St Bartholomew’s Parish Church.
On September 26th, I found myself standing in the quiet beauty of St Bartholomew’s Parish Church, nestled in the small village of Cross-in-Hand, East Sussex. It was here that I came three months ago to bid a long-overdue farewell to Mike Ellery, a mentor, and a cherished voice from Singapore’s broadcasting history.
To those familiar with Singaporean radio from the 1950s to the 1980s, Mike Ellery was a household name. His distinctive voice became a companion to countless listeners over the decades. Mike passed away from lymphoma on February 3rd, 2015, at the age of 82. Unfortunately, I received the news too late to attend his funeral, and his ashes were scattered at St Bartholomew’s. Saying a proper goodbye had been on my heart ever since.
When I arrived at St Bartholomew’s, I was met by Mike’s younger son. Together, we walked the grounds, reminiscing about the man who left such an indelible mark on both of our lives. As I paused to say a prayer for Mike, I felt a sense of closure. This moment had been a long time coming, and I was grateful to finally honor him in person.
Mike Ellery.
Mike’s story began in Bristol, England. In 1949, he ventured to Malaya and helped launch Rediffusion Kuala Lumpur in 1950. By the mid-1950s, he had moved to Singapore, joining Rediffusion Singapore, which would soon become an iconic fixture in many homes.
Rediffusion, which started in the 1920s in England, was a cable-transmitted commercial radio station. Singaporean listeners paid five dollars a month to have a small brown box installed in their homes. These boxes weren’t traditional radios; they were more like loudspeakers with built-in amplifiers, delivering high-quality sound through cable – far superior to the over-the-air broadcasts of that time. Radio sets were expensive back then, and television hadn’t yet arrived in Singapore. Rediffusion even powered its sets through the same cable that carried the radio signal, a blessing for rural areas that had no electricity. It was, in a way, the original “streaming service” – an early precursor to today’s Netflix and Disney+. If you think about it, the name “Rediffusion” itself, is a brilliant one!
At its peak, Rediffusion’s channels in English, Chinese, and dialects broadcasted 34 hours of programming daily, reaching over 100,000 subscribers and an audience of at least half a million listeners. Mike’s voice was a constant, guiding listeners through news, entertainment, and everything in between.
In the late 1970s, Mike took a break from Singapore and moved back to England, working as a roving reporter for the BBC World Service and other companies. But his heart remained in Singapore. In 1979, he returned to start his own recording studio, where he produced many of the radio commercials and soundtracks for TV spots that became part of daily life in Singapore during the 1980s. His company eventually expanded into film production, with Mike documenting major projects such as the tunneling of the MRT from start to finish. His distinctive voice was also heard on numerous government and corporate videos. I had the privilege of working with him as a scriptwriter on many of these documentaries. Mike was the best mentor in the world, I was in my 20’s then but he never said an unkind word to me, he treated me as an equal and offered me lots of encouragement.
Mike’s impact on Singapore’s media landscape was profound. He mentored and nurtured many local talents, including well-known names like Xiang Yun, Mark van Cuylenberg, Foong Choon Hon, Larry Lai, Tan Hock Lye, Tan Swee Leong, Paul Cheong, Vernon Cornelius, and Chris Ho. Beyond nurturing local talent, Mike also pioneered the concept of “mobile” discos in addition to being instrumental in bringing international acts to Singapore, from pop icons like The Yardbirds and Herman’s Hermits to classical music and ballet greats.
Despite his decades of contribution, in 2012, Mike’s employment pass was not renewed – a surprising turn for someone so deeply intertwined with Singapore’s cultural fabric. It was unexpected that he had never become a Permanent Resident or citizen. Mike relocated to Thailand, wanting to stay close to Asia, but his health began to fail, prompting a final move back to England in 2013 to be with his family.
Saying goodbye to Mike was not just about closure. It was about honoring a life that left a lasting legacy in places far beyond the quiet village where his ashes now rest. Mike Ellery’s voice may have faded from the airwaves, but the echoes of his work, his influence, and his spirit remain as vibrant as ever in the memories of those who knew and loved him.
With Mike’s son.