Time to call time on my radio programme

After 13 years and 496 programmes it is time to call time on my radio career (at least for the foreseeable future) and I would like to thank all those people who have so readily and freely given of their time to contribute towards the programme’s success, over the years, as my guests.

It was always a tremendous compliment, and very much appreciated, when people so readily agreed to come back a second, third or more times. Particularly when doing so had to take priority over other work in a very busy schedule. And I would like to make particular mention of Tom Brake MP, Baroness Ros Altmann, Gina Miller, Sir Steve Webb and Lord Neil Kinnock in this respect.

It was a privilege to carry the last interviews given by the late Jack Jones and Claire Raynor before their deaths.

Although primarily a current affairs, awareness raising and campaigning, programme from time to time I had celebrity guests and it was a pleasure to talk with celebrities such as Katherine Jenkins, Alfie Boe, Esther Rantzen, Kimberley Walsh, Una Healy, Richard Clayderman, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rosemary Squires, Charlie Dimmock and Lawry McMenemy amongst others.

The interviews with Chris Lubbe, Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard and friend, made a lasting impact on me; as did the one with David Blunkett.

I am also eternally grateful to all those people who shared their despair during the “Worthy Of Work and pensions” campaign which sought to bring an end to age discrimination in the work place and the restoration of the “earnings link” to the State Pension. The programme also campaigned on “income inequality”, “poverty”, “pensions”, “homelessness”, and the “organisation of health and social services” amongst many other issues. And latterly devoted a great deal of time to BREXIT in an attempt to get the pros and cons across in as an objective a way as possible.

Clearly there isn’t room to mention all those listed below in this preamble but this in no way distracts from the part each and everyone of you played in the programme’s success and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. THANK YOU.

And finally a big thank you to Cheryl Buggy for persuading me to do the programme and to all at Express FM for their technical help over the years.

 GUESTS ON CHRIS PERRY’S RADIO PROGRAMME HAVE INCLUDED

(many of whom have appeared on more than one occasion)

 EXPRESS FM – EVERY SUNDAY – OCTOBER to APRIL – 5pm – 6pm

Politicians

Baroness Ros Altmann CBE Minister of State for Pensions

The Rt Hon Norman Baker MP – Minister of State for Transport

The Rt Hon David Blunkett MP – Former Home Secretary

Tom Brake MP Lib Dem spokesperson on BREXIT

The Rt Hon John Denham MP Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities & Skills

Cnty Cllr Liz Fairhurst – Executive Member for Adult Social Care - Hampshire

Baroness Greengross – former Director General Age Concern England – campaigner

Carolyn Harris MP – Shadow Minister at the Equalities Office – Women and Equality

Cnty Cllr Felicity Hindson – Executive Member Adult Social Care – Hampshire CC

The Rt Hon Mark Hoban MP – Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury

Cllr Vernon Jackson – Leader Portsmouth City Council

Cnty Cllr Mel Kendal Exec Member Environment, Economy and Transport Hants CC

Lord Neil Kinnock – former Leader of the Labour Party and past Vice President of

                                                                                                      the European Union

The Rt Hon David Laws MP

Rachael Maskell MP – Chair “All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ageing and Older People”

The Rt Hon Mike O’Brien MP - Minister of State for Pensions

The Rt Hon Mike O’Brien MP - Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change

Michael Russell - Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe.

Baroness Scotland – Attorney General

Cnty Cllr Ken Thornber – Leader Hampshire County Council 

The Rt Hon Nigel Waterson MP – Shadow Secretary of State Work and Pensions

The Rt Hon Steve Webb MP – Minister of State for Pensions

The Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP- Minister of State for Pensions and Ageing Society

Movers and Shakers

Sharon Allen – Chief Executive Skills for Care

Dr Ros Altmann – Pension Expert, former Director General of The Saga Group and Government Older Workers Champion

Mario Ambrosi – Anchor Trust

Martin Barclay – Chief Executive, Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust

Nick Barrett – Chief Executive – Outward Bound

Carol Bode – Chair Southern Health NHS Trust

Malcolm Booth – chief executive National Federation of Occupational Pensioners

Simon Bottery – Independent Age

Adrian Boulding – Director of Retirement - Tax Incentivised Savings Association

Rodney Brook – Chief Executive General Social Care Council

John Clifton – Deputy Director of Adult Social Services, Hampshire County Council

Richard Corden – Chief Executive Commission for the Compact

Jane Cowley – Campaign Director – Women Against State Pension Inequalty

Mark Cubbon – Chief Executive Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

Chris Curry – Director Pension Policy Institute.

