Peter Donaldson - Final Radio 4 broadcast

What a voice. It was the one you need in times of crisis, yet one with a capacity for humour too.

Peter started with BFBS Forces broadcasting in the '60s, drawing on his acting experience, joining BBC Radio 2 in 1970. Few recordings appear to exist of Peter on those great shows like 'Nightride' on Radio 2, but if you have any, do please upload (button top right).

He moved to Radio 4 three years later, albeit there was a brief sojurn to Radio Hallam too. Whilst Peter 'retired' in 2005, thankfully he freelanced afterwards.

A principled man, with a true gift. Maybe one of the last newsreaders of the Alvar Liddell delivery mould, yet one who has remained of our time too.

Enjoy here the last words from Peter, before he left Radio 4 on 1st January 2013. As one might expect of the man, and indeed Radio 4, there was no indulgence in the last bulletin, but the skill of Peter can even be heard in the slight twist of finality he invests in saying 'BBC News' for the last time.

Peter died in November 2015