Each Friday at 3:30, we invite Mark Searby, Nottingham’s finest export since Su Pollard into the studio to offer his insight into 2 cinema picks and 2 “take home and keep” films…

Cinema
Hereditary – The Exorcist for Millenials so say the hype.
The Happy Prince – Rupert Everrett stars as Oscar Wilde in the last days of his life.

DVD/Blu-ray
Roman J. Israel Esq stars Denzel Washington as an idealistic lawyer taken to dark places in a case he is working. [never seen him in a bad film, says Mark. Charlie reckons the Equalizer remake was a bit meh]
Black Panther – Marvel’s billion dollar box office earner is unlike previous Marvel movies. [listen out for Charlie’s comment about the number of comic-book films: “that teat’s going to be dry soon”]

On Wednesday’s show we had Michael from End oF in the studio talking about his company and how it can help you save money when it’s time to give your car back at the end of its lease.

We spoke about why it may be a good idea to have this inspection – especially as, once the vehicle has been taken away, you have no way of proving its state in the event of a dispute.  It’s also worth remembering that when your vehicle is collected by the leasing company, the person who gives it a check before taking it away is NOT performing the full “end of lease” check!

The End oF inspection not only includes a detailed written appraisal of your vehicle but numerous photographs are taken ensuring that you have a full (and accurate) record of its condition before it goes back.

Michael in the Phoenix FM studio – he brought his own sign!
End oF are based at Laindon – but can visit you at home or  work for the inspection – You can find out more on their website: http://www.endof.co/contact.html

They say that you should never work with animals or children – so when it comes to dealing with a stubborn 4-legged friend, perhaps asking an expert is the way forward?

On today’s show, I spoke with Alison from Take the Lead Dog Services who offers training for dogs in south Essex.  We also spoke about pet first-aid and how it’s actually possible to perform CPR on a dog!

Take the Lead Dog Services on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/takethelead.dogg/

This month sees an initiative by the NHS to #EndPJParalysis – getting hospital patients out of bed and moving during their stay.

Along with our resident “expert”, Pete Sipple, who is involved with local Hospital Radio, we also spoke with Roy from the Academy of Fabulous Stuff, plus Russell and Pete who are part of the NHS Emergency Care Improvement Programme.

More information can be found here: http://www.endpjparalysis.com/

On today’s show, our resident fountain of knowledge, Pete Sipple, came in to talk about STEM and his role as a STEM Ambassador.  STEM is Science, Techology, Engineering and Matematics – key subjects in the learning process and Pete explained how volunteers can help youngsters learn about these subjects whether it’s at school, cubs/scouts/guides or a dedicated event.

Not only is this a rewarding way of spending your time, but lots of fun and a nice addition to one’s CV!

Listen again to our chat via the player above…

STEM Learning website : https://www.stem.org.uk/
exploreSTEM website : http://www.explorestem.co.uk/ (co-ordinating STEM in our area)

It’s Friday, Friday – Gotta review on Friday!  On the Drive show each Friday at 3:30 we invite cinema’s best-behaved patron: popcorn/sweets/mobile-phone-free Mark Searby to give us his take on some films to watch over the weekend…

Cinema : Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – 5 films in and haven’t they learned, yet?!
The Boy Downstairs – A film for New Yorkers by New Yorkers.

Blu-ray/DVD : The Mercy – The true story of Donald Crowhurst attempting to sail around the world … Journey’s End – Tough WWI drama starring Paul Bettany and Sam Claflin.

It seems that next week’s review will be very very good – Mark had his best “happy face” on at the end of the review, and he hasn’t told me what’s planned… Tune in next Friday at 3:30 to find out!

Every Friday at 3:30pm we invite Mark Searby in to offer some thoughts on movies to see this weekend…

We started by talking about the news that Danny Boyle is set to direct the next (25th) Bond film, set to begin production in December and due later next year. It turns out that Mark isn’t a fan of Daniel Craig’s portrayal but is keen to see what Boyle does with it.

Cinema : Double Lover (aka L’Amont Double) … My Friend Dhamer
Blu-ray/DVD : Downsizing …  Early Man (a Nick Park creation)

We got a little bit “tech” on the show as we welcomed Pete Sipple back into the studio to talk about smartphone apps and offer his tips for some useful ones as well as a bit of advice on security.

Apps like StoCard, Password Logger, PetrolPrices and Parkopedia can make life easier when it comes to looking for the best deal on fuel – and being close to the M25 means that prices very A LOT!  Keeping your online accounts like social media, banking etc secure can be tricky: Do you have an easy-to-remember password to make typing it easier or do you have something quite strange and rely on a separate app to handle them?

With Pete being an iPhone user and myself an Android lover, there are apps that cater for each platform but most can be found on both.  Hear Pete explain by listening to our chat via the player above…

Click here for previous gadget/tech highlights from the show…

On today’s show I was joined in the studio by Andy from Crystal Communication Solutions Ltd, one of our advertisers.

Crystal is a communications provider for businesses – many of whom are discovering the benefits of doing it “in the cloud”. With the internet being within practically everybody’s grasp, you don’t need a landline to run your business.  Along with the cost-saving, there’s the fact that line upgrades (as your business expands, for example) can be done within software rather than have inconvenient/costly wiring installed.

Hear Andy speak about “cloud” telephony, SIP lines, RJ45 connectors (yes, really!) and he mentions some of the team back at the office…

Below: Andy in the Phoenix FM studio…