About Tommy Boyd
Birth: Tommy was born on December 14th 1952, in a hospital corridor in south west London. He found out recently that the (then) world’s worst man-made ecological disaster – a yellow sulphur gas – had ravaged London from 8th-12th December, killing at least 4,000, maybe 9,000.
Death: The biggest thing he has left to do: die well.
In between: Journalist (Fleet St), Comedian, TV and Radio Broadcaster, Actor, Screenwriter, Author. Teacher, Lecturer (Theory of Learning and Education), Youth Councillor, FA Referee, Soccer Coach (Walt Whitman High, Washington DC). Dolphin Trainer, Jockey (Cheltenham), Film Producer (Michael Caine), Wrestling Promoter (Eddie Guerrero). Student of Japanese swordmanship, Taoism, Confuscianism, Existentialism, Bushido.
Father of 2 men, wife Jayne.
-Tommy
More info here @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Boyd
Tommy's Tweets
December 29, 2009 at 6:27 am |
Hi Tommy
Great to see you still out there in radio land. I listened to you on LBC in the early 80′s, Nightline 10-1 with my small radio under the covers. My folks never knew until I crept downstairs to use the phone to guess the mystery guest. I got it wrong though, in fact I think I got the wrong gender.
All the best, Matt J
December 29, 2009 at 9:11 am |
Heh, my policy was to put the most extravagant guesses on first, so thanks. It was a cute show, had a number of strands I’m surprised other shows haven’t nicked.
January 9, 2010 at 3:09 pm |
Hey Tommy,
Glad I’ve “found” you again!
What you upto these days, are you on the radio anywhere? I miss the Saturday night shows and the Play Radio gigs, it’d be great to hear you back on the airwaves.
All the best,
Kirk
January 15, 2010 at 1:02 pm |
Hi Tommy, like Matt posted above I always listened to you on LBC in the early 80’s too. I was working at the BBC at the time and was tuned into your show everyday, I loved it, the way you used to verbally poke people with sticks ha ha.
Just came across this site of yours, great rush of adrenaline when I saw you had pod casts, will be listening to them shortly.
Keep up the great work!
Phil
January 17, 2010 at 5:04 pm |
Hi Tommy,
I miss your BBC Southern Counties shows, are you on the radio at all anymore? as I’d love to be able to Tune into you once again on the airwaves!
Loving the blog,
Jordan
January 31, 2010 at 6:43 pm |
Hey Tom!
great to find your blog, been wondering what’s happening since I last heard you on the afternoon play radio show last summer. Hope all is well at your end,
So, what has been happening with your shows, doing any at the moment?
I found a ton of your old audio thanks to Mickynwa’s great collection. Great stuff there mate, funny as hell. do you ever go through some of that yourself? Some of that old zoo stuff with Ash was great as well, if mostly mental! Ok enough quizzing for now
Back to you soon, again great blog.
Peace,
Pat
February 8, 2010 at 1:26 am |
hi tommy
good health to you and yours. A mate told me about this website so I thought I would send you my best, I hope you have not hung up your headphones for good as our nation could well benefit from your
first rate style of broadcasting. May heaven take you long before the devil knows your dead.
take care
John
February 10, 2010 at 12:11 pm |
Great posts on Iraq, Tommy. Have you signed the Ban Blair-Baiting petition calling for fair reporting of the Iraq inquiry? It can be accessed here http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/ban-blair-baiting.html. We’re up to nearly 600 signatures now from all over the world, including the USA, Iraq and Afghanistan. These include George Foulkes, Tom Harris MP, Oliver Kamm of the Times, John Rentoul of the Independent on Sunday, Tony Blair’s former constituency agents at Sedgefield, and Hopi Sen. We really need more quality signatories at this time and yours would be very welcome.
February 22, 2010 at 1:19 am |
Hey Tommy. Just wondered what you doing radio wise as I love listening to you. Also what on earth happend to Play Radio!!!??? I loved it!
February 25, 2010 at 11:39 am |
Hey Tommy did you see that report about how everyone gets happier and happier from the age of 46? I think its true – but why should that be?
February 25, 2010 at 1:26 pm |
Good question. Perhaps you start to realise that all that running around trying to get somewhere doesn”t hack it.
I’m a good bit better than 46, and it’s only just starting to kick in.
March 25, 2010 at 6:47 pm |
Tommy
A very belated Thank You from the bottom of my Heart. Way back in the early 80s I had TB. Send home from Hospital and off school I’d listed to your good self and Captain Bavin Cooke on LBC Night line. The last hour callers were divided into two teams and you’d ask listeners to write in with suggestions as to the teams. I wrote in with those who can sing V those who can’t and you used my idea. This gave me such a huge boost and I remember running into parents bedroom at 1am and telling them.
A very sincere Thank you Tommy.
