London Greek Radio

It is with a heavy heart that LGR announces the tremendous loss and passing of our long-time friend and colleague, Vassoula Vronti Orchard.

She passed away peacefully on Sunday 7th May 2023 after a courageous battle with Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer. She was 68.

Vassoula was a long-serving LGR employee, since it was first founded over thirty-five years ago. She has been serving the Greek Cypriot community, through her dedication to her work at LGR ever since.

Vassoula was born in Trikomo in 1954, and attended the American Academy after moving to Larnaca before arriving in the West end of London and embracing the bright lights of City Life, whilst always honouring her heritage and traditional values.

Vassoula was one in a million. A vibrant, warm, kind and thoughtful soul who was always on hand to help her colleagues, friends and loved ones, to the best of her ability. She was a consummate professional, an asset to the community and was simply irreplaceable.

Her generosity knew no bounds and there will be a huge void in the hearts and lives of everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her, working with her and loving her.

Vassoula is survived by her husband Clive, her two daughters Maria and Alexia, grandsons Tate and Miles who she absolutely adored and doted on, and son-in-law Chris, sister Demetra and brother-in-law Costakis, brother Panicos and sister-in-law Yioulla, her nieces and nephews and their families, her grandchildren, extended family and friends.

The funeral will take place on Wednesday 24th May at 11.00am at St. Panteleimon Church, 660 Kenton Road, Harrow, HA3 9QN, followed by a burial at Pinner New Cemetary, 660 Pinner Road, Pinner, HA5 5RH at 1pm.

The wake will be held at St. Panteleimon Church Hall after the funeral.

Flowers are welcome and can be sent to Demetriou & English, 131-133 Myddleton Road, London N22 8NG. There will also be an option for those wishing to donate to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity in Vassoula’s memory via a Web link / Charity box on the day.

There will also be a memorial book at the hall for people to share their thoughts and memories, if they wish to, in remembrance of a beautiful woman whose light will shine on in the hearts of all who were lucky enough to know her.

Everyone at LGR extend their condolences to the family, and we thank her for her services to our community and to London Greek Radio.

Memory eternal, Vassoula. You will be missed.

London Cypriot Cancer Campaigner Dies Aged 32

Jo Georgiou, a young London Cypriot has died at the age of 32.

Jo passed away on 12th February after launching a public campaign against cancer and devoted her energy to raising awareness of her rare cancer diagnosis, fighting for changes to how patients are helped in terms of receiving the appropriate treatment.

Jo was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer in August 2021. After a year and a half of chemotherapy, surgery and other treatments, she sadly succumbed to the disease.

Synovial Sarcoma is a cancer that can come from different types of soft tissue such as muscle or ligaments. It is often found in the arm, leg or foot, and near joints such as the wrist or ankle. Only about 1 to 3 individuals in a million people are diagnosed with this disease each year. It can occur at any age, but it is more common among teenagers and young adults. The exact cause isn’t clear.

Speaking to London Greek Radio in 2021, Jo underlined the ethos of her campaigning work as absolutely vital in raising public awareness, because it was sometimes perceived as taboo, especially for young people.

Jo said that her aims were: “For synovial sarcoma to be spoken about and made aware of especially as so many people go undetected for years – and it’s very common in young people. For cancer to not be taboo… And for people knowing that nothing will prepare you for chemotherapy and I wish there was a help or guide, where people sit 1 to 1, relaying what is going to happen. What to be prepared for. And what benefits they’re entitled to. There are benefits cancer patients are entitled to that aren’t offered unless requested.”

Jo Georgiou shared her story with LGR about how her Instagram account would be helping people in similar circumstances, and to offer some reassurance.

She said, “I started an Instagram journey of my life since my diagnosis, and it is amazing that people contact me to inform me I’m helping them. It means so much to me. I’m helping people who have loved ones going through it, people just starting chemo, and people in remission. People who’ve got other health issues to , even mental health. It’s incredible what sort of platform it’s become. My Instagram following isn’t big by all means, but it feels like a community is forming on there. In my time, if I do anything, id love to form a handbook. A real handbook for patients about to start chemo who’ve just been diagnosed. From one real person who’s been through it, hand over everything to a newbie… the challenges they’ll face could be helped if I can just make them aware and prepare them for what’s going to happen.”

