London Greek Radio

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.

The National Federation of Cypriots in the UK last week, July 14th rallied a virtual All-Party Parliamentary Group ‘Cyprus@60: Opportunities, Challenges, Prospects for Reunification’. The Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides briefed the APPG and members of the UK Cypriot community with the latest developments on the Cyprus issue, as well as other developments in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

He explained that Cyprus has always had a positive agenda and has never sought a “negative” foreign policy. He also noted that Cyprus strives to cooperate with its neighbouring countries on common principles and forge close partnerships across a wide range of fields.

He assured the Parliamentarians that Cyprus remains “strongly committed” to efforts to reunify the island and its people and that it remains ready to resume negotiations from where they have stopped.

The Federation President, Christos Karaolis, emphasised the tragedy of the fact that the Republic of Cyprus has “only been free and united for less than a quarter of its entire existence”. Mr Karaolis said, “what we want is simple, fair and rooted in international law – a free, re-united Cyprus that is based on the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions and High-Level Agreements.”

Karaolis also spoke of the close relationship that Britain and Cyprus share and said that “in a world where it [the UK] is not a member of the European Union, it can safely look towards the Republic of Cyprus as a reliable and predictable partner.” He concluded by paying tribute to all Presidents of the Republic of Cyprus since 1960 for “their immense contribution to Cyprus’ growing national story.” He also expressed gratitude towards all the British parliamentarians who have opposed the occupation of Cyprus and stood beside Cyprus during its first 60 years of independence.

Listen to the full broadcast on LGR this Monday evening from 7pm.

46 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.

London-Cypriot actor and writer Jamie Demetriou won Writer: Comedy for ‘Stath Lets Flats’ at the 2020 Television Craft Awards online ceremony, last night (July 17th). 

Recognising the wide variety of behind-the-screens talent that goes into making television programming, this year’s ceremony was held via an online stream amidst the coronavirus outbreak, and hosted by Stephen Mangan.

Demetriou beat off fellow nominees Sam Leifer (Plebs), Phoebe Waller-Bridfe (Fleabag), Danny Brocklehurst (Brassic), Tom Basden (Plebs).

Jamie thanked his fellow Stath cast members and production team in response to his win. Jamie responded in a video: “Thank you Bafta Craft for this award it’s made me feel very grown up and scared. Congrats to my fellow nominees, thank you so much to everyone at Channel 4. Thank you to the ‘Stath Lets Flats’ team Sed Barwell, Tom Kingsley, Ash Atalla, Jon Petrie, thank you for your support and guidance and to my reps… and thank you so much to the exquisite cast of ‘Stath Lets Flats’ without whom the brilliant scripts would make no sense, to my brilliant sister Natasia [Demetriou], Alastair, Kiell, Katy, Christos, Dustin, Ellie, Nick, David…”

Star-of-the-show, “Stath” Mr Demetriou is playing an incompetent, impulsive and ambitious letting agent, at ‘Michael & Eagle Lets’, a dodgy London lettings agency [owned] by his father, Vasos, (Christos Stergioglou). The father who in series 2, is at home and retired is as still ever-watchful over his son’s antics.

The “British-Cypriot sitcom” with its lead characters siblings Jamie and Natasia Demetriou, is a quirky and off-beat comedy. The cast seem to compliment the subtle jokes and kind of British eccentricity, really well.

Jamie is in the running to take home a BAFTA Television Award for Best Scripted Comedy, Writer: Comedy category and Male Performance in a Comedy.

The British Academy Television Awards ceremony will air on Friday July 31st on BBC One.

London Greek Radio (LGR) is further refreshing its schedule with two new presenters who join the radio station this week.

After a protracted period of training due to the Coronavirus pandemic, both presenters have patiently been waiting to hit the LGR airwaves.

Kostas Voudouris and Stelyo Siderides both have a diverse background and are looking forward to entertaining LGR’s listeners.

Stelyo has been involved in the music scene for 30 years, hosting many events within the community, focusing on Greek and English parties.

He was born in north London and his father, a Greek, originally came from Constantinople. His mother is from Lympia in Cyprus.

