Dub Pistols’ Barry Ashworth Q&A

Liz Nicholls

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We chat music, heroes and mental health with music industry veteran Barry Ashworth ahead of Mucky Weekender festival in Winchester, 8th & 9th September, plus Dub Pistols’ upcoming UK tour…

Q. Hello Barry! Like us, you love a festival! What’s your best festival memory, and why?

“Playing nearly three festivals a week for over 25 years… that’s a hard one to answer. Rise festival in Victoria Park was pretty special because we had Terry Hall and Lynval Golding from The Specials playing with us and it was the first time they had played together in over 20 years; we played Gangsters and over 100,000 people lost their minds. They went on to say that day was the catalyst for them reforming the band. Last year’s Glastonbury Glade show was pretty special too, it was the biggest crowd we had played to at Glastonbury and the roar from the crowd when we came out was spectacular.”

Q. What’s your first memory of music?

“My mother loved her Motown music, I remember she had a white record player and would play and sing along to all her favourite Motown tunes all day long; she loved singing.”

Q. Who was your hero growing up? And now?

“I had a few to be honest, I’m a mad Liverpool fan so Kenny Dalglish was my idol. Musically I had a few: Terry Hall from The Specials, Joe Strummer from The Clash and Paul Weller the Modfather, all have had a massive influence on me musically.”

Q. Really tough one but what’s your favourite tune? (Or top three!)

“Almost impossible to answer this one as it changes daily but going with the above answer; The Specials – Ghost Town, The Clash – Straight To Hell and The Style Council – Shout to the Top.“

Q. Who are you most looking forward to seeing, hearing and hanging out with at Mucky Weekender this year?

“Everyone on the line up – that’s why I’ve booked them all!”

Q. How do you take good care of your mental health?

“I’m very fortunate to live in a small village called Reed in Hertfordshire. Walking is so good for your mental health. Being in the fresh air in the middle of the countryside makes me very happy.”

Q. Have you enjoyed any other great festivals this summer?

“Festival season is always my favourite time of the year. Every festival is unique and brings its own vibe but there are three that I feel are very close to my heart and have a special connection to. Beat-herder, in my opinion, is the best independent festival in the country. We have such a strong connection with the crowd there and the love that we get from them is something I will never take for granted. The amount of work and attention to detail that goes into Beat-herder is unique. The venues they build are off the scale and if I were handing out awards for best festivals in the UK this would be a winner. In Europe nothing comes close to Electric Castle in Romania. The production is next level and again the relationship we have built up from being part of the festival from the beginning is one of mutual love and respect. The noise, the energy and the vibe that comes when we walk-out leaves me quite emotional. So, I have covered the UK and Europe, but it is always festival season somewhere in the world and my next mention is halfway around the world in New Zealand. Splore Festival is another one of my spiritual homes. A better location for a festival is hard to find. Set on a beach in Tapapakanga National regional park, its ethos, its connection to the people and the traditions of the Māori land it is on, make it truly unique and one of a kind. I feel blessed to have been part of it over the years and again for the bond we have built with its crowd. For me, these festivals stand out against the others due to the care and pride the production team have for what they have created and for the experience they are providing.”  

Q. What is the best feedback you’ve ever had from Mucky Weekender?

“We have people coming to the festival on their own and leave with a tribe of new friends. This always blows me away. For customers to feel safe to arrive alone because they know the vibe and crowd are so friendly. We have a lady who’s traveling solo all the way from Australia. Her first year coming to Mucky was 2022 and she’s made friends that will last a lifetime that she’s meeting up with again this year. I think this is such a huge compliment for the environment we’ve created. It’s incredible how many people are traveling from different parts of the globe to join us.” 

Q. What else is on the horizon for you over the next few months?

“Rest, if only I could relax! The Dub Pistols have recently released a new album called Frontline on my own label Cyclone Records. It went to number 3 in the UK charts. There is a stack of remixes due for release from the likes of Don Letts, Guadi, The Allergies, Klue and a host of others. We have a winter UK tour lined up and I am already working on my next album with The Freestylers. Oh, and a documentary called what could possibly go wrong. The history of The Dub Pistols. It’s a rock n roll story of every band and a cautionary tale of what not to do to make it in the music industry!” 

