Stories and snippets of information taken from the staff newsletter and from behind the scenes.
A look back at 2006 at Radio Heatherwood and all the events of the year.
This year saw the completion of training for a brand new broadcast team on Thursdays, staff bulletin board is introduced, improvements to the station library and the rebranding of the sound of Radio Heatherwood.
Radio Heatherwood has received a donation of £500 from local supporters the Victoria Hall Fund.
A new sweatshirt/tee shirt logo design has now been finalized and plans are under way to find a supplier for the shirts.
Plans to be implemented this year for rhapsody will be a new 6 week schedule produced. 1st week in June on the run-up to our 30th Birthday a program schedule in which every down the decade program will be given over to the 70's.
Our birthday week in June will have rhapsody reviving the music of the seventies.
Mondays = 1970,1971,1972.
Tuesdays = 1973,1974,1975.
Saturdays = 1976,1977,1978
Engineering
We start with the fact our engineering bill since December has gone through the roof as we have had to replace 5 items of kit and scrapped 1 unit at a cost of £535. This we think has been brought about by dirty mains and possible lightening damage.
All equipment now is on a UPS to provide clean mains. If the power goes off these will offer about 15 min's of service.
January has seen five applicants apply to the radio via the web application form.
Rhapsody 2006 and the new station image. Work is well under way for the new image. Three pieces of music have now been purchased which will change the style of the station. A new run in for the news will carry one of these new items along with new words before the news. Two other pieces of music are being used one for day time services and one for night time. The station will move towards one style during the day with it's advertising jingles and then in the evening a different style. Over 110 jingles have already been constructed. None of the new material will be played until June.
As well as new music we have already got new words from Greg Marston advertising rhapsody and phrases which are used by us all. In addition we are waiting for a new sung version of the station id. The cost of this new branding is £250 to outside concerns, but an enormous amount of time for the station engineer as he constructs the new jingles.
Correspondence was stepped up with the trust to resolve the issues of the water damage caused by leaking roof of the studio's notified in the previous year.
The station benefits from Ascot Ale Festival with a cheque for £250.
At the end of March the new station jingles are received. They will not be aired until June.
Thursday 20th April will see the launch of Thursdays for the first regular evenings broadcast from Radio Heatherwood's current studio. The last regular Thursday evenings was back in 2000.
Radio Heatherwood's marriage services have been at work and the good news is Sarah Foot and James Shurley have got engaged. Their eye's met over a pair of hot turntables and the rest is not for publication.
5th May Bulletin board for presenters is created and trial led by the station engineer.
Presenters who have completed 1 years service under the new training plan were given a review of a sample of their programs to ensure no bad habits had crept in.
One of the first messages on the new staff bulletin board:-
Ode to Radio Heatherwood May 7th
This one goes out to the patients of the hospital:-
When you feel like reaching for your sick bowl
When you
foam slippers are getting you down
When your backside is
hanging out of your gown
Please do not fear Radio
Heatherwood is always here
No matter how rough or smooth
the ride
We're the station that's a friend at your
bedside
On 31st may the new sound image for the radio is added to the computers for live assist and also the rhapsody service.
By the end of June only four members of the radio have not registered for the on-line bulletin board.
League Of Friends Web Sites Visitors Guest Books
As part of the improvements to our sites I have added a visitors guest books to the league web site and the radio web site.
June is given over to the sound of the 70's as part of the 30 year birthday. Rhapsody plays it's part by reminding the listeners of the events and sounds.
Mrs Berry Sends More Details 30 Years On
I have received an envelope with some press articles and pictures taken of those early days at Heatherwood. Mrs Berry whose husband Bill was the man that really started the station.
The first studio was in an office in the admin building and the first equipment that Bill used was purchased by the league.
2006 was a very busy year for the station management and as the year unfolded there was much to do and organise
For further information about this year:- Follow the links
The first week of July and the studio's are closed for a week whilst remedial repair work is carried out on the studio reception and also to tackle the leaky roof problem.
In July the station is supplied with headphones and are issuing whilst carrying out request ward rounds.
