083 Chapter 83

(Illustration: A studio photograph for our Radio Tyneside magazine.)

I look back with a sense of nostalgia at the entertainment my sister and I enjoyed when we were very young. Radio certainly played a big part a few years before the advent of television. Not only did Joan and I have a request played for us on our birthday by Uncle Mac on Children’s Favourites, but we would sit by the radio listening to a wonderful programme for mothers and children each weekday afternoon. We loved listening to its music, nursery rhymes, stories and songs. It was a programme called ‘Listen with Mother’, led by Daphne Oxenford, Dorothy Smith and Julia Lang & others over the years, some of whom wrote many of the stories.

The familiar opening theme music was very distinctive, ending in two bell chimes, I can hear it still, and before each story was read a lady’s voice would ask in impeccable English, “Hello children, are you sitting comfortably? We would answer, “Yes” as though she were addressing Joan and me personally, and she would reply, as if she had heard actually us, “Then I’ll begin!” We all looked forward to it, children were very easily pleased then!

I remember my own initial steps into radio, and it was all very exciting! For seven years now, I’ve been putting across a gospel message, with music, reminiscences and stories on hospital and community radio chiefly through Radio Tyneside, but also others on local radio stations too, in the North-East of England. I can honestly say that there’s not a Sunday morning goes by, when my morning programme, ‘New Day Dawning’ goes out, at 8.00 a.m. on Radio Tyneside, when I don’t think to myself, ‘I cannot believe I am actually doing this?” 

So how does someone go about becoming a broadcaster, and how does someone even get a song of theirs played on radio?

Bob and I were once invited by the late Frank Wappat to his home in Weardale, as he wanted me to do an interview for him for Radio Newcastle. He was a very well-known broadcaster, and very popular with his listeners, and as a result of that meeting, he went on to play even more of my music on his Sunday morning programmes. I had sent Frank, a few of our United Folk music on cassettes, before our visit, and he had selected one of mine. I was so excited to hear him announcing it that first Sunday on radio and I sat down to listen; but then on it came, playing at a really fast speed, which made me sound like Pinky and Perky, the ‘twin piglet puppets which used to sing high harmonies together! 

I was horrified, and wanted the earth to swallow me up. Frank played the whole song through at that speed, so I think he must have gone to make himself a cuppa right then, because if he had been listening, he would have corrected it immediately! So I’m now thinking that perhaps he had invited us to his home that day to interview me and make up for that error?

The interview seemed to go well, I prayed beforehand to be given the right words to say, as I was a rather nervous in view of the fact that many people listened to his programme and I didn’t want to make a mistake. Bob and Frank’s wife Susan, in the meantime, listened to a Newcastle football match downstairs on the radio. Frank gave me a really good tip that day, because he shared with me a secret that when he was broadcasting, he imagined he was talking to one person only, not to thousands! It made what he said more personal.

I must also mention being fascinated with Frank and Susan’s beautiful collection of ornate clocks, some looked ancient. They were everywhere, chiming and pinging away. Perhaps time was of the essence to him, to remind him to use it well. It’s a good lesson for us all. 

As an ‘evangelist and a priest’, time is important to me too. I feel the need to get the word of God out there, to as many people as possible. I also believe His word never returns to him empty without accomplishing all that He wants it to do.

This song says as much, with words from the book of Isaiah, which say:

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

(Isaiah 55.10-11)

SONG: Isaiah 55

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLnNPqUETHQ...

Years later in December 2014, I wrote to Gary Hogg, host of the ‘Geordie Programmes’ on Radio Tyneside, to ask if my ‘Geordie Lullaby;, the song that I wrote for Daniel when he was born, would fit into one of his programme somewhere. I also gave him my website address:

www.sheilahamil.co.uk

Sometime later I received a reply from Gary, and he asked me if I had enough material to present a half hour show, and would I be able to record a test piece and send it in to the station manager, with perhaps a view to doing broadcasts in the future!

Seemingly the studio had won many awards in the past, and still does, and those in control were trying make sure that every type of music was covered in their schedule, and one they didn’t have was a religious programme! What an opportunity!

So I was totally caught off guard by Gary’s message, in shock to be truthful. I had sent only one song in, and now he was asking if I wanted to try a hand at broadcasting an entire programme myself!

