Hi, I'm Martin and welcome to my page on Phoenix Radio 1208.
I grew up in East London, studying at a school for partially sighted children until my academic record saw me move to Kingsway College at just 14 years of age. I became a Civil Servant two years later, serving local government for 33 years before taking early retirement and dedicating the final three years of my career to a Stevenage-based charity. I had moved to the town to join other members of my family in 1980 and, two years later, my younger sister introduced me to Joanne Billings, who became the love of my life. We married in October, 1984 and had two sons: Steven being the elder and Daniel coming later on. Joanne sadly passed away in April, 2020, and, as she loved appearing with me on Danny's radio shows and often suggested that I should become a presenter myself, I am now proud to be on the airwaves as a lasting tribute to her encouragement and support.
Despite not having experience in a studio, I am no stranger to music and microphones. In the 1970s I joined my brother as a mobile DJ, giving me an encyclopaedic knowledge of many different genres. I picked up many skills during this period, with one being the ability to pick the right length of song for any occasion...including when needing to run to the toilet or bar to refresh and still make it back to start the next record before silence took over. I'm also no stranger to entertaining an audience, having entered many karaoke and talent competitions over the years, sometimes winning prizes as a soloist but most often accompanied by Joanne's vocals and exquisite keyboard playing.
I have always had a thirst for knowledge and like to think that I am an asset to any team in a pub quiz. I'm also a massive sports fan, being a supporter of both Stevenage Football Club and Kent County Cricket Club.
Dont hesitate to get in touch, at any time, in the following ways:
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