The staff bulletin board by the end of July was already allowing a large exchange of up to date information about wards patient feedback and staff issues. A poll on whether we should keep the board showed 14 people having voted 11 said yes 3 said no others didn't vote. The bulletin board will be the preferred method of contact for the future.
New Request Forms
The new request forms have been left in the studio. The reprint carries a box with the letter “H”. This was to assist in logging where the headphones were being issued.
Tue September 12th No bedhead terminal service.
Ward 5 closed some months earlier. The word back from the hospital is they have reduced their orthopaedic beds and as such it's unlikely ward 5 will re-open as an orthopaedic ward. It will remain shut until ?
Vinyl library improvements, In my spare moments I have been working on an improvement for the vinyl library and the library program.
What this means is 50,OOO song titles need categorizing which is what I'm doing. 10,000 done so far. For our younger members this will help you, when you need to choose music from a particular genre
The new updated vinyl library is now on-line from today. I haven't had time yet to re-write the manual and to give the info but you will be able to now search by category on the vinyl. Give it a try, try one of the new categories “MiscEasy” This will display all the artists which didn't appear with that song in the pop charts but will define those which are easy listening for the older listeners.
In sickness and in Health. As from today we have Mr & Mrs Shurley working for us. They tied the knot today.
Low request counts
An example from Saturday only 9 requests Ian played 4 between 10.30-11 I then Played 4 11.30 till 12 and then 1 between 12.12.30. We still did our advertised time( 10 till 1) and filled the remainder with records etc as listed above finishing at 1pm as usual.
Monitoring of all nights has shown a decline in requests being taken from the wards.
Days of Old
Today we received a knock on the door and was handed a package. Inside was 5 loan radio's from a ward obviously tucked away in some drawer. Not bad for the service which was stopped two years ago.
We turned one of the radio's on and heard one of Roger's Gags!.
Nov 11th, 2006, no am service at the moment as a major problem with the power supply showed up when they visited last Thursday to do the maintenance.
Victoria Hall Fund
Nov 25th I have today received confirmation from the Victoria hall fund and a cheque for £458 for next years licence's. I was worried we were not going to get a result from them this year but I'm suitably surprised.
They write:- “ I enclose a cheque for £458.26 in the knowledge that you will continue to provide a very worthwhile service
Nov 30th Johnson & Johnson Donation, Young Butch has secured a donation of £40 from J&J
Dec 2nd Program Times Leaflets, A new batch of mauve program schedules is now in the studio for issuing to listeners.
Sat December 2nd No bedhead Terminal service.
Staff Joining This Year 1 Staff Leaving 2
Archive Gems
Just some extra's we found:-
Email Requests
Subject: I would like to send a message to My Friend/Relative in Heatherwood
The request to be played for Flynn who is On Ward 10
They would like a record by Fats Waller and the song ain't Misbehaving if not second choice of St Louis Blues Louis Armstrong or Billie
With lots of love ''FROM UP NORTH.
Get better soon, Love Kathleen Margaret & Michael + the other two.
Subject: I would like to send a message to My Friend/Relative in Heatherwood
The request to be played for Heather Carter who is On Ward 1G
They would like a record by Wet, Wet, Wet and the song Love is all around us if not second choice of Louis Armstrong Wonderful World
Please pass on our love and very best wishes for a super speedy recovery to our wonderful sister, Heather Carter, on ward 1G - We really cannot wait to see you and Garry walking along the beach here on Hilton Head in the not too distant future.
Beaming love and happiness your way from across the pond,
Bernie and Julie
Feedback
Thank you so much. I received an email from Heather's husband, Garry, saying that the request really cheered heather up after a day of bad news.
Thanks for offering the request service.
Subject: I would like to send a message to My Friend/Relative in Heatherwood
The request to be played for Bill Fearnley who is On Ward 4
They would like a record by Abba and the song Dancing Queen if not second choice of ..... Everyone's got that song!
Dear Bill,
Can't wait to see you up and about on the dance floor again,
Get well soon,
Lots of Love
Aileen, Jules & wee baby Cameron.
2006 The Story Continues!
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