Page 22 - David Burr Rooftops Magazine Winter 2017/2018

Stephanie Mackentyre Writer and broadcaster
Favourite interviews? Well two spring to mind. Firstly Twiggy - she was a joy to meet and totally unmodel-like. In fact, we chatted for so long at the end of it she felt she’d just had a natter with an old friend, which was lovely. She was staying in Southwold at the time and was completely down to earth and very easy to interview; open, honest and funny - just a thoroughly appealing person inside and out.
Then there’s Marti Pellow. When his name came up for interview I chuckled as I remembered as a young teenager I’d had a real crush on him. However, now that I’m a dyed-in- the-wool, middle aged features writer I’m far too mature for thoughts like that .... or so I thought. From the moment Marti kissed me warmly on both cheeks in the circle bar at the Theatre Royal, Norwich I was a quivering wreck.
Coupled with my over-the-top girly laugh and glowing cheeks, my portable recorder decided to play up, with the levels refusing to go any higher. The only way I could record our interview was to get ridiculously close to him. It made me appear to want to crawl onto his lap, fuelling my excruciating embarrassment.
I also interviewed a popular singer who’s had many hits and it took three years of trying to set it up. On the day of the interview I woke up to find I’d lost most, if not all, of my voice so I took along my older sister to ask the questions. She was incredibly in awe until after only the third question he declared: ‘That’s enough! No more questions!’ Thankfully I still managed to growl that I had three pages to fill so he’d better sit down and get on with it (or words to that affect). Honestly some of these singers really do believe they are either Jesus Christ or superstars!
Ihave always been humbled by the fact that my career has got me up close and personal with the great and good. The art of human interest storytelling has always been one of my great joys. The research, the list of potential questions, the conversation going off in different tangents. I like it all.
They have not always been great. There was the comedian who insisted I conducted the interview by fax machines (it was about 15 years ago and he claimed he didn’t have enough time to speak on the phone).
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“She (Twiggy) was staying in Southwold at the time and was completely down to earth and very easy to interview; open, honest and funny - just a thoroughly appealing person inside and out.”
Dave Gooderham
Journalist and PR consultant