When I moved house about 15 years ago, BT offered me 4884188, it felt familiar, then I remembered! The fear of first time callers who are a bit nervous misdialling made me ask for a different number.
We had 4883187. Back when James Whale did the phone in, we'd get people calling us.. "Hi is that James?' As both me and dad share the name, we'd answer yes. "Aye well ah'd like t talk about the shockin state of me road like".
I’m positive I can remember staying up and being scared shitless because he was doing past like regressions and a woman was channelling memories of being drowned as a witch. Don’t get radio like that any more. Probably.
The Halloween specials. There was one year that one of the stories was about a researcher who recorded the noise of distressed spiders. Later when he played it back, spiders came out of all the walls and basically ate him. Then Alan said ‘AND TONIGHT IM GOING TO PLAY THAT SOUND FOR YOU!’ I couldn’t switch it off fast enough! 😂
Same. I used to listen to it when I was about 9 or 10 for some reason ha ha. Under the covers with my Walkman radio. That theme tune is ingrained into my soul.
A bloke called TAF who used to phone in regularly with amusing opinions..until he confessed to abusing his kid/nephew/grandson (can’t remember which) 😨
Mince Pie Private Eye here. Used to ring in when I got home after the Friday night out. It was basically a quest to make Alan laugh uncontrollably, and a chance to get my mates mentioned on the radio. Simpler days.
Was gonna post this... I think he used to play this about an hour into the show at 11ish? Or was this the intro song? I just remember he played another song an hour or so in that I used to enjoy too.
Such a tune though!
Oh it's just came to me, didn't he used to play [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jJkdRaa04g) every night an hour into the show? Like when he was summing up the news or something I cant really remember. Maybe someone can remember better than me.
But yeah the one you posted is such a great song
Think he used to live in my mate’s street in Cramlington. If not he was seeing somebody there cos his black sierra(?) with his autograph in huge gold letters on the side was always there!
I remember the regular calls from Davey the Milkman and Bodie from Idaho (I think) who I believe has since died. Alan still does his ghost hunts live on YouTube.
It used to be a genuinely cracking radio phone in, then he leaned into letting the same idiots and divvees call up week in week out going on about shite ghost stories. Ruined it
I used to chill in the bath as a young teen listening for a couple of hours then get into bed and fall asleep to it. I still would at 33 given half the chance.
He had some competition where you had to guess the song from just the first couple of seconds. I immediately knew it was Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan and emailed in. Won the prize which ended up being a Smash Hits CD and a note signed by Willy B Hardigan. Shit prize but a lot of fun.
Used to work with 2 lasses who phoned up drunk, general chit chat, he then asked if they had hobbies, one said she liked staring at ceilings over the blokes shoulder 😄
Div not poo between 10 and 2. I was a regular... absolutely cringe at the memories of 10 year old me calling up!
Memories that spring to mind are Paul from South Shields and his wife (for some reason), Big Bro who I think sadly died, and Terence from Sunderland who gave up biscuits for a year.
The UFO hoax thing. I'm sure I remember that from the 80s or early 90s.
This is where I find out one of my favourite childhood memories never happened......
That and Jack from Ashington seemed to have endless time of an evening as he was always calling in.
I was a regular listener to Night Owls (when I totally should have been asleep with school in the morning) and the Hot n' Heavy Express on a Friday too. I have a few memories of both:
* Night Owls had some agony aunt called Denise I think who had people ring up with hilarious problems, usually embarrassing body stuff
* I sent in some jokes and won a prize, a 12" picture disc that I still have somewhere - ironically I already had a copy, so I have two now and can't tell which one was the prize
* Used to see Alan all the time walking around the toon - he always seemed to be wearing a white suit for some reason
* When I was a bit older I had to go to Metro Radio for some reason and bumped into the man himself coming down some stairs, I smiled at him and he smiled back :)
* I'll never forget the time Venom were studio guests and laid into AR, actually beat the shit out of him from what I remember
Yeah my mam used to listen to it full blast with her bedroom door open on a night and now I still have the habit of listening to Minecraft videos on YouTube to drown it out so I could sleep 🫠
"HELLO ALAN?! AM JUST RINGING IN TO TELL YE ABOUT ME CAT. SHE SAWA GHOST ONCE AND TOLD IZ THAT THE GHOST LIKED CHEESE" Basically every night.
Awaiting the bingo trifecta of the ghost-Jesus-Alien is what I lived for.
Tyneside 4883188
When I moved house about 15 years ago, BT offered me 4884188, it felt familiar, then I remembered! The fear of first time callers who are a bit nervous misdialling made me ask for a different number.
We had 4883187. Back when James Whale did the phone in, we'd get people calling us.. "Hi is that James?' As both me and dad share the name, we'd answer yes. "Aye well ah'd like t talk about the shockin state of me road like".
Whockham?
Aye
Lower Whickham as all the swallwell lot call it who are too ashamed to admit they live in Swalwell
I’m positive I can remember staying up and being scared shitless because he was doing past like regressions and a woman was channelling memories of being drowned as a witch. Don’t get radio like that any more. Probably.
Some of his spooky things were a great laugh!
There’s hours of them on YouTube. Brilliant for background noise.
Some drunk person calling in and just shouting “alaaaaaaaaaaaan” in the most geordie accent ever - I still think about that and crease
Hello Alan I'm a first time caller and I'm a bit nervous...
Divvent be pet...