Q. Finally, if you could make one wish for the world, what would it be?

“It is cheesy but I am a socialist. I would like to see peace, love and unity throughout the world. A world where everyone is given a fair chance and a decent existence. A world in which we care less for ourselves and more for others.” 

Mucky Weekender, named after one of the Dub Pistols’ bestselling singles Mucky Weekend, covers all genres across four stages at Vicarage Farm with an intergalactic theme this year. See you at the front! For info about Dub Pistols’ long awaited album Frontline visit dubpistolsmusic.co.uk/category/new-releases/. A Dub Pistols documentary will be out soon.

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Education Guide: Autumn 2023

Round & About

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Another September beckons and we hope our education special will help you, whether you’re a parent to a SEN child, would like advice about bursaries, want to make maths fun or continue learning whatever your age 

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SEN support for parents

Worried about a child’s progress in school? Learning differences consultant, former head teacher & SEN editor Mary Mountstephen offers parents some tips on being proactive

There’s always that moment when, as a parent, those doubts in the back of your mind start to assert themselves more loudly. Or perhaps a well-meaning family member or friend might make comments that add to your anxiety levels.

These might include: “Why isn’t he doing as well as his brother?”, “She should have started talking by now, surely?”, “That’s just not right, he needs to stop having tantrums”. Sound familiar?

Each child is unique. They often develop faster in some areas than in others and comparison with their brothers, sisters, cousins or classmates can be unhelpful and unwelcome. Depending on the type of concern and the child’s age, there are organisations and professionals to support you, such as your GP, your child’s setting (early years/ primary etc). The following information is intended to provide you with some basic tips, plus information about other sources of support and advice which are cost-effective or free.

Types of SEN

There are four types of SEN: communication and interaction needs, cognition and learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health difficulties and sensory and physical needs. Some children and young people may have SEN in more than one of these areas, but for most children with SEN, they will attend their local, mainstream school.

Don’t delay if you have concerns

There is a significant body of research that confirms the importance of early intervention when a child’s progress is causing concern. Looking back some years, school often operated a ‘wait and see’ protocol when being asked about delays in progress. Children with a dyslexic profile, for example, would possibly only be monitored until the age of seven, as it was a prevailing belief that they could not be identified before then, whereas current research indicates that this is possible from a much earlier age.

Be persistent but polite when communicating with the setting/ school

Parents and carers are not always confident in advocating for their child and in being able to communicate their concerns articulately. They may have had difficulties themselves at school, and this can translate into feeling nervous or hesitant in expressing their ‘gut feelings’, have known parents, on occasion, to become quite emotional or even aggressive if they feel they are not being listened to. So it’s a good idea to be prepared in advance.

Gather evidence using checklists

There are many checklists of child development, depending on where the concern(s) lie. If your child is in a school or early years setting, advice about this may be available. If not, carry on reading!

Check out national charities & organisations

A quick internet search will produce a long list of organisations and many of these can offer free support and resources. The difficulty here, as with self-diagnosis of symptoms, that you may become convinced your child has more complex needs than they might have. For that reason, it’s a good idea to communicate your concerns with the school at an early stage and be-guided by them.

Contact trusted sources

Finding trustworthy online support can be confusing for parents; the sheer volume of advice can be overwhelming and knowing who to trust can be daunting. For the last two years I’ve been working with SENDStation. I provide training about dyslexia and auditory processing difficulties. The company’s mission has always been to provide great quality learning that’s affordable and accessible. Their online courses are live and cost less than £15, including hand-out and certificate. The team cover 40 different sessions from dyslexia to toilet training. Visit SEND-Station. I’d also like to recommend a free newsletter from SEN magazine. You could also point both of these resources in the direction of the school! Please visit Mailing List Subscription – SEN Magazine to sign up.

Mary Mountstephen is a learning differences specialist with a background of working in a range of school settings, including roles as headteacher of two primary schools, and as an SEND specialist in the independent sector. She provides school training, individual assessments and online training. Find out more at Learning Differences| Mary Mountstephen and follow @M_Mountstephen on Twitter.