David
March 26, 2010 at 7:52 am |
Thanks, that means a lot. TB used to be called the poets disease, so get with the creative writing.
Tommy
April 10, 2010 at 12:05 pm |
Hi Tommy!
So glad to have found you again, still stirring things and people up with words, comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable. All good healthy stuff.
I don’t know if you are familiar with Robert Menard and The Magnificent Deception.
He is also a fellow that likes to fly in the face of convention and question his surroundings, he has taken to studying Canadian Law after his child was taken from him.
Since then he has been dragged into court and essentially been removed from the ‘system.’
He was causing too much of a headache and asking too many sensible questions.
Much like Bob Haw and yourself, i doff my cap to you sir and pray you continue.
Out of interest, how much do you charge to do a broadcast?
April 11, 2010 at 2:54 pm |
How can i get Tommy Autograph
August 13, 2010 at 11:20 am |
yer i want a tommy autograph too! i never got one when you used to do CITV.
April 14, 2010 at 10:26 pm |
Tommy- so great to see you’re still doing your thing. Used to listen to you on your Sunday night show on Southern Sound in the 80s- your show prompted me to buy The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band on cassette from WH Smith records in the old Churchill Square in Brighton. Your show was completely unmissable and a quarter of a century on is still fresh in my mind. For many thought provoking Sunday nights when I was a grumpy teenager- many, many thanks.
Tina
April 16, 2010 at 8:37 pm |
I have a question…
Do you think the police introduced the Americanised police siren because it sounded cooler…?
Or is it actually better at its job than the Neee Naaauuu sound of old.
P.S. – I am not a crook (in the words of Nixon)
April 23, 2010 at 10:37 pm |
Tommy!
Any chance of a question corner?
Or is this not the sort of place you want for that?
P.S. – Not wishing to crawl up your arse but I have been listening to your old broadcasts at work lately and they have been helping me stay sane (or keep an even keel at least) it is so nice to hear that they are still as vibrant and of the times from the early nineties to the present.
Madness is cracking and on point.
Stay out of the comfort zone!
All the best
April 24, 2010 at 10:12 am |
I guess I’d try to answer anything I thought I could, if that’s what you mean?
April 24, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Yes that is what I meant.
Thank you for answering that question = )
April 29, 2010 at 9:10 pm |
Love you Tommy, but I’m worried about you !
I get the feeling that you are feeling a bit worthless and without purpose.
Tommy, Please get back in your wheelhouse and snap out of this void !!!!!!!
Kindest regards, Emma, 21, Enfield, N.London
June 9, 2010 at 1:57 pm |
loved talk radio in the 90′s, after that de-funct, i chucked out all my tv sets, and too this day, radio only here! we need more talk radio on dab/online/fm or whatever. c’mon tommy, get on it!
best wishes-paddy, cornwall.
June 20, 2010 at 11:13 pm |
Tommy glad to see you are still out there talking about everything in the way only you can. You are clever and sharp! I can hear your voice when I read your posts, I don’t think you will ever give up asking questions and trying to find the answers. It’s nice to know someone out there is still pushing buttons
Hey, drop me a line would love to catch up, am still in Seattle.
July 18, 2010 at 6:56 pm |
Hi Tommy,
You were the best thing on Talk Radio. I remember many of your introductory rants. For some reason the one against books keeps coming back to me.
Hope you’re OK,
Rob
August 18, 2010 at 2:33 am |
Hey Tommy,
Your reaction to the fox hunter who endlessly called you a townie is one of my most favourite radio moments ever… I believe you told him to “Piss off” eventually, live on air… Class… Will stay with me forever that one…
All the best
Chris…
August 24, 2010 at 7:20 am |
I too have happy memories of the LBC Nightline times. In fact, I cannot see your name written down without singing “Tommy Boyd Tommy Boyd on Nightline…” It can get quite embarrassing.
More power to your elbow.
August 30, 2010 at 9:00 pm |
seems I wasn’t the only one listening to LBC on a small wireless in 81!!
Yourself and Steve Allen rescued me from my homesickness having moved down from Lancashire to South West London at 18years old.
30 years have past…Good grief! How scary.
Nice to have the comfort of internet to find you again. What happened to Steve?
I swear some of those very corny jingles still haunt me today…”Tommy Boyd, Tommy Boyd on Nightline….” haha!
kep well x
September 27, 2010 at 9:48 am |
Hello,
I work for BBC Radio 4, would you be able to contact me? It is regarding an interview for tomorrow.
My number is 02086249730.
Kind regards,
Rebecca
September 28, 2010 at 7:32 pm |
Hi Tommy,
I am wondering if you would be interested in coming to talk with the Sixth Formers at my school. Contact me by email if you are and we can sort something out.