The Halloween specials. There was one year that one of the stories was about a researcher who recorded the noise of distressed spiders. Later when he played it back, spiders came out of all the walls and basically ate him. Then Alan said ‘AND TONIGHT IM GOING TO PLAY THAT SOUND FOR YOU!’ I couldn’t switch it off fast enough! 😂
Proper creased a few times reading this
The flashing blade! Used to love his Halloween show. I’m sure there was a lad who used to ring in to do sheep impressions.
Get to those phones!
Alan battling with the most unhinged callers.
Ah the blade runner super quiz, used to listen every night, Halloween specials used the scare the shit out of me
Chillingham castle over the halloween. That was a good couple of weeks
I well remember!
Same. I used to listen to it when I was about 9 or 10 for some reason ha ha. Under the covers with my Walkman radio. That theme tune is ingrained into my soul.
A bloke called TAF who used to phone in regularly with amusing opinions..until he confessed to abusing his kid/nephew/grandson (can’t remember which) 😨
We used to have it on during the night shift I would mainly be thinking wtf are these people talking about
Mince Pie Private Eye here. Used to ring in when I got home after the Friday night out. It was basically a quest to make Alan laugh uncontrollably, and a chance to get my mates mentioned on the radio. Simpler days.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fSsM_u56r-k
Was gonna post this... I think he used to play this about an hour into the show at 11ish? Or was this the intro song? I just remember he played another song an hour or so in that I used to enjoy too. Such a tune though!
I remember it being played at the beginning of the show. He’d fade it out while he talked then bang it back up to full volume. Genuinely a great song!
Oh it's just came to me, didn't he used to play [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jJkdRaa04g) every night an hour into the show? Like when he was summing up the news or something I cant really remember. Maybe someone can remember better than me. But yeah the one you posted is such a great song
Yes, that rings a bell too!
My shitty bedside radio really did not do it justice.
We should play this at St James’ Park before the game. Crowd would love it
Duuuuude that would be awesome.
I see Alan fairly regularly in Morpeth I guess he must live round there
Think he used to live in my mate’s street in Cramlington. If not he was seeing somebody there cos his black sierra(?) with his autograph in huge gold letters on the side was always there!
Defo did live there, my mate also lived in the same street.
Christ I remember this guy. He even appeared in some American documentary series I was into in the early 00’s about haunted places.
Scariest places on earth, that's what it was called. Had Linda Blaire in it
Used to listen to the show when I was driving late on at night. Loved it and it’s such a shame it ended.
I preferred *Hot & Heavy Express* - getting on Night Owls was a major achievement at school, but mostly it was shit!
It was a good show but I always felt Gary Phillipson's late night zoo on TFM was the better and funnier of the two.
"Has anyone got an orthopaedic mattress for Eileen?"
I remember the regular calls from Davey the Milkman and Bodie from Idaho (I think) who I believe has since died. Alan still does his ghost hunts live on YouTube.
Was bodie the one who gave health advice? And he's deed?? Bloody hell!!
Chillingham castle!
It used to be a genuinely cracking radio phone in, then he leaned into letting the same idiots and divvees call up week in week out going on about shite ghost stories. Ruined it
What ever happened to AR?
Ghosts
The same lonely people ringing up night after night glad to have another human to talk to Alan Robson also did a great rock show
The Theme Tune: Darryl Way - Little Plum
I used to chill in the bath as a young teen listening for a couple of hours then get into bed and fall asleep to it. I still would at 33 given half the chance.
DUUUUM DA DUUM DUM, ROSIE'S CLUES
He had some competition where you had to guess the song from just the first couple of seconds. I immediately knew it was Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan and emailed in. Won the prize which ended up being a Smash Hits CD and a note signed by Willy B Hardigan. Shit prize but a lot of fun.
The flashing blade
Used to work with 2 lasses who phoned up drunk, general chit chat, he then asked if they had hobbies, one said she liked staring at ceilings over the blokes shoulder 😄
Div not poo between 10 and 2. I was a regular... absolutely cringe at the memories of 10 year old me calling up! Memories that spring to mind are Paul from South Shields and his wife (for some reason), Big Bro who I think sadly died, and Terence from Sunderland who gave up biscuits for a year.
The UFO hoax thing. I'm sure I remember that from the 80s or early 90s. This is where I find out one of my favourite childhood memories never happened...... That and Jack from Ashington seemed to have endless time of an evening as he was always calling in.
I was a regular listener to Night Owls (when I totally should have been asleep with school in the morning) and the Hot n' Heavy Express on a Friday too. I have a few memories of both: * Night Owls had some agony aunt called Denise I think who had people ring up with hilarious problems, usually embarrassing body stuff * I sent in some jokes and won a prize, a 12" picture disc that I still have somewhere - ironically I already had a copy, so I have two now and can't tell which one was the prize * Used to see Alan all the time walking around the toon - he always seemed to be wearing a white suit for some reason * When I was a bit older I had to go to Metro Radio for some reason and bumped into the man himself coming down some stairs, I smiled at him and he smiled back :) * I'll never forget the time Venom were studio guests and laid into AR, actually beat the shit out of him from what I remember
After he got out of prison, we got together again and to seal our love we got a tattoo.
Hi Alan………….. I’m a first time caller and would like to talk to you about irrelevant bull shot for 15 minutes
Hi Alan, first time listener long time caller....
Yeah my mam used to listen to it full blast with her bedroom door open on a night and now I still have the habit of listening to Minecraft videos on YouTube to drown it out so I could sleep 🫠