BBC Tees, voices from radio past!

Some of the well known faces, back in our BBC Radio Cleveland days

On 31 December 2010, BBC Tees will turn the big four-zero, and we want to celebrate the occasion well.

We'll be going back in time to the 1970s throughout 2011, and there'll be extra programmes during the year to help celebrate 40 years on the air.

We'll start with John Foster, looking back over 40 years of broadcasting.

We also want you to share your memories and pictures with us, from the BBC Local Radio you remember, send them to [e-mail].

Humble beginnings

BBC Radio Cleveland staff posing with Concorde

At 6pm on 31 December 1970, the station that was then called Radio Teesside broadcast it's first ever show. George Lambelle was the presenter, and the show was Teesside Tonight.

The station, based on Linthorpe Road in Middlesbrough, has changed venue twice in it's time as a broadcasting local radio station.

In 1974, Radio Teesside changed it's name to Radio Cleveland, to fit in with the newly formed county of Cleveland, and the newly named station moved away from Linthorpe Road to where it's now situated, in the centre of Middlesbrough, right next to the bus station.

In 2007, Radio Cleveland gave way to BBC Tees, a name that matched up with the "Where I Live" website, bbc.co.uk/tees.

The name change timed nicely with other changes to the station - a complete refurbishment inside, a few new voices on the line up, and a new Open Centre.

Colin Bunyan, Stan Laundon and George Lambelle return to the room on Linthorpe Road where it all started, forty years ago

Where are they now?

Find out with John Foster, who'll be catching up with some of the big names from our past.

Stan Laundon: Was an original member of BBC Radio Teesside, hosting Country Time and the breakfast show on AM 194. He moved onto sport and retired in the mid 90s. Stan's claim to fame is that he has interviewed anybody and everybody in Country. He even has a personal letter from President Jimmy Carter.

Jim Brady: Jim was the first Programme Organiser for the station. His claim to fame is that he read the first news bulletin on BBC Radio Teesside and the top story that night was about a new radio station that had just opened.

George Lambelle: George was the second voice on the air and presented the first programme, 'Teesside Tonight'. His claim to fame is that he is an accomplished Jazz musician who talked Johnny Dankworth into putting the story of the River Tees to music.

George now runs a DVD production company in County Durham.

Stewart McFarlane was a long-time favourite on BBC Radio Cleveland

Stewart McFarlane:

Big Mac, the Human Hamburger presented Focus on Folk and The Saturday show. His claim to fame? The Fettlers - enough said!

Mike Hollingworth: Ex Guardsman and BBC Radio Teesside's/Cleveland's Royal Correspondent was the original presenter of one of our best-loved programmes, 'Housecall'. His claim to fame is that he was the first person to be sworn at on air, on the opening night.

Ian Hindmarch: Ian was our first News Editor, arriving from newspapers. His claim to fame was gaining such a level of trust with the leaders of the steel and chemical industries, they took him on overseas visits.

Join John weekdays at breakfast, and on Saturdays between 6pm and 9pm

Larry Ottaway:

Larry started on the sports programme, confessing he knew nothing about sport. He went on to present a punk programme for BBC Radio Cleveland interviewing the Sex Pistols at The Rock Garden in Middlesbrough. Larry's claim to fame is appearing on Nationwide as a 14 year old who had written a book about the history of Thornaby.

Graeme Aldous: Graeme was an original member of the team and presenter of many programmes including 'Polished Brass' (Brass Bands). His claim to fame is that he met his wife at the radio station and James Herriot was a regular listener of his.

Graeme volunteered, in 1985, to be the first person to be made redundant by the BBC, in order to be able to stay in his beloved North York Moors. As a freelance audio-visual producer, he has become the voice (and often face) of the safety induction videos for many of the chemical and industrial plants on Teesside, and beyond.