Making Progress

Few people are prepared to turn out on windy Saturday mornings. Even fewer are prepared to climb ladders and use power tools in the pursuit of music.

Radio Heartbeat would like to thank Garry Hoffman - an aerial specialist from Motherwell - who came out to do just that and help us to get our new Repeater unit up and running. Garry worked very hard with our man John.

We are not on air yet but that's not Garry's fault - he was super - and we will get there shortly.

Thanks to all who turned out to help, bring food, calm our John and provide the laughter and good humour Radio Heartbeat is good at.

Being a volunteer is not easy - keeping your balance is not easy - keeping a sense of perspective when things go wrong is not easy. We just do our best and when we get it wrong we try to make it right. We are working on the Repeater and ourselves all the time.

We'll be back on air just as soon as we can. We will be talking to you!

It's Been a While

Well we no sooner got our beautiful new offices than the hospital decided we should be moving. They allocated us to nice premises across the road and we are just about settled in.

So far, we have one studio built but it doesn't play out to anywhere yet. The hospital bought us a repeater unit to carry the output to the hospital but we need an aerial rigger to connect it up for us.

Our broadcast desk was water damaged when our old premises were flooded just before we were due to move out. We need to get a new one but there isn't enough money yet.

We need new computers and new everything but it is a major trial.

Someone will come up with the answers - they always do - and someone will help - they usually do.

Meanwhile, the team including Denice, Andy, John, Chris, Irene and everyone else is working very hard to ensure that we are back to broadcasting as soon as possible and we will then be talking to you!

Our New Office

Well we needed a new office! We (well, that is, Christopher and John did all the heavy work) ripped out what used to be a room full of redundant LPs and singles and mouldy shelving. They dismantled the lot and, with a great deal of puffing, panting and grunting, dragged Radio Heartbeat's offices kicking and screaming into the new millennium.

We would like to thank Carpet Style in Coatbridge - guess what they gave us! Big thanks to Tracy for all her hard work with a paint brush. But mostly thanks to SCI Communications, Glasgow who gave us the money - we now have the most beautiful administration office.

We have high-tech floating speakers which pick up the studio output. We have cameras which look out to the car park so we can monitor our cars all day as well as see who is coming and going. We have door entry systems which allow us to open and close the doors from upstairs. We have lights which switch themselves on and off when you enter or leave the room. We have everything! Except, perhaps, new computers but we can't afford those yet. (Any offers?)

We also made excellent use of some of those old LPs and singles as they now form the artwork on our walls. They look very good in their new frames. We didn't realise we had such collectable art.

We are very much at home already and it will be such a pleasure to come to work in the future.

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together!

Thanks to everybody who helped.

Heartbeat's Poet Laureate

George Fairlie hails from Kirkfieldbank in South Lanarkshire. A long-standing member of Hamilton Speakers Club and a member of Larkhall Burns Club he is accustomed to writing interesting and audience-enticing speeches. However, in his 71st year he had a notion to write more seriously. He joined a local writing group and tried his hand at a few poems. He was enthusiastic and dedicated and worked hard. He produced a portfolio of interesting word pictures and received lots of encouragement from his writing companions.

Encouraged by his tutor Nicola Brown he entered the Radio Heartbeat story competition and, much to his amazement, won both first and second place. His poem Camera Obscura et Lucida is a beautiful glimpse of nostalgia.

Like the short story competition entries flooded in from all over the world. The standard was very high. George could not beleive his good fortune.

Judge Sandra Brown who is an experienced educator and writer said of George's poem 'Camera Obscura et Lucida encapsulates a lot in three short verses and has some wonderful imagery. I loved the alliteration—the use of shift and sway and the truth of today. It works beautifully at the end with the use of the words closing and clasp where the same consonant blend gives the listener the almost unbearable sense of sadness that has arisen from looking at poignant photographs.' She went on to say what a talented man George obviously was.

The station will be publishing an anthology of the best of the poetry and short stories about the end of this year - keep watching for your opportunity to read George's award-winning writing.

Jean in her own Write

Jean Longridge of Uddingston has only been writing seriously for about a year but already she has beaten off international competition to win the Radio Heartbeat short story competition. Her story The Best Thing was judged to be by far the best of all of the entries received. She received her certificate from Denice Reynolds of Reflections Video who sponsored the prize.

The competition was open to anyone who could write something which we thought could entertain the patients. Information was sent to Writers Groups and to the National Association of Writers Groups Web Site. Word spread. Instead of just a few localised entries that we expected we had entries from various points in America, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy and Turkey.

Judging took a long time as there were many criteria to be met. The panel had a hard task. The final decision was down to Janice Long of Radio 2.

Jean was absolutely delighted and was sure that her children would enjoy spending the £100 prize. Her next project is a special story for Hallowe'en featuring the children of Tannochside Primary School.

We wish her well.

Fun Day

If you haven't seen this poster then you should be asking us for copies. It is to advertise our wonderful Fun Day which we are holding on Sunday 24th June here in the grounds of Monklands Hospital.

There should be something for everyone. Dad's can try their skill on the Rodeo Bull while Mum can guess the weight of the cake or try her luck on the Tombola. For the kids there are ducks to hook, bouncy castles to scale and face painting. Our guests will include the Fire Brigade and the Police Community Involvement Branch.

Add to all this that Karen Whitefield MSP will be along to wish us well and Sandra Brown will be presenting the prize to our Poetry Writing Competition this should be a great day out.

Come and join us between 12 noon and 4.00 pm.

We would love to have your company.

Mr. Nice Guy!

Well we told you he was great and now other people agree with us.

John Thornton, our resident IT wizard has been presented with the Mr. Nice Guy award by his employers beCogent in recognition of all the work he has done here at Radio Heartbeat.

He should be very proud - we are.