1969-1976
The Birth Of A Hospital Radio Station.

 The early beginnings of radio Heatherwood can be traced back to 1969 when one man decided to play records to the patients of Heatherwood. Bill Berry the then works foreman at Heatherwood used his own records and with a turntable and mike would play requests to patients from a room in the old admin block. Bill was providing a record request program to the general wards on a Tuesday evening for two hours.

Local Press Article September 1976Click to Enlarge :-

The league had agreed to fund the rental of records at £50 a year so that the programs could go out. Bill used some of his own 78's along with those of family and friends.

This early service was plagued by faulty equipment on the wards. The service was very much a one man band operation.

It was a request to the league of friends that prompted the investment in new equipment and the launch of Radio Heatherwood.

The exact start of the service is unclear as Bill passed away some years ago and we were not able to obtain that information. What is clear records of the league of friends minutes from 1969 shows entries detailing the work of Bill and the service referred to at that time as “Patient Request Programme ”.

A press article from a local paper featured a story on Bill and the service and the need for records and volunteers.

When the station celebrated 30 years in 2006 Mrs. Berry, Bill's wife passed us some pictures and the press article listed here.

Radio Stars 1976

Those volunteers who featured in the staff records for the day were:-

Bill Berry, Beryl Berry, Chris Garrood, Andy Morton, Mark McCarthy, John Savage, Derek Robinson, Matthew Unknown, Mike Unknown.

30 Years Later

The hospital radio service at Heatherwood has undergone many different changes over the years. As the hospital has changed and the medical care has changed, so Radio Heatherwood has had to adapt to the changing turn around of patients.

When in 1976 patients had longer stays, today it's a much shorter stay but still important to the listeners is the ability to have a request and listen to some pleasant music which might relieve the pain.

The station has received support from all aspects of the local community in and around Heatherwood.

The most important part of that support is encouraging volunteers to help out. The volunteers today are much more skilled than their earlier colleagues. A new volunteer today could expect up to six month's training before being let loose on the airwaves.

Patience bear adopted as new mascot for the radio service.Click to Enlarge :-

Playing an enormous part of the service today is the 24 hour service from our rhapsody computer and the ability of the patients to listen either in stereo from the bed head terminals or the ability to listen on our medium wave frequency of 999kHz AM. Rhapsody today is helping the radio service to deliver useful information and guidance on many different subjects i.e. giving up smoking, healthcare, and local charitable events.

The music content today always reflects the age of the patients who make requests. The majority of music played would be classed as middle of the road or easy listening. We mustn't forget the local charity trusts and sponsors who have over the years pledged large sums of money to provide the hospital radio service and were it not for them we would not be here today. We raise our glasses to them and give a hearty cheer for their support.

The station like the hospital faces an uncertain future as on many occasions the local health care policy is discussed and reviewed. We hope the station will be here in the next thirty years. If we are lucky enough to be here, it will only be possible by the generosity and the good will of the volunteers who walk through our door.

To remind everyone of our start back in the seventies the month of June 2006 the clock was turned back as the station brought to life the sounds of the seventies with music news and trivia.

Station Secretary PJ Davidson-Smith

May 2006