BBC Radio Leicester

In the BBC Radio Leicester theme, we have the following collections:

The Maurice Ennals Collection

• EMOHA117

Maurice Ennals was the first station manager at BBC Radio Leicester and this collection comprises 13 broadcasts and 1 sound effect from BBC Radio Leicester and BBC Radio Nottingham between 1967 to 1991. Recordings feature a range of BBC Radio Leicester programmes, interviews with early founders of BBC Radio Leicester, and the first BBC Radio Leicester broadcast. The collection also features scrapbooks and memorabilia. Further written material and photographs have yet to be catalogued.

Digging Out the Past

• EMOHA34

'Digging out the past' was a radio series produced and presented by Alan McWhirr on the topic of archaeology and local history, and broadcast on BBC Radio Leicester from 1979-1989. The last episode in the collection is from May 1989, although this does not seem to be the final episode of the series. The collection is deposited with ROLLR on behalf of the East Midlands Oral History Archive.Find further information about the collection.

Platform

• EMOHA35

Platform was a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio Leicester from 1974-1989. It was a series for transport enthusiasts, mainly related to trains, buses and trams in and around Leicester. It was presented and produced by numerous individuals over the years but the main presenters were John Kirby and John Cole. This collection includes three 'special' programmes made in 1990, with clips from the series. There are a number of programmes missing from the collection: programme no. 52, 112, 116-118, 147, 162-163, 174, 194, 210-211, 222, 228, 234, and 265-266.

Find further information about the collection.

In Perspective

• EMOHA36

'In Perspective' was a radio series on BBC Radio Leicester from the late 1960s to the mid 1990s. Each episode covered a current affairs topic and there are 198 in the collection, plus another 100 that have yet to be catalogued.

Find further information about the collection.

The Leicester Folk Music Collection

• EMOHA106

This collection of folk music and interviews with folk musicians comprises recordings from BBC Radio Leicester folk sessions of the 1980s, with a few recordings from the 1970s and early 1990s. It features artists local to Leicestershire, such as Toni Savage, Vikki Clayton, Bodgers Mate and many others, but there are also recordings of nationally known names such as Fairport Convention and the Ian Campbell Group.

South Asian Studies: Leicester and Immigration

Radio Leicester covered both the initial arrival of refugees from Uganda in 1972 and the subsequent development of South Asian communities in Leicester. It was also instrumental in the start of South Asian programming on the radio. We are grateful to Dr Liam McCarthy for this list of relevant programmes. For further reading, have a look at Dr McCarthy's blog about the programmes and his Phd thesis, Connecting with New Asian Communities: BBC local radio 1967-1990.

Please note that most of this material has not yet been fully catalogued and can only be listened to by appointment.  

General Coverage

RL (uncatalogued), ‘1970 General Election Profiles’, Transmission (TX), 6 June 1970.

RL 1976, ‘Grammars and Ugandans’, TX 1972, (TX date unavailable).
Local reaction to the early arrivals of Ugandan Asians in the city, with local politicians and South Asian community ‘leaders’. 

RL 1719, ‘Labour Party Conference 1972’, TX, 7 October 1972.
The Labour City Council Leader Alderman Ted Marston talks about the advert placed by the City Council in the Uganda Argus advising Asians to avoid Leicester as it is already full. 

RL 1720, ‘Conservative Party Conference’, TX, 12 October 1972.
Sir John Farr the MP tells BBC Radio Leicester that Ugandan Asians were not suited to Britain and should be sent to the subcontinent.  The chairman of Harborough Young Conservatives, Anthony Reed Herbert the answer should have been no to the immigrants, he then defected to the National Front in Leicester.

RL 1726, ‘In Perspective - British Asian Welfare Centre’, TX November 1972.
A reporter visited the British Asian Welfare Centre, a charity depot for distribution of clothes and advice. Includes interviews with volunteers and new arrivals to the city. 

RL 1732, ‘Immigration’, TX, 8 February 1973.
Covered the visit to Leicester of senior Home Office ministers and officials who came to assess the financial needs of the city in coping with the arrival of Ugandan Asians.

RL 1872, ‘Belgrave Road’, TX, 24 January 1976.
A reporter visits to assess the growing number of Asian shops and the attitudes of white shopkeepers to the change.

RL 1880, ‘District Elections 1976, TX, 1 May 1976.

RL 1897, ‘NF Debate’, TX, 21 October 1976.
A heated debate between Anthony Reed Herbert of the National Front and Labour City Councillor Brian Piper of the Inter-Racial Solidarity Campaign. NB: See also, Leicester Mercury, ‘Two jostled by pickets before radio debate’, 22 October 1976.

RL 1916, ‘County Election 1977’, TX, 3 April 1977.
Covers the NF campaign on immigration (ending coloured immigration and repatriating those already here), strong law and order, tariffs to protect British business from overseas competition and an exit from the Common Market.

RL (uncatalogued), ‘Crosstalk: NF Phone-In’, TX, 24 February 1978.
A lively phone in with NF leaders in the studio facing caller’s questions. 

RL (uncatalogued), ‘Sunday Crosstalk; NF March’, TX 22 April 1979.
Around 5,000 police were on duty in Leicester for the NF march on 21 April, the following day listeners reacted to the march and subsequent violence – not all were critical of the NF. 

RL 1982, ‘NF March Aftermath’, TX, 28 April 1979.
Features an interview with the Chief Constable, Alan Goodson, on the rights of the NF to march in the city. 

RL 1981, ‘1979 Election Preview’, TX, 28 May 1979.

RL (uncatalogued) ‘Twentieth Anniversary Programme 1967-1987’ TX 8 November1987.
Includes some audio around the 1972 Ugandan Asian issue – including a clip of a very disruptive Leicester City Council Meeting from 1972. Between 17.06 and 19.20.

South Asian programmes

Six O Five Show, 8 May 1977 
Presented by Vijay Sharma who went on to become the Editor of the national BBC Asian Network. Includes interviews, Whats On information and film music

Six O Five Show Clips (Young People and Immigration), From 1978 
Includes young people discussing being torn between two cultures and an Immigration Advice phone-in. 

Kahani Apni Apni – Soap Opera, Episodes 14 and 20, Summer 1983 
An English language course delivered as a multi-cultural soap opera. Received national praise. 

Weekend Bazaar – Mike Allbut, 7 February 1987 
English presenter makes Asian programming ‘hip’ for younger Asians. Inspires future presenters such as Kamlesh Purohit and Neeta Kare (see below). Extract from a two hour show. 

Six o‘clock Show – Kamlesh Purohit, January 1989 
Compare with the same programme from 12 years ago (above) and hear the changes in style, tone and presentation. 

Weekend Bazaar – Neeta Kara, 16 July 1994 
As above in this ‘Bollywood heavy’ show. 

Other collections and information

• Several other collections were preserved as part of the British Library's Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project. These are all available to be listened to at EMOHA.
• Read a blog about our Radio Leicester photo collection.
• Learn more about the University of Leicester's involvement with Radio Leicester.