You, Me and the Wireless - series on Radio 3 by Gillian Reynolds
Legendary broadcaster Gillian Reynolds, a past chair of the Charles Parker Trust, looks back at her life and the role of radio in it. An award-winning journalist in print and on air, Gillian Reynolds was a radio critic for over 50 years, and a lifelong listener. Her sharp observation, warm wit and unerring sense of what works in sound are celebrated in this series of essays, where she looks back at a life and career inextricably intertwined with the radio. Presenters, comedians, dramatists, politicians, station controllers, commissioners – Gillian knew them all, and shares fascinating memories over her distinguished career, and her deep love for the medium of radio. You Me and the Wireless discusses how and why radio works so well in different genres, with highlights from a long and distinguished career in both commercial and public sector broadcasting.
In the first essay Gillian discusses why radio is so important to its audience, going back to where it all began – growing up on a Liverpool Council estate, with the radio an ever present companion. Memories include her indomitable mother supporting her to get a place at Oxford, plus her early career in commercial radio in Liverpool.