AFTERNOON Delight was first broadcast by Hospital Radio Yare in August 2006 as a four-week experiment by the Mercury.Today it commands a high audience on a Friday afternoon, presented by Mercury reporter Alan Thompson.

AFTERNOON Delight was first broadcast by Hospital Radio Yare in August 2006 as a four-week experiment by the Mercury.

Today it commands a high audience on a Friday afternoon, presented by Mercury reporter Alan Thompson.

Among his guests and topics covered have been senior trading standards officer Ann Jackson warning about new year sales and a Southtown couple who lost their daughter to meningitis taking part in a campaign to highlight the killer disease.

Beverley and Michael Anderson lost their five-year-old daughter Samantha in 1994 when

she contracted meningococcal septicaemia, and on the programme Meningitis UK chief executive Steve Dayman revealed there was still no vaccine available to protect against all strains, including meningococcal group B which accounts for almost 90pc of cases in the UK.

The same programme also highlighted developments from regeneration company 1st East. Chief executive Philip Watkins said he was looking forward to the opening of the outer harbour but understood there was still frustration in the town particularly over the third river crossing and the dualling of the Acle Straight.

There were regular inputs from the Yarmouth Mercury-backed Palliative Care East Appeal at the James Paget University Hospital. Appeal co-ordinator Jenny Westgate made regular appearances to give updates of fundraising.

There was also a specially extended feature for D-Day on June 6, and to acknowledge the first world war's Ypres battle, Bill O'Connor from the Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTHs) and former Sgt Major Ian Burnett took part in the programme, which reflected on the sacrifices made by the young sons of this country who went to war.

It was also essential the programme mixed light and shade.

An interview with the Rev Karl Goffe from St Andrew's Church in Gorleston revealed he had found Monty Python's Life of Brian film amusing. When it came out, the film caused uproar among religious groups in this country and in America's deep south Bible belt.

Great Yarmouth author Judy Westwater appeared to talk about her book, Nowhere to Run, a shocking story based on her own experiences in South Africa as a child where she had suffered abuse and ridicule in the school she attended in Johannesburg.

Another story we covered in the summer was that of Malcolm Metcalf, who in his 70s undertook another mammoth trek across the United States, not in the luxury of a jet airliner but largely by train. He now gives talks on his travels and raises money for local charities.

Local arts have been featured including Dusmagrik Productions and Young People's Theatre, the

St Andrew's Competitive

Festival, teenage girl band

EFX, singer Emma Crowther and Dance Daze together with highlights from local shows at Great Yarmouth and Gorleston venues. Stuart Malkovich from Gorleston Pavilion promoted the pantomime

Aladdin.

On the December 12 edition, Dusmagrik Productions director Karen Thompson, together with 19-year-old dancer and teacher Adam Walsh and 10-year-old Skye Brewer, came to the studio to talk about their new musical Annie Warbucks, at the Marina Centre, Great Yarmouth. Skye, a pupil at Hopton Primary School, also sang a song from the show to a backing

track.

On the Intermezzo feature, appearances were made by composer and pianist Patrick Hawes from Catfield, formerly Classic FM's Composer in Residence; instrumentalist and composer Jamie Robertson from Yarmouth, who has since recorded music for BBC-TV's Dr Who; classical guitarist Georgina Whitehead from Yarmouth; Peter Murray from the Gilbert and Sullivan Operatic Society and soprano Mary Hardy Green with composer and pianist John Farmer.

The latter two impressed Radio Yare trustee Peter Burrage so much he has offered a classical programme to them.