Tributes have been pouring in this weekend for DJ legend Janice Long, who has died aged 66.
The radio DJ and Top of the Pops presenter was the first female to have her own daily show on Radio 1.
Some of music’s biggest names have paid tribute to Janice, who died at home on Christmas Day after a short illness.
She was the sister of Keith Chegwin, who passed away in 2017.
Many have paid thanks to Janice, for her ‘enthusiasm and passion’ for music and support for those just starting out in the industry.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess said: “Janice Long was a supporter and mentor for so many bands.
Janice Long. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“To hear our records on her show was always the biggest thrill – her enthusiasm and love shone through. One of a kind. Safe travels, we’ll miss ya x x.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Clint Boon posted: “Devastated to hear the news about Janice Long passing away.
“She was by far one of the warmest, most beautiful people in the industry. Her enthusiasm & passion for music was infectious.
“Being in her company was always an absolute privilege & honour. I love her & I’ll miss her.”
Clint later added a fond memory of Janice, writing: “In 1995, Janice Long invited me to be a presenter on a new radio station she was launching, Crash FM.
“It was based in a primary school near Penny Lane, Liverpool during the summer holidays. My first ever radio presenting job. I’ve worked in radio ever since. Thank you Janice xxx”
The Pet Shop Boys posted on Twitter: “We are both very sad to hear of the death of radio DJ Janice Long who was always so enthusiastic about new music and such fun to be around.
“She was very supportive to us in the early days of PSB. Heartfelt condolences to her family and friends. Neil and Chris xx”
Janice Long’s husband and partner of more than 30 years Paul Berry said: “I’ve lost the love of my life and I’m going to spend the rest of it half a person. She had my back from the day we met, you couldn’t possibly ask for more love and loyalty from a wife.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Badly Drawn Boy wrote: “Those of us lucky enough to meet Janice Long will know she was exactly the person you’d seen on the telly or heard on the radio. Like meeting an old friend for the first time.
“The outpouring of Love for Janice is real. She was always herself which is why we loved her.”
Peter Hook wrote: “Such sad news about Janice Long. She was always a great friend and a great supporter of our music. She was a lovely lady and a pleasure to be around. RIP.”
Elbow’s Guy Garvey posted: “From her blowing a needle across a @midgeure1 record trying to remove some fluff and then laughing for ages when I was 10 I loved her.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Then a really early supporter of @Elbow. She’d sway with her eyes shut during a session. Mad about her family. We really loved her #janicelong.”
Featured image: BBC
News
Manchester’s free summer picnic is coming back to Oxford Road
Danny Jones
Manchester’s free ‘Summer in the City Picnic’ is returning to the Oxford Road Corridor later this year, promising plenty of live music and entertainment, family-friendly fun, outdoor activities and lots more.
Coming back to Circle Square for the second time, the now annual and completely free city centre festival will set up for its sophomore edition right on Symphony Park.
Surrounded by numerous local businesses located within the thriving Bruntwood SciTech and Vita Group neighbourhood, this mini-district is once again set to draw in crowds from all over Manchester.
With that in mind, get your coolers, picnic baskets and blankets ready: it’s time for some alfresco fanfare.
Kicking off next month for one day only, Circle Square‘s ‘Summer in the City Picnic’ 2.0 will get underway pretty much from the outset, with the organisers promising a full day of festivities.
Visitors can look forward to an even more jam-packed schedule than last year, with creative workshops and interactive experiences, DJs right through to the evening, alongside roaming steel drum performances and even silent disco adventures, just to name a few.
Other events include: sip and paint sessions, pop-up mini golf and basketball shoot-outs; ‘foot pool’, a seasonal bouquet bar, as well as a dedicated picnic space for dogs, complete with bespoke pup portraits. Adorable.
2025 saw plenty of furry friends steal the show and become local celebrities for the day, and we’re sure ’26 will be no different.
The long picnic tables will once again take centre stage, creating a relaxed space for families and friends to come together over great food from Circle Square’s wide mix of indie restaurants and cafes, such as Gooey, Onda, Hello Oriental, Half Dozen Other, Saffa Soul, North Bar, Monkey Trio and more.
Punters are, obviously, to bring along their own picnic bits, packed lunches and favourite scran, but it’s nice to have the option of treating yourself to stuff on-site.
Better still, Circle Square’s proximity not only to Oxford Road train station, but the St Peter’s Square tram stop and various bus routes (even Piccadilly isn’t really that far) means that this is super accessible for anyone interested – not to mention that it’s completely free and open to all members of the public.
Taking place on Saturday, 8 August, we hope to see you there and hopefully with the sun shining.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures/Jody Hartley (supplied via SH Comms)
News
UK set for another ‘potential’ heatwave next week after warmest June on record
Emily Sergeant
England could be heading towards another potential heatwave early next week, the Met Office has revealed.
While it’s obviously true that temperatures this week have returned to average for the time of year, bringing largely settled conditions for many, once next week rolls around, some parts of the country could be heating up once again – with the Met Office revealing what Greater Manchester residents should prepare for.
For the early part of next week, temperatures will definitely rise and perhaps reach what are considered heatwave conditions for some.
But if this is the case, the forecast suggests that it’s ‘unlikely’ to reach the high temperatures and humidity of last month’s heat, and the North West won’t be getting the worst of it.
The potential of next week’s heatwave comes after last month was officially declared the UK’s warmest June on record.
After a week of respite from the heat, high pressure moves in this weekend, dominating many southern and central areas for the next 10 days.
A defining feature of the month’s heatwave was the ‘exceptionally warm’ overnight temperatures, with frequent ‘tropical nights’ helping to drive the highest average June minimum temperatures on record.
Giving an insight into what’s to come as we head into the weekend, Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Tony Wisson, explained: “Toward the weekend, high pressure will continue to build in across most of the UK as it extends from the Azores. This will lead to more settled, warm or very warm conditions for many, especially across England and Wales, though some rain may still affect the far north.
“The forecast for this weekend suggests that temperatures could approach high 20s°C across parts of England, perhaps 30°C in parts of the southeast, with values of mid to high 20s°C in Wales.
“Although a return to heatwave conditions is looking increasingly likely for some areas, the likelihood of such extreme high temperatures or high levels of humidity as last week is currently low.”
Daisy Jackson -
27th December 2021 
