We have our own team on site at the games who sit with their professional counterparts in the commentary box. Their coverage is relayed from Portman Road back to our studio at Heath Road Hospital where it is then transmitted to the bedside Hospedia sets. A HRI member controls the sound in the studio at Heath Road and stands by should there be a break in the connection (this is job is normally carried out by Gemma G).

We thought it would be fun for you to see some behind the scenes pictures of the team in action at the Middlesborough game on 11th Feb – a very cold day!

Tim Ward - is that some kind of new lip-warmer?

Commentator Terry Betts tries to keep warm

Bob Davis is now back in his regular slot (Mondays 18:00-19:30) with American Graffiti, the music choice is wide and it’s presented in Bob’s very laid back and relaxed style. Our resident American always has some nice stories to tell about the music and his life.

It’s nice to welcome back Paul Brown (described by some as the father of HRI). Paul was a regular on the HRI airwaves for a number of years and has been responsible for training many presenters (some of whom have gone on to professional radio careers). Now Paul is back and can be heard every Monday evening (19:30-20:30) with a brand new programme “Feeling Groovy” celebrating the swinging 60s. There will of course be lots of music from the era that brought us flower-power and the Fab 4, pirate radio and men on the moon. In addition you will be able to relive those days with the sound of commercials and much more.

Tim Ward

It’s your chance to get your favourite tunes played by calling *800 from your bedside phone or on a BT or mobile phone 01473 704666.

Tim will also be visiting patients on the Wards, complete with microphone as well to get your request from you in your own words.

We hope you enjoy our great new Monday line-up… and remember as your bedside friend we are here for you!

New Year’s Day
0600 Breakfast Time – Music, information and news
0900 The Golden Hour with Mark Eley
1000 The Library with Tim Ward
1100 HRI Country our cowboys Bob & Paul
1200 Your Bedside Friend
1300 Stage and Screen with Bob Davies
1400 Chapel Talk with Charlie Riddleston
1500 Chart of The Year 2011 With Mark & Tayla – Biggest Selling Albums & Singles of 2011
1700 Wendy Cook starts 2012 in the 1980s
1800 When Decades Collide – Mark Keable joins Wendy to feature a selection of artistes who had hits in more than one decade?
1900 The Dusty Record Show – celebrating the vinyl record
2000 Kevin Ashford in the potting shed with your requests
2200 Night Moods late night easy listening
2300 Night Moods Extra

(Midnight – 0600 non-stop music and news)

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Bank Holiday – 2nd January
0600 Breakfast Time – music, news and information
0900 Sounds Pleasant with Hugh Pocock
1000 Kevin Ashford in the potting shed
1300 The Tiger Club with Gemma G
1430 Ipswich Town live Ipswich Town v Nottingham Forest live commentary from Portman Road
Please note that football commentary only on Channel 1 to the hospital – webstream will feature non stop music.
1700 Chapel Talk with Charlie Riddleston
1800 Through the Eye of a Needle with Charlie Riddleston
2000 Keith Clempson
2200 Night Moods late night easy listening
2300 Night Moods Extra

(Midnight – 0600 non-stop music and news)

Christmas Eve
0600 Early Breakfast – Music, news and information
0800 Christmas Eve Breakfast with Mark Eley, including The Golden Hour
1000 Kevin Ashford in the Potting Shed
1230 The Tiger Club with Gemma G
1400 Rob Medd with Christmas Number Ones of the past
1600 The Trust Carol Concert – recorded on Dec 14th
1700 Mike Bugg with some festive jazz
1800 Pick Me Up Poetry with Rachel Bowen
2000 Keith Clempson with your Requests
2200 Seasonal Nights Moods – with Tim Ward, Wendy Cook or Mark Keable – 2 hours of late night festive listening.