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Life lessons with Dame Jacqueline Wilson

Liz Nicholls

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We chat to author Jacqueline Wilson, 77, who is one of the stars of Henley Literary Festival, 30th September to 7th October

Q. Hello. I hope you’re well?

“I’m well, feeling good and very much looking forward to coming to the Henley Literary Festival.”

Q. Did you enjoy school?

“I liked it at my primary school. I had a marvellous gentle teacher when I was in Year Five called Mr Townsend. He didn’t tease me when I confided that I wanted to be a writer when I was grown up. He actively encouraged me and was very sweet when I showed him my first long story. I wasn’t quite as keen on my secondary school, though I enjoyed my English lessons and much appreciated the friendly art teacher who taught me a lot about paintings in the National Gallery.”

Q. What was your favourite book when you were a child? And who’s your favourite author now?

“I loved Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild, a story about three adopted sisters who go to stage school. I wished I could have ballet lessons myself, but had to make do with dancing round our flat in my pink bedroom slippers, pretending I was a fourth sister. My favourite author is Anne Tyler. I’ve read every single one of her books, and do hope she writes many more.”

Q. Can you tell us about your first book, which I believe you wrote when you were nine, is that right?

“It was only about 15 pages long, but it had all my trademarks: it was about a poor family with a wayward teenage girl of 15, an earnest 12-year-old who loves reading, a 10-year-old who wants to act, nine-year-old identical twins, an anxious six-year-old, and a fierce little sister of four who bosses everyone about!”

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Emily Roux’s packed lunch recipes

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Chef Emily Roux and Lexus have rustled up some posh packed lunches to enjoy in the car or on your next road trip!

Typical packed lunch fare such as pasties, soggy sandwiches and packets of crisps, can be bland and unappetising, so Lexus has teamed up with renowned chef Emily Roux to create some gourmet recipes that are perfect to eat in the car. Emily’s carefully crafted, delicious creations are easy to prepare and perfect if your picnic has been rained off, or if you’re waiting for a ferry or Eurotunnel.

Emily has honed her culinary skills in some of Europe’s most acclaimed restaurants and today is the co-owner of Caractère restaurant in London’s Notting Hill. She has used her expertise to create simple recipes that can add an element of delicacy and luxury to your packed lunch.

Wasabi crab tartlets

Ingredients:
• 250g double cream
• 70g milk
• 5g wasabi powder or paste
• 4g salt
• Two egg yolks
• One whole egg

Other ingredients:
• 270g pack of ready-made filo pastry
• 20g melted butter (for brushing)
• 100g picked crab (white, brown, or mixed according to preference)
• Zest of one lemon
• Fresh chives, mint leaves, coriander, or other herbs to suit personal taste
• Salt, pepper, olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 165°C fan (325°F/gas mark 4).
2. Brush each layer of filo with melted butter, stacking at least four sheets on top of each other.
3. Press and cut to the dimensions of your tart moulds.
4. Bake each filo stack in the moulds, with pressure on top, for between seven and 10 minutes (or until crispy and golden). To create the weighted pressure, ideally use the same-sized mould inserted one into the other; alternatively, baking beans will do the trick.
5. Leave to cool and lower the oven temperature to 165°C fan (325°F/gas mark 4).
6. Meanwhile, use a handheld blender to blitz all the wasabi cream ingredients together. Pass the mixture through a sieve for a smooth finish.
7. Once the tartlets have completely cooled, pour in the cream mix, filling to halfway.
8. Bake in the oven for a further 15 minutes until the mixture has cooked through and solidified.
9. Leave to cool – the tartlets are designed to be eaten at room temperature.
10. Season the crab to your taste and add any chopped fresh herbs that take your fancy.
11. Top tartlets with seasoned crab.

For a vegetarian alternative, replace the crab with mushrooms or courgette shavings and fresh herbs.

Dark chocolate crinkle cookies

Temperature and timing are very important with this recipe, so it is best to have all the ingredients weighed out before you start.

