Proud father

When Rob was a teenager he volunteered one Summer at Addenbooke's Hospital radio in Cambridge.  Visiting the wards, gaining requests and communicating greetings he fell in love with the process of radio.  Of course, this was very local but it was sufficient to spark enthusiasm for the whole world of radio. His ambition became fixed on 'getting into radio'.  As parent I sought to be wise!  I cautioned him about having too narrow a focus. About the danger of shutting out other possibilities and, of course, the possibility of serious disappointment if it didn't happen.

But his focus on radio never wavered once!  At Oxford University though he was reading English he with a couple of friends launched the first UK's FM student radio station.  It hit the headlines though his Principal said that if he had spent  the same amount of time on his academics as setting up the radio he could have excelled!  However, since then he has gone from strength to strength, collecting an unrivaled number of national awards for his own university station in the US, founded Student College Radio Day, and the international student radio organization that has been held this week. Always radio!

And for the first time this week at the conference I heard him speak. It was an extraordinary sensation to listen to Rob in full flow with wit, clarity, content, great skill and contagious enthusiasm communicating his passion, now so obviously fulfilled.  I was immensely proud of him (and his wife has been the most supportive partner in it all).  To see his dream fulfilled with such gifting was quite overwhelming.  I know why I cautioned him those years ago but I am delighted to see he stayed with his vision.  Quite wonderful.