TALK BACK w/c Aug 30, 2015

Every Sunday we'll update you on the special shows on Secklow Sounds.

You can get in touch:
T: secklowsounds
E: radio@secklowsounds.org
Fb: Secklow Sounds Radio

TO LISTEN: CLICK HERE 

w/c 30th Aug, 2015

This week's playlist 'specials' on Secklow Sounds...

Monday Aug 31st, 10am

"THE STICKS with Terry Sullivan" featuring Richard Ashdown

Joining Terry Sullivan on this week’s Sticks show is Richard Ashdown is a full time darts MC/referee, spotter, statistician and events organiser. Affectionately known as "Little Richard", he is now one of the "big" personalities on the professional scene.Regular master of ceremonies to darts legend Bobby George since 2002, Richard certainly couldn't have asked for better training! He has now worked along side all of todays top household names such as Phil Taylor, Martin Adams, Raymond van Barneveld, Eric Bristow, Michael van Gerwen, Tony O'Shea, Wayne Mardle, Andy Fordham and Trina Gulliver on the exhibition circuit.

The Sticks show can be heard at 10am Mondays, repeated Thursdays at noon at   

Tune in via the Secklow Sounds web site or via the TuneIn radio app.

Contact Terry  with requests, dedications, shout-outs etc. 
Twitter: @thesticks9 
Email: thesticks@secklowsounds.org

Tuesday Sept 1st, 8.30pm

"Lifestyle:MK"  - Sneak Preview pilot

BRAND NEW SHOW!!  

Lifestyle:MK will be starting on Saturday October 3rd from 12noon - 2pm.  The Lifestyle:MK Team led by Audrey, Gill and Dave will bring you tips and tricks, discussion and debate, fun and features for your health and well-being.  The team are broadcasting a 30 minute live pilot show on Secklow Sounds next Tuesday (Sept 1st) from 8.30 - 9pm. Presenters Audrey and Gill are going to have a "Girls' Night In" (but not to worry, Producer Dave and "How To" expert Ashley will be bringing up the rear with a couple of manly bits...that really could have been phrased better...)

So - we're asking you to complete this sentence "The best thing about a night in/out with the girls is..." 

@secklowsounds 

@draudreyt

...and TUNE IN

Check out our fb page here

Tuesday Sept 1st, 10pm

"Soundtracks with Tony Carty"  - The Gifts From Ron

A particularly knowledgeable and generous American has sent Tony treasures of film music recordings each Christmas for many years. This show presents the presents.  It includes some great classic film scores including music by two incredibly talented film composers – and, typical of things related to film music, they are largely unknown.  Hugo Friedhofer was one of Hollywood’s most gifted orchestrators and composers – and Alfred Newman – well, all Tony asks is how can one person gain FORTY FIVE Oscar nominations and WIN NINE OSCARS and still be generally unknown!???

Soundtracks: 1 hour Tues 10pm, repeats Thurs 3pm, Sunday midnight and Mon 11am catch it on "mixcloud" too!

Soundtrack's upcoming shows are:

8 Sep:  NEW RELEASES – a selection of new CD releases of film music.
15 Sep: VERSIONS – film music in interesting versions.

...and we'll be keeping you posted.

Friday Sept 4th, 8am

"Pop and Rock Legends with Bob and Mike" - Bob's rockin' solo

This Friday and next, Mike Barry will be taking a well-earned break ... leaving Bob to man the desk! 
Bob promises to play a selection of his favourite music ... with far less chat than normal ... so look out ... there may be a few surprises in store!

Friday Sept 4th, 8pm

SPECIAL EVENT - Terry "The Sticks" Sullivan is compering a Charity Show at THE STABLES THEATRE

The band on stage are local group The Misfitz and the charities are Willen Hospice and The Brain Tumour charity.

Tickets are only £15 so put on your dancing shoes and come along!

Check out the event HERE

"Rewind" - in case you missed it...

Mondays 10am

"THE STICKS with Terry Sullivan" - Cliff is still Golden

On Last Monday's "The Sticks" show, Terry played Cliff Richard's new single, "Golden".  Cliff, who is soon to celebrate his 75 birthday with a special eight venue tour said in an interview with the Huffington Post that his song is a tribute to his fans.  

