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Popular Furness Radio Station set for Relaunch
Last updated at 09:25, Tuesday, 20 October 2009
WHILE hospital radio comes in for a bit of ribbing in the media at times, it is a service that gives patients a lifeline to the local community – and has launched thousands of radio careers.
Phillip Schofield, Chris Moyles and the late Jill Dando, to name a few, all started on hospital radio.
There are over 200 hospital radio stations in the UK and the Furness area had one of the first hospital radio stations in England, with Radio High Carley, based at the High Carley Hospital, near Ulverston, broadcasting as early as 1949.
In those days the broadcasts were somewhat drier than today’s programmes and tended to be lectures by the hospital’s doctors.
Then in December 1953, the Hospital Sports Broadcasting Service, provided live sports commentary to North Lonsdale, Devonshire Road, High Carley, and Roose Hospitals.
But it wasn’t until 1965 that music programmes were first introduced in Furness hospitals by a newly formed group of tape recording enthusiasts called ‘Barrow Soundtrack Club’.
Barrow-based football commentator Ron Duxbury, 60, was one of the founding members of the Soundtrack Club and, subsequently, Radio Lonsdale. He recalls: “There was an ad in the Evening Mail for people to come forward to produce soundtracks for cine films and a group was formed.
“At the around the same time there was a feature on Granada TV about trying to establish hospital radio stations in the North West.”
The group decided to use their combined talents to launch a Furness hospital radio station. Ron, who before retiring five years ago, spent a lifetime in financial services, says: “I was delegated to contact the hospital and set the ball rolling.”
Ron got the backing of the hospitals to do a test transmission using the Hospital Sports Broadcasting Service equipment at Barrow AFC’s Holker Street ground.
“The music programmes were a success, so we went back to the hospital management committee and asked for our own premises,” he adds.
At first the radio station had to share the WVS canteen at North Lonsdale Hospital, using it on Sundays and evenings for to make their broadcasts, and so the service became known as Radio Lonsdale.
In those early days the station’s broadcasting equipment was a little primitive, to say the least. Ron recalls: “We just had was an amplifier and a reel to reel tape recorder. The presenters had to record 14 records onto a tape reel before the show, as we didn’t have turntables.”
As the station developed it moved a couple of times, first to Roose Hospital, before finding a permanent base in the purpose built studio of Furness General Hospital in 1989.
For the first time, this allowed space for a second studio as well as an office, and record library.
The station built up a strong range of programmes, a compilation of which was submitted to an annual competition in 1991, and led to Radio Lonsdale being named the ‘Best Hospital Radio Station’ in Britain.
He adds that Radio Lonsdale was also the first hospital station in the country to be granted a full radio licence around the same time: “It meant we could be broadcast on the 87.7FM frequency, not just through the patient’s headphones.”
It was groundbreaking stuff and Ron enjoyed every moment and says he owes the station a great debt: “I even met my wife Patsy through the station in 1972 when she volunteered as a presenter!”
Current chairman of Radio Lonsdale, Pete Sexton, is also a veteran of hospital radio, working as a volunteer since the 70s.
Originally from Berkshire, Pete first volunteered at a hospital station in High Wycombe, before work brought him up north.
He says: “I came up here in 1992 and joined Radio Lonsdale then.
“It is a great way to learn the basic skills of mixing music. In those days of course it was all vinyl and tape, so I learned how to cut and mix, cue songs and how to structure a programme so it flows and has a theme.”
He says the biggest change since he started broadcasting in the 70s is in the technology used.
“It is far easier now to be a presenter than ever before – it is all computerised. Whereas in the early days we all carried around our collection of records. These days we can download songs and meet virtually any request.”
He adds: “Radio Lonsdale is about keeping it local and keeping patients in touch with the local community while they are in hospital.
“Unlike the television and internet links in hospital, our radio station is free on the internal patient lines and as personalised as we can make it.”
With a busy professional life working for the Cumbria Partnership Foundation Trust, Pete looks forwards to his hours on air. He says: “It’s a secret world – the other side of me, if you like. I have to be serious in my professional life, so this is my escape, and it is also a chance to give something back.”
Of course working in hospital radio isn’t without some worries – presenters do have to be careful about which tracks they play.
Pete says: “Some tracks, such as Stairway to Heaven, have a pseudo ‘exclusion’ clause, even though it’s a classic track. You do have to be careful about what you play.”
These days Radio Lonsdale has a dedicated membership of around 20 regular volunteers – eight presenters, aged from 16 to 67, as well as 12 others who work behind the scenes.
They produce 14 hours live broadcast each week. But Pete says they are always looking for more volunteers: “It is not just about presenting we also need people to help with fund raising, maintaining electrics and on the production side. A whole catalogue of skills needed.”
In an effort to raise awareness of the sterling work the radio station does, the team has organised an open day next weekend on Sunday October 25. Pete says: “It is about raising the profile of the station within the hospital and seeking interested people to become involved.”
One of Radio Lonsdale’s younger team members, 26-year-old Amy Hind has played an active role in promoting the open day.
As the station’s marketing and communication manager, it is all part of a day’s work for Amy, who works for Signal Films in Barrow, and joined the station this January to get some experience of radio work.
She says: “When I signed up with radio Lonsdale I was looking for a way to break into radio presenting really. It’s a great way to get a taster of radio – but still with room to make some mistakes.”
She adds: “The main reason for the relaunch is to make sure everyone, both patients and hospital staff, knows the radio station still exists and is a personal service for them.”
Pete Last is the secretary of the radio station and hosts the Saturday morning show from 10.30am to 1.30pm.
Pete says Radio Lonsdale are also in the process of updating their website and would love to hear from any former presenters with information or photos of the radio station.
Visit the North West Evening Mail Link
l The relaunch event runs from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday October 25. You can contact Radio Lonsdale on 01229 877877.