Day one of broadcasting from our brand new studios in the Brentwood Centre made for a somewhat different programme from normal, with an unexpected visit from Brentwood & Ongar MP Eric Pickles. As well as being an occasional presenter on the station, Eric has been a long-term supporter of Phoenix FM over many years, including our original campaign for the licence, and he was most impressed with our new studios.
As well as being one of our local MPs Eric is also, of course, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which he explained is quite a broad portfolio. We also talked about this week’s High Court ruling that Bideford Town Council had been acting unlawfully by allowing prayers to be said before meetings, as well as the possibility of Brentwood Borough Council introducing car parking charges in subsurbs such as Shenfield and Ingatestone.
Eric also gave his take on the Iron Lady, commending Meryl Streep’s performance as Margaret Thatcher, although he didn’t feel that Jim Broadbent’s portrayal of Denis was nearly as accurate.
Our new studios provide a very welcome environmemt for guests, and I’m looking forward to welcoming many more people onto the programme!