The Sticks show can be heard at 10am Mondays, repeated Thursdays at noon.

Tune in via the Secklow Sounds web site or via the TuneIn radio app.

Contact Terry  with requests, dedications, shout-outs etc. 
Twitter: @thesticks9 
Email: thesticks@secklowsounds.org

Wednesdays 7pm

"Harry & Edna on the Wireless" - featuring Miss Sarah Jane

Harry & Edna on the Wireless were chuffed to be joined by 1940s vocalist, musician and serving member of our armed forces, Miss Sarah Birch.

When the Band of the RAF Regiment celebrated the 70^th anniversary of its formation the band ‘Sky Blue’ featuring Miss Sarah Jane was created.

On the show Sarah talked about ‘SkyBlue’ the newly formed small ensemble within The Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment.

The group perform the music of the 1940’s and included in their repertoire are many hits by the Andrews Sisters, Glenn Miller and even a few wartime sing alongs!

The groups members are SAC Sarah Birch (vocals and clarinet), Flight Sergeant Steve McGuiness (Piano) SAC Andy Taylor (Double Bass) and Chief Technician Ian Harding (Drums).

Harry & Edna were pleased for SAC Sarah Birch to broadcast some of the groups repertoire on Secklow Sounds and also spoke about RAF Music services.

Just check out our "Listen to Past Shows" button!

Harry & Edna Vintage Sweethearts
www.harryandedna.co.uk

Hedna's the Vintage Nightclub

www.hednas.co.uk

Thursdays 10pm

"Groovelounge - with Andrew Ackerman" - Philly Soul Special

The Kimmel Center, Philadelphia

If you missed Andrew Ackerman playing two hours of the finest soul music to come from Philadelphia, USA.  Including tracks from THE O JAYS, TEDDY PENDERGRASS, PHYLLIS HYMAN and HAROLD MELVIN, his podcasts available for listen and download right here.

Fridays 8am

"POP & ROCK LEGENDS - With Bob and Mike" -  Pop & Rock Legends turns 'Pirate'

Listeners that tuned in to last Friday's (28 August) 'Pop & Rock Legends' may have been surprised when they heard an unfamiliar jingle when the show began at 8.00AM. Instead of opening in their normal way by playing the programme's familiar jingle, the duo of Mike Barry and Bob Bluffield aired a lively 1 minute 35 seconds promo from 'Wonderful Radio London' dating back to the mid-1960s.

"When I researched and wrote the show" Bob explained ... "I wanted to try and bring a feel to the audio that was as close as we could get in a live programme to the original sounds played by the offshore radio stations that sprung up in international waters around the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark and Holland. This meant searching around for the most appropriate jingles to compliment the commentary. In some cases these dated back to the 1920s and '30s when radio was still in its infancy. In addition I located the then familiar jingles from several of the 1960s offshore stations that, together with some chart hits of the time, were specific to the story we told on air".

But, although the tightly timed show was transmitted for the entire two-hour slot of 'Pop & Rock Legends'  ... it only really scratched the surface of events (some of them bizarre) that occurred mainly between 1960 and 1970. "There is still a great deal to tell and I am already working on a second part that will deal with the period from the 1970s to present day and there will be a good  deal more about the Radio Caroline revival from 1970 to 1980 and beyond".

For those that missed the show ... please check our schedule for details of when the programme will be repeated. It will also be available 'on demand' HERE and on the show's own Facebook page

Stay tuned to Secklow Sounds, Community Radio for Milton Keynes

@secklowsounds

radio@secklowsounds.org

A thoroughbred line up at The Stables

FRIDAY 4th SEPTEMBER - THE STABLES THEATRE WAVENDON

Secklow Sounds' very own Terry Sullivan - host of THE STICKS (Mondays 10am, repeat Thursdays 12 noon) will be compering a charity show on Friday 4th September at The Stables:

Stockwell Lane, 

Wavendon, 

Milton Keynes, 

Buckinghamshire 

MK17 8LU
01908 280800

The band on stage are local group The Misfitz who perform covers from the 60's up to today.  The show is in memory of the band's founder, Mr Charles Francis, and the charities supported are Willen Hospice and The Brain Tumour charity.

We would love to see you there. 

Tickets are only £15, so grab your dancing shoes and come along.  