‘Would this be possible? Could I do this? Where would I find the music? What would I say?” I asked myself. But Bob said I should go ahead and do it, as outreach in music had always been my focus and a strength. So, I accepted the challenge, and did a test piece, and found that I really enjoyed the process of putting the word and music together for it. Hadn’t I already been doing this in United Folk and in ministry, so why was I worried?

Of course, recording wouldn’t have been possible at all, had a friend Andrew Ridgwick not agreed to help me by doing the recording, editing and distribution. The piano playing in that last song, Isaiah 55 was him; he’s so talented. From that moment on, once my involvement had been agreed on, Andrew became my technical assistant. I owe so much to him for all his hard work and for being such a great partner in this venture.

What comes to mind looking back on this time of decision, is a famous quote that I once read, but I’m not quite sure of its real origins: it may have been quoted by a first century Rabbi called Hillel, who said:-

If not now, when?

If not me, who?

My first programme went out on 22nd February 2015, and the chairman, Dave Nicholson’s feedback was very encouraging, and also the statistics of those listening. He was very supportive and gave me free rein to present future programmes however I wished, to say whatever I wanted to say and to play my own choice of music, even include my own. What a wonderful opportunity to share one’s faith, and what wonderful encouragement and support! Bob volunteered to check my scripts for any gaffes which was a great help, and my family encouraged me too. My mam liked the thought of me doing a radio programme, but didn’t always like the modern music I chose, she preferred the more traditional hymns, so when I taped the programme for her to listen to, (she couldn't work her radio) she would ask Bob to remind her where the fast wind button was, so she could listen my voice again and bypass the music she didn't like. 

One lovely aspect of doing such programmes is that I would sometimes do interviews with dignitaries or people from the North-East who had a story to tell; and they got to choose their own music! One was a treasure of a lady called Gabrielle (Gay) Keenaghan, who as a child escaped, with hundreds of other children, to the UK, from Nazi persecution, by way of the ‘Kindertransport’. Her Jewish father had been arrested and taken to Auschwitz, and her grandmother waved a sad farewell to her, late at night at the station in Vienna, and was not allowed to show her granddaughter any outward emotion. Gay only had one suitcase and a teddy bear in her possession when she travelled to England.

 I also interviewed Brian Burnie, founder and trustee of ‘Daft as a Brush’ a scheme which has supplied ambulances for transporting cancer patients to and from hospital, to ease the time they spend waiting around for treatment and hospital transport.

Others included Margaret Storey, my missionary friend, who at the time was home from Nicaragua; Bishop Christine, then the Twelfth Bishop of Newcastle; also Bishop Mark, the assistant Bishop of Newcastle; Brian Burridge who for years had supplied food to the homeless on the streets of Newcastle; David Herbert, when he was elected as Moderator the URC, someone who, along with his wife, spearheaded the formation of the Peace Garden in Crookham, near Ford, and who had also served in the Meadow Well estate and Bosnia. I also interviewed Rev’d Capt. Katie Watson Head of the Chaplaincy Team of the Newcastle upon Tyne hospitals; and also the Great North Children’s choir, made up of doctors, nurses and volunteers; not forgetting Nicola Denyer, Lay Ministry Development Officer in the Newcastle Diocese, to do with her work on behalf of Ukranian refugees.

Andrew and I have now to date, recorded almost 476 programmes, and my programme is about to morph into a 'Thought for  the Day', so that Andrew and his wife Cath, can take early retirement from their work. It's good to still be allowed to broadcast by myself though, with help from Richard Finch at the Radio Tyneside studios. The door of opportunity is still open.

I was once inspired by a lecture by Ann Morissy, whose philosophy in life was to ‘Just go for it!” She taught that whenever we’re led to do something beautiful or creative for others, there’ll always be this ‘iron cage of bureaucracy’ around us where we, or others, will come up with all kinds of arguments or objections as to why we should not go into action. But if we break through this barrage, test the waters and try to achieve it, she assured us that there would be a ‘cascade of grace’ that pours out on what we do! She cited many examples which really inspired me.

I’ve felt that cascade many times working as a broadcaster, and I’m so pleased that I broke through all my reservations and doubts.

Try it yourself, with that inspirational idea that’s on your mind right now and see what happens. Push through, try the door and see if it opens.