placebo & ELO compete constantly with CC Catch, Sandra and the Goombay Dance Band. In short, anything with a beat, energy and a tune gets Chris's vote of confidence.

Chris's first dalliance into radio was in 1980, with University Radio in south Wales. Since then, he has broadcast, whenever possible, on numerous RSLs such as Offshore 1584, ELR, Carolina, Radio London, BigL, Thurrock Community Radio and community stations in Harlow & Pitsea, Essex, plus on FM stations in East London, Essex & Suffolk. Chris loves nothing other than energetic radio and audience interaction, and this is reflected in his programs. Look out for his current shows, 'EuroBeat'- and 'The Wall of Sound,' and his cover shows on Big L!

Danish DJ. English accent. Lives in France. Chris has eclectic tastes. He loves classic rock, European tunes & anything with an uplifting beat! Tune in and enjoy!







Chris Williams



Chris Williams - Chris was born in Copenhagen, far too long ago. A restless man with itchy feet and a complex career, he has lived and worked in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France - and Wales, and has travelled throughout the continent. Life in Europe has given Chris a life-long interest in all kinds of music, ranging from 70's rock to European dance & disco. His favourite music varies day to day, but Indochine, Placebo & ELO compete constantly with CC Catch, Sandra and the Goombay Dance Band. In short, anything with a beat, energy and a tune gets Chris's vote of confidence.

Chris's first dalliance into radio was in 1980, with University Radio in south Wales. Since then, he has broadcast, whenever possible, on numerous RSLs such as Offshore 1584, ELR, Carolina, Radio London, BigL, Thurrock Community Radio and community stations in Harlow & Pitsea, Essex, plus on FM stations in East London, Essex & Suffolk. Chris loves nothing other than energetic radio and audience interaction, and this is reflected in his programs. Look out for his current shows, 'EuroBeat'- and 'The Wall of Sound,' and his cover shows on Big L!

Danish DJ. English accent. Lives in France. Chris has eclectic tastes. He loves classic rock, European tunes & anything with an uplifting beat! Tune in and enjoy!




Danny Van Dam



Danny has been involved in radio since the early seventies mostly under different professional names. Working for a lot of Belgian, Dutch and French radio stations such as Atlantis, Mi- Amigo, Maeva, Nostalgie, Contact Gold, Extra fm Gold, Monique 963 and Horizon.

Danny's passions are good music radio stations and football. He also works as a sports journalist for different magazines and newspapers.

Listen to Danny on the Big L

Monday - Friday noon-2pm with the Lunchtime Show.

Saturday mornings 10-noon with The Sixties & Seventies Shuffle Show.

Saturday 6-7pm with the Offshore Chart Show.

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Dave Mason



Dave Mason brings a wonderfully eclectic mix of music and banter to Big L Thursday and Friday  evenings at 10pm. Dave also hosts The Golden Age Of Rock n' Roll on Friday evenings at 9pm.

As Dave says, "It's radio, but not as we know it!"



Flip Miller



Flip Miller hosts the live Sunday evening chat show on Big L International. Join Flip between 9pm and midnight to discuss the issues of the day live on the phone. Alternatively, leave a voicemail, send an email, text or get in touch via the Big L app.

Flip loves to play your requests too!

You can also hear Flip presenting The Flip Side on Thursday afternoons at 2pm

A little about Flip...

Based in the Mildenhall area of Suffolk, Flip is a regular Theatre Reviewer and enjoys playing guitar. She is also very community focused and spends much of her spare time involved with local groups and organisations including spending many hours supporting and presenting on a local community based station.



Frank Whisken

Frank started his DJ career back in 1971 when a club DJ didn't turn up and he got behind the decks, having spent many years on the DJ circuit doing club work & outside gigs as DJ/Compere he did his first radio show  At Warrington General Hospital Radio in 1976 and has been entertaining ever since. You can hear him every Sunday between Noon & 3pm.