Kostas Voudouris is London-based and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece where he was a frequent DJ in several nightclubs.

Kostas joins LGR with a view to bring listeners the latest hits and exclusives, as well as uncovering the hits of the future.

LGR’s Head of Programming, Pierre Petrou said: “Since expanding our coverage across the DAB+ Digital Radio network, it’s great to add to our already experienced team. Our existing presenters have already taken our online listening to an all-time high so the lads have got a lot to live up to! We are really excited to have them join us at such a pivotal time.”

London Greek Radio will shortly be launching their second round of presenter recruitment and listeners are urged to stay tuned to hear what they need to do if they wish to be considered to join LGR!

The new presenters join LGR as the station continues to operate temporary scheduling and for this week, you can hear Stelyo and Kostas for the first time as follows:

Kostas Voudouris: Monday 1-4pm; Wednesday 10pm-12am; Friday 9pm-12am.

Stelyo Siderides: Thursday 7-9pm.

Stelyo and Kostas join LGR during the global Coronavirus pandemic which has seen some temporary changes to LGR’s schedule. As with other radio stations, some programmes on LGR were extended to three-hours and there has been a limited number of presenters available due to the ‘lockdown’.

LGR’s Programming Department has also introduced weekly Covid19 updates direct from Cyprus and Greece, along with features such as the “Recipe of the Week” with George Psarias and “Psychological Support” with ‘Dr Vass’. (Vasos Vasilios Silivistris).

In addition, Anta Murati provides “Entertainment News” each Friday evening, keeping listeners up to date with celebrity news from Greece, Cyprus and the UK.

London Greek Radio is on 103.3FM in London, DAB+ in Birmingham, London, Manchester & Glasgow and online at lgr.co.uk

Top 30 LGR Official UK Airplay Chart.
June 2nd to June 29th inclusive.

London Greek Radio Official UK Airplay Chart, with some of the biggest, most in demand hits in the chart.

The rankings are based on radio airplay detection as measured by the “Radio Monitor” of UK-wide popular stations. 

1 Petros Iakovidis – S’ Agapo Sou Fonaxa
2 Konstantinos Christoforou Feat. One – Billy Bam Bam
3 Ilias Vrettos – Mono Ego
4 Konstantinos Argiros – Athina Mou
5 Nikos Vertis Feat. Amir – I Lexi S’ Agapo
6 Panos Kiamos – Tha Perasi
7 Christina Salti Feat. Ilias Vrettos – Taxidi Magiko
8 Giorgos Papadopoulos – Agapi Mou
9 Natassa Theodoridou – Paradothika Se ‘ena
10 Kostas Karafotis – Afiste Me Oloi Stin Trela Mou

11 Giorgos Mazonakis – Oinopnevma Ftino
12 Alcatrash – Xana
13 Michalis Xatzigiannis – Vale Ena Kafe
14 Stelios Rokkos – Makari
15 Konstantinos Koufos – Parasyromai
16 Kaiti Garbi – Ilios De Vgainei An Den Peis Kalimera
17 Nikos Oikonomopoulos – Skase Ena Fili
18 Konstantinos Galanos – Gia Mia Matia
19 Nikos Kourkoulis – Eline Kai Edene
20 Christos Menidiatis – Dyo Dromoi

21 Nikos Oikonomopoulos – Valto Terma
22 Elli Kokkinou – Taxe Mou
23 Stan – Den Ftais Esy
24 Kaiti Garbi Feat. Antonis Remos – Kivotos
25 Josephine – Magia
26 Kostas Doxas – Diva
27 Panos Kiamos – Fotia Me Fotia
28 Mihalis Xatzigiannis Feat. Thanasis Alevras – Saitias
29 Petros Iakovidis – Fovamai
30 Christos Mastoras – Den Echo Idea

Information and statistics credited to “Radio Monitor”.

Source: London Greek Radio Official UK Airplay Chart.

Top 20 Greek Hits here: lgr.co.uk/chart/ and hear a few snippets, to some of our favourite songs.

Since the outbreak, it is understood that an estimated 313 Cypriots have died from Coronavirus, amounting to just under 1% of the total 43,550 fatalities in Britain as of Sunday 28th June 2020.