Jo grew up in Larnaca, Cyprus and moved to London in 2004. She attended East Barnet School where she achieved her GCSEs and A-levels. After leaving school, Jo worked her way up from a Retail Sales Assistant to an Area Manager.

She passed away at the North London Hospice surrounded by her loved ones. She leaves behind her mother, sister, extended family and friends. Her funeral service was held at Green Acres in Epping Forest on 27th February.

LGR extend their condolences to her family and friends and thank Jo for being a passionate, tireless campaigner and inspiration to others with her bravery and spirit.

Everyone at LGR was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Takis Fellas on Saturday 18th February 2023. He was 74.

He was one of the architects of HellasSat. A former director at London Greek Radio (LGR), and the Founder, and Managing Director of Hellenic TV, a digital channel broadcasting from studios in London.

He leaves behind his mother Paraskevou, sons Nikos and Thomas, and daughter Evi. And siblings Mary, Elenitsa, Androulla, Myroulla, Panagiotis and Giorgos.

A Greek Cypriot from Pano Zodeia, Astromeritis – in the occupied north of the island – came to London at a young age and attended Wood Green School. He studied at Aston University Birmingham, Surrey University and Manchester University. He obtained the qualifications BSc in Physics, MSc in Nuclear reactor technology and a Phd in Physics.

Speaking to Cyprus Mail, before his death, Mr Fellas recollected: “It was a momentous moment in the history of the Greek and Cypriot communities in the UK. As all the founding members huddled together in a small studio, the first Greek language television programme aired for three hours to thirteen homes in the Camden area, establishing Hellenic TV (HTV) as the first fully operating Greek language television channel outside of Greece and Cyprus.

“Since that historic day in 1990, HTV has evolved into a thriving digital platform…”

Chris Fellas was a firm believer in preserving and promoting the Cypriot and Greek cultural heritage in the UK and act as a bridge between the British Cypriot diaspora and Cyprus.

“I never imagined I would be making history when I first went out to accomplish my work. I enjoyed what I was doing, and I feel it is my duty to provide a platform that inspires people, especially the younger generation, to become ambassadors of Greece and Cyprus while growing up in the United Kingdom.”

The Church service will be held this morning at St Demetrius Greek Orthodox Church in North London, Edmonton. His body will be flown to Cyprus for the funeral and burial in the Cypriot village Astromeritis on March 16th.

Everyone at LGR extend their condolences to the family and we thank him for his services to our community.

Published: 13th March 2023

London Autism Group Charity is launching a drop-in autism community café for the Greek & Cypriot community

The London Autism Group Charity are launching a new drop-in autism community café scheme for the Greek and Greek Cypriot community of London, although all people from any background are welcome.

The community café will be at the Cypriot Community Centre in Wood Green every last Saturday of the month, at 11am-1pm. The charity is having the brief launch ceremony on 29th October at 10.45am where there will be time to meet the team, answer questions and take some photos.

The scheme is aimed at anyone with an interest or connection with autism and neurodiversity, including Autistics (of any age), parents, carers and allies. It is entirely free, with biscuits, cakes, drinks and sensory toys available, and no pre-registration required.

Regarding what the initiative is trying to achieve, Charity lead, and co-lead of this initiative, Dr Chris Papadopoulos said: “Up to now, there haven’t been any clear and regular opportunities for Greek Autistics – and the wider Greek community – to regularly come together in a safe, inclusive place so they can meet others, relax in a friendly and welcoming space, and, really importantly, feel less isolated. This is really important because autism isn’t something that is very openly discussed in the Greek community, the result of which can mean that autistic people feel  misunderstood or rejected. So an initiative like this which has a clear focus on autism in the Greek community, and helps bring people together, can help with that.”

