DEVIZES community radio station Fantasy Radio celebrated its 20th birthday earlier this month by revisiting the early days.

On June 16 the station, based out of the Corn Exchange, looked at how things have change since it started in 1995 and spoke to past presenters and listeners.

Fantasy Radio first began with a series of short term licences and was granted a full-time 24-hour licence back in 2012.

Phil Dawson, 70, who has run the radio since it started, said: “It was a great day. We had old presenters back in and went back through our archives and played clips from our first day of broadcast.

“This included a clip of my 26-year-old son Tom when he was six who is now our main IT technician.”

The station currently has 24 volunteer presenters, who each do a two-hour programme a week, with Mr Dawson saying the reason the station is popular is the type of music and news that is broadcast.

He said: “I think people like as we are not restricted on what we play, so we play what the listeners want and talk about Devizes news which is what people want to hear.

“Fantasy was the very first radio station for the people of Devizes. Not from Swindon, Bristol or London, but from Devizes for Devizes.

“We have always been part of the community and like to get out and about attending events, whether that is recording a concert, providing pa at festivals or recording interviews to be played on air.”

Fantasy Radio is also the longest standing radio station name in Wiltshire, with all other stations in the county changing their names two or three times in the past 20 years.

Mr Dawson said: “We have become part of the furniture in the town now. We still have 18 months left of our five-year licence and I see no reason why we wouldn’t extend this for another 10 years or more.

“I’m not sure if I will still be here running it then though.”

Fantasy Radio is available on 97FM and at www.fantasyradio.co.uk