Tributes have been paid to long-running BBC Radio Merseyside presenter and musician Stan Ambrose, who has died at the age of 86.
Ambrose fronted the weekly show Folkscene for 49 years and was the station’s longest serving presenter.
He was also a Celtic harp player and played regularly at venues around Merseyside.
Born in Essex in 1930, he moved to Liverpool in the early 1960s and developed his passion for folk music, running folk clubs before presenting Folkscene, first with co-presenter Geoff Speed and latterly with Mike Brocken.
Sue Owen, editor of BBC Radio Merseyside, said: “Everyone at Radio Merseyside is so sad about Stan’s death. All our thoughts are with his family and friends.
“Stan was the longest-serving folk presenter in the country. That he sustained a broadcasting career for so long is testament to his talent and proof of his genuine passion for folk music.
“He was a lovely man, a great musician and true supporter of the Liverpool music scene. He will be much missed by Radio Merseyside listeners and the wider Liverpool community.”
Peter Guy, Liverpool Echo reporter and editor of music website Getintothis, said Ambrose was “a beautiful man, a gentleman and will be very much missed in Liverpool”.
More tributes from Twitter:
Sad news, our longest serving presenter Stan Ambrose has passed away. He fronted Folkscene for 49 yrs. Rest in peace pic.twitter.com/X2tdnSw1F5
— BBC Radio Merseyside (@bbcmerseyside) July 11, 2016
Really sad news about Stan; he was always a great support and a true gentleman. Here's an early clip with myself… https://t.co/Bt35TvVLIX
— John O'Connell (@johnpig) July 11, 2016
Lovely to see so many people paying tribute to Stan Ambrose. I hope he knew how liked and appreciated he was in Liverpool.
— Jamie Bowman (@JamieBowman77) July 11, 2016
RIP Stan Ambrose, a wonderful and inspirational man, always enjoyed talking to Stan in Mello Mello @bbcmerseyside pic.twitter.com/SK1awZinbu
— Brian Sayle (@BrianSaylePhoto) July 11, 2016
