INTERVIEW
A
born and bred Islander, Rick
started out as a teenager at St
Mary’s Hospital Radio. Hosting his
first breakfast show at the age of 21,
making him the youngest breakfast
work for. It’s very successful and covers a
very large area, but they value the Island
very much, which matters a lot to me.”
Having said that, Rick – who’s married to
Sarah and has a baby son, Freddie – still
hops over to the Island once or twice a
week, both to see his family in Ryde and to
help at the up-and-coming bus museum.
It seems that both the Island and buses
are in his blood.
Indeed, he actually holds a valid bus
driver’s licence – which he gained as part
of a Top Gear-style race between a car
and a bus for his radio show.
“I crammed in what should have been a
one-month course and passed first time,
after driving a full-size coach through
Bristol for the test. Talk about stressful!”
And as if that weren’t enough, Rick
also co-owns a double-decker bus with
his friend and local transport historian
Richard Newman.
The bus is the same vintage as Rick
- made in 1973 – and is the only one
left in the country that’s painted in the
distinctive two-tone blue and yellow
Solent Blue Line livery.
show presenter in the UK. Having had
11 years of early starts as breakfast show
host at Power FM and a short time at
Ocean FM, Rick joined the South Coast’s
biggest station, Wave 105. He can be
heard on the Big Drive Home, weekdays
from 4pm, Saturdays from 10am-2pm
and on Teenage Kicks, Sunday nights
from 6pm-9pm.
“I absolutely love driving it,” he says.
“We take it out on rallies and take people
on trips. They love the whole experience –
the smell of old leather and the sound of
the engine, you can’t beat it.
“Though Richard and I share the bus, he
is retired now so he’s happy for me to hog
the driving wheel.”
Rick’s involvement with the transport
museum also strengthens his links back
to the Island, and along with the other
volunteers, he’s looking forward to the
big opening day in Ryde in April.
When he’s not painting or driving
buses, Rick is enjoying the thrill of being
a first-time parent, and looking forward
with Sarah to Freddie’s landmark first
birthday in May.
“As he gets older, I’m really looking
forward to us being able to take him to all
the places on the Island I loved as a child
– Walks over Mottistone Down, St Helens
Duver and Appley Beach.”
And is Rick hoping that his little son will
share dad’s passion for buses?
“Errr … I don’t think Freddie is going to
have a choice!” he laughs.
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