Gary Jackson



Gary started his DJ career back in the days when half a dozen singles from Saturday Night Fever were guaranteed to fill the dance floor. Hospital radio beckoned in the early 1990s before community radio tempted him out of retirement. Gary's shows can now be heard on stations around the globe.

When can you hear Gary on Big L International?

My Generation - the 60s show is probably the world's first ever online 60s show, starting as it did in 1996, and regularly features exclusive interviews with 60s stars such as Dave Clark, Stu Cook (Creedence) and Tom McGuinness (Manfred Mann).  Part One of My Generation can be heard on Big L International on a Monday evening at 10pm with Part Two at the same time Tuesday evening.

You can also hear Gary at 10pm on Wednesday evenings hosting his Sounds Of The Seventies show.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday live 6 - 7pm. Wednesday between 4 and 7pm. Sunday breakfast 8 - 10am

Gary writes a monthly sixties column for the Hampshire Chronicle and he also publishes the official websites for his friends The Searchers and The Troggs!



Geoff Dorsett



Starting his career aged just thirteen, it was only a short while before Geoff became established as one of the Mecca Group's top three DJs, seeing him open new venues worldwide. He compared the second ever gig by Led Zeppelin and early shows with Fleetwood Mac. Geoff has been heard on Radio Hallam, Q102 in Florida and KZUN in Dallas, pirate radio station Sunshine Radio, Skyline FM, Express FM, Mix 94 in Las Vegas and the UK's second most-listened to community station, Forest FM.

Geoff can be heard at the following times on Big L.

Saturday 00.00 - Supersonic Seventies

Saturday 01:00 - Kick Up The Eighties

Sunday 21:00 - Solid Gold Sixties



Harky Van Gelder



It was 1967 and Tony 'hello' Windsor had just hired me. He said I reminded him of Kenny Everett, but I had much nicer boots. Luckily he couldn't understand much of the Dutch language and so I got away with a whole lot of what the cleaning woman wouldn't dare to utter in the BBC resting room. We did OK at the radio-vessel that once carried dead bodies from North Korea back to the States and within three months we had some 3 million listeners in both Holland and the UK. Why, I might even have slept in the same bed that Ron O'Quinn once had.

The Laissez Faire, at first carrying the d.j.'s of Swinging Radio England, American radio at its best, that Europe had never heard, now with Dutch as well as English d.j.'s on board, wasn't doing bad at all but it was all too soon ended. I'm still darn lucky, working for Dutch national radio and a couple of smaller stations in Holland. And boy am I honored working alongside my hero Rosko and Ron (the mighty) O'Quinn now. Playing guitar and spinning records, what more does an old hippy want? And yes, I still do play lots of New Orleans stuff along with Americana and (doowoppy) oldies...'Ha' mercy'..... (sorry for my foolish American accent (My father was from Alabama but I was brought up Dutch) and my zany 'radiocartoons'

You can listen to Harky Van Gelder on the Big L Satutuday and Sunday morning's at 6am. Why not send him an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.




Ian Cook


Ian Cook can be heard on Big L International Monday to Wednesday afternoons between 2 and 4pm, also Thursday evenings between 7 and 9pm. Ian has no shame so will play literally anything that's requested of him, even bringing out his trusty turntable if he needs a scratch or two. Ian's show features The Last Bite competition, listener requests, Mrs Miller, They Did It First and the Five From Ten Chart Recall.



Julian Bright



Julian started working as a DJ when he was just 13 years of age and has done lots of live work in bars and nightclubs, hosted events throughout the UK and is still currently active in this line of work three nights a week. In addition to presenting shows on Big L, Julian runs a property development company and rental business and also owns a bar and nightclub.

Julian's radio career started in 1989 with in-store radio then he moved on to commercial stations including Chiltern Radio, The Hot FM, Mellow 1557 and Radio Caroline to name but a few. He began working at Big L in September 2005 and finds it a unique station - as Julian says - its just the best!

Julian likes a bit of fun and games on his shows, join him for the "lyric line" and "speedy CD" competition on Saturday afternoons from 2pm.

