Tributes paid to 'voice of Essex' radio presenter

A former BBC local radio presenter described as "the voice of Essex" has died at the age of 72.

Dave Monk, who presented programmes on BBC Essex for 37 years until his retirement in 2023, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer the following year and recently announced the disease had returned.

The broadcaster, who also served as a deputy lieutenant for Essex, was described as "our Terry Wogan" by former colleague and now county council leader Kevin Bentley, because, in his words, "everyone knew Dave Monk".

Robert Thompson, interim director of production at BBC Local, said Monk was the "voice of Essex" and had a "remarkable impact on the county".

"From solicitor to broadcaster, there was nothing Dave couldn't do, and he taught us all to grab hold of every opportunity and go after it," he added.

Monk, whose real name was David Travis, joined BBC Essex when it first started broadcasting in Chelmsford in November 1986.

He covered some of the most significant milestones in the county's history and interviewed famous names such as Sir Tony Blair, Dame Vera Lynn and Sir Paul McCartney.

Before joining the BBC, the presenter spun the decks around the 1970s and 80s Essex nightclubs with his infamous "Mad Monk" act while also working as a law lecturer.

He even co-owned a wine bar for several years and managed to continuing running his law practice, as a trained solicitor, in the early days of his radio career.

Jennifer Tolhurst, Lord Lieutenant of Essex, said the broadcaster was an "iconic figure" because of his radio work, "but also his warmth, his stature, and what he got involved with".

Causes he supported included Havens Hospices, Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome, Parkinson's UK and Colchester men's health charity CHAPS. He was patron of Remus Horse Sanctuary and Open Road, a drugs and alcohol recovery service.

Monk was also known for his involvement with events like the Dunmow Flitch Trials and the Essex Book Festival.

Its director, Ros Green, said Monk was a "passionate, enthusiastic, caring man" who cared deeply "about Essex and Essex people".

The festival is planning to hold a celebration of his memoirs, "Whatever Happened To Dave Monk?" as part of its 2026 programme.

Former Essex police and crime commissioner (PCC) Nick Alston, who was at school with Monk in Chelmsford and later served alongside him as a deputy lieutenant, remembered his passion for music.

"We used to have a Friday night disco at the school and he'd be spinning the turntables there," Mr Alston said.

"He was just very, very good at engaging with the people, either in front of him on the stage or on the dance floor."

Mr Alston recalled being nervous ahead of interviews in his capacity as PCC - but that Monk was adept at making guests comfortable while grilling them on the issues of the day.

"He was funny, he was very well informed, he'd always done his research," said Mr Alston.

"He understood the issues, and his passion for Essex meant that his questions were always the right ones. I really respected that."

In 2011, during a feature on family history with Essex Records Office (ERO), Monk ended up learning the true identity of his grandfather, a Canadian airman who died in a World War One plane crash in 1916.

Sarah Ensor, formerly of ERO, unearthed a photograph of Kenneth Mathewson and revealed her findings to Monk on air.

"It brought tears to my eyes, it was a very emotional moment. I had to fill the time when he didn't know what to say... I think he was blindsided by the whole thing," she said.

Monk eventually went to Canada to meet relatives he had never known he had, as part of special programme broadcast on BBC Essex in 2015.

A couple of years later, Monk was invited to meet Emmanuel Macron at an Armistice centenary commemoration, after the French president's team learnt about his family history.

In his own book - published earlier this year - Monk described feeling "elated" at being able to introduce his "newly-found" late grandfather to Macron.

In September 2023, he broadcast his final programme on BBC Essex, signing off with the song Goodbye-ee performed by Dudley Moore and Peter Cook.

In his final link, he told his listeners: "Look after yourself, have a lot of fun, and don't forget, the more you laugh, the more you live.

"Goodbye."

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