Nigel Ford

Wednesday 20.00 to 22.00 - Heavy Rock Show

"Having listened to Hastings Rock from the first broadcsat in '93 it wasn't until '99 when I had got out of farming, the opportunity to get involved arose. I was the only listener to phone in late one evening and correctly identify the Japanese band VOW WOW in response to Nick Thomas's question about how we listeners rated the station. Full of praise for it I mentioned how great it would be in addition to be able to hear stuff again that the likes of Tommy Vance and Alan "Fluff" Freeman used to play on Friday and Saturday rock shows on BBC Radio 1, presumably chosen by producer Tony Wilson.

I was invited to meet them all at HR and with my knowledge of all these great tracks that I had logged over many years, set about finding them on mainly deleted from catalogue CDs (before I had access to internet downloads) and offered them for inclusion in the playlist.

Nick was suitably appreciative to invite me to produce and co-present the Heavy Rock Show on a Thursday evening which I did for 3 broadcasts before being handed the controls for the first time ever on live radio in '04. One day I might get comfortable with them .... it's not like driving a combine harvester!

I'm not listening to any particular bands at present as I prefer, when I get the chance, to listen to specialist internet rock stations for new tracks that grab me on first hearing them, hoping some may enrich my listeners lives in future as they do mine.

Cathy and I have been together since Nov '77 and come from generations of farmers, we have three sons, two of them musicians, but all brought up on heavy rock and other good music.

My lifetimes interest in toy/model tractors grew into a full time manufacturing business in '98 which has made us numerous friends worldwide of all ages and given us the freedom to travel that farming was never going to. We are also into supporting Eastbourne Eagles Speedway team as family connections sponsorship gets us in free!

It's always a pleasure to meet new people that listen to Hastings Rock, do come and say hello.....I don't get out much!"