In his career as a writer and journalist he has written for
Q,
Word Magazine,
ELLE,
The Times,
The Guardian, the
Evening Standard,
Daily Express,
Select,
Mojo,
Country Walking,
Deluxe and was an assistant editor for the
NME. In September 2008, he began a new monthly column for
Cumbria Life magazine. Maconie previously worked as an English and sociology teacher at
Skelmersdale College,
Lancashire in 1987 and 1988. The stories first appeared as blatant jokes in a spoof
NMEs
Believe It or Not feature, but have since been repeated elsewhere as factual. Maconie later said, "I'm sure someone must have used the expression before me about
the Hollies, or
the Beatles, back in the '60s. But I was the first person to use it about bands like
Oasis and
Blur".
Publications Maconie's books include: •
3862 Days: The Official History of Blur •
James – Folklore: The Official History •
Cider with Roadies •
Pies and Prejudice: In Search of the North •
Adventures on the High Teas: In Search of Middle England •
Short Stories for Short Breaks •
Never Mind the Quantocks •
The Pie at Night: In Search of the North at Play •
Long Road from Jarrow: A journey through Britain then and now •
The Nanny State Made Me: A Story of Britain and How to Save it •
The Full English: A Journey in Search of a Country and its People Broadcasting As a broadcaster, Maconie has appeared on television and radio.
Radio 1 Maconie was a music reporter for ''Mark Goodier's Evening Session
on BBC Radio 1, alongside Andrew Collins. Also on Radio 1, from 1995 to 1997, Maconie presented a music review with Collins called Collins and Maconie's Hit Parade'', which was originally broadcast on Monday nights from 9pm to 10pm and then on Sunday afternoons from 3pm to 4pm. In addition to this, between October 1996 and late 1997, Maconie hosted a weekly album show on Radio 1 on Sunday nights.
Radio 2 Maconie joined
BBC Radio 2 in 1998, presenting shows such as
All Singing, All Dancing, All Night, a
Northern soul music show, and, for several years, ''Stuart Maconie's Critical List
on Saturday evenings. He also presents documentaries and deputised for Johnnie Walker on the Drivetime'' programme. From April 2006 to 29 March 2008, Maconie presented the Saturday afternoon show previously presented by
Chris Evans. In addition to his Saturday show, on 16 April 2007, Maconie joined forces with
Mark Radcliffe to present a new show on Radio 2 which was broadcast between Monday and Wednesday (Monday to Thursday up to April 2010) from 8pm to 10pm. In spring 2011, this show was transferred to Radio 6 Music in the afternoon slot, 14pm weekdays, later moving to weekend mornings from 8am to 10am. In 2012, Maconie began presenting ''The People's Songs'', a "story of modern Britain in 50 records". Described as "music as social history", 50 programmes in the series examine periods in Britain, the events that were occurring and how a particular song was the soundtrack of that period.
Radio 5 Live From 1994 to 2001, Maconie presented the satirical news review
The Treatment on
BBC Radio 5 Live.
BBC Radio 6 Music Maconie also joined
BBC Radio 6 Music at its launch in 2002, where he presents
The Freak Zone radio show. Since 2016 he has appeared on the North of England team on Radio 4's
Round Britain Quiz.
Other projects Maconie was President of
The Ramblers from 2017 to 2023 and is a keen fellwalker. On 20 June 2009, he completed all 214
Wainwrights in
Cumbria and is an honorary member of the Wainwright Society, having given their Memorial Lecture in 2006. In late 2009, Experience Northwest released a series of short stories he wrote about the hidden gems in England's Northwest. == Personal life ==