Over the years, I have made many friends and shared many enjoyable times with the people I've met through my involvement with WHR.

Also I've seen many changes in technology, since I first walked through the station door in 1985. Back then it was record and tape decks, no CD's or minidisks and certainly no automated music system. And the internet hadn't even been invented! All our records and cassettes were logged on a dog - eared card index system, and we are connected to the world wide web. We even run our own website!

Membership of WHR has also allowed me to travel to different parts of the country, as a representative of the organisation at Hospital Radio Conferences. I have attended four such events in Glasgow, Plymouth, Hull and Blackpool. At these conferences, representatives from Hospital Radio Stations across the British Isles, get together to take part in seminars, visits to professional broadcasting technology and meeting other like minded people from the other represented stations. Oh, and having the odd drink or two on the night time!

During my time at the station, I have been involved at committee level in 3 different positions: Fundraiser, Station Manager and my present position of Technical Training Officer. I feel honoured to have been involved with the running of the station and maintaining its position as a respected service to the patients and staff of Walsall Manor Hospital.

On the programming side, I have covered many wards doing request shows down the years, and nowadays my principle broadcasting vocation is being involved with the highly proficient sports team. We strive to inform and entertain, making sure the listeners don't miss any of their favourite teams or sports stars.

We have a designated phone line into Bescot Stadium where our resident reporters Richard Cross and Leigh Davy enlighten and inform us on all Walsall matches. We also have a phone line into the Hawthorns where Steve Piekos oversees West Brom games. We also monitor score lines and news involving Wolves, Aston Villa and Blues.

2005 will see many changes for WHR. A new studio complex, more new members coming through the ranks and a wave of optimism as new Patient line system will soon be in operation on the wards, improving the sound quality we can provide to listeners to match the quality programming we offer.

As we go from strength to strength, we know we can count on the further support of Walsall and beyond to maintain our station as the Patients Choice."