Book here

...AND as a little treat - here's a SNEAK PREVIEW of the future guests on The Sticks shows:

Brian Poole of the Tremaloes

Les McKeown of Them Bay City Rollers

Elio Pace

Billy Mitchell of Lindesfarne

UB40
Tom Robinson

Bernie Marsen

Tune into Secklow Sounds - Community Radio for Milton Keynes

It may be raining outside, but it's SKY BLUE on the wireless

Weds 7pm, repeated Friday 4pm

Harry & Edna on the Wireless were chuffed to be joined by 1940s vocalist, musician and serving member of our armed forces, Miss Sarah Birch.

When the Band of the RAF Regiment celebrated the 70th anniversary of its formation the band ‘Sky Blue’ featuring Miss Sarah Jane was created.

On the show Sarah talked about ‘SkyBlue’ the newly formed small ensemble within The Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment.

The group perform the music of the 1940’s and included in their repertoire are many hits by the Andrews Sisters, Glenn Miller and even a few wartime sing alongs!

The groups members are SAC Sarah Birch (vocals and clarinet), Flight Sergeant Steve McGuiness (Piano) SAC Andy Taylor (Double Bass) and Chief Technician Ian Harding (Drums).

Harry & Edna were pleased for SAC Sarah Birch to broadcast some of the groups repertoire on Secklow Sounds and also spoke about RAF Music services.

Fly with Harry & Edna - and Sarah Jane here

Harry & Edna Vintage Sweethearts
www.harryandedna.co.uk

Hedna's the Vintage Nightclub

www.hednas.co.uk

Diary of a Presenter (2)

Dave - our Producer/Sound Engineer at work



• "Life hacks" learned - to help a swift start to the broadcast - 3

• Playlist songs thought of when put on the spot - 1 (...if you're really lucky!)

• Minutes overtime for a 1-minute trial "chat" slot - 4

It was day 2 of training for the Lifestyle:MK team with Secklow Sounds' technical chief, Mick Bannister (Mick also hosts "Plane Talking" which repeats tonight (Tuesday) at 11pm!...check him out here)

Dave got straight in with checking mic levels - and concluded that "excitable girls get gradually louder", as Gill and I were given a short "live chat" section in order to practice cueing.  

The most important element of the session was the speed at which the "turnaround" needs to happen.  Every show is cued right up to the second because presenters change over on the hour, and the next show needs to be ready to start so that you, our lovely listeners, can be sure you've got the right station.  This means each show team being aware of little things like the (silent) doorbell to allow the next show in, and making sure that our own show is structured to give as much time at the start and end to settle - while maintaining impact and interest for our audience. Not only that, but every show retains the Secklow Sounds identity on the hour (otherwise poor Mick has to do a lot of editing prior to sending out a recorded programme!)

Mick gave us a number of little pointers for an efficient start - I won't give away all his secrets, but suffice to say "drag and drop" of a singular structure is the way to go...so planning ahead is the key.  

We also recorded our promo - backed by a fantastic original jingle written specially for Lifestyle:MK by the marvelous Simon Gargrave - for more about Simon, click HERE .  He's created a lovely, jazzy sound - perfect for easy listening and Saturday chat!

Next week we are going to have a go at a mini show - so if you fancy tuning in, please do at 8.30pm on Tuesday September 1st when Gill and I will be having a "Girls' Night In"...but gents, don't despair because Dave will be there with a "Man Cave" section.

...and of course we took a few cheeky camera pics:

Audrey and Gill get down to some girl talk

30 minute "Girls' Night in with Lifestyle:MK" Tuesday Sept 1st 8.30pm


Lifestyle MK begins on Saturday October 3rd, 12noon - 2pm on Secklow Sounds, Community Radio for Milton Keynes - live the moment with us!

@secklowsounds
@draudreyt

Kick start your week

Here's our wellbeing idea for the week ahead.

This suggestion comes from Personal Trainer, Robb Henderson and if you like what you see, he reviews other classes on his blog or you can follow him on Twitter

For everyone trying to select a new fitness class - here are his tips on the differences between Pilates and Yoga:

PILATES OVERVIEW

Class Type: Strength & Flexibility

Duration: 60 mins

Average Calorie Burn: 200-300

Complexity/Difficulty: 6 to 9 out of 10

Class Size: 10-30 (varies depending on type/location)

Areas Worked: Whole Body

Equipment: None. Classes which use equipment such as stability balls etc they are provided – you may want to take your own mat. Wear loose clothing.

