I moved to Bideford in the summer of 1980 for my first appointment as a Salvation Army Officer. My friend Bob Kingsley (although I didn’t know him then) was a presenter on DevonAir radio. In December 1980 Bob had the unenviable job of announcing the death of John Lennon.

Bob writes: I always listened to the BBC World Service on my way in to the studio and, of course, they reported on John’s murder, so I was at least forewarned before I arrived. I remember having to pull over and park up to process what I was hearing.

Reading that headline (above) out to my listeners, knowing they’d be as shocked as I was when hearing about it for the first time, was one of the most difficult times I’ve ever had on air.

See also: Remembering John Lennon