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Keith Mardell



The 60's Pirate Stations sparked Keith's lifelong interest in music and radio. He learnt to play the guitar and played in various bands for over 20 years, then some DJ work came along, and continues to this day on Big L.

Keiths work as a Media Manager for a national organisation also resulted in several radio and TV appearances, and included travel across the UK and parts of Europe.
Over the years, he has been fortunate to personally meet Sir Cliff Richard, Ian Gillan, Joanna Lumley, Sir Bobby Robson and Chirpy.

Keith is married with two daughters, his favourite TV show of all time is The Avengers, he follows the Colchester United football team, likes a wide range of music, and his favourite bands include The Beatles, The Beach Boys, America and Steely Dan. His ambition is to buy some camouflage trousers, but he can't find any!

Hear Keith on the Big L Sunday at 6pm.

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Mike Marwick


Mike has been involved in radio in some degree for over 40 years, and has been playing rock and roll music since his school teachers told him not to. Rock and Roll Saturday is a mix of the best of rock and roll spanning the late 50s and 60s but also including a few gems from more recent decades, plus some Motown and early soul classics. If it has what it takes, it will be in there! Rock & Roll knows no boundaries!

Born in 1947, Mike is a full time lawyer, escaping to rock and roll at the weekends. Inspired by the pirate stations of the 60s, and the talents of Rosko and Wolfman Jack, Mike started his radio days in the late 60s presenting a weekly show to a Canadian University radio station. In the UK, he first presented "The Rock & Roll Revival Show" on Glasgow's Q96 in the 90s, continuing his rock and roll days in the last decade on SAGA and then Smooth Radio in Glasgow .

Rock & Roll Saturday is designed to make sure you don't go to bed too early. The likes of Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee, plus Beatles and Stones - just a few of the artists keeping you awake and in party mode on Saturday nights from 10.




Nick Barnes



My name is Nick Barnes, I was born in 1962, I'm a singer, songwriter guitarist. Music has always been my love and passion.  My birthplace was The Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England.
I started playing guitar when I was 12 and have played in bands and as a solo musician since I was 16.
I did a BBC Children in Need fundraising appeal/TV show in the 80's with my own band. Two of the guitarists went on to play with Delametri and Lynndisfarne.
Then I got married, hence no music recorded for a few years.
On my first album The Last Train, I was really lucky to  work with Tommy Mandel of the Brian Adams Band.
Since then I have written and recorded two more albums, The Blacktop Road and Throwin Stones. Tommy has worked on all three albums with me.
I have also had some really great musicians work with me that can not be named due to contractual reasons.
Most recently on the Throwin Stones album, I was lucky to work with Ian Cutler, the fiddle player from The Strawbs.
All three albums are currently getting airplay worldwide, on various fm and internet stations.
All the DJ's that are playing my music are saying that it is being well received.
I also really love presenting radio shows which i have been doing now for about 6 years and am over the moon to be doing a weekly fifties and sixties show on Big L every Friday evening from 7 till 9pm.

Contact Nick: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



Paul Jones

Join Paul Jones every Sunday at midday til 3pm with all the classics from the 50's, 60's and 70's on Big L International.



Paul Vos



Paul caught the radio virus the first time he heard off-shore radio back in 1964. Wouldn't it be great to have your own radio show? Since then he has looked for every opportunity to learn and try himself.
He has worked for hospital radio, has done a lot of club and drive-in work and did the lunchtime show on Startlight Radio and Radio Royaal, two free radio stations operating from the Belgian side of the border into the south of Holland. He has helped to setup community radio in his home town Best, close to Eindhoven.
Discovering BigL in 2005 made him a big fan and he has followed the stations progress even since. Getting the opportunity to host his own show on his favourite station is a dream come true.

