David Cloake is a former professional DJ whom I have had the great pleasure to know since working at Cabin FM. We learn about David’s career in radio, beginning with a chat about the pre-digital radio world. We find out how David got into radio, starting at Southern Sound, about the advice he received from other presenters, and how he received elocution lessons.

David’s first full time radio gig was at Northants Radio where he did the Drivetime show, and we learn that David followed a traditional route. We discuss the changes that came about after the mid-90s and how deregulation is the cornerstone of change as it enabled ownership to be more businesslike. We also learn about what community radio is able to provide.

We find out that David wanted to be a radio presenter from a young age, and how the people who have influenced David include Richard Allinson and Terry Wogan (and we hear a wonderful Wogan anecdote).

We discuss the differences between live and pre-recorded radio and the importance of the one to one style, and about the evolution of radio and the role of personalities and the importance of brand, where either presenters are the style or the presenters have to fit the style. This leads us to discuss the shelf life of radio presenters and how this impacted David personally, including how brutal his own demise was at Severn Sound.

David talks about how this was a life lesson. He now works in emergency and disaster management where his is a senior management professional and consultant who specialises in emergency and crisis management, business continuity management, risk management and broader business planning consultancy. He is the founder of Foresight Solutions.

David credits Steve Ralph for encouraging him to join Cabin FM, and we learn that David also volunteers at Herne Bay Football Club.

David gives his thoughts on nostalgia and how he prefers reflection to nostalgia. We find whether David still has recordings of his old radio shows from the 80s and 90s, and we discuss mental health and the importance of not trying to seek revenge on what people did to you in the past.

Then, at the end of the interview, we find out whether David is a looking back or a looking forward sort of person, and why one can shape a future more than one can shape a past.

About my podcast

I have been running my Nostalgia Interviews podcast since 2018. Through over 200 one-to-one interviews with guests from a range of backgrounds and professions – some of the guests are people I went to school or university with, others are leading figures in broadcasting, journalism, politics, film, music and education – the aim is to find out what it is that inspires our interests and passions.

What is it that shapes us? How did we end up where we are today in terms of the music, books, films, sporting events, fantasies, tragedies and the relationships and family members that brought us to where we are now?

These interviews are unscripted and are inspired by the great radio interviews I grew up listening to when I was in my teens and early twenties.

Click here to access all the episodes since May 2018: Nostalgia Interviews with Chris Deacy (audioboom.com).