(Midnight until 6am Non Stop music and news on the hour)

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Christmas Day
0600 Early Breakfast – Music, news and information
0700 Tim Ward with a special early start with Ward on the Wards
0900 Keith Clempson
1100 Kevin Ashford in his Christmas potting shed
1300 The Trust Carol Concert recorded on Dec 14th
1400 Charlie’s Christmas Chapel Talk
1600 Matt Monro’s Christmas Special
1700 Pick of the Pops 2011 the “artists” with Tim Ward
1800 My Favourite Music with Gwenda Gibson
1900 Mark Keable’s Festive Dusty Record Show
2000 The Christmas Library with Tim Ward
2100 Seasonal Night Moods with Tim Ward
2200 Seasonal Night Moods with Tim Ward, Wendy Cook or Mark Keable – Two hours of late night festive music

(Midnight until 6am Non Stop music and news on the hour)

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Boxing Day
0600 Breakfast Time – Music, info and news
0900 The 60s Golden Hour with Paul Brown
1000 The Christmas Library with Tim Ward
1100 HRI Country our cowboys Bob & Paul
1200 Your Bedside Friend An introduction to HRI
1300 Gemma G with a Boxing Day Special
1500 Tiger Club Christmas Special With Mark & Tayla – Festive Christmas No1′s
1700 Matt Monro’s Christmas Special
1800 Mark n Wendy’s Turkey Leftovers
2000 Keith Clempson
2200-2400 Seasonal Night Moods with Tim Ward, Wendy Cook or Mark Keable

Hospital Radio Ipswich will be broadcasting the service to patients on Channel 1 of the Hospedia bedside entertainment units. Additionally as Hospital Radio Ipswich now broadcasts via the internet, the Carol Service will also be available to anyone with an internet connection.

The service which will feature Ipswich Hospital Brass Band Ensemble, Village Voices and God’s Gift International will be held in Ipswich Hospital’s Courtyard Restaurant on Wednesday 14th December at 7.30pm and everybody is welcome.
In addition to broadcasting the Concert live on the night Hospital Radio Ipswich will also record the event for re-broadcasting over the Christmas period.

To listen to the Concert either tune in via a Hospedia unit, within the hospital, on Channel 1 or click the “red headphones” button at the top of this page

Tiggy and friends on the Cornhill

What could we do to brighten things up and put a smile on the faces of the people of Ipswich? How about let loose Tiggy the Tiger?

That’s just what we did and you welcomed us with open arms. Tiggy and friends were outside Debenhams and were soon drawing a crowd, the children all wanted to shake hands or give him a “high-five” or to buy one of our very Ipswich-y blue wristbands.

Thank you to everyone who put money into our bucket to help us continue to provide our service to the patients of Ipswich Hospital, and remember you can now listen to us via our website as well as www.hri.org.uk.

In just two hours we raised £50 – So a BIG Tiggy-rific Thank You!!!

See the pictures on our gallery HERE»

Young Jessica loved meeting Tiggy

Held at Ipswich Sports Club, Henley Road, Ipswich a mixture of members past and present, families, supporters and even the local MP (Ben Gummer) were in attendance.

HRI mascot Tiggy Tiger was on hand to welcome the various guests, many of whom came armed with photo albums of the early days! Musical entertainment was provided by the HRI Roadshow, but at a suitable level that enabled those present to meet up with old friends and relive stories of the past 40 years.

Many former HRI members have gone on to professional careers in broadcasting, including Radios Suffolk, Orwell, SGR, Dream and BFBS and several of these were in attendance to celebrate. Messages of support and congratulation were also received from those unable to attend including broadcasters and the Hospital Trust Chairman.

A good night was had by all and many people went away wondering where the past 40 years had gone.

Special thanks to the organising “committee”, Ipswich Sports Club for their support and excellent service, BFBS and Ipswich24 magazine for sponsoring the raffle, but most of all to everyone who attended…. here’s to the next 40.

• A selection of photos will appear here later.

