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Christmas on HRB starts on Sunday 14 December with a 6 hour live show featuring special guests, competitions and live music.
Neil Ogden’s Sound of Sunday BIG Christmas Show is back to kick start Christmas on HRB.
The show will feature special guests from the local pantos at the Anvil and The Corn Exchange in Newbury, and one member of staff from Hampshire Hospitals will win a family ticket to see the Anvil panto as the winner of the annual panto ticket competition.
The team will be around the wards pulling crackers with staff and patients and there will be another weekend prize draw.
Plus live music will be provided by Soul Thirst, local gospel singers who will be performing live on the show.
Here are some more highlights of the rest of Christmas on HRB.
Music On Demand
Throughout Christmas
We have request shows (Music on Demand) throughout Christmas including on Christmas Day. Patients can call free from their bedside phones, staff can call extension 4 3 5 2 1 and requests can also be made via the HRB website at www.hrbasingstoke.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 074000 430 88
The Sound Of Sunday BIG Christmas Show
Sunday 14 December 12pm
The show that traditionally kick starts Christmas on HRB with special guests, competitions and crackers. The Great Christmas Cracker Dash is back around the wards with special guests from the pantos at the Anvil in Basingstoke and the Corn Exchange in Newbury. One member of staff at Hampshire Hospitals will win themselves a ticket for them and their family to go and see the Anvil’s show. There will be the weekend prize draw, Julie Jones from the hospital staff panto, and we’ll be joined by gospel singers performing live in the studio.
The A to Z Christmas Specials
16th, 18th, 22nd, 23rd December 10pm
Richard Smith takes an A to Z look through Christmas songs from the 60s to the 90s.
Call Me Christmas Number One
Wednesday 17th December 10pm
Richard Smith presents a Christmas edition of the show playing the best of the Christmas number one singles down the years.
Roger Scott’s Music the Way You Like it at Christmas
Friday 19th December 5pm
Roger Scott’s last show on HRB. Fun & Frivolity from the Turkey Trot to I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus. Regular Features plus we indulge ourselves in Yuletide Festivities. It’s a Cracker!
Only Got To… Christmas Special with Richard Smith
Saturday 20 December 11am
Richard Smith counts down Christmas songs that only got to different numbers in the charts – from 19 to number 2.
Greatest Songwriters of the 20th Century with Vernon Pearce
Saturday 20 December 12pm
A new series coming to HRB in 2026 kicks off with a Christmas special, profiling some of the songwriters who have had success writing Christmas songs.
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree: The Story of the Christmas Single
Saturday 20 December 4pm
Sunday 21 December 7pm
Monday 22 December 4pm
Tuesday 23 December 4pm
Christmas Eve 4pm
Albert Dean presents a 5 part look at the Christmas single from the 1940s right up to the modern era and a profile of its importance in our annual music calendar.
Sounds of the 90s Christmas Special
Saturday 20 December 8pm
Vernon Pearce plays some more of those big 1990s Christmas hits.
Best of British Classical Music Christmas Special
Sunday 21 December 6am
An hour of festive classical music.
Greatest Albums of the 20th Century
Sunday 21 December 12pm
Another new series coming in 2026 debuts with a Christmas special profiling some of the biggest albums of the 20th century
Vinyl Impressions Christmas Specials
Throughout Christmas
Martyn Brown presents a selection of Christmas music all on vinyl at various times throughout the Christmas period.
The Sound of Sunday Great Christmas Cracker Dash
Monday 22 December 1pm
Tuesday 23 December 1om
Christmas Eve 1pm
As well as around the wards on 14th December, the Christmas Cracker Dash goes out and about to Cherry Blossom Manor in Bramley, Rowan Lodge in Newnham and Bishopswood Court in Tadley.
Bob Baker’s Christmas Driving Anthems
Monday 22 December 5pm
Bob Baker plays a selection of Christmas songs that are great for driving to.
Week In Week Out Christmas Special with Graham Turnbull
Tuesday 23 December 5pm
Teatime features and great music with a Christmas feel in two special shows with Graham Turnbull.
Matt Monro’s Christmas Box
Tuesday 23 December 7pm
Matt Monro’s daughter Michele presents this special show produced especially for hospital radio, which contains some of Matt’s favourite festive songs.
In The Groove – The Carpenters at Christmas
Tuesday 23 December 11pm
Phil England plays the festive music of The Carpenters including some recordings you may not have heard before.
The Wolfman Jack Christmas Show
Christmas Eve 7am
Wolfman Jack is the most famous US radio personality of all time. He was immortalised in the movie ‘American Graffiti’ and was also the host of the long running NBC music series ‘The Midnight Special’. Millions of people listened to him every night on radio for the howling sounds and great music he played.
