Hospital Radio: A very regal radio show

The British honours system is a centuries-old tradition that celebrates individuals for exceptional service, achievement, or bravery across public life, the arts, sciences, charity, and more.

It’s a blend of ancient chivalric orders and modern recognitions, all approved by the monarch. The most recent set of honours was the King’s Birthday Honours List, published in June 2025. 

The radio show I co-host Tuesday Night Tunes, has a theme for each show, so we thought it would be fun to celebrate those within the music world who have been honoured. We came up with the catchy title, “Here Comes The Knight.” 

There are different types of knights. Most musicians are either Knights (KT) or Knights of the British Empire (KBE). Women who receive knighthoods are known as Dames of the British Empire (DEB). So, in this instance we were not looking for MBE’s or OBE’s, which would have expanded the list considerably.

After considerable research, (a google search), we were able to determine who we could include in the show, the hard bit was choosing which songs, by these artists we should play. I will get right to it and apologies if you think we have chosen the wrong songs. I am sure you will have your own favourites,.

We started off our show with Moondance by Van Morrison. Now Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and a recent recipient of his knighthood despite having an epic musical career that started in the 1960s. Moondance has a jazzy underbelly and despite poor chart performance (3 weeks in the charts peaking at number 32), it is considered one of Van the Man’s greatest hits.

To follow we had Ringo Starr and "It Don't Come Easy" which was Starr's first single release since the break-up of the Beatles, peaking at number 4 on singles charts in the UK and the US. Starr was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to music. The song was produced by fellow Beatle, George Harrison, who also helped with the writing, although Ringo gets all the credit. If you are of a certain age you will feel that this show has got off to a solid start, we were pleased.

If you get a chance tune in on Tuesdays between 7pm-9pm, our show is based on a theme as mentioned above, but the first hour is based on requests that have been collected from patients within the hospital. It’s Sue who does all the running around on a Tuesday, but we have other presenters nipping into wards to see if anyone wants a request or dedication on different days. For me it’s the most rewarding part of the job, doing something nice for someone who is stuck in a hospital bed. That said we play requests for staff as well, there’s no denying them for all the hard work they do.

If you have a request or a loved one who you think might like a dedication you can WhatsApp or text Torbay Hospital Radio on 07923 865012. You can listen to the station in the hospital on 95.9FM, we will provide you with a personal radio if you have don’t have one. You can listen on our website or if you are at home just ask your smart speaker for Torbay Hospital Radio.

Now what about those knights, well there is not enough space to include all that we played, but you can listen to the show if you wish, plus many other shows from Hospital Radio. It’s super easy. On your mobile just download the Mixcloud app and search for Torbay Hospital Radio or on your computer visit mixcloud.com. As for the best song of the night or from a knight, well for me it was Ken Dodd’s “Happiness” which is more than just a song — it’s practically a national treasure, tickling stick and all.