“My radio saved my life”

Our radios mean so many different things to people, but one of our recipients credits his British Wireless set with saving his life.

During the days which followed him losing his sight, Paul King relied on his BWBF set to get him through the darkness.

In fact he says it helped him so much, he believes it saved his life.

The 57-year-old has had a prosthetic eye since the age of three and lost his vision permanently eight years ago after suffering a detached retina.

Six years ago, he was given a Sonata internet radio by British Wireless which was recently replaced with one of our newer Sonata Plus+ models.

He says: “When I got the first Sonata it was wonderful.

“I got links to my religious programmes and I had my science podcasts that I thought I wouldn’t hear again and local radio stations – it was tremendous.

“I couldn’t use a phone and there weren’t iPads back then.

“It really did help me through those dark days when I first lost my sight.

“Looking back now I was in a world of darkness – it was totally alien and I would jump at every noise – but as soon as I had the radio it calmed me down.

“It’s really good – it was a life saver. It really did save my life.”

Paul, who lives in Heswall in the Wirrall, said he has his radio on every day now and it even helps him find his way around – if he gets disorientated he can work out where is his from the sound of the set.

He uses it for talking books and he says the vast amount of services available on the Sonata Plus+ is fantastic.

“It’s an excellent piece of equipment and very easy to use. I would recommend it to everyone.

“BWBF were so good – I can’t praise them highly enough.”