Farewell, Petroc
A beautiful radio era comes to an end
Petroc Trelawny is presenting his last ever Breakfast show on Radio 3. I’m listening to it at the moment and I don’t think I’ve ever felt sadder about anyone’s programme coming to an end.
His stint on Breakfast has lasted 14 years. During that time he’s entered a lot of people’s hearts. He’s done it quite unobtrusively. He is calmness personified - full of charm, a master of tone, with an easy authority and just a hint of flirtatiousness, but never unctuous or stuffy or overly chummy, showing a deep respect for his audience. He’s always struck me as officer class in the very best sense - the supreme professional, the ultimate live broadcaster, his judgement flawless, his listeners always coming first. You could never be in a safer pair of hands than Petroc’s, which I guess is why he’s started turning up doing commentary on state occasions.
Petroc’s annual excursions around the UK have been some of the best radio of the year, and there’s always an important sense that he is bringing the whole country into his shows - not least with his Gazetteer of Britain weather forecasts. Then there’s his voice. I’d describe his form of RP as immaculate but his loyalty to his native Cornwall is just one reason why he could never be accused of metropolitanism.
I noticed that among the locations he’s given the temperature for today is Marazion, just outside Penzance. Later in the show he’ll be playing Cornish folk deity Brenda Wootton singing about Lamorna - the nearest thing, possibly, to a Trelawny signature track. He’s played it a few times before and he’s earned the right to play it in his farewell show.
Next week Petroc starts presenting In Tune. Obviously I’m nothing like as sad as I would be if he was leaving Radio 3 altogether but I’m not sure a drivetime show - with its guests and general busy-ness - will be quite “his” in the same way as a breakfast show. We’ll see.
Tom McKinney succeeds Petroc on Monday. He has a lovely presence too, and I hope he puts down roots as deep as Petroc’s too. Good luck, Tom. And thank you, Petroc.