John Holmes MBE is a British radio presenter, closely associated with BBC Radio Nottingham and BBC Radio 4.
John Holmes | |
|---|---|
 Holmes at BBC Radio Nottingham (2006) | |
| Born | Essex |
| Spouse | Kathleen (Kate) née Melbourne |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | MBE |
| Career | |
| Show | The Afternoon Show |
| Station | BBC Radio Nottingham |
At Broadcasting House, Bristol, Holmes worked on the series Down Your Way, Any Questions? and Any Answers?.[1] At Pebble Mill studios, Holmes was a presenter of the BBC Television programmes Look! Hear!, Sparetime and Together.[2]
Holmes moved to Nottingham in October 1965 to study Mining Engineering at the University of Nottingham, graduating in 1968.[3] At university, Holmes met his future wife Kathleen (Kate) Melbourne.[3] Holmes had partially chosen Nottingham to study because Judi Dench and John Neville were based at Nottingham Playhouse.[3] Holmes' wife Kate worked as a nurse at Mapperley Hospital, before taking a break to have the couples' three children.[4]
In July 1977 Holmes presented the BBC Radio Nottingham coverage of Queen Elizabeth II visiting Nottinghamshire.[5]
In 2017, Holmes received an MBE from Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace for services to charity.[1]
As of 2017[update] Holmes had been patron of charities Family Care and Malt Cross, vice-president of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and chair of skin cancer charity Karen Clifford Skin Cancer Charity (Skcin)[1]—known for the Skcin computer tan hoax.
In 2023, after six years working on BBC Radio Derby, Holmes started presenting the afternoon slot on BBC Radio Nottingham, after a 15-year gap from the Nottingham station.[6]
In 2023 Holmes retired from BBC Radio Nottingham after working for the BBC for over 50 years.[7]
References
edit- 1 2 3 Lewis, Jeremy (21 November 2017). "MBE for Nottingham's charity champion John Holmes". News. Nottingham Evening Post.
Broadcaster receives insignia from Prince William … BBC career began at Broadcasting House in London. He also worked in Bristol, where he produced Down Your Way and Any Questions?. Working with Jonathan Dimbleby, he launched the phone-in Any Answers?
- ↑ Jackson, Vanessa, ed. (24 August 2021). "John Holmes's memories of working at Pebble Mill". Pebble Mill History.
producer Roger Casstles … first to ask me to join the Look! Hear! team as a presenter alongside Chris Phipps and Michael Woods. … John Clarke, … asked me to present a new hobbies based series called Sparetime … opening credits that Anne Jenkins had created … Together followed this.
- 1 2 3 "Memory Lane: The Holmes Life". Alumni. University of Nottingham. 9 March 2023.
John Holmes MBE (Mining Engineering, 1968) … arrived at the university on a National Coal Board Scholarship … turned up to read Mining Engineering in October 1965 … Kate Melbourne … student nurses in real life. Kate married me and we have just celebrated our 53rd wedding anniversary. … opted for Nottingham because of the nationally famous reparatory company at the Playhouse, which included Judi Dench and John Neville.
- ↑ Smart, Andy (23 May 2018). "The day a Nottingham student nurse unveiled a controversial new uniform". Nottingham Evening Post. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
Kate Holmes – then Kathleen Melbourne … a new, controversial style of nurses' uniform was unveiled - modelled by Nottingham student nurse Kathleen Melbourne. Its first appearance in the city caused quite a stir when smiling Kate, based at Mapperley Hospital, posed for the photographer. … Kate, … married to BBC Radio Nottingham presenter John Holmes … following her three-year training, Kate continued to work at Mapperley Hospital, taking a break to have her three children.
- ↑ McCarthy, Dennis; Marshall, Sandi; McDougall, Alastair; Jones, Valerie; Gaunt, Freddie; Lilley, John; Gall, Ian; Holmes, John (28 July 1977). The Royal Visit to Nottinghamshire (Vinyl record). Introduction by Ron Coles. BBC Radio Nottingham. Ref: NG-1.
most successful outside broadcast … 10-hour marathon commentary
- ↑ "John Holmes comes home to BBC Radio Nottingham" (Press release). BBC Radio Nottingham. 3 March 2023.
John Holmes is set to re-join BBC Radio Nottingham … after a 15 year absence … weekday afternoon programme between 2.00 and 5.00pm. … spent the last six years at BBC Radio Derby, … lived in Nottingham for over 30 years, … born in Essex he has lived in Nottingham since … late 1960s.
- ↑ Loffreda, Daniela (7 July 2023). "Nottingham journalist John Holmes retires after more than 50 years at the BBC". Nottingham Evening Post. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
Further reading
edit- Holmes, John (2021). This Is the BBC Holmes Service (Autobiography). ISBN 978-1838539085.
- Anderson, Hollie (23 July 2021). "John Holmes MBE on His Autobiography, BBC Legacy and Career Highlights". Left Lion. Photos: Nigel King.
- Strang, Nick (1 December 2023). John Holmes. Selectors. Spore Print Productions – via Youtube.
- Hetzel, Katherine (6 November 2022). 50 years at the BBC - Interviewing John Holmes. Middleway Words ‒ the Midlands Book Festival – via Youtube.
- John Holmes on 50 Years of Attenborough Nature Reserve. Attenborough Nature Reserve: Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. 8 August 2016 – via Youtube.
External links
edit- "John Holmes". BBC Radio Nottingham.
- John Holmes on X
- John Holmes on Instagram
- Fragments of Rock channel on YouTube
- "Welcome to John Holmes MBE". Archived from the original on 11 December 2024 – via Wayback Machine.