1981 Year Five
1981
The radio station this year was entered for the Thames valley road safety quiz, coming third in the competition.
Radio Heatherwood was represented at the Ascot carnival and in spite of poor weather raised £44.
Dave Smith from Saturdays was looking after the librarian duties at the station. An article about his role was carried in the third edition of the radio magazine. Previously Val Mason was looking after the library but commitments elsewhere prevented her from carrying on.
A bed race was organized for the Ascot horticultural show this year.
Our price records, were the latest shop to help the radio this year by giving discount, against all the record purchases. Lucky dip by the Saturday crew, was in full swing with a box of chocolates; being given away every Saturday for a request pulled out of the hat. Keeble's the newsagents of South Ascot; were the sponsors.
The fete this year was opened by the actor John Junkin.
A presenter at Radio Heatherwood Neil Crocker swam the nurses Swimming Pool, a total of five miles to raise funds for the Radio Station.
The average age of patients in the hospital, ranges from 35 to 65. A filler record in the period 76 until 1984 would quite often be a record from the charts, which sat on the console area. It was always too easy to use them, because of being close at hand. The age group of the presenters also influenced the type of filler.
In October the two way hospital link with radio 210 was reduced to a half an hour on a Sunday afternoon.
In November the WD2 children's show, was first broadcast. The presenter would go down to the children's ward and interview the children staff and parents then broadcast Sometimes with hilarious results. The first presenter was Nick Westlake but he departed from the station and PJ took over in 1982. It ran until December 1984.
Staff Joining This Year 6 Staff Leaving 8
Swimathon
Neil Crocker showed his style this year during the fete. He carried out a sponsored swim which raised money for the radio.
Neil completed 660 lengths of the nurses swimming pool which was 5 miles
Radio Magazines Issue 3
The radio magazines were given freely to patients to promote the work of the radio station and the leagues trolley shop.
In early 1981 the third edition of the radio magazine was released.
Issue 3 contained twenty eight pages with information about the hospital and how the radio service was set-up.
It contained stories from Tim Kingcott Thursday, Dave Smith Saturday and PJ and a postoperative parody from Grace Browning Wednesdays.
The booklet also carried pictures and an article about the trolley shop.
Chairman Ron Mason welcomed readers to this new edition.
Radio Magazines
Radio Stars
Those volunteers who featured in the staff records for this year:-
Ward 2 Don Drury Presents Easter Egg to Ward Click to enlarge:-
Ward 2 Don Drury Presents
An Easter Egg
Don local newsagent manager later joined the radio for a short while during 1981
That was the year that was “1981”
