APRIL 2024 NEWSLETTER

Happy Easter and definitely not Happy April Fool’s Day!  Here’s the latest instalment of our monthly newsletter which looks back on our programmes and interviews over the last month and forward to what’s coming up on the airwaves.

INTERVIEWS

You may have missed some great interviews in March with local people, groups, charities and businesses …

Former world javelin champion – and Brentwood resident – Fatima Whitbread spoke about her current charitable campaign to help young people.

Stuart Short from Basildon Mind and Bill Sedgwick from Billericay Town came to talk about their walking football fundraiser.

Our new presenter Roy Tyzack chatted to Martin and Margaret Hamilton about their work at the Brentwood Museum.

Ben Whatley-Harris from Brentwood Running Club talked about the Brentwood Half Marathon, joined by our very own presenter and Saint Francis Hospice volunteer Andy Furneaux.

Villene Hyam popped in to talk about the Brentwood Art Trail.

Allison, Kayleigh and Jo from Frontline Partnership came in to talk about their Music Man project, helping adults with a learning disability in Brentwood and surrounding areas.

Natasha Radford from the Chicken & Frog bookshop came in to talk about World Book Day.

Michelle Spencer visited to talk her yoga tips and tricks.

MUSIC

We also interviewed some great singers and bands in March.

Mike Porter spoke to opera singer Alfie Boe about his new album and tour.

Xanthe Bearman caught up with Thompson Twins singer Tom Bailey about his new tour.

LA singer Sofia Wolfson took time from her UK tour to visit the studio and chat to Andy Gardener.

Nick Field spoke to Southend trio The Mandala Effect, author Stewart “Brittlestar” Reynolds and local performers J Keys and Mad Skill Adil.

Madeline Christy welcomed in a number of country stars to her regular show The Nightshift, including Misha Fair, Eleri, Thomas Kavanagh, Nicole Shortland and James Dunne.

Michelle Ward hosted a live acoustic performance from Paolo Morena.

Kev Piggott runs Phoenix FM’s weekly Open Mic Night at The Essex Arms in Brentwood every Monday from 8pm, and plays out the best of the performances from local unsigned artists on his Sunday Sessions show. March saw performances broadcast from some fantastic local performers – Callum Wood, Emma Osbourne, Freya Carpenter, Grace Brazier, Gracie Mae, Gregg Thickett, Jane Oakman,Jerry Rigg, Jessica Ivy, Josh Barber, Katie Savage, Katie Todd, Millie Clarkson, Rebeca Stratulat, Richard Barker, Robbie Bunsell, Romy McCulloch, Rylie Kingsnorth, Sam Dillin, Scott Wood and Shae Barry.

BOOK NEWS

Sylvia Kent also came in for her regular Book Club feature with author and journalist Katy Pearson,

LOCAL HISTORY

Margaret Mills is a regular visitor to Scott Ross’s lunchtime show and in the last month came on air to talk about more Essex stories such as “The People’s Judge” Sir Nicholas Conyngham Tindal, Queen Elizabeth I’s visits to Essex and the Taylor sisters of Colchester.

Another regular contributor, Mike Davies from Rayleigh Town Museum, came in to talk about the history of Southend-on-Sea.

SPORT

John Chubb is the host of our regular Saturday Sport show and returns midweek to look at the latest local non-league action in the Non League Hour.

Steve Linton came in once again to Jo Bailey’s Drive show to talk about Brentwood Town FC and the progress of their current 3G Project.

Daren Mootoo’s popular cricket show 98 Not Out is on every Thursday. This month Daren chatted to Matthew Appleby about his new book “Lost Cricket Stickers”, cricket journalist George Dobell, BBC correspondent Dick Davies, The Daily Mail’s Paul Newman, and author Tim Brooks who spoke about his new book The Batmaker Of Copenhagen.

Andy Gilson hosts our weekly Orient Hour with a rotating panel of fans running through the latest Leyton Orient news, matches and rumours.  This month Alex Stripe and Grant Conway spoke to O’s manager Richie Wellens.

Our regular sports correspondent Jack Patmore is also writing and appearing regularly with news from our local non-league clubs including Brentwood Town, Billericay Town and Southend United, along with an exclusive interview with Colchester United manager Danny Cowley.

