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| www.hurleyburley.com
- Mike Hurley |
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Mike Hurley was born at an early age
on January 5th 1949 at Queen Charlotte's hospital, Hammersmith, London.
He grew
up in Ruislip, Middlesex, until the family moved to Bushey Heath
just outside Watford, in 1954. |
| Mike went to school at “The Rutts” in Bushey and
“Holland House” in Edgware before passing the entrance exam
to Haberdashers' Aske's prep school in Mill Hill and the senior
school in Cricklewood. |
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| The school relocated to Elstree,
back in Hertfordshire, where Mike became a school prefect, the
opening bowler of the cricket team and, as CSM Hurley, the head
of the Combined Cadet Force. After A-levels in 1968 the choice
was between a place at Sandhurst or Leeds University. Mike chose
the latter and became an officer cadet in the artillery section
of the TAVR. |
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| In his first year, Mike read for a General Studies
degree in German, English Literature and Greek Civilisation,
but he got a first in English and was offered the chance to
change to a full-time English course. He graduated in 1971 with
a 2i, and then went on to complete a Masters degree in
Commonwealth Literature. |
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Having left Leeds he wrote over 150
letters to advertising agencies around the country, and the
only one that offered him a job was…..back in Leeds! He was
the senior writer on both the Asda and Morrisons accounts, but
found he didn't enjoy working in advertising agencies. |
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| In 1975 commercial radio came to Bradford
and Mike applied for, and became , the head of commercial
production at Pennine Radio, where he not only wrote, but
began voicing commercials. He was also invited to present
the occasional radio show and was eventually asked to front
the breakfast show, which won the award as the country's best
breakfast show in 1979. |
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| Meantime, Mike had
formed his own company, The Creative Department, writing,
producing and directing radio commercials. His biggest client
was the Halifax Building Society and their radio campaigns
won several international awards including a Clio, advertising's
Oscar. In all Mike has won four Clios, including world's
best radio copywriter, has been a judge at many awards festivals,
a keynote speaker at advertising conferences and seminars
around the world , and has written numerous articles in the
trade press.
But the commercials voicing and radio shows
were taking over. In 1981 he first presented “Hurley Burley”
on Radio Aire in Leeds (the station was on Burley Road!),
moving to BBC Radio Humberside in 1985. |
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| In 1986 he won
the Sony, radio's Oscar, as Local Radio Personality of the
Year. The show also won the Gold award as World's Best Entertainment
Programme at the Radio Festival of New York two years running.
As a result of this Mike had a brief flirtation with
Radio 4, as a regular guest on "Start the Week", and Radio
2 where he had his own Friday late night show.
You'll have heard Mike on numerous TV and radio
commercials for many big brand advertisers and, most famously,
as the old Yorkshireman on the famous Hovis TV commercials.
Not bad for a Watford lad! |
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A keen cricketer, Mike played for Bushey
in the inaugural year of the Hertfordshire league, 1968, which
they won from thirty-eight teams; he has also played for Alwoodley
in the Airedale & Wharfedale League, and Bankfoot in the
Bradford League. He has taken his cricket and rugby union
coaching qualifications and has coached junior teams at Old
Leodiensians in both sports: the rugby team made the Yorkshire
final three times, only to then lose their only game of the
season!
Mike is married to Annette, has a son Michael,
a step-daughter Nina, two grandchildren Luise and James and
lives in Carlton, just outside Selby. |
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He is a Life Member
of Northamptonshire CCC, a severe follower of Northampton
RUFC , and belongs to many professional organisations including
the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Institute of Directors
and the British Institute of Management.
A keen bus enthusiast, he has passed both his
PSV and HGV licenses and relaxes by flinging his London Routemaster
bus around country lanes or reading his favourite authors,
George Gissing and James Jones. |
| Mike joined BBC Radio
York in 2000 and, as at every other local radio station
at which he has worked, has notched up the biggest audience of
the week. |
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