On Friday 16th March our 2006/2007 Studio Manager, John Coleman, embarked on a 24 1/2 hour broadcasting marathon in aid of the Marie Curie Cancer Care Great Daffodil Appeal.
Running from 6 pm that evening to 6.30 pm on Saturday 17th March, John presented a continuous broadcast from the studio.
On the Friday evening John started with the Kingfisher Club, playing 2 hours of both up-to-date and 'children-related' music (e.g. Bob The Builder!), then at 8 pm was joined by Derek Greenacre for the Friday Night Request Show until 10 - Derek being the eventual winner of 'Ridge Idol II'.
John followed the request show with an hour of love songs, then at 11 pm the comedy started with 3 hours of Jasper Carrot - with moral support from Gary Penfold, and a pizza!
2 am on the Saturday morning brought us the Classical Hour, where John showcased one of his favourite classical pieces - Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, K581. Then followed a 2 hour showcase of two of his favourite singers - Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson, with an hour of music from each. This stopped John falling asleep by making him concentrate again!
5 am saw another hour of Love Songs and then 6 am saw some soft Power Ballads to wake up DCH - culminating at 6.50 am with the full length version of Meatloaf’s Bat out Of Hell!
From 7 am onwards it was music, music music! This was interspersed with an interview with the Community Fundraising Manager for Somerset and Dorset, Julia Chapman, just after 9 am and then Sam Elms brought us Lambing from Kingston Mauward just after 10. Having dragged himself through a second 'sleep barrier' just after 8 am, John was just starting to get into his second wind.
The next interruption to the music came at 1 pm, with a live link to Woodsford Manor for 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue' with Sam Elms and Friends. Moral Support entered the studio in the shape of Heather & Peter Foster, and Gary P made his second visit. Then it was time to hit top gear, with the final section of the marathon broadcast between 2 and 6.30, and the one that needed the most concentration - Saturday Afternoon Sport!
No-one else in the studio John went for it! Kicking off the section with a song entitled 'Bring Me to Life', john spent the next 4 1/2 hours bringing in all the updates and the rugby and the football. Joined by Gary P again and Kieran Williams just after 4 pm, all were present when the loudest shout of the afternoon went out for Jason Matthews scoring the only goal in the Weymouth v Southport match. Despite Middlesborough losing 2-0 to Manchester City that day, John never lost his smile, and even sounded happy when he finished at 6.30!
Not to mention of course, his well-known trademark! John started with a Celine Dion track, played a track by her every hour until 11 pm, then started again at 5 am with one every hour until 6.30, ending with the same song he started with - a track entitled 'To Love You More', which was played as the first dance at his marriage to his wife Sue last May.
John said "The technology worked faultlessly from start to finish - I cannot fault the studio. The support I got from all my colleagues throughout the event was fantastic, and I'd like to thank all of them for that, and I hope all the patients who listened throughout the broadcast enjoyed it".