Hospital Radio Heatherwood
The radio station owes it's creation, down to one man and his endeavours to launch a request service where patients could have a request on the hospital radio service. Bill used a lot of his own records, he also received help from the League of Friends.
Bill Berry Opening Day 1976
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.