Paul's a great fan of the 60's, 70's and 80's music and loves a good portion of Soul, Motown and Reggae. Paul is not a native speaker of English, but his 4 year stay in the south of Ireland, enjoying a solid education by the Jesuits of Limerick, will prevent him from too much mumbling double Dutch. In his show he will share little facts about that nation behind the dikes, some to laugh about and some that might astonish you, but in all cases with a friendly wink.

You can hear Paul Vos on Big L International:-

Monday 4-6pm
Tuesday 7-10pm
Saturday 7-8pm


Pete Revell



Pete lives in North Norfolk in England by the sea, with his wife and 3 children. He started his love to entertain when he was just 15 where he had his own mobile disco and ran that for 17 years.


Once he finished with the mobile disco he started his radio career with Chiltern Radio then others like Classic Gold, Capital Life, Hereward FM and Gold. While working at Classic Gold he had the pleasure to work a long side his hero's like Tony Blackburn, DLT, Paul Burnett and Rosko, all famous and respected British DJ's and all started their careers in the Offshore Pirate Radio days of the Sixties.


As Pete says "Radio is in my blood and I can't live without broadcasting somewhere somehow and as the song goes music was my first love and it will be my last. "


Peter Twyford



A little about Peter.

Peter has been in involved within the radio or entertainments industry since the sixties, entertaining for many big name companies such as the Ford Motor Company and Tate and Lyles. Like many things in life, this was not the original plan and all came about thanks to Ready Steady Go pulling out of a venue at the last minute and Peter standing up to the challenge of providing the tunes instead. It was quite a challenge as he had only two Dansette record players, an old amplifier and speakers and his mates collection of records. He must have been pretty good though, Ready Steady Go lasted 6 months at the venue and Peter went on for two and a half years!

In more recent times, Peter spent 14 years hosting a Hospital Radio show in Colchester and did a stint on an Essex FM community radio station too.

A proud owner of a Vespa and a bit of a mod, Peter has met many of the sixties offshore jocks on his travels and is delighted to bring his knowledge of the sixties and seventies sounds and stories to Big L International.

Join Peter on The Big L each Wednesday evening between 7 and 9pm and every Friday afternoon between 4 and 6pm - why not get in touch with your requests too?



Phil Troll



Phil started deejaying when he was just 13 years old whilst at boarding school, spinning the discs at live parties and on the tannoy system. The radio station was called Radio Exmore. He went on to do hospital radio at St George's Hospital in Hornchurch, Essex, then went to do student radio in Whitechapel, London. Phil was involved with East London Radio, and was then called Norman Spencer. Phil says, "It was truly the 1st community radio station in the UK but technically was a land based pirate station with two of our current Big L DJ's who shall remain nameless! ELR closed down in 1978 and formed The East London Community Radio Campaign. We did live gigs at fetes and fun days and joined the Community Radio Association, which is now The Community Media Association. We also did a few restricted service licenses in 1994 and 1995 with ELR. These were live broadcasts. Most of the pirate stuff was pre-recorded."

In 1979, Phil started producing audio magazines for blind people, i.e., National Talking Express and Media Round-up. NTE is a registered Charity. Phil is at present, the Chairman - you can find out more at www.ntexpress.org.uk

In addition, Phil was in the music scene for over 31 years, doing gigs around the UK as a singer and keyboard player. He released several records which were sold on gigs, but none of them were big hits unfortunately. Phil Says, "I enjoy recording programs for Big L. I hope the listeners enjoy them, as much as I enjoy making them."



Ray Heaven



You can hear Ray covering for Roger Davis at 4pm on Tuesday afternoons.



Rick Ainley

Presenter Rick Ainley can be heard on Big L International on Saturday afternoons at 5pmy. His shows combine classic and rare oldies from both sides of the Atlantic.

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, he moved to the US with his job, and like many before, met a yank, got married and the rest is history.

Rick has worked in Broadcasting for over thirty years, most of it behind the scenes in Television but has spent part of his career in Radio and really is happy to be doing his first love - "Playing those great oldies we all love and bringing back so many memories". Any of those American oldies you want to hear, email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



Roger Davis



You can hear Roger Davis on Big L Monday - Thursday afternoons between 4 and 6pm. Tune in for some great music and the Mystery Track competition.



