Lynn Bowles
Encyclopedia
Lynn M. Bowles is a British
radio traffic reporter and can currently be heard relaying the latest traffic news on a half hourly basis on the BBC Radio 2
morning shows presented by Chris Evans and Ken Bruce
.
, Wales
, and graduated from university with a BA (Hons) in Communication Studies
and a postgraduate qualification in Film Criticism
, after which she became Assistant Managing Editor of OSRATI - a Kuwait
i weekly women's magazine.
, Kiss 100
, Choice FM
and Invicta, even broadcasting from a helicopter. Lynn eventually became the daytime travel presenter on LBC
before joining BBC Radio 5 Live
and the John Inverdale Nationwide programme.
During her time at Five Live she was nearly drowned by the station in a submerged helicopter. She also broadcast live from the M25
and managed to cause a traffic jam in the process, reported from Tanzania
on Comic Relief day, and covered the American Motor Show
in Detroit.
Many listeners of BBC Radio 2's Wake Up to Wogan
were familiar with Terry Wogan
's banter with Bowles, who was known to the TOGs
as 'Traffic Totty', which often involved reading short poems from listeners cut short after 1 or 2 lines as the risqué innuendo in subsequent lines was telegraphed. Her frequently changing date of birth, usually wildly inaccurate, on her Wikipedia
page became a long-running joke on Wogan's show. The various dates of birth suggested that she is everything from around 80 to around 20. Wogan alleged and frequently alluded to the fact that Bowles' birthplace was the Splott
district of Cardiff, resulting in frequent references to "The Totty from Splotty". She has also been punningly referred to as The Talk Wench
. Bowles was well known on the programme for her affection for Clark's Pies
.
s, named Tafod Bach and Siani.
Bowles learnt to drive in a Land Rover
and became a mascot for the marque after competing in the 2004 run of the Macmillan 4x4 UK Challenge
and co-presenting the Heritage Motor Centre
Land Rover show every year since 2005.
She is an ambassador for Bobath Children's Therapy Centre Wales, a registered charity based in Cardiff that provides specialist Bobath
therapy to children from all over Wales who have cerebral palsy
.
In the November 2007 Children in Need
week a "Money can't buy" experience was auctioned which included spending a day with her at Land Rover and other automotive experiences under the banner of 'Petrolheads', and the item raised £22,000 for the charity.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
radio traffic reporter and can currently be heard relaying the latest traffic news on a half hourly basis on the BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
morning shows presented by Chris Evans and Ken Bruce
Ken Bruce
Kenneth Robertson Bruce is a British broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.-Early life and career:...
.
Early life
Bowles was born in CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, and graduated from university with a BA (Hons) in Communication Studies
Communication studies
Communication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
and a postgraduate qualification in Film Criticism
Film criticism
Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films, individually and collectively. In general, this can be divided into journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, and other popular, mass-media outlets and academic criticism by film scholars that is informed by film theory and...
, after which she became Assistant Managing Editor of OSRATI - a Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
i weekly women's magazine.
Broadcasting career
Before joining the BBC, Bowles worked in New Orleans for a TV news station, but traffic news called and she has presented travel news for, amongst others, Radio CarolineRadio Caroline
Radio Caroline is an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly...
, Kiss 100
Kiss 100 London
Kiss is a UK radio station broadcasting on FM and Digital Radio, specialising in hip hop, R&B, urban and electronic dance music. It also broadcasts on DAB Digital Radio around the UK & nationally on Freeview, Sky and TalkTalk TV...
, Choice FM
Choice FM
Choice FM, branded on-air as London's Choice, is a brand used by the UK's biggest radio company, Global Radio for its network of black music radio stations...
and Invicta, even broadcasting from a helicopter. Lynn eventually became the daytime travel presenter on LBC
LBC
LBC Radio operates two London-based radio stations, with news and talk formats. LBC was Britain's first legal commercial Independent Local Radio station, providing a service of news and information to London. It began broadcasting on 8 October 1973, a week ahead of Capital Radio...
before joining BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
and the John Inverdale Nationwide programme.