PODCASTS

There are only so many hours in the day – but that doesn’t mean we can’t cram in more programmes! We also have podcasts which are produced regularly:

Made In Essex is a regular business podcast celebrating Essex entrepreneurship, presented by Jill Willis, co-founder at Attract & Engage, author and communications strategist. In the latest instalment Jill talks to Joe Tighe, CEO of KleanDrive about his company’s endeavours to replace internal combustion engines with clean solutions.

Rising Stars is a regular weekly(ish) podcast highlighting unsigned artists from around the world across every genre possible.

Mental Health Matters is coming back to Phoenix FM in 2024 – our regular monthly look at Mental Health issues locally, nationally and globally, in partnership with the Essex Community Tree.

We also host QFM – the occasional show made by the children of Quilters Junior School in Billericay.  The latest edition is now online here.

COMING UP IN APRIL

We’ve already got some great guests lined up for the next month and beyond …

Authors Simon Compton and Mark Jones return to talk about the release of their book An Accidental Manager (Apr 2); Jakob Deist from We Are All Fossils playing live in the studio (Apr 4); Tony Stringer talking about the Friends of Namuncha charity (Apr 5); author/actor Eddie Webber will be chatting to Nigel Fitzmaurice (Apr 7); Luce Rushton playing live in the studio (Apr 8); Sally Sykes from Essex Business Partnership (Apr 9); Tracey Johnson from Vita Health Group talking about mental health in the workplace (Apr 11); Archdeacon Jonathan Croucher, the new Archdeacon of Chelmsford (Apr 12); Darren Barlow, Rector of St Mary’s Shenfield (Apr 19); Steve Linton from Brentwood Town FC (Apr 26) and Zoe Jay, Head of Fundraising and Marketing at Helen Rollason Cancer (May 3).

SO WHAT’S ON AIR?

In March we welcomed back Nicki Treffers to the station with her new local business show, The Modern Essex Girl.

On daytimes you can hear Mike Porter, Michelle Ward and Jo Bailey five days a week with local news, information, features and great music – lunchtimes are shared between Scott Ross (Mon/Tue), Bob Simpson (Wed), newcomer Roy Tyzack (Thu) and Patrick Sherring (Fri). Weekend breakfast is covered by Antonia Jones (Sat) and Siobhan Copland (Sun).

Evenings and weekends are also the home of our many specialist music shows including Synth City with Rob Harvey, Under The Radar with Andy Gardener, Resurrection with Paul Golder, Turn It Up with Vic Damhar, The Show That Goes Like This with Ben Simmons, Reggae Revival with Daren Mootoo, Curveballs with Nick Field, The Golden Years with Andy Gilson, The Bliss Disciples with Daniel Gregory, The Weekend Wind-Up with Spencer Carter, Geezers Pleasers and Cheesers with Mandy Cullen, Boogie Nights with Andy Furneaux, Classic Phoenix with Steve Robertson, The Sunday Sessions with Kev Piggott, Sunday Lunch with Tony Smith, Vicki Michelle’s Music Mix, The Arts Programme with Claire Gevaux and Natalie Bays, Stepping Out with Nigel Fitzmaurice, GR80s with Xanthe Bearman and George Hanlon’s eclectic music hour.

None of the shows on Phoenix FM are “syndicated” – every single hour is created and produced exclusively for Phoenix FM by local people passionate about music and their community.

You can see our full schedule here.

IN THE PAPERS

Phoenix FM has had a regular page in the Brentwood Gazette since 2013 – you can see our recent columns here.

A BIG THANK YOU TO …

Phoenix FM is a not-for-profit organisation aiming to maintain a full-featured community radio station for Brentwood, Billericay and surrounding areas. Any money we raise goes straight back in the pot to broadcast more programmes on FM and online.

So we’d like to say a big thank you to our existing supporters and partners:

Attract & Engage, Brandler Galleries, Brentwood Golf Club, Brentwood Town FC, Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, Essex Business Partnerships, Essex Community Tree Network, EV Charging Systems, Foxtel, Guided Learning, Hallmark Care Homes, Holiday Inn Brentwood, Hutton Spice, JWD Heating & Plumbing, Layalina, The Mortgage Specialists, Not Just Travel, Pinney Talfourd, Players Lounge, Saint Francis Hospice, SEH BAC and Shepherd Neame.

FEEDBACK

Is there anything you would like to see in a future newsletter? Email us straight back!

See you on 98FM and https://www.phoenixfm.com!

Thanks for reading and listening

The Phoenix FM team

Phoenix FM – 211,500 hours on air and counting