While driving yesterday I was thinking about the good old days of Big l blasting out of my car radio.
One name came to mind and that was the news reader Chris Opperman. On the hour every hour.



I used to like the witty banter he had with Mike Read and Steve Garlick after reading the news each day.
I wonder if he`s on radio now days reading the news because his voice was perfect for that job.
If anyone knows I would love to know just out of interest.

Zitat von mike

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While driving yesterday I was thinking about the good old days of Big l blasting out of my car radio.
One name came to mind and that was the news reader Chris Opperman. On the hour every hour.



I used to like the witty banter he had with Mike Read and Steve Garlick after reading the news each day.
I wonder if he`s on radio now days reading the news because his voice was perfect for that job.
If anyone knows I would love to know just out of interest.

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Didn't he have a son too that was associated with BIGL?

Yes, Toby Opperman, who did a show and also often read the news.

I agree with Mike, he had a superb delivery and had a good rapport with Mike & Steve. Just one thing, during the time when Chris read the news, it was every hour on the half hour. It moved to the top of the hour, when the news provider changed to Sky.

Chris was indeed a fine newsreader. Prior to his Big L days he used to read the news on the local Ipswich commercial station Radio Orwell.

He quit Big L like many others when he didn't get paid. I believe he even talked about it on air at the time!!!!

Zitat von David

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Chris was indeed a fine newsreader.
He quit Big L like many others when he didn't get paid. I believe he even talked about it on air at the time!!!!

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Yes I remember that day when he quit and talked about on air. After that it was just a question of time for Big L to close.
If Im correct it was Randal Lee Rose who first quit on air. Then one by one they all quit and left the sinking ship.
I cant blame them, I wouldn`t like to work for nothing.

Chris, then Randall went and then Randall came back for a little while, then I believe it was Steve Garlick who went & finally Adrian John who left a recorded message instead of his show. Mike Read & Ian Damon eventually went at some point signifying the end of a great era. Big boss Ray of course continued for some months with his V/T shows which became very tedious. And no Mike I certainly wouldn't work for nothing either after all without income bills don't get paid.

Zitat von alec

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Guys - this is all past and the new BigL has nothing to do with the old - yes, I know this forum is not FOBL and it should be possible to talk about past presence and future.
I admit there are a few things I don't like about the present BigL but lets support those people or those things we apperciate (and there are many) and give them our moral support - they do need that.
Otherwise I am afraid that we would also obstruct what we (still) have now . - In the years I've been on fora I've noticed very often that we all tend to critizise things or people without the necessary sensitivity and in the end, when all is gone we start to long for the past.
Lets think positive and put more emphasis on the support of those people, presenters or programs we appreciate to help them to build a future for our enjoyment. The past we cannot change anymore but our support can help them to build a future - at least in a way....

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I dont think anyones knocking the present Big L setup, its just a little bit of reminiscing about the Ray Andersons original from Frinton in its hayday.
I know quite a few of the members here work on Big L and I respect what they do but Its going to make it hard to post if we each have to watch everything we say.

Yes, it's been a roller-coaster ride and in a way, still is. Just adds to the fun I guess ;-)

The Ray Anderson, Mike Read et al incarnation in it's Frinton heyday was indeed superb and I have many happy memories of those times. Sure things got messy and the set-up had to change to survive. Change it did, but survive it did. It was those days that reminded many of us what good radio could be and inspired many of us to fight for it's survival. Big L may not be today, quite what it was then, nothing stays the same forever, but it is still there and largely still true to it's roots and the ideals of those early days. Much of the output today is every bit as good as those early days and the pioneering spirit still remains in abundance. The early days, highs and lows are not something to be swept under the carpet, they are part of our history and to a large extent shape what we are today.

Ray and co. may not have been the business success they would have hoped, but they tried. Their Big L is in the past, but they achieved something very special, the essence of which is still very much with us today, in the current Big L.

Zitat von alec

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Guys - this is all past and the new BigL has nothing to do with the old - yes, I know this forum is not FOBL and it should be possible to talk about past presence and future.
I admit there are a few things I don't like about the present BigL but lets support those people or those things we apperciate (and there are many) and give them our moral support - they do need that.
Otherwise I am afraid that we would also obstruct what we (still) have now . - In the years I've been on fora I've noticed very often that we all tend to critizise things or people without the necessary sensitivity and in the end, when all is gone we start to long for the past.
Lets think positive and put more emphasis on the support of those people, presenters or programs we appreciate to help them to build a future for our enjoyment. The past we cannot change anymore but our support can help them to build a future - at least in a way....

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Alec we are not discussing or criticising the present Big L here so what is your problem with our posts? This is a discussion about Ray Andersons Big L when it had all the paid professional staff. I thought this forum allowed a proper discussion it is not FOBL lets not get it like it please.

This is the same type of discussion we would have about Laser 558, Caroline or RNI so whats the problem? Are we supposed to re-write history since 2005 & pretend that Ray's Big L didn't happen?

Neither I nor Mike are being negative we are merely reminicing on the facts. I am sorry but I am not going to turn this into a thread praising the current Big L simply because this thread is not about the current Big L. I cannot change what happened in the Ray era but there is no harm in discussing it. Ray's Big L may have been hampered by mis-management and a bad AM signal but it was a very good station & it put out some excellent programmes. No one can deny that. Lets face it if Ray hadn't started Big L in 2005 it is extremely unlikely that the current internet incarnation would be on air today.

Life would be extremely boring if everytime we mentioned Big L on a forum we had to sing the praises of the current Big L. There are I am sure enough threads on FOBL that still do this. They are doing a good job but thats not what this thread is about.

I personally love to read what you all post about the era of BIGL that I never knew. So please all keep posting about that. This is a music forum about the past and present . You are welcome to talk about anything you like. I think Alec just wanted to not let us forget the present presenters as well, but it is also nice to talk about the other great presenters that made BIGL it's name as well.