For about three summer months after graduating from Lanchester
Polytechnic in 1980, I did sports reporting for Mercia Sound,
covering local cricket and local non-league football, before moving into
a full-time job with the Evening Tribune at Nuneaton.
I was on the first Saturday sports show presented by Stuart Linnell
in May 1980, covering cricket from....Bedworth.
I also used to do Nuneaton Borough's home football matches, and
other sports bits and bobs.
After working on BBC Radio Leicester, I've now been in Switzerland since
1985, using my languages degree, and work for European football's
governing body UEFA as Chief Writer on their website.
Married with 10-year-old twins. God how time flies by!
Very strange to see those young newsroom faces, and the reunion photos.
I knew Jim Lee well, because he was from Nuneaton,
I remember a lot of the music the station played, and, like
Stuart Linnell, associate Dexy's Midnight Runners with that time.
There was another one by some lass called Sue Wilkinson
"You've Got To Be A Hustler"... "Lip Up Fatty" by Bad Manners,
and "Sanctuary" by New Musik were other songs I remember hearing
in the newsroom when I used to go in there.
I would imagine no one will remember me, though. Mercia was very
special to me, because it was my first foothold in "proper" journalism,
and for that, I'll always be grateful to Stuart Linnell for
giving me the chance.
It was a fine station at that time. And the people were friendly.
The site has really made me feel nostalgic!
All the best. If anyone remembers me, best regards to them.
Mark Chaplin (then aged 21, now aged ..gulp..44)
