UpAndHappy

25/12/2024

Now for a choice of Radio listening! If you fancy something a little different to listen to over this festive period, then some of the UpAndHappy!Christmas radio programmes are still online to hear.

At https://www.leebannister.com/Christmas - you'll find the Christmas No.1s programmes from 2003 & 2008

While at https://www.leebannister.com/Christmas2 - you'll find the special compilations of Beatles and Muppets Christmas songs (yeah, really).

And then at https://www.leebannister.com/Christmas3 - it's the holiday editions of my Saturday morning show 'UpAndHappy!' complete a 'showing' of The Jungle Book & The Snowman.

Have an UpAndHappy! Christmas 🎄🎅🦌🛷🕯️🎶☃️

Merry Christmas! “And now for a choice of listening, this Christmas Day…” Whether its Christmas or not wherever you are, whenever you’re reading this, for many people it off…

15/10/2024

Around 9 years ago I was involved in making a little TV programme about a Children's Television exhibition in Coventry. I was asked to simply wander round and talk about the exhibits. You know what I'm like for nostalgia, so it was right up my street, I even chatted with Sooty and Sweep! I'll put a link in the comments below so you can watch it. A few weeks ago, I was asked if I'd talk about it in front of an audience as part of a day celebrating 'lost' TV shows (also on the bill is Annette Andre from Randall & Hopkirk). So I said I would, and that'll be on Saturday 9th November at the MAC in Birmingham, if you're interested, you can get a ticket here -

TV archivists Kaleidoscope have been on the hunt for lost television programmes, and they’ve once again come up trumps with a whole host of rare footage th

25/09/2023

Thank You so much to everyone for the birthday wishes for my 50th! I really don't feel like I've been around for half a century (as my schoolmates are also discovering). Thanks also to my Mom & Dad, bro Paul, and of course my beautiful Wifey Nikki for a smashing party, and pressies, and everything. I had a brill birthday weekend and I think it's time to stop counting now. 😎 Lee

17/12/2021

It's time for some more of my Christmas Radio Programmes - this time, my original and thoroughly silly 'UpAndHappy!' show. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! “And welcome back to your Christmas listening with Lee B on UpAndHappy!” In part one of my Christmas programmes you could hear my original ‘Christmas Number One& #…

10/12/2021

Time for some more of my UpAndHappy! produced Christmas Radio Programmes - this time an eclectic mix where you can spend Christmas with The Muppets and The Beatles! The original UpAndHappy! Radio Show at Christmas is coming soon...

Merry Christmas! “And welcome back to your Christmas listening with Lee B on UpAndHappy!” In part one of my Christmas programmes you could hear my original ‘Christmas Number One& #…

03/12/2021

Over the years I've made some Christmas Radio Shows. Would you like to listen to some of them? OK, here's a first selection (more next week) featuring a couple of complete programmes from 2003 and then 2008 featuring all of the Christmas Number One Hit Singles!

Merry Christmas! “And now for a choice of listening, this Christmas Day…” Whether its Christmas or not wherever you are, whenever you’re reading this, for many people it off…

24/04/2021

You may know that Lee Bannister is the person behind UpAndHappy! Here's a recent interview -

During March 2021 an old friend, Philip Solomon, got in touch to ask if I would like to be interviewed on his radio programme. I was rather flattered as I’d never really considered myself wor…

07/04/2021

Thanks so much to my old mate Ian at IB Web Design for redesigning the UpAndHappy! Productions website. Ian has done a really lovely job with it, capturing the fun nature of everything that has been UpAndHappy! over the years. It works just as well on your mobile device as on a desktop screen.

Check out Ian's website - www.ibwebdesign.com - taking the science of web design to the atomic level. Tell him I sent you!

I've been busy updating the pages and programmes, but is there anything you'd like to see on there - let me know!

Taking The Science Of Web Design To The Atomic Level

05/12/2020

Now for a bit of fun! The next episode in my Radio Stories series features that irreverent Beacon Radio double act: Dave Myatt and Ian Perry. Myatt and Perry - The Kremlin Krew - took Beacon by storm from the late 80s and through the 90s with The Breakfast Crew, Saturday Afternoons, The Sunday Service ("Thank the Lord for Anchor Ford") and of course their individual shows including Ian's much-missed Midnight Line. Continuing in professional radio to this day, Dave and Ian were reunited on-air after almost 20 years during the 40th Anniversary Weekend of Radio in Wolverhampton, at the studios of WCR FM in 2016, which is where I caught up with them. Their Breakfast Show was the first programme I ever saw live when I first went to Beacon in July 1989, and so I have a real soft spot for this pair!

https://youtu.be/LvgbpMP9KXI

More about the Wolverhampton Radio Stories series, and the other episodes, on my productions website: https://www.upandhappy.com/radiostories

April 2016 marked the 40th Anniversary of local radio in Wolverhampton, which had begun with Beacon Radio 303 in April 1976. To mark the anniversary, the cur...

28/11/2020

The next episode in the Radio Stories series is now available. This time we feature the legend that is Gordon Astley - a very familiar name in the Midlands following a stint as presenter of Tiswas, before moving to Beacon Radio for most of the 1980s, and then on to BBC Radio WM into the 1990s. Gordon has also presented with Mercia Sound in Coventry, and of course BBC Southern Counties Radio. Well loved by everyone who watched and listened to him, Gordon returned for the 40th Anniversary of Radio in Wolverhampton at WCRfm which is where I spoke to him about his Beacon years. A couple of Gordon facts - he is a professional magician and as I discovered recently, Gordon was one of the early team captains in Cheggers Plays Pop!

https://youtu.be/WE6d8Ycp1BQ

More about the Wolverhampton Radio Stories series, and the other episodes, at: https://www.upandhappy.com/radiostories

April 2016 marked the 40th Anniversary of local radio in Wolverhampton, which had begun with Beacon Radio 303 in April 1976. To mark the anniversary, the cur...

20/11/2020

The next episode in the Radio Stories series of video interviews with Beacon Radio people is now available to watch. This episode features Stuart Hickman, one of my best mates at Beacon, and the man behind the incredibly popular "Beacon By Request" in the evenings! As with all of this series, I caught up with Stuart during the 40th Anniversary Celebrations at WCRfm, which is now the sole remaining local radio station in Wolverhampton.

https://youtu.be/8TrPLIW0K1U

More about the programme, and the other episodes in the series, at https://www.upandhappy.com/radiostories

April 2016 marked the 40th Anniversary of local radio in Wolverhampton, which had begun with Beacon Radio 303 in April 1976. To mark the anniversary, the cur...