Portishead Radio

Portishead Radio offered numerous social and welfare activities for staff during the 1970s through to the 1990s. Apart from a very popular (and low-priced!) bar, the club also organised social events regularly, as well as running successful Football, Cricket, Rugby, Skittles, Pool, Darts, and Drama clubs. As staff numbers declined, the activities naturally fell away, but a 'Radio Social' skittles team survives to this day.

Successful teams include:

Football: Winners of the European Coast Radio Station football tournament on at least one occasion; photographs of the 1985 tournament (hosted at GKA) can be seen on the PCH website at www.scheveningenradio.nl An attempt to join the Bridgwater Sunday League was thwarted, so only occasional friendly matches were played against local sides;

Drama: Winners of the National Drama Competition (once) and highly commended certificates on a couple of occasions. Most plays were written by the legendary R/O Charles Mander (ex-RADA) who has written numourous plays - regrettably Charles passed away some time ago;

Skittles: Division championships;

Cricket: SW Championship Quarter-Final, defeating Taunton on the way - a team including many Somerset League senior players!

I also believe that the darts and pool teams also did well in their respective leagues during the 1980s.

Events such as the New Years' Eve party were sold out months in advance; similar social functions were arranged on a regular basis. Altogether a thriving scene, much enjoyed by those 'who were there'.

The welfare block also housed the canteen, for which one could pick up a 3-course meal for less than 50p! There were of course malicious rumours that the head chef only used mince (hence the weekly mince tanker delivery), but these may be unfounded.

As for the welfare club building-cum-staff restaurant, it is now locked up and almost derelict. Another monument to a bygone age.

A successful skittles team c. 1980.

L-R: Back Row: Bruce Geale, Brian Robertson, Ken Walton, Pete Evans, Kevin Cheeseman, Mick Hewart.

Front Row: Pete Wheeler, Ron Burt, Bruce Dunne, Mike Ford, Brian Hill.

A not quite so successful football team, Ostend Radio c. 1984

Back Row: L-R: Larry Bennett, Dave Hanson, Rich MacMilan, Steve Nash, Guest Player, Mike Ford, Kevin Cheeseman, Phil James.

Front Row: Giorgio Matranga, Terry Hall, Guest Player, Anver Anderson, Ian Newmarch, Paul Woods.

605 SQUADRON - HOLDERS OF THE BURNHAM RADIO ALLEY RECORD, 1995

Back Row (L-R): Dave Woolley, John Sadler, Ken Walton, Alan Linnett, Kevin Cheeseman

Front Row (L-R): Larry Summers, Brian Robertson, Bruce Geale

PICTURE COURTESY BRIAN ROBERTSON