122: Noel Tyrrel

Nostalgia Interviews with Chris Deacy

My guest this week is radio enthusiast Noel Tyrrel, founder of the David Hamilton’s Hot Shots fan site and someone who has an encyclopaedic knowledge and collection of vintage radio shows.

Noel grew up with radio, and we learn why the person who awakened his interest was David Hamilton. We talk about why Junior Choice was so special and whether the sort of radio presenting that Ed Stewart and David Hamilton epitomized is in ascendance any more. We also find out why David Hamilton is called ‘one take Hamilton’.

Noel talks about what it was like to meet his radio heroes and we hear about the time Noel was at the supermarket checkout and who should ring to apologize for not playing ‘Paddy McKinty’s Goat’, which Noel had requested for his young daughter on the Christmas edition of Christmas Junior Choice, but Stewpot himself.

He talks about what was so clever about the Jimmy Young show, and how we could never work out what JY’s political sympathies were. We discuss JY’s previous incarnation as a crooner and we learn what Noel thinks about JY’s successor, Jeremy Vine.

Both of Noel’s parents were actors and through them he met many showbiz types. He talks about Simon Dee and we find out why Noel would categorize himself as a frustrated journalist. We learn why Noel so enjoys disseminating David Hamilton’s BOOM Radio show on social media and writing a synopsis of each programme.

He explains why he is a sounding board for David Hamilton and we find out whether Noel himself would be interested in doing a radio show of his own. He tells us why radio plays are better than their TV counterparts, why radio will far outlast TV, and why radio is so wonderful because one can listen to it while ‘on the move’.

At the end of the interview we learn whether Noel is a looking back or looking forward type of person, what he thinks of Benny Hill and Talking Pictures TV and why he respects things for the period in which they were made.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Noel Tyrrel and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.