Family in spin after hospital radio present outstanding award to DJ in honour of 50 years service

The Dawson Family in the Dawson Library in the RHR studio which they were largely responsible for setting up and maintaining. Daughter Carolyn, John, John's wife, Barbara and daughter Chris. Picture and words: Patrick Joyce.

A Rugby hospital radio presenter has always been a big hit with staff and patients at St Cross.

John Dawson has now been honoured with the station’s first ever award for outstanding contribution.

The extensive music library at Rugby’s Hospital of St Cross has been named after the former station controller.

Phil Smith, secretary of Rugby Hospital Radio, said: “John, along with his wife, Barbara and his daughters, Chris, and Carolyn, have put in years of work building, cataloguing, and maintaining our music library and database.

“For this reason, in John’s 50th year of service with the station, we are naming the library, The Dawson Library. After completing 50 years and presenting nearly 5,000 shows, John remains an active member of the station and presents two popular shows each week, including Making Tracks, which airs on Wednesday evenings and is the oldest show still playing on the station.”

John said working on the station has been the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

“That’s after meeting Barbara and bringing up my family,” he added.

"I remember the first song I played on air in 1972. It was Lovely to see you, by the Moody Blues. The last one was more recent, it was the theme from the film, The Mission, composed by Ennio Morricone.”

Members and supporters of Rugby Hospital Radio have been working to resume their ward visits to take music and song requests from patients again after the coronavirus outbreak. .

Phil said: “The chat with a friendly face from hospital radio often brightens the day for people and helps boost their mood.”