Suffolk’s oldest radio station marks it’s 40th birthday this October with a Celebration Evening.
Hospital Radio Ipswich (HRI), started life at the Anglesea Road Hospital in 1971, moving later to it’s current base at Heath Road Hospital. The volunteer members broadcast a variety of programmes every day of the week to the patients and staff via the bedside Hospedia units and also on the internet at www.hri.org.uk.

Over the years a number of members of HRI have gone on to professional radio careers, including Radio Suffolk’s Stephen Foster and Mark Murphy, Jonathan Murphy at Dream100 and Patrick Eade Radio Orwell and BFBS, Nigel Rennie Radio Orwell and BFBS.

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary a charity evening is being held at Ipswich Sports Club, Henley Road, Ipswich on Friday 7th October, 7.30-11pm. The evening will include the HRI Disco, with guest DJ appearances, a quiz and raffle, plus the chance to rub shoulders with many local radio celebrities.

HRI is very proud to have been Suffolk’s first radio station and welcomes any members past and present plus anybody with an interest in radio to this very special event.

Proceeds from the evening will be donated to the following charities: Children in Need, SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Families Association) and Hospital Radio Ipswich.

Tickets are priced at just £5.00 and are available by telephoning 01473 715599. Please note this is a ticket only event and not available on the door. More information www.hri.org.uk

The station which is based in the Northern part of Ipswich Hospital has two studios. Following a night of thunderstorms and torrential rain, water suddenly started dripping through a light fitting in the main on-air studio at 2.15pm. Luckily the station’s Production Chairman, Tim Ward, was at station carrying out some routine work. “I was sitting at the desk when I suddenly spotted water on my hand” said Tim. “When I looked up I could see water dripping around the light fitting. The drips suddenly turned into a trickle and it was all going onto the studio mixer.”

Tim quickly grabbed a waste paper bin and a bin liner to cover the desk and stop the water getting into the electrics. There then followed a hasty call to the Hospital Estates department who arrived with tarpaulin sheeting and also surveyed the scene. It appears that there is a loose tile on the roof, possibly moved in last nights torrential rain.

The studio has been taken out of action until the repair can take place on Friday and the electrics checked out. Fortunately the station has a second standby studio and so operations have been moved to Studio B for the time being.

Tim added that “even that is not without it’s problems as we’ve had a breakdown with one of our CDs in the main studio so one had been ‘borrowed’ from the spare studio. This means the presenters on Thursday will have to limp along with just one CD player and possibly resort to using the record players! I’m just glad that I was here this afternoon, if not it could have been a lot worse.”

The station’s output has not been affected and the station continues to broadcast 24 hours a day on Channel 1 in the Hospital and also on it’s newly launched internet stream at www.hri.org.uk.

The Management Committee of HRI have thanked Paul Brown and also the members of the Estates Department for their swift action in ensuring that things were quickly brought under control.

Previously we broadcast every evening and also some afternoons. The remainder of the time non-stop music was automatically played from our library with news on the hour. (Non-stop music will only now be heard from 11pm-9am).

The 1st August saw a brand new schedule unveiled with a variety of programmes being broadcast each day from 9am thru until 11pm. These include a Golden Hour every day at 9am and a new Country and Western programme.

Production Chairman Tim Ward, said “I am thrilled to announce our new and refreshed schedule to apply from August 1st, it is certainly the most comprehensive in my time at HRI”.

Saturday’s are given a fresh new look with a 3-hour editon of Kevin Ashford’s “Potting Shed” from 10am until 1pm. A mix of music, your requests and chat.

Saturday afternoons see another first for HRI as we give our listeners a choice of listening. On channel 1 to the Hospital only you can hear live coverage of every ITFC “home” game. Meanwhile the internet stream via the website will be a new programme from Tim Ward called “Fusion”. (This programme will be heard on Channel 1 and online when ITFC play away).

This is just a small sample of some of the programmes on offer on HRI, see the schedule for full details.