We have seen three recorded deaths for the month of June, as the UK continues to see a reduction of deaths.

Cypriots represent approximately half a percent of the population and whilst the community’s losses are high, they do not seem to be as much as was first thought at the onset of the pandemic.

One explanation for this could be that a majority of the Cypriot community live in London and the capital was hit earlier.

The weekly Cypriot newspaper ‘Parikiaki’ compiled the numbers, however it is not known whether the deceased died directly from Coronavirus or whether they had tested positive for the virus, but died of other causes.

The newspaper contacted hospitals, churches, funeral directors, Turkish Cypriot media and community members to ascertain numbers. This also included requests for their weekly death publications.

The ‘Eleftheria’ newspaper had estimated 109 deaths in May, based on information from Greek Orthodox Church funeral arrangements.

Some of those who sadly passed away to the virus include:

A Turkish-Cypriot father and son who died just days apart, Ahmet Kamil, 63, died on 1st April, followed by his father, Kamil Ahmet, 87, who passed away a week later.  Kamil Ahmet co-founded the ‘Hackney Cypriot Association’ about 40 years ago to promote Cypriot cohesion within the London borough. The decades-run family business was a cobblers shoe repair store in Newington Green.

London-Cypriot brothers Andy and Lonny Leonida aged 57 and 55 respectively lost their battle on 18th and 22nd April, after being admitted to Middlesex Hospital the week before.

Husband and wife, Pavlos Faccas, 77, of Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, and Anita, 81 from East London died within three days of each other on 3rd April at Great Yarmouth Hospital.

George Nicholas Georgiou, 62, the co-owner of ‘Toffs Fish and Chips’ in Muswell Hill, passed away on 21st April.  In November 1999, George and his brother Costas bought the well-established ‘Toffs of Muswell Hill’. Tributes after his death included a Tweet from local MP Christina West, which read: “Muswell Hill will never be the same”.

Petros Michael, 72, born in the village of Ayios Amvrosios, Kyrenia, died on 31st March. He was a pillar of UK-Cypriot football, a founder of the KOPA League and published the community’s football magazine.  Petros was also known to broadcast on LGR for several years.

Theo Papapavlou, 72, born in Panayia, Paphos passed away on 3rd April. He was a treasurer of ‘EDEK UK’ and a member of the Secretariat of the ‘National Federation of Cypriots in the UK’.  He was also President of the “UK Association of Resistance Fighters”.

Yiannis Pareas, 70, an architect, also succumbed to the virus.  He was the Chair of Governors for “St Andrew The Apostle Greek Orthodox Secondary School” in Barnet. He co-founded the school ten years ago.  The father-of-three died at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Holborn, on 20th April.

Zacharias Akis Kadis, 56, a London-Cypriot, who worked and owned ‘Cobblers Corner’ in Palmers Green for 22 years, and for the last three years volunteered and worked at Cancer Research UK, also died from Coronavirus.

London Greek Radio (LGR) expresses our sincere condolences to all families and friends of all those who have sadly died during the pandemic.  We will continue to work with various organisations to help and support our communities at this challenging time.

[Information credited and attributed to Parikiaki newspaper.]

Police in Redbridge are appealing for help to find a man of Greek descent, who has been missing from the Ilford area and not seen since 18th February 2020.

Ioannis Oikonomopoulos is now 34 years old and originally from Patras in Western Greece. He was aged 33 at the time of his disappearance earlier this year.

Ioannis (John), a former beach lifeguard in Greece, has been living in London since last year and on Tuesday 18th February, his partner returned home from work and found the door to their apartment open with Ioannis missing.

They lived together at Eastern Avenue East, on the A12 at the junction with Silverdale Avenue.

Ioannis is about 5′ 9″ tall and at the time of his disappearance, he was wearing black sweatpants, a single white trainer on his right foot, a black jacket and a blue hat.

His girlfriend, along with his parents who live in Greece’s Achaia area are hoping that people living in London will be able to help locate Ioannou. It is believed that he may have some health problems.

