ornate gate to Kings School and its cathedral and proclaiming: “I could spend the next three years of my life here.”
And while he misses his friends – and his surfing – he has never wanted to leave.
It was at college that he
met Lucy, his wife of 12 years, who also works for the BBC, and they moved in together in Sevenoaks. The couple now have two beautiful “ballet- mad” daughters, Martha (10) and Isabelle (seven) with whom they share what they believe will be their “forever home” in West Malling.
Andy says: “It has a big
garden and a giant oak, which often features in the show because it has 800,000 leaves – every one of which I’ve raked up over the years.”
It is this humour that he brings to his show, with the thrifty team of three full of ideas on how to save money by propagating, gifting and throwing a life-line to plants stranded on the discount shelves.
Andy adds: “Jean and Steve
are the experts and I try to present the show as a family affair. In fact, we’ve proved very able at solving marital disputes between “head gardeners” and “under gardeners” (usually the men) who call in!”
In a typical show, the trio
FACT FILE 1971: Born, Plymouth
1982: Debuts as DJ at youth club The Cellar Club in hometown of Holsworthy, Devon, playing mainly Two Tone records
1986: Starts surfing at Widemouth Bay, Bude, Cornwall – his favourite hobby 1989: Sets up mobile disco business The Surf Style Roadshow 1993-1996: Studies Radio, Film, Television and Sport Science at Canterbury Christ Church University
1994: Joins Radio Kent as a Broadcast Assistant, working with the sports team on Saturdays
1995: Presents youth show The Alternative 1997: First gardening show on Radio Kent is shelved as Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in Paris
1999-2003: Studies for a Masters in Media Management at the University of Leeds 1999: Becomes Broadcast Journalist at Radio Kent, hosting the afternoon show 2004: Promoted to Senior Broadcast Journalist 2007: Returns to the gardening show 2010: Show named Gardening World’s Favourite Local Radio Gardening Programme 2014: Becomes a trustee of Great Comp Garden, St Mary’s Platt near Borough Green
8 Mid Kent Living
tackle questions from more than three dozen callers, with texts from as far afield as France and
America, courtesy of the web. However, the gift of radio
means he can lead a very normal existence, socialising in West Malling, surfing in Cornwall and enjoying regular family holidays in Norfolk.
He does, however, use his
notoriety to promote good causes which, for him, include encouraging children to read and gardening projects at schools and health centres, like that at Charing GP surgery where gardening is being used to
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