Every good thing
September 28, 2010 at 9:45 pm |
Hi. Stumbled on your blog. Used to love your shows on Talk Radio. You changed the way I looked at life and I need to thank you. Matthew
October 20, 2010 at 9:32 am |
Good morning tommy,
Many moons ago my mum kept talking about some policeman in a phone box doing strange things and from that point on I became interested in what old mother hen had laughed so much about, so I started tunning into the your shows on talk radio and then talksport soon to be addicted to the human zoo, what a weird wonderful bright and dark place-PURE ENTERTAINMENT, I’d be listening under the covers with my headphones plugged in to the stereo as a school boy. Please come back to national radio
October 20, 2010 at 3:05 pm |
Hi Arran, can’t remember the policeman thing, but thanks anyway for the kind comments.
November 5, 2010 at 8:05 pm |
Tommy,
just a very quick thank you, I listened to you faithfully in the Talk Radio / Sport days and it was a very low point in my life, I had lost my grandparents and father who had raised me…….. and whilst driving my truck and reflecting on it all you were great company.
We’ll never meet I don’t suppose, but you played a massive part on getting me through some dark times…… can’t thank you enough.
Those dark nights are now remembered fondly, and the happy hour was…… well still never will be beaten……….
my very best thanks Grant
November 6, 2010 at 7:48 am |
Thank you for your kind comments Grant, all the best.
November 6, 2010 at 10:57 am |
Stumbled across your blog by visiting your twitter page! I used to love watching you on Childrens ITV and hearing you read out links for Knightmare, and hearing you played golf with Hugo “Treguard” Myatt? Ha! HA! Always found that funny when you said that once before the programme started!
Hope all is good , what do you do now?
November 7, 2010 at 8:01 am |
Hi Katie, thank you for your kind and amusing comments. I’m currently at work with a sports broadcasting company.
December 7, 2010 at 1:38 pm |
Hi Tommy
Big fan here. I first listened to you when I was a wee young lad back in the Southern Sound days. Your night show was the first radio show I loved.
I then found you again in the talkradio/talksport days – which is where you did some great work. Your best so far IMO.
I then caught you when you went to the BBC Southern Counties.
It’s such a shame that you’re not on the radio at the moment, you have a real talent to entertain and the current Talksport staff could learn a thing or two. Some of your wind up topics were genius.
Recently I’ve found a couple of your fan sites and have been listening to some of your classic Talksport shows. Please go back to radio, surely Talksport or the BBC could use a presenter of your caliber?
All the best to you and yours and have a great christmas and new year.
-Jason
December 14, 2010 at 9:37 am |
-HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMMY!-
Have a blast. Have a drink for me
I just discovered your fabulous self last Saturday, and can’t get enough of your superior wisdom, expansive intelligence, and Spiritual prowess.
You’re an Angel sent to Earth to demonstrate to Humanity what’s feeding off of it’s Spirit.
God’s Speed
January 14, 2011 at 9:41 pm |
Hi Tommy,
Just wanted to say that your stuff on Southern Sound back in the 80s was legendary. I was just a kid at the time, but Sunday night was the best night of the week, despite school the next day, as you and David Legge, with help Major Briggs and Jason Foster, shone a bright light on those miserable Sunday nights, I used to hate it when midnight came around.
Thanks so much for those times, because I can honestly say that your show is responsible for some of my best childhood memories. My brother Neil came on your Southern Counties show in the random “grab someone off the street” afternoon interview slot a couple of years back, and we had a right laugh reminiscing about those nights.
Love you to you and your family.
Andy Ruff
January 15, 2011 at 8:15 pm |
The end of ‘free’ radio and free speech in the Gambia:
http://cpj.org/2011/01/gambia-bans-only-independent-radio-station-airing.php
January 18, 2011 at 12:25 am |
Hello Tommy,
I hope you are keeping well and remember me from our days at TV-am. I just came across this website while reading about Michaela.
Today I am an Emmy winning News Director, directing the 10pm & 11pm Newscasts for Fox here in Los Angeles.
Would love to catch up with you
My Best wishes
Ronnie
January 23, 2011 at 7:46 am |
sent you a personal email ronnie, thanks for getting in touch
January 18, 2011 at 1:32 pm |
Hi Tommy,
I was thinking about how much I used to look forward to Friday afternoons and the Wonderful Hour many moons ago when you were on Talk Radio.
I just wanted to let you know that I’m sure it meant a great deal to many many people. I’m sure that there is a need for such positivity and humour. I would always hunt down such a slot if you were to do it once more.
