Pete Singleton

Pete was born ‘in the early 50s’ in a Lancashire mill town but grew up in Liverpool during the explosion of the ‘Mersey Sound.’ He relocated to March, Cambridgeshire in 1986 and now lives in Wisbech. He loves the county but is also a great believer in Huntingdonshire being recognised as a geographical county in its own right.

His interest in radio was sparked by the pirate radio stations when they took to the air in the ’60s. On leaving school he was interviewed for a job in the (then) Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. Legislation had just been passed to outlaw offshore radio and one of the first questions he was asked was, ‘Do you agree that the pirate radio stations should be made illegal?’

Pete said that he felt that the stations were giving the great British public what it desperately wanted and should stay! One of the interviewers peered over his glasses and scowled but then Pete swears he detected a slight smile and a guarded wink. Right answer or not and probably for his truthfulness, Pete was offered the job and continued working in the public sector in various administrative and management roles over the years in Liverpool, Fenland and Peterborough until his retirement in July 2012.

Pete was a school governor for sixteen years and also clocked up over 30 years with the Talking Newspaper for Blind People covering March and Chatteris. A regular presenter on hospital radio in Norfolk, he took to the Ouse Valley Radio airwaves in February 2012. “I can truly say that my only regret is not taking the plunge sooner. My advice to anyone whatever age is to go for it – never think you are not good enough.”

Being retired means Pete can now give more time to his radio work and was invited to join the Board of Directors at Ouse Valley Radio responsible for communications. He was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2013 for services to the Crown covering 45years in local government and the Civil Service and for service to the community of Cambridgeshire, an achievement of which he feels justly proud.

Who are you ‘heroes’ of radio?​
The late ‘greats’ such as Ray Moore, Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman, David Jacobs, Desmond Carrington and even Kenny Everett – who were all different from each other in their presentation styles but nevertheless masters of their art. “No-one will ever come near them,” says Pete.

Your pet hates?​
Unsafe driving of all kinds and inconsiderate behaviour with no thought for others. Bad grammar and punctuation also rattles him especially when the apostrophe is misused. Isn’t that enough?

Favourite music?​
Pete’s musical tastes cover a wide spectrum. Motown and Soul figure hugely in his home collection but if you looked through the keyhole, you would also see light classical collections, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, country, music from the movies and easy listening
orchestras such as Ray Conniff, Glenn Miller, James Last and Mantovani.

What’s your most memorable ‘radio moment’​
Well, there are actually two! Aside from the unforgettable experience of sitting behind the mic for the first time at Ouse Valley Radio, one standout moment was producing and presenting a three-hour programme celebrating 50 years since the launch of the pirate station Radio Caroline. I was given complete creative freedom for the show—something I couldn’t have achieved without the support of others. We featured vintage jingles, classic tracks, nostalgic memories from the pirate radio era, and even some original commercials from the time. It was radio heaven for me, and I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to create such a special broadcast.

The second highlight came when The Sky Tonight was awarded Silver at the 2024 Community Radio Awards in Cardiff. The winning edition featured the sounds and sights of a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral. My colleague, Pete Sibthorpe, recorded the launch from just a mile or two away, (he couldn’t get too close!) and his vivid commentary, combined with the dramatic audio, helped convince the judges that we’d produced something truly exceptional.

What makes you laugh?​
Any Peter Kay performance – “the humour is very ‘northern’ but I think everyone can relate to it.” Pete also is a Laurel and Hardy fan and loves ‘daft’ humour. “Unfortunately, many of the comedians I love are no longer around… long live You Tube!”

Your perfect day?​
Relaxing on a secluded beach with swaying palm trees and the most perfect clear blue-green sea lapping at my feet.

You can currently hear Pete on our weekend easy listening show ‘Pete Singleton After Dark’ and our Sunday night jazz programme ‘The Jazz Cellar’. He also presents and produces our monthly amateur astronomy show ‘The Sky Tonight’.