2016 Year Forty December

December 2016

December

1. 3rdIt's 9AM.
   Radio Heatherwood presents it's final hour.
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5. The last hour is upon us and the rhapsody music service does us proud, playing the final playlist constructed in October.
6. The final record played just before the 10am news Neil Diamond Beautiful Noise
7. 3rdShutdown here to say farewell, facebook post.
   Radio Heatherwood presents it's final hour.
8. Katie Ayers Sylvia Dungate Terry Dungate.
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11. Over the years the radio station was graced with the willingness and high spirits of many different volunteers. It's their contributions that allowed the radio station to develop.
12. Our Radio history web site details many of their good deeds.Radio History
13. 4thMusic request facebook page, unpublished.
    The special facebook page setup to carry all the promotions and for listeners to make requests is un-published and consigned to the history archive.
14. 4thRadio station closed, facebook post.
    Radio Heatherwood Goes Off-Air
15. The first radio at Heatherwood can be traced back to the late 60's when the then works foreman (Bill Berry) was providing a record request program from a room in the admin building.
16. The league of friends has been funding and supporting this service for over 40 years.
17. 3rd December 2016 the service is off air permanently as the service is no longer required by the trust.
18. The last song played by the radio service is Neil Diamond Beautiful Noise this was chosen to represent the upbeat nature of the radio and how it's service was always about raising patients spirits.
19. The league would like to send a heartfelt thanks to all those volunteers who helped provide the service all the sponsors and local business for their wonderful support.
20. In addition to the loss of Radio Heatherwood, the Rhapsody Wi-fi was also turned off as with no premises for the radio it was impossible to maintain this well loved service for the patients of ward 4.
21. 4thFinal hour, facebook post.
    If you missed the final hour of our broadcast, I have included here a playlist of all the songs that featured Enjoy:- .
22. You Tube Playlist.
23. 5thWi-fi service, facebook post.
    Rhapsody Wi-Fi Turned Off.
24. In May 2012 the league of friends agreed to fund the use of Wi-fi on ward 4 elective orthopaedic surgery, with the aim to provide an opportunity for patients and staff to listen to the radio service.
25. Our Aim
26. To deliver Radio Heatherwood on mobile devices which includes smart phones tablets or internet radios for patients, visitors and staff on ward 10( New ward 4.
27. This method of delivery is called Wi-fi. This is achieved with a combination of a wired Ethernet intranet, supporting wireless access points. Listeners had access to the internet.
28. The internet portable radio’s which were provided, had the web page address programmed on a pre-set, switching on the radio would go to the pre-set music stream from the Radio Heatherwood intranet.
29. The internet radios had three pre-sets already tuned to Radio Heatherwood, Radio Two, and Radio Berkshire.
30. Being in hospital can be an isolating experience, particularly in the modern world when most people are used to be constantly connected to their networks. Availability of a Wi-fi in Heatherwood hospital's ward 4 allowed people to stay entertained during their stay, and aid their recovery by maintaining their spirits. It’s a well known fact, conclusive studies on the use of music to aid recovery, all show it can shorten the recovery time for patients receiving treatment.
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33. The provision of the Rhapsody Wi-fi was also about providing access to email and social networks. As part of the installation fixed day room listening facilities were also provided. The league spent £4700 on the installation and each year picked up the monthly bill for broadband usage. Rhapsody Wi-fi was free to use. A relatively low outlay has allowed thousands of patients and staff to benefit from this access.
34. Earlier this year the trust informed the radio service(Radio Heatherwood) of their intention not to renew their lease. It is with deep regret the league has also had to pull the plug on the Wi-fi service as without any radio premises the service cannot survive.
35. We apologise to all those users, who now can no longer access our services.
36. We published here the figures on the usage of the Wi-fi, these figures are not conclusive as throughout it’s 4 years, some data was lost and so the figures are a baseline but in effect would have actually shown higher usage.
37. The Wi-fi service for the league was a great investment and provided patients and staff with un-limited connections and access to worldwide music and Radio Heatherwood. R.I.P Rhapsody Wi-fi.
38. 6thTransmission rack emptied.
    The studio transmission rack which carried all of the equipment, which processed the radio signal and put the station to air was emptied of all equipment.
39. Back to Top
40. 9thEquipment room dismantle continued.
    The removing of all connections to the equipment and networks were removed today.
41. 10thHand built circuits and interface equipment.
    Over the years the station relied on some specialist hand built electronic circuits to maintain it's services.
42. We today photographed all the equipment and then they were all scrapped, as no resale value.
43. 19thMajority of equipment gone.
    The majority of the studio equipment is now removed from the studio including the mixers and all engineering equipment.

44. Click to Enlarge:-
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46. 19thBT Broadband & Telephone Line.
    The telephone number 625818 is ceased along with the broadband. A number which was synonymous with Radio Heatherwood and featured on thousands of promotions.
47. 20th2007 studio logs completed.
    Work is still progressing on the cataloguing of the old studio recordings.
48. 29th2006 studio logs completed.
    Work is still progressing on the cataloguing of the old studio recordings.
49. 31stFinal tidy up and photographs.
    A final tidy up today and removal of some last personal items. The sign on the door is removed final photo's taken studio locked and keys posted through letterbox of estates.
50. 31stAnd in the end post.
    It was cold grey and overcast this morning as for the final time, we closed the door on the hospital radio service, that was Radio Heatherwood.
51. Dave Smith and PJ Davidson-Smith had the task to shutdown the radio and disperse equipment, records, and 40 years of voluntary service and consign all to history.
53. As 2016 draws to a close, it also brings to a close a voluntary commitment by many different volunteers in the radio's history. Dave & PJ have been visiting the hospital each Saturday come rain or shine for the last 37 & 36 years respectively, whilst others were regulars, none came close to this length of service.
54. The closure of the radio at Heatherwood, has left a hole in the lives of many volunteers and denied patients and staff a friend at the bedside. R.I.P Radio Heatherwood
55. Back to Top
56. January 2017
57. 1stShoutcast account closed.
    Having collected the last of the PPL stats for December,our web stream hosting account is closed.

2016 Year Forty Diary

2016 Year Forty Story Unfolds

For further information:- Follow the links

• 2016 January-February
  
• 2016 March-April
  
• 2016 May-June
  
• 2016 July-August
  
• 2016 September
  
• 2016 October
  
• 2016 November
  
• 2016 December
  

2016 Year Forty Stories

• 2016 September Facebook Promotion
  
• 2016 In Camera
  
• 2016 Rhapsody Wi-fi Switched Off
  
• 2016 How Did We Fall Out of Favour?
  
• 2016 What Option Did We Have?
  
• 2016 Internet Service(Shoutcast Stream)
  
• 2016 Our Little Black Boxes
  
• 2016 And in the End
  
• 2016 News Desk Archive
  
• Story Of the Archive
• Radio Video Archive
• History Site Map