Ellie Kolatsi, a parent of an autistic child and co-lead of the initiative, said: “I am extremely excited to be involved in such a great initiative which is important to me and my family as my son is autistic. It is an opportunity for the Greek community who are autistic or carers of autistic people to connect with each other in a meaningful way. Our aim is to create a space for conversations to happen in a non-judgemental environment and where better than in the heart of our community, the Cypriot Community Centre. We are also fortunate to be able to share information and our experiences every first Thursday evening of the month on London Greek Radio who are also kindly supporting this initiative.”

Sophia Christophi, an autistic adult and co-lead of the initiative, said: “As a Greek Cypriot autistic adult, I have not had much opportunity to talk about autism within the community… until now! I am delighted to be part of this new initiative to help Greek and Greek Cypriots understand more about autism and to promote the social inclusion and acceptance of autistic people. It’s so important for people to have accurate information about autism, and we are fortunate to have a monthly All About Autism show on LGR where we will be discussing various autism-related topics. We extend our thanks to the Cypriot Community Centre for supporting the community café, which will be a great way of bringing people together.”

Dr Chris Papadopoulos – email: chris.papadopoulos@beds.ac.uk, tel: 07719021766
London Autism Group Charity – email: contact@londonautismgroupcharity.org, website: londonautismgroupcharity.org

A nurse, who spent what should have been her wedding day, socially distanced from her intended groom, treating Covid-19 patients on the front line, has finally tied the knot after her wedding was postponed for two years.

Instead of walking down the aisle, Olivia Hall, spent the day working at University College Hospital but finally got hitched earlier this month to Alex Violaris, nephew of one of LGRs veteran presenters, Soulla Violaris.

Olivia and Alex officially celebrated the wedding of their dreams, after the pandemic complications postponed their big day, and took their vows in Greek Orthodox fashion on 6th May this year.

The wedding took place at The Twelve Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Hatfield, with an extravagant country-manor reception at Orsett Hall in Essex.

In an exclusive interview to London Greek Radio, the couple said, “We’re really happy that after two years, (727 days to be exact), we finally got married at the fourth attempt.”

Two years ago, LGR had reported that on the original date of the wedding, instead of Olivia wearing her wedding dress and walking down the aisle, she had to wear her nurse uniform and PPE working in A&E, helping those with Covid.

 The story was subsequently covered by the Evening Standard, the Parikiaki newspaper and the BBC news.

Olivia and Alex told LGR that the whole occasion finally proved to be a lovely family affair as the wedding day went without any issues.  The pair revealed to London Greek Radio that they had even hired a surprise act for their guests, which was a well-protected secret.

They told LGR, “The entertainment was provided by The Function Band with surprise guest, Stavros Flatley!  We had to keep it a secret for two years.  We had friends and family attend from all over the UK, Cyprus and Australia to celebrate with us, which helped make it the perfect day!”

London Greek Radio wish Olivia and Alex a very happy future together.

Olivia and Alex, finally tied the knot after pandemic delays. The couple had revealed their wedding joy to LGR. 

LGRs broadcaster Soulla Violaris with her husband, the music artist, Costas Violaris also attended their nephew’s wedding.

Stavros Flatley with a surprise performance at the reception. A well-kept secret for two years…

It is with deep regret and great sadness that LGR has learnt of the death of Father Andreas Hadjisavvis on Friday 15th October 2021. He was 69 years old.

For forty years, Father Andreas self-sacrificially served his congregations, being incessantly on the side of all those who needed the help and support of a priest in every circumstance of their lives.

Thousands of Orthodox faithful in North London were baptised, married, buried and received Holy Communion from his hands.

Father Andreas was born in 1952 in Nicosia. His parents were from Akanthou and moved to London in 1960, living in Chalk Farm.

The young Andreas attended All Saints Primary School, followed by Haverstock Secondary School.

He subsequently attended Hull University where he studied Economics.

Whilst at University, he was invited to meet the Queen – Elizabeth II, and on another occasion, Father Andreas was one of ten students from the UK to have dinner with the Queen Mother at Clarence House.

Pater Andreas served as a priest at St Demetrius Greek Orthodox Church in Edmonton for two years before moving to the Greek Orthodox Church of St Cosmas and St Damian in Gospel Oak.