Music: Soothing & relaxing


A lot of people ask me what the difference is between Pilates & Yoga as at first glance they can appear very similar. Both classes have a focus on flexibility, strength, balance, posture and breathing techniques based on controlled movements and stretches but there are some differences:

Being rooted in meditative practices, Yoga has a more spiritual side that is often included within the class such as chanting and aligning your chakras. Pilates does not have this and has a more anatomical approach to body alignment

Pilates classes tend to be around 60 minutes, whereas Yoga class will usually last 75-90 minutes. Yoga concentrates more towards holding static poses for a number of breaths. Pilates is a little more dynamic in terms of movement.

As a newbie deciding between them – it’s best to give them both a try and see which you like best!

Pilates has a number of variations within it’s scope but the two main variations are either “mat based” or “Reformer”.

Mat based Pilates can either be “pure” – using various body weighted exercises and stretches or equipment such as bands, blocks or a stability ball and class sizes can vary between 10-30 people.

Reformer Pilates is a much smaller class – 5-10 people, due to the larger apparatus used as the exercises are performed on a specialist board that adds additional challenges and resistance to the routine. Finding a “Reformer” class can be harder to find due to the equipment size.

Pilates focuses on “6 principles” – Centering, Control, Flow, Breath, Precision and Concentration and so emphasises quality over quantity. As such, instead of doing large number of repetitions by completing each exercise fully with precision, you can gain better results.

One of the best things about Pilates is that it works well for a wide range of people. Athletes and dancers love it as much as seniors and people at various stages of physical rehabilitation.

If you’re looking to start Pilates it is well worth calling in advance to see what type of class it is and whether any equipment is used so that you can make a decision if it would be the right class for you – depending on your level of experience and comfort in using items such as a stability ball.

Needless to say in ALL classes the instructor will provide variations throughout the routine to cover beginners to advanced levels – so don’t worry too much about it, but if you do have or previously had a recent injury – let the instructor know before the start of the class so they can give you specific advice.

Looking for a class close to home?

For Pilates: 

http://www.starlightpilates.com/

http://www.pats-pilates.co.uk/

For Yoga:

http://yogalily.com/classes/

http://www.whitespacestudio.co.uk/

TALK BACK - Newsletter w/c 23rd Aug

Every Sunday we'll update you on the special shows on Secklow Sounds.

You can get in touch:
T: secklowsounds
E: radio@secklowsounds.org
Fb: Secklow Sounds Radio

TO LISTEN: CLICK HERE 

w/c 23rd Aug, 2015

This week's playlist 'specials' on Secklow Sounds...

Monday Aug 24th, 10am

THE STICKS with Terry Sullivan featuring Jane Taylor

Joining Terry Sullivan on this week’s Sticks show as his guests are, Singer/ Songwriter Jane Taylor, Jane is a ‘tour de force’ for Independent music. Her UK fan base helped fund the release of her last two albums and continue to support her tours and live performances & Sara Mir, Assistant Producer of “Come Dine With Me”  plus Terry will play the new Cliff Richard Single “Golden” ahead of its release on 18^th September and tell you how you can put a question to Les McKeown of The Bay City Rollers!

The Sticks show can be heard at 10am Mondays, repeated Thursdays at noon at   

Tune in via the Secklow Sounds web site or via the TuneIn radio app.

Contact Terry  with requests, dedications, shout-outs etc. 
Twitter: @thesticks9 
Email: thesticks@secklowsounds.org

Tuesday Aug 25th, 4pm

SUMMER SPECIAL: Gener8

Callum, Connor and Gracie will be playing some top summer tunes as well as featuring interviews with Rough Copy and Holby City star Ben Hull. There's also a whimsical look at holiday nightmares and some must have apps for those rainy days. That's Tuesday 25th at 4pm. These children are parts of the Chums radio project. Chums us a local charity providing support for children and families suffering from Trauma, Bereavement and Emotional Wellbeing difficulties.