During her time at Five Live she was nearly drowned by the station in a submerged helicopter. She also broadcast live from the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
and managed to cause a traffic jam in the process, reported from Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
on Comic Relief day, and covered the American Motor Show
North American International Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center, usually in January. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
in Detroit.
Many listeners of BBC Radio 2's Wake Up to Wogan
Wake Up to Wogan
Wake Up to Wogan was the most listened to radio show in the United Kingdom and the flagship breakfast programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2. The show was presented by Sir Terry Wogan who fronted WUTW from 4 January 1993; he had previously presented the breakfast show between 1972 and 1984, but the...
were familiar with Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
's banter with Bowles, who was known to the TOGs
TOGs
Terry's Old Geezers/Gals/Gits were people who listened to the Wake Up to Wogan show on BBC Radio 2 until it ended in December 2009. They often take on pseudonyms, as did the newsreaders, prior to February 2007...
as 'Traffic Totty', which often involved reading short poems from listeners cut short after 1 or 2 lines as the risqué innuendo in subsequent lines was telegraphed. Her frequently changing date of birth, usually wildly inaccurate, on her Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
page became a long-running joke on Wogan's show. The various dates of birth suggested that she is everything from around 80 to around 20. Wogan alleged and frequently alluded to the fact that Bowles' birthplace was the Splott
Splott
Splott is a district in the south of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, just east of the city centre. It was built up in the late 19th century on the land of two farms of the same name: Upper Splott and Lower Splott Farms. Splott is characterised by its once vast steelworks and rows of tightly...
district of Cardiff, resulting in frequent references to "The Totty from Splotty". She has also been punningly referred to as The Talk Wench
Torque wrench
A torque wrench is a tool used to precisely apply a specific torque to a fastener such as a nut or bolt. It is usually in the form of a socket wrench with special internal mechanisms. It was invented by Conrad Bahr in 1918 while working for the New York City Water Department...
. Bowles was well known on the programme for her affection for Clark's Pies
Clark's Pies
Clark's Pies, also colloquially nicknamed "Clarkies" or "Clarksies" are well known meat pies that originated in Cardiff, and can now be found in South Wales and the West of England.- History :...
.
Personal and charitable activities
Bowles revealed in April 2008, in an interview with Min Dwr magazine, that she is the owner of two Welsh poodlePoodle
The Poodle is a breed of dog. The poodle breed is found officially in toy, miniature, and standard sizes, with many coat colors. Originally bred as a type of water dog, the poodle is highly intelligent and skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding...
s, named Tafod Bach and Siani.
Bowles learnt to drive in a Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
and became a mascot for the marque after competing in the 2004 run of the Macmillan 4x4 UK Challenge
Macmillan 4x4 UK Challenge
is an annual navigational endurance challenge event. It is open to any road legal 4x4 vehicle in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. The event has been run since 2002 over one weekend in March each year and consists of a series of on road treasure hunts interspersed with off road challenges...
and co-presenting the Heritage Motor Centre
Heritage Motor Centre
The Heritage Motor Centre is a British motor museum and research centre, located adjacent to the Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon Centre near Gaydon in Warwickshire, England. The centre is open to the public, and houses a collection of important vehicles, celebrating Britain's motoring heritage...
Land Rover show every year since 2005.
She is an ambassador for Bobath Children's Therapy Centre Wales, a registered charity based in Cardiff that provides specialist Bobath
Bobath concept
The Bobath concept is a broad and ever-evolving approach in neurological rehabilitation that is applied in patient assessment and treatment . The goal of applying the Bobath concept is to promote motor learning for efficient motor control in various environments, thereby improving participation...
therapy to children from all over Wales who have cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
.
In the November 2007 Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
week a "Money can't buy" experience was auctioned which included spending a day with her at Land Rover and other automotive experiences under the banner of 'Petrolheads', and the item raised £22,000 for the charity.