Police have managed to trace some CCTV footage of Ioannis when he is seen on Tuesday 18th February 2020 just after 2 o’clock in the afternoon.

When he went missing, he only had his house keys and a bank card with him. The bank card has not been used and there is no other trace of him after this day.

In the CCTV clip Ioannis is seen without a shoe on his left foot.  It is unknown why this is the case.

PC Mark Denham from the Missing Person’s Unit in East London, told LGR, “It seems very out-of-character for Ioannis to go missing like this, and for such a long period of time.

“If anyone recalls seeing a man matching Ioannis’ description with only one trainer on, or perhaps you saw a single white trainer lying around somewhere, please contact us straight away.

PC Denham added, “On the day that he went missing, we can see on the CCTV that Ioannis is walking east towards King George’s Hospital but have not had any trace of him at all since then.”

Anyone who has any information at all, however small, is asked to call officers on 101 or you can call and text free anytime to the UK’s ‘Missing People’ charity in confidence via 116 000.

Top 20 LGR Chart Hits.

Tune in to LGR 103.3 FM and lgr.co.uk to hear the best new music, and lots of your top-rated favourite songs this month.

London Greek Radio play-lists are constantly adding even more exclusives, promos and new releases.

7th June 2020.

Listen to snippets from our chart: lgr.co.uk/chart/

1. Nikos Vertis feat. Amir – I Leksi S’Agapo/Si On N’aime Qu’une Fois
2. Melisses – Misi Kardia
3. Giorgos Sabanis – Allakse Ta Ola
4. Giorgos Mazonakis – Dianyktereuo
5. Dionisis Sxoinas – Allazo
6. Dimitris Basis feat. Christos Mastoras – Ena Lepto
7. Elena Paparizou feat. Sakis Rouvas – Etsi Einai I Fasi
8. Nikos Oikonomopoulos – Kathimerina
9. Natasa Theodoridou – Hartopolemos
10. Konstantinos Argiros – Ta Matia Sou Eroteutika
11. Petros Iakovidis – S’agapo Sou Fonaksa
12. Constantinos Christoforou feat. One – Billy Bam Bam
13. Nikiforos – Ta Leme To Vrady
14. Antonis Remos – Ola Ta Dakrya
15. Michalis Xatzigiannis – Vale Ena Kafe
16. Kaiti Garbi – Kormia Xamena
17. Ilias Vrettos – Ora Monaksias
18. Lena Zeugara – Oneira
19. Tamta – S’agapo
20. Thodoris Ferris – Ta Amartola Sou Matia

“Celebrating Greek music and creativity on the air-waves”

English-Greek actor Michael Angelis died on Saturday, 30th May in Berkshire. He was 76 years old.

Michael was the narrator of the classic children’s series, ‘Thomas The Tank Engine’ from 1991 to 2012 and had a lengthy television career, which included the powerful 1980s drama ‘Boys from the Blackstuff’.

The actor was born Nicolas Michael Angelis on 29th April 1944 in London to Margaret (née McCulla), and Greek father, Evangelos Angelis. He was raised in Dingle, Liverpool.

He trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, where he played roles in several pieces of work, including Brendan Behan’s ‘The Hostage’ and ‘The Zykovs’ by Maxim Gorky.

Angelis also appeared in comedies such as ‘The Liver Birds’ between 1975 and 1978 and Luv 1993–94, as well as films such as ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’ (1979) and ‘No Surrender’ (1985).

In 1983, he appeared at the Royal Exchange in Manchester in Harold Pinter’s ‘The Caretaker’ and played a villain in the revived television series ‘Auf Wiedersehen, Pet’ in 2002.

The much-loved actor narrated John Peel’s autobiography, ‘Margrave of the Marshes’ and in 2006 he starred in the film ‘Fated’.

Angelis also appeared in episodes of ‘Midsomer Murders’ and ‘The Bill’.

He was married to Coronation Street actress Helen Worth in 1991 and after their divorce in 2001, he married Welsh model Jennifer Khalastchi, in 2003.

He was the younger brother of fellow actor Paul Angelis who died in 2009.

LGR express their condolences to Michael’s family and friends.