Simon Davis

 

Simon has been involved in radio for the last 15 years or so and has been a fan of Big L since it started back in 2005 and jumped at the chance of presenting on this unique station.

Simon says, "I am fortunate enough to have studio facilities to allow me to go live for most of my shows on Big L . My favourite era is the mid 70s to mid 80s but I love the 60s too and love discovering new artists and songs. I love broadcasting on Big L and really enjoy doing my shows live as I always get a fantastic response."
Simon is on air six days a week!

Monday to Friday with early breakfast 7-8am

Saturday morning 8-10am

Saturday afternoon 5-7pm Big L 2

Feel free to contact him via his email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



Stan Berry and Ray Heaven



Stan Berry started as a DJ at the age of 14 performing at the Soul Centre (The Commercial Inn, Sally Walkers in Newport, South Wales).
Stans first regularly paid job was at the (quite famous at the time) In Place, Newport where he was very fortunate to compare on to the stage bands such as Deep Purple, Roy Wood and the Move, Edison Lighthouse, and many more of that era. While working there he also appeared on The Radio One Club several times.
Moving on in time, Stan held a residency at the top Cardiff Cabaret Club "Titos" for five years.

Ray Heaven is a DJ, producer and presenter with many years experience. He began DJing at the tender age of 16 and through his career has worked in Brooklyn Heights, Ritzy, Zanzibar and clubnite in Newport and clubs in Oxford, Kidderminster, Bath, Bristol and beyond. His music tastes range from Funky house, soulful House and 80's funk and soul to Dean Martin and the rat pack. Having worked in the industry for 30 years on both sides of the sound desk Ray's installed sound systems around the country too.

Now Stan and Ray can be heard on the Big L stations!

Ray hosts Wednesday evenings 7-9pm and Friday afternoons 4-6pm on Big L 1 and both can be heard on Big L 2 breakfast every Saturday morning between 7 and 9am.



Steve James



STEVE JAMES – a short synopsis.
Steve James started broadcasting as a news reader on hospital radio and after a few months he had his own show there. After spells at other hospital radio stations he joined RADIO BARKING and within a year was running the station!
During his time at Radio Barking he took it forward and made it the first 24 hours a day, 7 days a week hospital radio station. Under his leadership the station started accepting advertising which he wrote and produced.?Steve has also had daily programmes on a number of RSLs (Restricted Service Licences)


Again, on many of these stations he wrote and produced advertisements.
He subsequently joined LBH RADIO and was breakfast presenter and technical editor and producer for the station’s soap opera "Kingsbridge." After a stint at THE SCENE, where he was the breakfast and night-time presenter he joined RADIO LONDON / BIG L. Steve was also breakfast presenter at LEISURE FM, RADIO CRACKER, EAST LONDON RADIO, RADIO LONDON AND RADIO ENGLAND.

 

Email Steve This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Follow on Twitter @stevejamesshow

You can hear Steve weekday mornings between 10am and noon. Steve also hosts the Elvis hour at 9pm Wednesday in addition to co-hosting Sunday mornings at 10am with Suzy.


Suzy



Suzy started her radio career at hospital radio station Radio Barking in 1990 where she first teamed up with fellow Big L International presenter Steve James.  She left Radio Barking the following year for a life of domestic bliss and hard secretarial graft!

She moved to the West Country in 2000 but returned to Essex in 2010 where she reunited with Steve James at community radio station Leisure FM.  After a short spell working on reception and making tea(!), she appeared on Steve's daily breakfast show as a weather and travel presenter.  She was soon given her own regular weekday show.

She left Leisure FM in July 2011 and is now delighted to be a part of the Big L International team in (sometimes!) sunny Frinton-on-Sea.

You can join Suzy on Big L International on weekday mornings between 8 and 10am and co-hosting the Sunday morning show with Steve James at 10am.

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