The Saltburn Funicular Lift Challenge

Overture:
In which Alex Lewczuk does some pre-lift show warm-up interviews with Town Crier Sharon Wilson, Marketing Assistant Linda Chilvers, Broadcast Assistant Jodie Orton, Head of Cultural Development Zohrah Zancudi and Ukelele playing engineer Paul.

Southside radio station hit the airwaves for eight hours on Friday 1st July - and made a new world record.

The station, which serves James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, took over Saltburn’s cliff lift to carry out the first interviews in history to be conducted in a water-powered funicular.

Residents, traders and visitors were invited to take part by talking to managing director and DJ at the station Alex Lewczuk while travelling in the famous carriages.

Hospital radio DJ Alex Lewczuk interviews members of Ee By Drum

The special show, which included a variety of musical entertainment - including the group Ee By Drum - was all transmitted back to the hospital and the proceedings were watched over by the Guinness World Record official for the day, Councillor George Dunning.

Alex, 50, who lives in Middlesbrough and is also a lecturer of media and journalism at the University of Lincoln, hailed the event on Friday as a huge success and thanked all those who offered help in organising and supporting the bid.

"We secured the record after just 10 minutes but decided to carry on non-stop for eight hours just to be sure we hold on to it for a while!" he said.

"As well as local people we also interviewed a number of people with connections to the area from as far away as Canada, Thailand, New Zealand and America.
We went up and down 114 times but the Victorians as engineers clearly knew their stuff as for most of the day it was a very smooth transition."

The cliff lift, which recently had a £30,000 refurbishment, is one of the oldest in the world, having opened in June 1884 to transport people from the beach to the cliff top above.

Councillor Sheelagh Clarke, cabinet member for culture, leisure, tourism and rural affairs, said it was "marvellous" that attention was focused on Saltburn, its lift and the community during the world record bid.

Part 1: The launch of the record-making non-stop radio show in the amazing Saltburn Funicular Lift with Alex Lewczuk.

Part 2: The record-making non-stop radio show in the amazing Saltburn Funicular Lift with Alex Lewczuk continues.

Part 3: The third part of the record-making non-stop radio show in the amazing Saltburn Funicular Lift with Alex Lewczuk continues.

Part 4: The fourth part of the record-making non-stop radio show in the amazing Saltburn Funicular Lift with Alex Lewczuk.

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