When you’re alone, we’re together: remembering Radio Orwell

An oral histories project

Do you remember the heyday of Ipswich’s beloved local radio station Radio Orwell 257?

28th October 2025 marked the 50th anniversary of the launch of Radio Orwell 257, the local radio station that played an integral role in the lives of Ipswich residents from 1975 – 1992. To help commemorate this important part of our local heritage, Cohere Arts was delighted to work in partnership with Suffolk Archives on an oral histories project;

When you’re alone we’re together; remembering Radio Orwell. 

Taking its name from the 1970s advertising jingle for the station, this project, made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, invited Ipswich residents to share their recollections, stories and memorabilia relating to Radio Orwell. Stories captured have now been shared in a new online exhibition developed by Suffolk Archives.

Oral histories

As part of the project, a team of visually impaired adults from the Ipswich area completed a bespoke oral history training session at Suffolk Archives. During the session, participants and guide dogs enjoyed a tour of the work and collections held at Suffolk Archives including a visit to the building’s storage vaults. Their training included interview practice, ethics and a background to Radio Orwell’s history.

A man wearing glasses and a blue top is holding a bright yellow recording device close to his face and is pressing the buttons.
Two golden coloured guide dogs stand patiently at the feet of some adults. Each is wearing a hi-viz harness and is on a lead.
White tables are placed in a horse-shoe configuration in a brightly lit room with a yellow floor. On one wall is a projector screen. A group of people sit at the tables and several guide dogs are lying peacefully under the desks.
A blonde lady wearing pinky red glasses is smiling broadly. She is seated at a white table, holding a yellow audio recording device towards the face of a grey haired man as if interviewing him.
Eight people are standing in a carpeted office in front of a glass wall. Behind them through the glass wall a row of tall bookshelves are visible. Two of the people are holding white canes and three have guide dogs on leads. All are smiling.

Story collecting events

In October 2024 we held 3 story-collecting events in Ipswich, inviting members of the public to bring in photos, documents and memorabilia from Radio Orwell’s heyday in the 1970s and 80s. Former listeners, employees and DJs from the radio station shared a whole range of memories of this time as our oral history collectors recorded their stories for the archive. We heard from schoolboy listeners, pop quiz competition contestants, audio technicians, DJs, reluctant fancy dress competition judges, and more. Together, their stories begin to capture the innovation, excitement and community spirit of Radio Orwell.

“We’re reminiscing about very, very happy days…it’s just such a special time. It gets the old brains going and it’s good for your wellbeing.”

“Suffolk people, and the people who live here are unique, and they did take us to heart. It’s important to record this part of our history.”

“Everywhere you went it was Radio Orwell. It was part of Ipswich life. It was ours. It made Ipswich, it was Ipswich.”

Story collecting event attendees

In the photo below, oral history interviewer Rachel interviews Ivan Ball, one of the station’s original shareholders, and Wendy Wootton, formerly Radio Orwell’s promotions manager.

Three people are seated at a table in a large studio with dark green floor and white walls. On the right, a blonde woman wearing a pink top and glasses smiles as she holds a yellow recording device out towards a grey haired man in a blue top and glasses. He is talking animatedly. In between the pair, an older lady with fair hair in a neat bob is listening intently and smiling.
Story-collecting event at New Wolsey Theatre, October 2024
A split picture showing two aged newspaper clippings. On the left, the headline reads 'Radio Orwell has its first birthday'. On the right, the headline is 'Taking to the Air' with a photo of DJ Johnny Jason at a record player.

With colleagues at Suffolk Archives, we are hugely grateful to all our visitors and contributors for taking the time to get in touch or come to our events. We received a huge amount of documents, images and film relating to this golden era of local radio which will play an invaluable part in ensuring this part of Suffolk’s history is preserved for years to come.

Listen to Cohere Arts’ Artistic/Executive Director Dr Amy Mallett talk to BBC Radio Suffolk’s Thordis Fridriksson about the project on BBC Sounds

Click here to listen to some Radio Orwell audio

Theatrical inspiration…

As well as contributing to Suffolk Archives’ collections and online exhibition, stories and insights collected during this project formed the research and development phase of a new performing arts project for our High Spirits, our visually impaired theatre company. In April 2025, the company premiered Living On Air, a new play by Emma Bernard. The piece, set in a fictitious local radio station in the 1970s, was developed via funding from Arts Council England, and performed to sell-out audiences at Eastern Angles Sir John Mills Theatre in Ipswich.

50th Anniversary Celebration

As a finale to the project, on Tuesday 28th October 2025, we were delighted to bring together alumni of Radio Orwell 257 for a celebratory slice of cake, sharing of the new archive collection and Q & A led by Stephen ‘Foz’ Foster at Suffolk Archives’ The Hold. Foz reminisced with Andy Archer, Keith Rogers, Norman Lloyd, Patrick Eade and Nigel Rennie. You can listen to the Q & A below:

Q & A led by Stephen Foster at The Hold, 28th Oct 2025