Editing Simon Bates (section)

==Early life and career==
Bates was raised in [[Suffolk]] and [[Shropshire]] and educated at [[Adams' Grammar School]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Live |first=Shropshire |date=2014-08-12 |title=Radio DJ Simon Bates steps in to help save Shropshire Church |url=https://www.shropshirelive.com/news/2014/08/12/radio-dj-simon-bates-steps-in-to-help-save-shropshire-church/ |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=Shropshire Live |language=en-GB}}</ref> before working for radio stations in [[New Zealand]] and [[Australia]]. Bates returned to the UK in 1971 to join the [[BBC]], initially working for [[BBC Radio 4]] as a continuity announcer and newsreader<ref>{{cite book |title=Who's Who on Radio |last= Tracy |first=Sheila |publisher=World's Work Ltd |year=1983 |pages=9–10|isbn=0-437-17600-2}}</ref> and then joining [[BBC Radio 2]] in 1972 also reading the news and announcing as well as presenting a number of music programmes including "Sounds Easy",<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search - BBC Programme Index |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?order=first&q=%22Simon+bates%22 |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> "Sweet 'n' Swing", "Night Ride", "Late Night Extra" and, from March 1974, "The Early Show".<ref>{{cite web|url = http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/def8d004192841d9a8759ecd5cfab4f0|title = BBC Genome Project|access-date = 23 July 2019|work = Simon Bates with The Early Show| date=25 March 1974 }}</ref> Bates left [[BBC Radio 2]] in January 1976 and joined [[BBC Radio 1]] in May the same year standing in for [[Tom Browne (broadcaster)|Tom Browne]] to host the Sunday Top 20 show before beginning to present the Sunday morning show two months later.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search - BBC Programme Index |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/40/20?order=first&q=%22Simon+bates%22&after=1976-01-01T00:00:00.000Z#top |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>