Meet James!

We are a messy bunch at Radio Heartbeat and I am probably the worst of all. So it was almost a tragedy when our recently donated vacuum cleaner - which, in fairness, was not new when we got it - became very ill. Our cleaner rendered first aid with a screwdriver and sticking plaster but no amount of tlc was going to rescue this baby. It had sooked its last sook!

We were very sad. Money at this radio station is always at a premium and vacuum cleaners do not contribute to good station output which is our current priority. There was no cash to spare for a cleaner. It was more than a little problem.

Undaunted I reached for Yellow Pages, flipped open to Janitorial Supplies and dialled the first number I came to. Magic sometimes happen if you wish hard enough. I got straight through to the boss man at Alex Shanks & Co. He was charming. He was helpful and he knew immediately what to do.

'Come and see us,' he invited.

I did.

Now we have the beautiful and ever so helpful James as part of our station team. He is not just a cleaner he's our pal. He is shiny and gorgeous and much too nice to sit in the cupboard so we leave him in the hall so that everybody can admire him and we tell them all we are shining like a shilling thanks to our pal Alex.

Thanks, Alex - and here's the plug we promised you!

The Fish Supper

All voluntary organisations need staunch supporters. These are the folk that dig deep into their pockets to fill our collecting cans, folk who come to our dinners and cheer us on and folk who work their little socks off to see us right. Every one of them is important to us. Every one of them, we hope, knows how much we value them.

However, as I was going home on Tuesday evening after a particularly long day full of little highs and many disappointments in terms of our progress towards good programming for our listeners, I was feeling more than a little down. I was also hungry and cold. It seemed reasonable, in the face of all this adversity, that I should seek sustenance and warmth. Where better, then, than our local chippie. Well he isn't local either to the radio station or to my home but I would drive a long way to eat fish and chips cooked by this man.


When I got to Roberto's in Broomfield Street, Airdrie, he enquired after the welfare of the radio station, as he often does, chatted and then said the magic words, 'This one's on the house.'

Ah! Bliss! Roberto, you are a lifesaver and a true gentleman. What's more you make the best fish and chips anywhere.