When the Wolfman went to Rock & Roll Heaven in 1995, the tapes of all his shows had been locked in a vault and hidden away. Some months ago, those tapes were found, digitally remastered and started to appear on the radio all over again.
There was only one radio legend like Wolfman Jack and he’s on HRB this Christmas with his Christmas special.
Music on Demand for Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve 10am
Your opportunity to make a Christmas Eve request and join in the Christmas fun with Daisy and Mark from 10 and Margot from 12.
Carols in the Drawing Room
Christmas Eve 7pm
Ken Anton presents some classic Christmas carols and their history.
The Magic of Christmas
Christmas Eve 8pm
A 3-hour festive special filled with classic Christmas music, nostalgic old Christmas ads, and light-hearted reviews of beloved holiday films. Pure, timeless festive joy.
David Saunderson and Jon Perkin
Christmas Day 8 – 10am
David and Jon say “Good Morning Christmas” with a two-hour special playing seasonal songs, Christmas cracker jokes and any other quirky titbits they can dig up.
Maguire’s Merry Christmas
Christmas Day 10am
Tune in this Christmas Day for a festive special packed with music, memories, and plenty of cheer!
Send your messages, requests and Christmas shout-outs to [email protected]
text or WhatsApp 07477 475227,
or search DJ Harvey Maguire on Facebook and send him a message.
We’ll be looking back at Christmas Number 1s over the years, sharing listener requests and stories, playing Guess the Christmas Movie, and laughing at some funny Christmas headlines.
A warm, joyful Christmas Day show you won’t want to miss!
The King
Christmas Day 3pm
King Charles III delivers his Christmas message to the Country and the Commonwealth
Chesney Hawkes Christmas Show
Christmas Day 5pm
90s singer Chesney Hawkes returns to HRB for Christmas.
Chesney Hawkes is one of the icons of the early 1990s. Singer, songwriter, actor and now hospital radio presenter!
With grateful thanks to everyone at Hawkes Productions, he’s taken time out of his busy schedule to record a very special Christmas-themed programme from his studio in Los Angeles dedicated to the listeners to hospital radio in the UK and Ireland.
The show features some classic Christmas hits introduced by The One and Only himself.
My Favourite Christmas Song
Christmas Day 6pm
The favourite Christmas songs of some famous friends of HRB are revealed in this Christmas special edition.
Chris Benson’s Christmas Specials
Christmas Day 7pm
Boxing Day 8pm
Two festive specials full of festive fun, features and special guests including Alan Fletcher (Karl from Neighbours!) and broadcaster Stuart Maconie
Music on Demand for Boxing Day
Boxing Day 10am & 12pm
Mya Harris will be live in the studio taking your requests to play from 10 and John McKay continues the requests with his annual Boxing Day lunchtime show as he waves goodbye to regular shows on HRB.
Duets Christmas Special
Boxing Day 4pm
Vernon Pearce presents a Christmas edition of the show that plays music sung by duets.
HRB Christmas Takeover
Boxing Day 5pm
Ben and Summer from Basingstoke Sea Cadets takeover HRB for an hour to promote what they do and play some requests.
Jon Perkin
Boxing Day 6 – 8pm
Jon is back for an after-Christmas selection of leftovers.
Animal Crackers with Vernon Pearce
Sunday 28 December 12pm
Monday 29 December 1pm
Tuesday 30 December 1pm
New Year’s Eve 1pm
Lots of songs have animals in the title. Enough for at least 4 shows anyway. Join Vernon Pearce for this fun festive special series.
Please Don’t Take Them Away – Memories of Pirate Radio
Sunday 28 December 4pm
Mark Stafford takes a nostalgic look back at the days of pirate radio with those who were there and remembers the part the radio pirates played in the evolution of pop music radio.
Top 40 Most Requested of 2025
Monday 29 December 3pm
Neil Ogden counts down the chart that is compiled from requests played on HRB over the last 12 months.
That Was 2025
New Year’s Eve 2pm
A 3-hour eclectic mix of the year’s music and a warm, light-hearted review of 2025’s biggest events, delivered with humour and heart—perfect for New Year reflections.
HRB New Year’s Eve Music Party
New Year’s Eve 7pm – 1am
Scott Rawlings, Jon Perkin, Margot Konitzer and Neil Ogden keep the party music coming with the soundtrack to your New Year’s Eve celebrations and closing the year A to Z style Richard Smith takes you through midnight into 2026.
Rock’ ‘n’ Roll Heaven
New Year’s Day 1pm
Mark Stafford remembers those stars who we have lost over the last 12 months.
Jon Perkin
New Year’s Day 4 – 6pm
Chill out with Jon on the first day of 2026.
Postcard from Spain for New Year’s Day with Vernon Pearce
New Year’s Day 6pm
Vernon reflects on new year in Spain where Christmas doesn’t actually happen until January 5th