By Kathy Martin…
On Thursday 3rd November 2016, I joined Denise aka Radio Angel at Bayrak Radio Station in Lefkoşa (Nicosia). We had carried out a radio interview in January 2016, after my filming with Can (pronounced Jan) Gazi for his “Cup of Conversation” show, following my husband Alistair’s death on 1st November 2015.
Denise rang me on 1st November 2016, the first anniversary. She wanted to interview me as a follow-up, one year on. My initial reaction was “no”, but this rapidly changed to a “yes” when she informed me that Can had found, in their archives, a recording of Alistair’s telephone interview! I did warn her that the floodgates would open!
Told her I would immediately make my choice of songs, which I duly emailed
The first five in the order that we played them are:
- Elvis Presley – My Way
- John Denver – Annie’s Song (he used to say if he could sing he’d sing this to me!)
- Bon Jovi – Living on a prayer (for my very good friend, Gill Moon)
- Moody Blues – Knights in White Satin (for Margaret Sheard and Chris Elliott)
- Johnny Cash – Nightriders in the sky – immediately following Alistair’s recording to give me time to compose myself
To end with
- Leonard Cohen – Dance Me to the End of Love (Another favourite of Alistair and mine!)
When I arrived Denise told me that she felt it was important that we left the part with me listening to Alistair’s recording until nearly the end otherwise we could find the rest of the interview hard to do. I agreed this was a very good idea.
Can had to play a smidgeon of the end of it and when I heard my darling’s voice saying goodbye, I honestly thought my heart would break!
Somehow we got through the interview, but I found my mind kept wandering towards when I would hear the recording in full!
There are NO words that I can find and I have just spent ages trying to find them, to describe the IMMENSE joy I had from hearing his lovely voice again.
I was remembering how reluctant (on 27th December 2012) he was to talk to Can, his mistake with Alex’s birthday (which is actually the 20th December) and remembered his reply to me after the interview when (in my, sometimes, very pedantic way) I let him know it was wrong “You know, I rely on you to remember the dates”! His genuine love of Radio Bayrak, getting very indignant when people mocked the station “I wouldn’t be able to do a similar programme in Turkish”!
As a matter of interest we are still waiting for our Kocan (pronounced Kojan), never did get permanent residency nor did we ever go back to the UK, our last trip there was in 2008.
I left with a feeling of genuine affection for Can and Denise (so sorry that Zehra aka DJ Zel was unwell) and REALLY feel part of the Bayrak family!
The radio programme can be heard on Click here
Select FM 105
Saturday 5th November at 15.00 (in TRNC), at 14.00 (in Cyprus) and at 12.00 (in the UK)
Sunday 6th November at 11.00 (in TRNC), at 10.00 (in Cyprus) and at 08.00 (in the UK)
Anyone else around the world will have to work out their own time zone time! Sorry!
For anyone interested in watching my interview filmed on 14th January 2016 with Can Gazi can find it at the end of my blog
My TV and Radio interviews on Bayrak International Radio & TV in Northern Cyprus.
To read here is the link Click here
