A LOCAL radio station has paid tribute to a Bude woman who passed away recently.

BBC Radio Cornwall has paid tribute to ‘Clara from Bude’, who sadly passed away at home recently and was a huge fan of the radio station.

Donna Birrell, journalist and Saturday breakfast show presenter on BBC Radio Cornwall, has written a blog post paying homage to local radio and its place within the community.

She writes: “For the last few years, a lady who we’ll call ‘Clara from Bude’ has been a regular listener...in fact, she used to send the weekend team £5 occasionally to buy biscuits — I know this is not allowed, but when we protested she was upset and said that she couldn’t get out to bring us biscuits herself and that it gave her pleasure to do it.

“Clara also called 0810 every single Saturday and Sunday to have a chat with Jo our newsreader. She told her we were like her family and that the only other family she had was a step-son and his wife in Australia. Jo used to give her advice if she was unwell or if she had had medical letters which she couldn’t quite understand and Paul our weatherman used to give her personal forecasts. And so it went on...proper chats which obviously meant the world to Clara.

“At the end of January, Jo told Clara she was going away so would speak when she returned. However, on Jo’s first weekend back, there was no call from Clara at 0810. Jo was concerned and called her, but again no reply. Because Clara had been such a regular feature of weekend mornings, Jo was very concerned at the lack of contact and on her day off on the Monday, she tried to call her again and when there was still no reply, she called the police and gave them Clara’s address.”

Sadly Clara had passed away and was discovered at her home.

Donna continues: “Jo and another colleague, Jack, attended Clara’s funeral last week — they were the only people there apart from her step-son and his wife and the funeral directors. As Clara’s body was lowered into the ground on a blustery hillside in North Cornwall, Jack played Dusty Springfield on his mobile phone — Dusty had often been requested by Clara.

“I wanted to send this because I think it shows how absolutely vital BBC Radio Cornwall and other local radio stations are as part of the communities which they serve. It’s easy to court listening figures and celebrity but it’s just as important — if not more important — to connect with people behind those closed doors.”

Stephanie Marshall, head of the BBC in the West and South West, said: “This is a truly sad story and I’d like to send deepest condolences to the family of ‘Clara’ from everyone at BBC Radio Cornwall.

“I’m glad that the station had such a big impact on Clara’s life, particularly in her later years which can be isolating for many.

“Our listeners have always been and will always be the most important part of our radio stations. This is a great example of the importance of BBC local radio stations to the communities they serve, and the unique value they offer to listeners.”

To read Donna’s blog post in full, visit donnabirrellblog.wordpress.com/2020/02/26/an-homage-to-local-radio/