Sonic Boom Boy

Simon Stabler speaks to Boom Radio co-founder David Lloyd

- 

There are several reasons why people decide to cash in their pensions. Many use the money to pay off their mortgage, while others use it for home improvements, a new car or a dream holiday. Nottingham-born broadcaster David Lloyd, however, is one of the few people to cash in his pension so that he could start a radio station.

“I was a lonely child, I was the last of a large family, an accidental fifth member. And my best friend was my radio,” explains Boom Radio co-founder David.

“I was inordinately fascinated by these voices in a box. You'd listen on medium wave and twiddle up and down and hear the stations coming in from far-flung lands and on FM, or VHF as we used to call it in those days, I would listen to the police messages, just amazed how this radio thing worked.

“My first appearance on the radio was age six when the very new BBC local radio station came to our school to record us doing our party pieces. I did a little poem about the Great Fire of London on BBC local radio.

“I just loved it and wanted it to be my life. And in those days, there were very few radio stations. Wanting to be part of radio was about as unlikely as wanting a Hollywood career. It wasn't the thing that happened to normal lads in suburban households. So, it was a far-flung dream that I never thought I would actually achieve, but I really wanted to.

“I obviously grew a little older and got involved in hospital radio, one of the few places where you could go to hone your skills. So, I got involved with what was an excellent hospital radio station in Nottingham, where I learned from some brilliant people, just the rudimentary skills of the medium.