Best wishes
Andrew
January 21, 2011 at 10:37 pm |
hi and i hope you are well!
a family friend of our is a HUGE fan as she used to watch magpie on a regular basis back in the day!
i was wondering if you could do me a favour and send her a signed photo? i would pay for the postage or could draw you a picture (as i am a portrait artist) in return? please email me at mcnadinportraits@aol.com
all the best
Matt Nadin
hope you have a good 2011 fella
January 21, 2011 at 10:39 pm |
p.s her name is zoe
February 6, 2011 at 12:08 pm |
Hi Tommy
You helped me greatly once. I had a serious psychotic episode 12 years ago for which i was sectioned for. Did and said many mad things which when i was better i could rationalise. But the one thing i couldnt is why i kept ranting over and over that i knew nothing. Then i stumbled on your talksport show one sunday night and you mentioned a quote from socrates. I was cured – well almost. Became a fan ever since and found your shows very entertaining and funny and spoke to you twice on the radio. Keep up the good work, i’ll be a listener whenever i can.
Regards, Gary Reynolds
February 15, 2011 at 9:05 am |
Hiya Tommy,
Great website, love it! Wanted to say hi, I used to (try) and help you with computers etc. at Ryman in Birmingham New St…quite a few years ago now!
Ed
March 7, 2011 at 4:12 pm |
As a journalist I thought you might like to know that a Judge had an attempted citizens arrest made upon him at Wirral Court today.
over 1000 people in attendance based on a mans right to not pay council tax.
http://worldfreemansociety.org/dl729
http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/8893981.BREAKING_NEWS__Protestors__arrest__county_court_judge/
http://worldfreemansociety.org/tiki-view_blog.php?blogId=42&offset=10
March 9, 2011 at 1:08 am |
Just so you know some of us listeners are still listening in hope of one day hearing you again. Can’t believe it’s been 9 or so years since “they” got rid of you. I’m a dad since you went away twice over! I stuck it out with podcasts from southern counties to get me through the cold turkey phase but still tell anyone who’ll listen that no one compares for lol radio and for stretching my thought process and sending it off in directions it wouldn’t normally have gone in. Thanks for the many hours of fun you gave me. All the best to you and yours.
March 9, 2011 at 10:24 pm |
As a long time fan, I along with all the others here wish you’d return to radio or at least produce a regular podcast. You would be brilliant on absolute radio. When (if ever) will we be able to hear you again?
March 18, 2011 at 11:18 pm |
Hey Tommy,
I still remember your Sunday night shows on LBC as if they were yesterday. You inspired me to come up with some ideas and contributions, and at a time when I was a young man very short on confidence I was over the moon when you read them out and incorporated them in the show….(one was the quiz, where it had originally been ”north v south’ of the river every week – I wrote in and suggested a different contest each week……my starter for ten was Brian Hayes advocates v Brian Hayes adversaries!
You remain one of my very favourite broadcasters – naturally at ease with people and with a gift for bringing the best out of them. I hope that in future the powers that control the media appreciate you more than they appear to have done in recent years. Very best wishes, and sincere thanks for contributing happy memories to a difficult time in my youth…
April 2, 2011 at 12:47 am |
It was a wonderful person, who gave us the Wonderful hour . .
◯ ⁀˅⁀WE ARE THE WORLD
⋯ ┌─┐ ,─┐⋯ ◯ ❤¸„ø¤º „¸¨°♫
│▒│ /▒/
│▒│/▒/
│▒ /▒/─┬─┐
│▒│▒|▒│▒│
┌┴─┴─┐ -┘─┘
│▒┌──┘▒▒▒│Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
└┐▒▒▒▒▒▒┌┘¸„ø¤º°¨¸„Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
└┐▒▒▒▒┌┘LOVE AND PEACE FOR EVER
¸„ø¤º°¨¸„ø¤º „¸¨°º¤ø„¸¸„ ¸„ø¤º „¸¨°
LOVE IS MY ONE AND ONLY REASON TO LIVE
LET THERE BE PARADISE …
THE WINNER SHARES IT ALL …
May 31, 2011 at 6:03 am |
Tommy
Back in the old Talk Sport days you talked about how you liked the idea of creating jobs and work for the litter pickers and cleaners by simply throwing any rubbish onto the floor. Radical thinking even for you, but I thought, he’ll, let’s give this a go. I think the debris in my house reached about waist high before my wife left me for my best friend. Shame. I really miss him. Anyway, I opened my front door yesterday and the Environmental Health people said that they had reports of a rat going in and out of my house.
I’m wondering who this other guy was, unless my ex was cheating whilst she was cheating. I know you meant will with the rubbish thing but in all honesty having now given it a fair crack of the whip, almost 9 years’ i’ve got to say Tommy, there’s no future in it.
Your idea did however show up some real shortcomings in the person I once loved. In fact, I have had very few visitors in years; funny that!
Got to dash Tommy, thought I’d let you know how I got on with your idea.
Respect
Mike
June 3, 2011 at 9:06 am |
I know this chap who is an appalling speller…yep, it’s me!