Tuesday Aug 25th, 10pm

"Soundtracks with Tony Carty"  - Play it

For all you Casablanca fans, "Soundtracks" will be marking the centenary of the birth of actress INGRID BERGMAN. Ms Bergman won three Academy Awards, two Emmys, four Golden globes and a Tony Award and is ranked as the Fourth Greatest Star of American Cinema by the American Film Institute.

If you'd like to "Play it, play it again" please visit Secklow Soundtrack's "mixcloud"




Soundtracks also features in our "Rewind" section, below...

Soundtrack's upcoming shows are:

1 Sep:  The gifts from Ron – a particularly knowledgeable and kind American has sent Tony treasures of film music recordings each Christmas for many years. This show presents those presents.

8 Sep:  NEW RELEASES – a selection of new CD releases of film music.
15 Sep: VERSIONS – film music in interesting versions.

...and we'll be keeping you posted.

Friday August 28th, 8am

"Pop and Rock Legends with Bob and Mike" - Pirate Days

Next Friday (28 August) in a long awaited special show, 'Pop & Rock Presenters' Mike Barry and Bob Bluffield will be tracing the incredible history of pirate radio in the UK and Europe. In a two-hour show compiled and written by Bob over the best part of a year; the content will examine the early days of the BBC and its post-war failings. The Beeb's neglect of its teenage audience led to an explosion of illegal offshore commercial radio stations operating from ships and wartime forts located in international waters off the British, Dutch and Scandinavian coasts. Bob explains: "In my teenage years rock and pop music was rarely played on the BBC Light Programme, and when it was it was usually a studio orchestra playing cover versions of hits which was dreadful. An alternative could be found in Radio Luxembourg, but this only broadcast at night and the signal strength was at best patchy. Then came the pirate stations and the entire way that youngsters could listen to music changed to become more exciting. It was a revelation that changed radio broadcasting as we had known it. But, this was short lived and set to change when the government of the day introduced legislation to silence them."

"The main reason why it has taken so long to put the programme together" says Bob "is because, until recently, it had been quite difficult to locate the right balance of jingles that I wanted to feature. Hopefully, those that I have obtained will jog the memories of anyone of a 'certain age' that may have listened to the pirate stations during the 1960s. They were wonderful times and I recall hearing the Beach Boys for the very first time when Radio Caroline played 'I Get Around'.

But, even if you were not familiar with the pirate stations, Friday's show aims to be a potted journey through radio history from the early days of broadcasting up to the start of the 1970s. Some of the colourful characters in the history of offshore radio may seem larger -than-life ... so too were the often bizarre antics they got up to. If this brief synopsis has wetted your appetite ... then tune in next Friday for all to be revealed.

Friday August 28th, 8pm

"Roadie Rocks with Colin Price" - Guitar Legends Special

This Friday on Roadie Rocks (28th Aug) we have a Guitar Legends special, playing everyone from AC/DC to ZZ Top. Regular Roadie Rocks listener Martin Barron joins Colin Price to help choose the tunes.

Air guitars at the ready!

Roadie Rocks - Every Friday 8pm

"Rewind" - in case you missed it...

Mondays 4pm

"The Eye on Milton Keynes with Sean Calvert"

Sean met with and interviewed Arthur Brown form the Crazy World of Arthur Brown at the Free Spirit Festival.  He played the interview out on 'Eye on MK' (Mondays 4-6pm). Arthur Brown was Number 1 in the UK with 'Fire' in August 1968. Just check out our "Listen to Past Shows" button!

sean@secklowsounds.org

Tuesdays 10pm

"Soundtracks with Tony Carty" 

Also – available by clicking on the  “Listen to past shows” button - is the edition of Soundtracks from Tuesday 18 Aug (SOUNDTRACKS 170 PARKER and WINTERS) which is well worth hearing.  It featured music for some of the films of the actress Shelley Winters and things associated with the great literary figure and wit Dorothy Parker.  There is also some reference to the gender politics of music.  But, what makes the whole thing outstanding is the contribution of Secklow’s presenter Catherine Rose.  Her delivery of some of the poetry of Dorothy Parker should NOT be missed.  

Stay tuned to Secklow Sounds, Community Radio for Milton Keynes

@secklowsounds

radio@secklowsounds.org

Give a Little Love to "The Sticks"

Every Monday at 10am, Terry Sullivan tells you what's on in The Sticks!

