The York DJ who has supplied 60 years of memories

Keith Lea, pictured here in 1968, will be presenting a six-hour show on Saturday featuring music from each of his 60 years on air

If you've spent time in hospital in York in any of the last seven decades there's a chance you'll have heard a soothing voice which has brought support to thousands of patients.

Rather than a doctor, nurse or other member of medical staff, the voice in question begins to volunteer Keith Lea, who is celebrating 60 years of broadcasting on York Hospital Radio.

A 16-year-old Keith joined the-then Ebor Tape Recording Club on the 28 July 1965 and hasn't stopped since.

He will present a six-hour show on Saturday to mark his 60-year milestone. Keith said: "It has been a personal journey of challenges, triumphs, teamwork, technology, friendships and fun.

"Hospital radio is really part of my life, and has been over the whole of the 60 years."

When Keith joined, the station was based in a disused pathology lab at the former Fulford Military Hospital.

"I was joining a tape recording club. Oops, it's a hospital radio - I didn't realise at the time," he said.

In the early days, he would collect requests and help to compile and record the weekly show for 10 York hospitals.

He continued to present request shows and work on recorded interviews during the 1960s, and by 1968 was broadcasting the first live shows for the York Hospital Broadcasting Service.

"My first wife once said that I was married to hospital radio first and her second. My current wife Jan believes that was probably true and still is. But hey, it's good, it's fun, it's exciting at times, and it keeps me going," Keith enthused.

In the 1970s the station was based at The Grange on Huntington Road, but needed new studios. Keith helped in raising £63,000 for a purpose-built studio complex, which opened in 1983.

He was also chairman of York Hospital Radio in the mid 1980s, and managed the station's fundraising mobile disco for many years - which started life in the former Willow restaurant in Coney Street six days a week, before becoming fully mobile.

Today, Keith, 75, presents a show on Saturday mornings, as well as heading up the radio station's outside broadcast team.

"One of my favourite memories was like a watershed moment in 2014, when I was still trying to make my mind up what I wanted out of hospital radio, and by that time York Hospital Radio had gone 24/7 using computers... and I'd avoided being trained on the computer system."

That year was the 50th anniversary, so he "chose a load of vinyl and CDs and sat down and presented a two-hour programme of music."

A spokesperson for York Hospital Radio said his technical knowledge was also vital in helping them keep the station on air.

Reflecting on his 60 years, Keith said: "Hospital radio was a treasure trove of opportunities and life experiences which I embraced as a jack of all trades and master of only a few."

Ian Clennan, chair of York Hospital Radio, added: "I am immensely grateful to Keith for his unique contribution to hospital radio in the city for six decades, and hope he will continue as an active member with us for many years to come."

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