Ingredients:
• 200g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 125g unsalted butter, diced
• 150g caster sugar
• 100g light brown sugar
• Two eggs
• 130g plain flour
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1tsp sea salt (for sprinkling)

Method:

1. Line two baking trays with baking paper and preheat the oven to 175°C, fan oven (350°F/gas mark 4).
2. Place the butter and chocolate in a basin over a bain marie or a saucepan of gently boiling water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is fully melted.
3. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs and sugars on medium-high speed, for five minutes.
4. Once the eggs and sugar have been mixing for exactly five minutes, pour in the chocolate mixture and mix for a further minute or so to combine.
5. Meanwhile, mix together the dry ingredients, then add to the mixer bowl, mixing briefly until just combined.
6. Use an ice cream scoop to form the cookies. The batter will be a little on the wet side. Make sure to leave plenty to space between each cookie on the baking tray, as they will spread as they cook.
7. Sprinkle each cookie with a little flaked sea salt before placing into the oven and baking for 12 minutes. The cookies will come out of the oven with a wonderful, crinkled look and a slightly domed shape. They will collapse a little as they cool but this helps form that perfect fudgy centre.
8. Sprinkle on a little sea salt to taste and let the cookies cool for at least 20-30 minutes.

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A new lease of life

Karen Neville

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Second Hand September, upcycling furniture and repair cafes are all fabulous ways to fall in love again with something you once cherished, not only will it save you money but you’ll be doing your bit to help save the planet too!

How often have you bought something (often on impulse) got it back home only for it to loiter in the back of your wardrobe unworn for years? It’s probably something we’ve all been guilty of at one time, so this month rather than a) buy it at all or b) leave it lurking unloved, why not get involved in Second Hand September?

Find out how to get involved where you live

Berkshire
West Berkshire & Wiltshire
Oxfordshire
Surrey & Hants

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Upcycling inspiration close to home

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls finds furniture upcycling inspiration & sources close to home here in Bucks

Long before it was trendy, I was forever bringing discarded bits & bobs home for upcycling projects. In fact my ex mother-in-law still calls me “The Womble”, such is my inability to wander past an unloved chair or mirror (in a skip or on a pavement) without dragging it home for TLC.

Back in the day as two cash-strapped single mums, my pal Kirsty & I used to pimp freecycle and car boot finds with skills we’d learned from the lovely ladies at Fair Lilly in Great Missenden, part of the Annie Sloan family.

Jay Blades MBE, formerly a local boy who earned a degree at Buckinghamshire New University, was another early inspiration. His dapper turns on daytime favourite Money For Nothing proved that a bit of attention and a bright lick of paint, (particularly one hot pink leg), could help G Plan and Ercol pieces sing.

From her Chesham workshop, Emma Adams makes bespoke furniture and homewares, from desks and bedside tables to candle holders, wine racks and plant stands. She is a magpie for salvaged and reclaimed timber. Her pared-back and unfussy designs celebrate the small details with velvet-smooth finishes, corners “just so”, with knots, whorls and grain front and centre. “When it comes to old-fashioned or unloved furniture, I love to look beyond the dark, grungy varnish and reimagine potential, while respecting original style,” says Emma. Each piece, restored using beautiful contemporary colours and patterns, has its own story. “Someone loved it once and someone will again. As a process it’s natural, sustainable and inspiring.”

We live in an area with a rich furniture heritage. Thanks to the Chilterns’ plentiful wood supply High Wycombe was a hive of the industry in the 1800s & 1900s. As you will find out from a visit to Chiltern Open Air Museum, from the earliest days of the trade most of the lathe-turned chair parts were made by itinerant turners or “bodgers” living in villages nearby.

So you’re more likely to stumble across an unwanted mid-century Ercol piece (as I did recently), or a Nathan or Stag beauty here and on the many neighbourhood apps, on Freegle, Freelywheely, or from charities such as Emmaus. Locals in the know love Sue Ryder in Slough, British Heart Foundation in Wycombe and St Joseph’s Furniture Market in Chalfont.

Once you have your prized piece, a trip down the Pinterest rabbithole will dazzle you with paint effects’ wow factor. Techniques such as decoupage or gold leaf go even further, as Olenka Shevshenko proves with her recent collab with Liberty Cabbage Wales. Check out Olenka’s new Alice range of wallpaper & fabric at olenkadesign.co.uk.

