Reward for radio star (Postman)

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http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/401243 ... adio_star/

A Bicester postman who has been delivering a dose of cheer to hospital patients for the past 30 years has been honoured for his efforts.

Martin Kinch, of Herald Way, has been awarded a long service award for his Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio show — and was congratulated by former BBC Radio 1 presenter Dave Lee Travis.

Mr Travis made a surprise appearance at Mr Kinch’s presentation ceremony, and told guests he remembered being interviewed by the hospital radio DJ in 1980.

Photographs of Mr Kinch and Mr Travis from that interview were passed around during the event, causing much amusement to the guests and much embarrassment to the duo.

Mr Kinch, who presents Solid Gold every Monday night, said: “DLT lives near Aylesbury and it was a pleasure to have him at the ceremony.

“He still remembers being interviewed by me and he thought he would come along and pay tribute to me and the station.”

Just a few weeks before the 1980 interview, Mr Travis dramatically resigned from Radio 1 live on air — he had invited Mr Kinch and a few other members of the hospital radio station to sit in while he presented his show.

The pair also met up again at the BBC during filming of the last edition of Top of the Pops in 2006.

Mr Kinch, who is 48 and has been presenting his show since January 1979, was given his award by the president of the National Hospital Broadcasting Association, June Snowden, at the Aylesbury hospital.

Mr Kinch and his wife Vanessa have two children Victoria, 27, and Samantha, 25, and a four-year-old grandson, Jake.

He said: “I was very proud to receive this award.

“The station is a registered charity. We all work together to raise funds for it.

“I enjoy presenting my show and get a lot of pleasure from it.”

The postman, who has been covering the Kings End area of Bicester for the past 10 years, has appeared on Chris Evans’s Channel 4 programme Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush as a guest of Wizzard star Roy Wood, and on other shows including Channel 4 Collectors Lot and ITV's Great British Pop Quiz.

Other guests on his show have included Norman Wisdom, Sir Jimmy Savile, Anne Robinson and Mike Read.

Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1575AM to patients and staff.

The radio has its own website – smhr.co.uk – and next year will be moving into new studios because of the redevelopment of the hospital.

Members of the station raise their own funds, and during the past 12 months have raised almost £40,000 to build the new studios.

Mr Kinch can also be heard on Brill Oldies, a community radio station, being broadcast from the sports and social club in Brill, between Bicester and Thame, until Sunday.