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Ian Hackett

He was there at John, Paul, George and Ringo's first official gig together. He's met Emile Ford, Joe Brown and Mark Wynter. And he told Billy Fury he prefered chemistry to Rock 'n Roll!

Ian Hackett met them all as one of the first members of Radio Clatterbridge, at one of the most exciting times in music.

The retired headmaster recalls meeting one of the station's founders, Monty Lister, outside Lever Brothers in Port Sunlight. Before long, he was helping Monty record his weekly request programme.

"Monty did most of the work," explains Ian, "but I contributed a few ideas and introductions and the occasional interview. We used to visit local theatres to do the interviews backstage.

Ian interviews Billy Fury

"My interest was in travelling to exotic venues to interview the "big stars". My most enduring memory is of being driven to the Manchester Hippodrome to catch Billy Fury. After answering such searching questions as whether he was abandoning rock'n'roll - Halfway to Paradise had just been released - he asked me if I wanted to be a rock star. Without any hesitation, I replied 'No, I want to be a chemist in the labs at Lever's!'."

And if it wasn't for Ian, Radio Clatterbridge may never have had its world exclusive first interview with The Beatles.

"I had got my dad, who was captain of the Port Sunlight Golf Club in 1962, to hire John, Paul, George and Pete for the golf club dance at Hulme Hall on 7th July. Monty and I didn't even consider interviewing them - we wanted to do stars, not local bands! My dad even got some stick from the golf club members... But the Beatles were hired to return to Hulme Hall for the Horticultural Society's dance on 18th August and, by that time, Monty had decided that they were worth an interview.

"My own recollection of that night comes from the other side of the stage: this was the night of Ringo's debut as a Beatle and he had to survive a barrage of 'We want Pete' chanting. I ran into Ringo just after the Beatles' slot and reassured him with the observation that 'things can only get better'. I had no idea how much better and I'm sure that those golf club members who gave my dad a hard time after the Beatles' first Hulme Hall appearance changed their tune in the years that followed!"

Ian next to Emile Ford (right)

Ian did eventually leave Port Sunlight, studying chemistry and then working in education in Wales, Canada and London. He's also written several books on the global past and future. So did he learn anything at Radio Clatterbridge?

"I had always avoided anything like stage performance or public speaking at school. Monty's invitation to work with him on hospital radio gave me my first experience of addressing an audience, albeit indirectly, but I found I enjoyed it. It eventually became an important part of my subsequent career, voluntary work and TV appearances."