Mel Hutton, founder of Redeemed Decor Ltd, creates wonderfully kaleidoscopic geometric pieces which she sells on Etsy (etsy.com/uk/shop/RedeemDecor). She says: “What started as upcycling on old, worn out mid-century pieces costing around £40 has now become much bigger. My latest commission is on a three-metre high end Danish sideboard that cost the client a whopping £4,800 at Rosebery’s auction house. Once finished, this will be sailing on the client’s private yacht from Poole to Miami!” Wowsers.

Back to Jay who, as well as being a dyslexia awareness champion & megastar, still upcycles. He and his team are saving the world through craft; check out the bouji beauties for sale at jayand.co. “Every piece we create is a statement full of character and charisma,” he says. “A dripping foot here. An eye-popping button there…”

Whether you choose to get creative yourself or buy from a master of their craft, the planet-friendly joy of upcycling is addictive.

We would love you to share your upcycling triumphs (and even disasters!) on our app. Five lucky winners can win a litre pouch of safe, sustainable paint in their choice of vibrant shade from YesColours. https://roundandabout.co.uk/competition/september-comps/

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Foodies Festival returns to Oxford

Round & About

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The UK’s biggest touring celebrity food and music festival series returns to Oxford for a huge August Bank Holiday weekend from 26th – 28th August

Featuring a line-up of celebrity chefs and chart-topping music starts, including Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Scouting For Girls and Martin Kemp.

Known as Gastro-Glastonbury, Foodies Festival will take place at South Park across the August Bank Holiday weekend. The three-day event features live cooking demonstrations from TV chefs, stars of MasterChef and Great British Menu, plus top-rated Michelin-starred and award-winning chefs.

Star names appearing in the live cooking theatres include: MasterChef 2023 champion, Chariya Khattiyot, MasterChef: The Professionals champion, Alex Webb, MasterChef champion, Dhruv Baker, Great British Menu 2023 finalist, Avinash Shashidhara, MasterChef finalist, Madeeha Qureshi. Great British Menu and Michelin starred chef-patron, Paul Welburn, from the Swan Inn and Cygnet restaurant. Islip, stars of Channel 4’s Extreme Cake Makers and founders of Black Box Cake, Christine and Phil Jensen, Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch bread expert, Jack Sturgess, celebrity TV chef, Omar Allibhoy and TV chef, award-winning author and British Empire Medal awarded, Manju Malhi.

The musical feast is just as sumptuous with chart-topping diva, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, platinum-selling festival favourites Scouting For Girls, and Spandau Ballet and Eastenders icon Martin Kemp, delivering the ultimate 80’s DJ party.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor said: “It’s wonderful to be joining the Foodies Festival tour again. Warm summer weekends full of lovely food and music, and families having fun together – I can’t wait!”

Throughout the 3-day holiday weekend, visitors will enjoy a jam-packed schedule of TV cooking show champions and award-winning chefs in the interactive live theatres. In the Chefs Theatre, celebrities will create their signature dishes and share new tips and tricks, whilst in the Cake & Bake Theatre, star bakers whip up showstoppers and offer tempting sweet treats.

Visitors can browse the latest food trends in the Shopping Village, meet local producers in the Artisan Market and taste exotic and unusual new dishes in the Feasting Tent – which features a mouth-watering range of street food and delicacies from all four corners of the globe.

Other attractions include the League of Fire’s Oxford title belt chilli eating competition featuring the World champion, ‘Chilli Queen’, Shahina Waseem, fairground, children’s activities, and family-friendly areas.

Tickets on sale now. Day tickets from: Under 6 go free, £3 (child), and £19 (adult). Weekend tickets from £38 (3-day). Home – Foodies Festival.

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Freezecakes frozen cheesecake summer highlight

Liz Nicholls

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Surrey-based Pleese invite you to tuck into a taste of summer with the world’s first frozen cheesecake in a tub

It looks as though summer is going to make another fleeting appearance, so it’s the perfect time to stock up the freezer with sweet treats.