Hamish Davidson – Head Hunter

Lynn Davies – CE Portsmouth CAB

Anna Dixon – Chief Executive – Centre for Ageing Better

Gill Duncan – Director of Adult Social Care – Hampshire County Council

Sue Dovey, Chief Executive, Hampshire Community Action

Dr Irshaad Ebrahim – Director London Sleep Centre

Steven Fifer - PRIME

Gary Fitzgerald – Chief Executive of Action on Elder Abuse

Anna Feuchtwang – Chief Executive, National Children’s Bureau

Leslie Gannon – National Association of Head Teachers

Margaret Geary – Director of Adult Social Care – Portsmouth City Council

Nick Georgio – Director of Adult Social Services, Hampshire County Council

Dot Gibson – General Secretary – National Pensioners Convention

Aston Goody – MGM advantage

Debra Hargreaves – Chairman of the High Pay Commission

                                                                 / Director of the High Pay Centre

Joe Harris – Secretary – National Pensioners Convention

Dr Karen Harrison-Dening – Dementia UK

Prof Mike Kelly – National Institute for Clinical Excellence

Neil Hunt – Chief Executive Alzheimer’s Society

Gavin Hogarth – Author books on Epilepsy

Jeremy Hughes – Chief Executive – Alzheimer’s Society

Howard Hughes – SimplyHealth

Anna Johns – case law through the Employment Tribunal and High Court

Michael Johnson – Centre for Policy Studies

Professor Mike Kelly – The National Institute of Clinical Excellence

Stephen Lambert – Director Education4Democracy

Phillip Lee – Chief Executive – Epilepsy Action

Gordon Lishman – Chief Executive Age Concern England

Chris Lubbe – Nelson Mandela’s body-guard and friend

Angela Madden – Finance Director – Women Against State Pension Inequality

David McCullough – Chief Executive WRVS

Norman McNamara – The Purple Angel

Nushra Mansuri – Professional Officer BASW

Dr Hamish Meldrum – Chairman British Medical Association

Sara Mitchell – Director of Adult Social Care – Isle of Wight

Dr Jill Miller – Chartered Institute of Personnel Development

Gina Miller – Founder of “True and Fair Campaign” & legal challenge BREXIT –

                                                                                                                SCM Private

Prof Jonathan Montgomery – Chair Hampshire PCT

Jack Jones – founder of the National Pensioners Convention – including possibly the 

                                                                                  last radio interview he ever gave

Vanessa Owen – Head of Annuities and Equity Release – Liverpool Victoria

Clare Pelham – Chief Executive Epilepsy Society

Tom Riordan – Chief Executive Leeds City Council

Mary Rance – Chief Executive Contact the Elderly

Esther Rantzen – Television presenter.

Peter Rayner – Vice President of the National Pensioners Convention

                                        / former boss of British Rail

Nigel Sibley – Regional Managing Director, McCarthy and Stone

Sheila Scott – Chief Executive, National Care Council

Amanda Shirlock – Operations Director – The Care Quality Commission

Jan Shortt – General Secretary, National Pensioners Convention

Stefan Stern – Director High Pay Centre

Jackie Smith – Chief Executive, Nursing and Midwifery Council

Dr Ros Taylor MBE – National Director – Hospice UK

Andrew Tully – Pensions Technical Adviser – Retirement Advantage

Dr Richard Vautry – Deputy Chair – GP Committee - BMA

Dinah Warnock – national publicity – Worthy Of Work and pensions campaign.

Hilarie Watchorn - Assistant Director for Homelessness, - Salvation Army

Sir Steve Webb – Director of Policy, Royal London 

Prof Richard Wilkinson = Co-founder of the Equality Trust

Simon Whipple – President of Hampshire Law Society

Tom Wright – Chief Executive of Age UK

Emily Yates – Development Manager, Older Peoples Commissioning, Portsmouth

Celebrities

Friar Alessandro

Kevin Ashman – Best Selling Author

Alfie Boe

Mary Byrne – X Factor

Mary Chapin Carpenter – multi Grammy Winner

Richard Clayderman – pianist 267 gold and 70 platinum discs

Elliot Conway – Author

Charlie Dimmock – TV Personality

Una Healy (The Saturdays)

Katherine Jenkins OBE

Milos Karadalic

Carol Laura – singer / song writer

Maria Lyn

John Lunn – Composer - Music Downton Abbey

John and Bubbles Tree and John Langridge – The Zimmers

Jodie Marie – Singer / Composer

Stevie McCrorie (winner of the voice 2015)

