A radio station is helping to combat loneliness over Christmas – The Watford Observer’s reporter Alex Alley popped down to Watford General to see how the DJs plan on how to do this.

Angela Melwani, 46, has been volunteering at the radio for the past two years, a successful business woman she sold her business and spends most of her free time at the station sited at the top of the hospital.

She travels to Watford General on Mondays from her home in west London to start her show at 11am.

Part of a team of DJs she is also a committee member, the radio is hoping to keep people company with a program of talk shows and guests over the next month – and she was keen on telling me why she was taking part.

She said: “I love meeting people and hearing stories from the community.

“They can just phone in and suggest songs.

“As a radio we are trying to reach out to people who are having a hard time and give them a bit of company.

“It’s amazing what something as simple as hearing another human voice can do for you especially when you are stuck in hospital and alone.

“This is the time of year when it is especially hard to be on your own.”

 

My own five minutes of fame came not long after I was done interviewing her, as it turns out she was interested in getting her own back and interrogating me on air.

Introducing me to her listeners over the radio, we ended up chatting for some time about memories and personal family stories.

As per her show, I had to suggest my three tracks of which was; Babooshka by Kate Bush ( a personal favourite of mine), Piano Man by Billy Joel (my uncle’s favourite) and the Cheers theme tune, Where Everybody Knows Your Name, (I would remember hearing it in the background as a youngster) unfortunately it was only a cover.

When I was off air, I managed to get Angela’s reason for joining the radio.

She said: “I used to be involved with radio when I was much younger and then dropped off.

“life just gets in the way.

“Now I have the opportunity, I have more time on my hands and I just like talking to new people - It’s also a way of giving back to the community in some way.”