Two friends will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the UK’s Official Chart Show with several special programmes on a local hospital radio.
Martin Kinch and Mark Withey, who have collectively been volunteering at Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio for 77 years, will front the shows on specific Tuesdays and Thursdays to commemorate the milestone, whilst also raising funds for the station.
I was pleased to highlight Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio @SMHR1575 today in @HouseofCommons. Health Secretary @MattHancock agreed with me that hospital radio stations makes a huge difference to patients, especially those with Covid-19 who can’t have visitors. @BucksHealthcare pic.twitter.com/FP6U0il5TK
— Rob Butler (@RobBAylesbury) May 18, 2020
Between 1pm – 4pm on Tuesday, October 25, November 1, and November 8, and on Thursday, October 27, November 3, and November 10, numerous number one hit singles will be played across the network from 1952 to the present day.
READ MORE: Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio get National Lottery grant
Martin joined SMHR (Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio) in January 1979, just a few weeks after the station launched.
He currently hosts the ‘Solid Gold’ show on a Monday evening between six and eight whilst Mark, who joined nine years later in 1988 presents The Aylesbury Chart show every Saturday morning at nine.
Martin said: “When I first started, the only way people could hear us was through plastic tubes coming out of the wall in the wards.
Over the next 3 weeks SMHR are celebrating 70 years of the UK singles chart and also raising funds for the station with some special programmes. Please see our website for more info. You can donate to @RadioSMHR at https://t.co/bUnHuCcNxH @BucksHealthcare @NMacdonaldBHT pic.twitter.com/cXmvRLo1jU
— RadioSMHR (@RadioSMHR) October 21, 2022
“Now, thanks to years of fundraising and hard work by our dedicated team we broadcast on 101.8 FM and also online, we also have our own app which can be downloaded onto phones and tablets.
READ MORE: Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio duo praised for volunteering
“Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio is a registered charity so as well as celebrating 70 years of the UK single charts, we also want to raise much-needed funds to help keep the station on the air.
Congratulations to Dez Kay @RadioSMHR who has been a volunteer at the station for 40 years. Pictured here with Duncan Dewhurst who is the trusts Chief Digital Information Officer pic.twitter.com/I7qN85GGCb
— RadioSMHR (@RadioSMHR) October 17, 2022
The entire radio station is run by volunteers.
To find out more, go to www.smhr.co.uk/index.shtml.
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