The Correspondents

There were many letter writers and phone callers that delighted and bored the listening public. How many of these do you remember? If you can add anything to those listed or add new long-forgotten correspondent details, including the Hallam FM era, please post a memory on the Message Board.

ERIC XX G-MEX
Little is known of this character... his letters graced the Key 103 era of the Nocturnal Emissions, and was was generally liked and appreciated by the listeners.


MARTIN A. SMITH (aka The Ban Frank Sidebotton Society)
Martin was a regular contributor and was a resident at the time of Bolton... On reaching student status in October 1990, he departed the town promptly. He was best known in the 1988/89 Key 103 era with letters, and years later followed this up with contributions to the all-new Nocturnal Emissions on Hallam FM in Sheffield starting in 1994.


THE MINISTER FOR CHEADLE HULME (aka The Fall and The Sugarcubes Appreciation Society)
This character is called Lucie and really was from Cheadle Hulme. A sixth former in the Emissions' Key 103 era, she engaged in regular banter with other correspondents... most notably Simon Sandiford-Mitchell and Martin A. Smith. She was a massive Sugarcubes fanatic and regularly showered the station with requests to play "Birthday" by the Sugarcubes amongst others. She later appeared several times on James Stannage's "Silly Hour" phone-in on Piccadilly 1152 in 1990.


SIMON SANDIFORD-MITCHELL
Yes this was his real name. Based in Blackley, and one of the younger contributors, he sent more letters than everyone else put together. Usually written on the bus home from William Hulme Grammar School, James inexplicably used to read just about all of them out and so annoying almost all of his listeners. Simon also contributed under various pseudonyms such as the Lime Opal Fruit Appreciation Society and the Ban The Ban Frank Sidebottom Society Society. His first appearance on the Nocturnal Emissions was back in May 1986 and was ever present right through to its original conclusion in early 1990. Simon migrated to appear on James Stannage's 1990 "Silly Hour" phone-in on Piccadilly 1152, also appearing  live in the studio once a week. A lull in the mid-1990s saw him make his broadcasting breakthrough on 107.2 WIRE FM as Runcorn FC football reporter. Since 2001 the Radio Lancashire listenership has been delighted by his regular football updates from the likes of Clitheroe v Ramsbottom United on a Saturday afternoon.


SAMUEL PEARCE
Most favourably described as an opinionated elderly gentleman who was forever writing to the Manchester Evening News as well as James, he delighted some and bored to death others with his regular appearances. He was one of the original bunch of callers in the early days of the Piccadilly show, and later migrated to letter-writing in order to fit in with the Key 103 era. He was from the Royton area of Oldham.  James mentioned in passing on his programme in October 2005 that Sam was "no longer with us".


IRATE ALBERT
Albert was another elderly caller who was not quite as political as Sam Pierce, but a regular contributer in the early phone-in era of the programme. James named him Irate Albert and this stuck months and years later, as he was still remembered by letter writers towards the end of the Key 103 run of programmes.


JIMMY WHITE
Another regular in the early days that was fondly remembered by later contributers. He was famous mostly for living in Crumpsall and seemed to have something of a camp voice and liked to suck up to James, who of course would lightly put him down. It gave the impression that maybe Mr White was really a real life friend of James, can anyone confirm?

MIKE DEAN
Another regular in the early days - he was famous enough to be always quoted in the same breath as  the correspondents above, but I don't really remember him actually on air at all.  If anyone does, then please let me know the info and I will include it here.

ROY ACORN
Again, he was  a regular in the early phone-in days and was often used as an example of the type of caller that James dreaded.  My memory though is hazy about his actual contributions, so if anyone can provide any info I will include it here.

Note that the James H Reeve Appreciation Club mailing list now includes photos of contributers to James's programmes and of the above, currently includes SSM and the Minister For Cheadle Hulme.  You do have to be signed up to the list to see the photos. 

Last Updated: Thu 7 December 2006