Lawrie McMenemy – Football Legend

Julian Ovenden – Actor

Ben Portsmouth – the world’s Ultimate Elvis Tribute Act

Sara Poyzer – actress / singer

Claire Raynor – celebrity – including possibly the last radio interview she gave

Dame Esther Rantzen

The Shires – Ben Earl and Chrissie Rhodes

Rosemary Squires – Legendary Singer – Britain’s answer to Doris Day

Kimberley Walsh – Girls Aloud – Strictly Come Dancing

Tommy Walsh – TV personality

Simon Weston – Falklands Veteran

Laura Wright – Opera Singer

The Zimmers

OTHER GUEST HAVE INCLUDED

 Sam Agnew, Marie Ambross, Evelyn Archenhold, Anthony Armula, Kevin Ashman, Kieth Arscott, Carl Atley,

 Jackie Ballard, Bibiane Barboutova, Chris Baron, Nick Barrett, Mike Batchelor, Chris Beardshaw, Robbie Beer, Jasmine Birtles, Chief Inspector Andy Bottomley, Adrian Boulding, Charmain Boyce, Dr Derek Browne, Claire Brinn, Rebecca Bright, Nick Brocklesby, Bill Lloyd Bryden, Ivy Broomfield, Vandra Brown, Alex Burn, Billy Burrows, Amy Burchell, Sandy Busnett, Joe Bussell,

 Jean Cane, Monica Carly, Val Carter, Liz Chandler, Kay Checkley, Elaine Chester, Evette Christian, Tom Clarke, Henry Clayton, Caroline Coats, Carol Cowell, Bee Crisp, Alan Cufley, Mike Curry,

 Dil Daley, Sue Dawkins, Chris Davies, Vanessa Davies, David Davidson, John Dobin, Frank Donovan, Mark Duffield, John Durbin, Helen Durnford, Kevin Dyne,

 Malcome Eames, Debra Eddington, Alan Edmonds, David Edwards, Lindsey Edgeworth, Carolyne England, Enterprise Rent-a-car Drivers, Brenda Eustan

 Ron Fenich, Steve Fifer, Robbie Fisher, Graham Freer, Nicholas Freeman, Patrick Fowler,

 Amanda Ganter, Bill Gear, Carol Gerrett, Matthew Greening, Prof Emily Grundy. Kenneth Gibb, Shirley Goode, Jan Gough, Russell Graveley,

 Anthony Harbet, Tracey Ann Hayes, Claire Harding. Jane Harris, Lady Kara Hawkes, Paul Hensby, Lou Hickman, Albert Hill, Thelma Turner Hill, Raymond Hooker. George Howe, Howard Hugh, Roy Hunter, David Hurst,

 John Ide,

 Becky Jarvis, Pat Jenkins, Jim Johnson, Anna Jones, Tony Wright Jones, Linda Joyce,

 Andrew Kaye, Janet Kitchen, Ann Kinaham, Elizabeth King, Sid King,

 Steven Lambert, Mary Lambert, John Landridge, Christine Lansdale, Alan Laney, Carol Laula, Barbara Large, Philip Lee, Tony Lee, Geof Lewis, Adrian Lindsey, Ros Lidiard, Elizabeth Lodge, Doris Long,

 Dawn Mannay, Peta May, Dr John McEwan, Amada McKenzie, Laura McMay, David Moore,Tracey Morgan, Patrick Morris, Ann Meader, Colin Meech, Maria Mitchell, Mary Mitchell, Tracey Minor, Dorothy Morton, John Moreton, Ian Murrey, Kyle Music

 Paul Nicholson

 Ian Orr, Dr Omerod, Emma O’Neil,

 Brendon Paddy, John Page, Leslie Pankhurst, Julie Parker, Malcom Patrick, Jackie Patterson, Professor John Pickering, Steven Plumber, John and Maggie Pring,

 Trevor Rayner, Jon Reeve, Tom Riorden, John Ritchie, Jackie Rowe, Malcome Roberts, Christine Rowley,

 Sally Samson, Nick Sanderson, Wendy Savage, Roy Scanlon, Linda Kendal Scott, Paul Sears, Christine Shaw, Amanda Shirlock, Margaret Sills, Nicola Slade, Margaret Smith, Roland Smith, Rick Smith, Zoe Smith, Derek Smithers, Vera Stephens, Jill Stevens, Nicky Stevens, Alex Strong, Adrian Soloman, Jan Stannard,

 Martin Taylor, Phil Thomas, Simon Theobald, Prof Mike Tipton, John and Bubbles Tree, Mike Townsend,

 Malcolm Vickers, Liz Virgo,

 Bill Wain, Pete Walden, roger Walker, James Walters, Jim Walters, Helen Watson, Hilary Webber, Jane Webster, Alex Welford, Jamie Murrey Wells, Peta Wilkinson, Mike Whiting, Andrew Wilson, Brian Woodford, Naomi Woodspring, Hazel Worrell, Jackie Worrell,

 Trevor Yeoman, Susan Young, Suzanna Young,

 Vivian Zaruchi