Friday, May 11, 2001

Dave's voice is a tonic to patients

THEIRS are the friendly voices which help to brighten the stay of patients who tune into hospital radio.

And the volunteers who man Kingstown Radio, the station which broadcasts to hospitals in Hull and Beverley, are this year celebrating their stations 40th anniversary.

For its longest serving presenter Dave Hutchins, who lives in Beverley, the station is an opportunity to play the music he loves, ranging from the hits of the 50's to the present day.

It also serves up a regular diet of news, sports reports and dedications from friends and loved ones to patients at Hull Royal Infirmary, Kingston General, Castle Hill, Beverley Westwood, Princess Royal and Hedon Road Maternity hospitals.

Dave, 59, who joined the station in 1972, is one of a band of about 20 presenters who broadcast from a studio in Hull Royal Infirmary.

The station is a registered charity, which runs on the proceeds of fund-raising events and donations, and all its presenters give their time free of charge.

Dave can be heard on air for six hours each week, with his Monday and Wednesday afternoon music programmes.

His music spans the decades, with parts of his show dedicated to the classics from the 50s and 60s.

But Dave is quick to point out that the station also plays the best of the latest chart music and aims to please listeners of all ages.

'People think because I do a 60s programme that I am stuck in a time warp, but I love a lot of the records that are in the charts at the moment.' he said

'People expect us to be playing music like 'The Old Rugged Cross' but it is not like that. You don’t suddenly change your likes and dislikes just because you go into hospital.

Dave first developed his love of music when he was a young boy. 'When I was about 10 my uncle gave me a wind up record player. We lived in St Andrew Street near the railway line and I used to play the records to passing trains.' he said.

'Then when I was in my teens I used to take my record player down to the youth club at Hodgesons ballroom. When Radio Caroline was on the scene I always wanted to be on there playing the records.'

Dave, who works as a night watchman at ABI and is also a self employed part time DJ, finally got his chance to spin discs when he answered an advertisement for volunteers with the hospital radio station.

Its main aim, he says, is to try to help ease their stay for hospital patients. 'Our aim is to give patients a more personal radio service. That means not only music and local sport but their friends and relations can ring in and dedicate messages to them.' he said.

'The whole idea is that we are trying to make people a bit happier, maybe making their time in hospital pass a bit quicker. The kick we get out of it is when someone rings up and says 'I was listening to your programme and I really enjoyed it'.'.