Eventually, he moved to what became known as “his second home” – the Greek Orthodox Church of St John the Baptist in Wightman Road, Haringey where he served for over 30 years.

At that time, Father Andreas was also involved in the Anglo Akanthou Association and one of his proudest moments is when he helped organise one of their dinner and dances at the Piccadilly Hotel, where Tottenham Hotspur players attended with the FA Cup immediately after their FA Cup Final win over Manchester City in 1981.

He was also involved in raising money for North Middlesex Hospital, which helped pay for heart monitors.

Father Andreas was also one of the first to help raise money for Children in Need.

He is survived by his wife Maria, four children – two sons and two daughters and five Grandchildren, along with lots of friends and relatives.

LGR understands that Father Andreas Hadjisavvis will lie in state at St John the Baptist Church, Wightman Road, on Friday, 22nd October from 10.00am to 9.00pm.

At 6.00pm, His Grace, Bishop Iakovos of Claudiopolis will officiate the Trisagion Service for the repose of the soul of Father Andreas.

The funeral will take place on Saturday, 23rd October at St. John the Baptist Church in Wightman Road.

His Grace, Bishop Iakovos of Claudiopolis will officiate the Orthros and the Divine Liturgy from 7.30-9.30am.

At 10.00am, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain will preside over the funeral service.

The burial will take place at New Southgate Cemetery at 2.00pm.

In place of wreaths, the family kindly asks for donations to be given to Moorfields Eye Hospital, the North London Hospice and the Parish-Community of St John the Baptist.

A Book of Condolence has been placed at the entrance of St John the Baptist Church.

Everyone at LGR is deeply saddened to learn of Father Andreas’ passing – may his memory be eternal.

London Greek Radio announces the brand-new London Greek Radio app which is available free via the App Store for iOS and google play for your android device.

The app is fully interactive, works alongside the LGR website. You can now call, text, email, send your dedication and much more via the app.

The app even allows you to set an alarm to wake up to LGR…!

London Greek Radio – The one-stop, fully interactive app with news, social media, website, phone, email and text!
LGR – Listen now worldwide!

On 103.3 FM in London, on DAB+ Digital Radio in Birmingham, London, & Manchester, online at lgr.co.uk, on your mobile via the new and improved App, and on your Smart Speaker.

On July 20, 1974 at 5:30am, Turkish troops landed on the Republic of Cyprus’ coast five miles off Kyrenia. Since that day, nothing on the island has ever been the same.

Every year since, on the anniversary of the invasion, sirens have blared out over the Republic, recalling the moment Turkish troops invaded.

In 1974, approximately 40,000 Turkish troops under the command of Lieutenant Nurettin Ersin implemented their invasion plan, code-named ‘Attila’, illegally invading the island in violation of the UN Security Council Charter.

Turkey still illegally occupies 37 per cent of Cyprus’ territory.

Turkish troops invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974, five days after the legal government of the late Archbishop Makarios III was toppled by a military coup, engineered by the military junta then ruling Greece. Two unproductive conferences in Geneva followed; the first between Britain, Greece and Turkey and the second with the additional attendance of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot representatives. Three weeks after the ceasefire of July 22, and despite the fact that talks were still being held and just as an agreement seemed about to be reached, the Turkish army mounted a second full-scale offensive. As a result, Turkey increased its hold to include the booming tourist resort of Famagusta in the east and the rich citrus-growing area of Morphou in the west.

All in all, almost 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus came under Turkish military occupation. Nearly one-third of the population, some 200,000 Greek Cypriots, were forcibly uprooted from their homes and properties, thousands were killed during the hostilities, over 1,000 persons were listed as missing while thousands of Greek Cypriots and Maronites remained enclaved.

Numerous UN resolutions have demanded respect to the independence, unity and territorial integrity of Cyprus, the return of the displaced to their homes, and the withdrawal of foreign troops from the island, but all resolutions have been ignored by Turkey.

47 years on from the most tragic page in the Republic of Cyprus’ history, at 5:30am the war sirens rang around the island once more.

Along with the Royal Family and the world, everyone at London Greek Radio, (LGR), mourns the loss of His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, former Prince of Greece & Denmark.