Not that Milton Keynes is that "sticks-like" we're equidistant from London, Birmingham, Leicester, Oxford and Cambridge don't you know!?  ...and things go on a lot here!  If you don't want to miss out ever again, Terry has the lowdown of local events in the Herts, Beds and Bucks area.

Les McKeown

In September Terry's going to be interviewing Les McKeown of the Bay City Rollers so write us a "Rock n Roll Love Letter" and send Terry your questions for Les!

You can send them by commenting on this post,
or emailing: thesticks9@gmail.com
or tweet: @thesticks9  or @secklowsounds

http://www.the-sticks.co.uk/



The Sticks with Terry Sullivan, Mondays 10am on Secklow Sounds, Community Radio for Milton Keynes

Diary of a presenter...

• "Ummms" during broadcast 3
• What does this button do again? questions 4
• How excited are we!??! 500000%

The LIFESTYLE MK team had their first day of training with Secklow Sounds' CEO, Mike Johnson!

The most important (and probably frightening) step was finding our way around the broadcast desk.  There are a LOT of buttons and sliders, but thankfully, many can stay in the very position in which they have been left!

A lot goes on whilst live shows are being broadcast, including some of Secklow Sounds' recorded shows being syndicated (played on other stations) all around the world.  One of the first things we all scribbled down frequently was which buttons NOT to press!

The next part was getting the sound balance for the team.  We're a talk show (and we'll be expecting to hear from you @secklowsounds !!) so we'll bring you interviews, banter, tips, tricks and other features as well as our favourite (topical) tunes.  Radio sound needs consistency, the last thing we want is you, our lovely listener, having to turn up the voice only to have your ears "blasted" when a song is played - so one of the most important things for our sound engineer, Dave, was to get our mic levels right....he seemed to really like this bit - he gets to turn me down...and sometimes off!

...and of course we got the chance to speak into the mics too - something that scared our producer, Gill, at first ;) - but, ya know the girl did good - and she'll be in charge of reading your tweets and emails :) .  This is also the moment we discovered our "night voices" as well as our "Lifestyle" sound...mellow can be rather seductive!

We got a flavour of the other fantastic Secklow Sounds shows which we are privileged to promote through Lifestyle MK, and started putting together our own programme.  We go on air on October 3rd, playing from 12noon - 2pm and we've got a host of treats lined up.  We'll be looking at food & community, health, relationships, and have specials shows such as a "Halloween Special" in store!

Our homework for now is to structure our first broadcast so it's just perfect for you!

Check back with the "Diary" to see how we (and others in the Secklow Sounds team) are coming along.

Happy listening. xx

Cheeky phone pic! So excited to be part of the community!

Lifestyle MK begins on Saturday October 3rd, 12noon - 2pm on Secklow Sounds, Community Radio for Milton Keynes - live the moment with us!

@secklowsounds
@draudreyt

Healthy body and mind with Secklow Sounds

A healthy lifestyle is something we all want to promote at Secklow, so each weekend I'll be giving you some wellbeing tips.

THE LESS YOU SPEAK, THE MORE YOU HEAR*

Who am I? I'm a new member of the Secklow Sounds team - Audrey, and from October, along with Alex, Dave and Gill I'll be hosting "LIFESTYLE MK" on Saturdays 12noon - 2pm on SECKLOW SOUNDS and I'm really looking forward to getting started.

So first of all...if you have any topics you'd like me to cover on my show, please tweet @secklowsounds or direct to me @draudreyt

Meanwhile, I thought I'd kick off this weekend's wellbeing thoughts with...conversations.

Discovering the "mute" button on WhatsApp was one of the happiest moments of my working life. I proceeded to apply the same switch to facebook messaging and any other social network groups or conversations in which I had deliberately or inadvertently become involved.

Why not "leave" the conversation altogether?

Well, firstly, to me, it's a bit rude. I get it...sometimes you are part of a group but the conversation turns into something you just don't need to be notified about every couple of seconds...but still "leaving" isn't my method of choice.

Why? Because, secondly, social media is, at its very core, a way of keeping up with everything that is going on...and I like it!

