2014-10

The Story of ‘Disco Dave’
Many of you will know ‘Disco Dave’
• Frost as an entertainer at events
and venues across the area. Here he
tells us a bit about his life-story...
I was young
I listened to the
radio playing all my
favourite songs’ - you
‘When
might remember that
as a hit song by the Carpenters but it
relates to my childhood life wanting to
be a radio presenter and disc jockey.
From pirate radio on the North
Sea I listened to Kenny Everett, Noel
Edmonds and Roger Moffat – even
Listen With Mother on my mediumwave
valve radio! My father was a
photographer at Firth Browns at Firth
Browns and, after leaving Rowlinson
School, I worked as a salesman at
Sheffield Photo Company becoming
a sales representative in the audio
visual department. For three years I
studied TV, radio and electronics at
Stannington and Chesterfield College
on my day off.
St Chad’s was a big part of my
growing up with Bible study groups,
being confirmed and the Friday night
Youth Group in the then Church Hall.
I started to DJ – and Disco Dave
was born – playing music on vinyl
records and then cassettes! I
became a youth leader and server to
help with vicars Peter Wright, Hedley
Hodkin and Pat Needham for the
church services. I joined St Chad’s
Drama Society with Bert Bishop,
Mary Diskin and Betty Bradwell,
learning the skills of entertainment.
A disco for kids was an idea I gave
to the Youth Leader team, to be held
in the Church Hall every Saturday
evening with pop, crisps, a local boy
band and myself as the DJ – a great
idea for mums and dads to leave the
children with us and have a night off.
The Saturday Duck Show was born.
Children from across the area came
to hear live bands as music and lights
converted the Church Hall
into a disco.
We had a large youth
club going out and about
in school holidays on the
train, cycling to Padley
Gorge, Grindleford and Hathersage.
There were weekends at Hollowford
Retreat Centre and a narrowboat trip
to Goole. The group and I presented
many events for the community from
pea and pie suppers to pantomimes.
My entertainment career stopped
after I was attacked, mugged and left
unconscious. I was taken to hospital
and remained on an emergency ward
for about two years. Ian Cowley, the
curate, and my family prayed at my
bedside and others prayed for God’s
help and guidance. One year later
I was “re-made” so that I could help
other people in the community.
I always liked the radio and wrote
to Keith Skues, director of Radio
Hallam, for a job. I joined the team,
producing The Bailey Brothers Rock
Show from MTV, presenting various
shows including Sunday Spread, a
religious programme (called The God
Squad Team) interviewing celebrities
including Cliff Richard.
I was a Community Church Worker
with the YMCA and worked at Cliff
College and Moorlands College in
Bournemouth, and at Skegness each
spring I hosted the daily morning
show on Spring Harvest Radio at
Butlin’s. I started Radio Cracker as
the first young people’s Christian
Radio in Yorkshire and helped
start, and present, Hope Radio
in Bournemouth and Premier on
Freeview channel. I write for Plexus
magazine and have DJ-ed for garden
parties, fairs and family parties as
well as school events, including at
Abbey Lane.
Radio presenting, community work
and DJ-ing is a gift from God. What’s
yours?
“Thank you for the music”.
David Frost
St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats
Church Office: 9 Linden Avenue, Sheffield S8 0GA
Tel: (0114) 274 5086
Page 22
email: office@stchads.org
website: www.stchads.org