Prince Philip – the Duke of Edinburgh – died at the age of 99 on 9th April 2021.

A statement from Buckingham Palace said: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”

Tributes have been pouring in from around the world.

The President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, said via Twitter, “It is with great sadness that I received the news of the passing of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, a close friend of Cyprus. My deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to Her Majesty The Queen, the @RoyalFamily and the people of the UK for their loss.”

Greece’s President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, tweeted, “The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, who was born in Corfu, served his country with devotion for many decades. I extend my warm condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the members of the @RoyalFamily and the British people.”

Archbishop Nikitas of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain also expressed their condolences, sorrow and mourning to Her Majesty and the United Kingdom. The Archdiocese has directed its Christ-loving clergy and laity to pray for the repose of the soul of Prince Philip and His Eminence has announced a three-day state of official mourning in parishes of the Archdiocese, as a sign of respect.

Prince Philip of Greece was born on 10th June 1921 on the Greek island of Corfu. His birth certificate shows the date as 28th May 1921, as Greece had not then adopted the Gregorian calendar.

His father was Prince Andrew of Greece, a younger son of King George I of the Hellenes. His mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was the eldest child of Prince Louis of Battenberg and sister of Earl Mountbatten of Burma.

Even though Philip was born into the Greek aristocracy, (he was the grandson of the country’s King George I), his childhood was a far cry from the opulence of the usual royal upbringing.

The king himself was shot dead in 1913 by a crazed anarchist with a loathing for the establishment. A proper political motive for the killing was ruled out at the time, with the assassin dismissed as just an intoxicated vagrant. Philip’s uncle took the crown as Constantine I, but his rule was to prove shockingly turbulent.

In 1922, Constantine I was forced from the throne by a military uprising, and the entire royal family came under threat. They were forced into exile on a British boat, with the infant Philip transported in an orange box. They went to France, beginning a life of travelling and uncertainty for the boy.

Prince Philip married Princess Elizabeth in 1947 in front of 2,000 guests at Westminster Abbey.

In 2017, Prince Philip and the Queen became the first British monarch and consort to reach their 70th wedding anniversary.

Together they had four children, eight grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.

LGR understands that Prince Philip will lie at rest in Windsor Castle in line with his wishes following his funeral, which will be at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Following a number of health scares in recent years, it is thought Prince Philip has had a lot of say in his funeral.

According to reports, Prince Philip wished for only family, friends and heads of state from Commonwealth countries to attend the funeral.

The College of Arms has confirmed that the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral will not be a state funeral and the public has been asked not to attempt to attend any of the funeral events due to the pandemic.

London Greek Radio (LGR) is deeply saddened on learning of this news and we join the Royal Family in mourning the loss of HRH, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

1921 – 2021. May he rest in peace.

The National Federation of Cypriots in the UK encourages British Cypriots to classify ethnically as “Cypriot” in Census.  

The National Federation of Cypriots in the UK has called on Cypriot communities to complete the online survey sent by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) by Sunday 21st March, or shortly after.

Federation President, Christos Karaolis, said “We want to use this opportunity to make sure that our Cypriot diaspora is counted, so that Governments and Councils take us into consideration in their decision-making.”

The Federation is therefore urging UK Cypriots to make sure they write-in “Cypriot” in the question about ethnicity / background. This can be done by selecting “Other ethnic group or background” and then typing in “Cypriot” in the space provided.

It is ONS policy never to share personal details and no-one, including government bodies, will be able to identify you in census statistics. Personal census records will be kept secure for 100 years, and only then can future generations view it.

This census will be the first to be run mostly online, with households receiving a letter with a unique access code in March, allowing them to complete the questionnaire on their computers, phones or tablets.

Paper questionnaires will also be available on request, along with language support via the free phone contact centre. It is also possible to complete the census over the phone with help from trained staff.

The ONS aims to provide in-person support to complete the census online through Census Support Centres where it is safe to do so.

The census will include questions about your sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity, with options to allow everyone to identify their nationality, ethnic group and religion as they wish.

For more information, please visit census.gov.uk