Newsfeeds come direct to my phone - I don't even need to go out looking for them...and this is true of gossip as well. Gone are the days when I wouldn't know what was going on behind my back because it was physically conducted in this manner because, now, playing out every drama is too delicious not to at least give one cryptic status update to a collective (if not avid) audience.

As Qualman says - it's not whether to do Social Media, but how well we do it.

These conversations are a way of knowing what is going on - if I've been invited to be a part, I like to be aware, even though I won't necessarily want to join in (nor even have anything worthwhile to contribute). It's a bit like the Office grapevine...it may not be accurate, but it doesn't hurt to hear the rumours!

Information is a gift. The more we have of it, the more we can be certain of our opinions, reactions and attitudes - indeed there may come a point where I will leave a conversation and even block people from ever adding me again, but I can rest happier knowing it was a decision that was based on a deeper thought process than getting a bit irritated...and a decision I am less likely to rescind (how many of your friends do the whole "I'm leaving facebook, Goodbye" - only to be back a week later!?)

The less you speak, the more you hear*...and the more secure you can be in your decisions.

This goes for "normal" conversations as well.

Too often we speak to put our point across, to get our voice heard - and too often this clouds the reality of what is going on. The more we speak the more favourably we perceive the interchange. Why? Because there is nothing sweeter than our own voices.

Let us learn from the internet where "conversation" flows more freely - or rather - where we have more competition to be heard and realise that too much talk is not always a good thing. (Nor is it appreciated by everyone!)

Silence is not only golden, but worth it's weight too.


*The title phrase was given to me by Wayne Austin, a wonderful Business Lecturer, Educational Manager and friend.



Lifestyle:MK starts Saturday October 3rd, 2015, 12 - 2pm on Secklow Sounds, Community Radio for Milton Keynes
@secklowsounds
@draudreyt

LIVE THE MOMENT WITH US!!

Secklow Sounds Granted FM Status by Ofcom

After four years of online broadcasts, Secklow Sounds Radio was granted FM status by Ofcom in March 2015. This five-year licence will allow the station to broadcast on 105.5 FM, starting in early 2016.

This is what Ofcom’s Broadcast Licensing Committee (BLC) said of Secklow Sounds FM application, “The BLC was satisfied that the applicant had the relevant experience to maintain its proposed service for the duration of the licence, noting that the applicant has been broadcasting a similar type of service online since 2011 (1a).

The BLC also took into consideration the applicant’s links to the community; for example, its relationships with local youth groups, businesses, mental health and disability charities, and its proposed partnership with the University of Bedford. The BLC considered that these links will enable the applicant to deliver specific and identifiable social gain to Milton Keynes (1e), and to provide a service which caters to the tastes and interests of its target communities (1b).

Our Key Commitments

We have four ‘Key Commitments’ that we have made to Ofcom and will carry out as part of our broadcasts. They are (1) inclusion for those from Disadvantaged/Marginalized groups; (2) meeting the needs of those with Diverse interests; (3) providing a platform for the local emerging Music and Arts sector, and (4) promoting the work of the Voluntary Sector.

1. Social inclusion

Social inclusion is the process by which individuals or entire communities of people are allowed full access to various rights and opportunities. Marginalized communities can include, amongst others, people with a disability, learning difficulty, minorities, members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community, unemployed, and young people “not in education, employment, or training” (NEET).

Secklow Sounds will feature programmes that are produced by or featuring people from disadvantaged or marginalized groups.

2. Diverse interests

This commitment is centred on meeting the diverse interests of listeners, some of which are not met by other local broadcasters.

Secklow Sounds will produce programmes covering; grassroots sports, business, faith, family life, specialist music, young adults, local history, and local governance.

3. Emerging Music and Arts

There is a rich vein of artistic talent in Milton Keynes and we want to tap into it, reflecting all forms of the arts by highlighting individuals and productions.  For music we will use ‘Secklow Sessions’ as the platform for showcasing local artists, recording studios, and events.

Secklow Sounds will work in partnership with arts organisations to promote their work and artists, and will include local music as part of our daily rotation.

4. The voluntary sector

Local voluntary groups are doing a great work but they lack opportunities to make the wider community aware of their activities.

Secklow Sounds will produce 30-minute profiles of local charities and community groups that will be available for on-demand listening. These groups and individuals will also feature as part of other community programming.