“It’s not ice cream!” screams the lid of Freezecakes which is now available nationwide across Co-op and Waitrose stores. And if you’re looking for a creamier alternative to gelato, the Surrey-based Pleese team have three delumptious soft-serve flavours to tempt you.

I was lucky enough to have a houseful of teenagers to taste the new range, and the scoopy specials won brownie points for being palm oil free (an essential if you love orangutans as much as we do) and made of more than 35% cream cheese.

It was a three-way tie between Butterscotch & Caramel (£5, 350g) with crunchy chocolate biscuit pieces coated in chocolate, Lemon & Raspberry (£5, 350g) (pockets of juicy raspberry sauce and biscuit pieces coated in white chocolate, topped with freeze dried raspberry pieces) and (my personal fave) Double Chocolate (£5, 350g) with those crunchy chocolate biscuit pieces coated in chocolate, topped with chocolate flakes.

If you fancy going down a dessert rabbithole, hop on to the @Pleese (previously Pleesecakes) and @freezecakes Insta page to enjoy mesmerising short videos and recipe shorts, as loved by Joe Wicks, Olly Murs and Holly Willoughby…

If you fancy going down a dessert rabbithole, hop on to the @Pleese (previously Pleesecakes) and @freezecakes Insta page to enjoy mesmerising short videos and recipe shorts, as loved by Joe Wicks, Olly Murs and Holly Willoughby…

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Stellar set of A level results

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St Helen and St Katharine celebrates students’ success with this year’s A level results exceeding broadcast predictions

St Helen and St Katharine students have performed brilliantly in a range of subjects with 70.9% of all grades being A* or A.

Particularly impressive grades were gained in maths, history, geography, drama and politics, as well as the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) which, once again, enjoyed stellar success – and continues to be recognised favourably by HE institutions.

Headmistress Rebecca Dougall said: “It has been a great morning of celebration and we are all so proud of the students who have done brilliantly in what have been their first public exams. We always say that there is no typical HelKat: our job is to support students to identify and develop their own strengths, so we are happily celebrating with students today who are off to study subjects as varied as Classics, Medicine, Politics and International Relations, Economics, Law, Music, Maths, Drama and Fashion Design Innovation. The universities they are joining are fortunate to be working with such a talented cohort of students.”

One such talent is Anna who is Oxford-bound to read History and Spanish with her 4 A*s and a letter from the exam board commending her as one of the highest-achieving English Literature students in the country, or Pippa who will be heading to the USA to take up a place at the University of California, Berkeley, her 3 A*s a fitting reward for her academic success and all the more impressive given her prowess in and commitment to rowing.

St Helen’s is encouraged to see its students bucking the national trend in their success in modern languages A levels and in choosing to study them at university. STEM remains very strong with students headed to Cambridge to read Natural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. Medicine remains popular and successful with five students gaining places at medical school. One of those is Georgina who, with her 3 A*s, is heading to Queen’s University Belfast. Her parents, Adele and Graham said: “We are delighted that Georgina has achieved her dream of studying medicine and we are thankful to St Helen’s for the fantastic support in achieving this dream. Throughout her time here we have had an overarching confidence in the competence of the school and that all bases were always covered.”

Five students are embarking on Art Foundation. Edie, who achieved 4 A*s in Art, Biology, Psychology and in her EPQ, is heading to Kingston University. Her mum, Emma, reflected on her journey through St Helen’s: “From the moment Edie started in Year 5 she discovered that she loves so many things and was good at many things. This is what St Helen’s is brilliant at – nurturing each individual student to find her passions.”

Olivia has gained a place to study Music at University of Manchester. Her mum, Anne, said: “St Helen’s is a happy place. Both of my daughters have flourished here and enjoyed taking part in all the music, drama and sport opportunities. We have particularly enjoyed the extremely professional shows – the music and drama teachers put so much work in to these.”

St Helen and St Katharine has recently opened its brand new Sixth Form Centre, the brand new Sixth Form Centre, the Benedict Building, dedicated to providing students with the space and opportunity to grow their academic and extracurricular interests in readiness for their future. With nine new classrooms, a range of study spaces, a common room, a café and a flexible lectures/ performance hall, the building echoes the very best in higher education intuitions.

For information, go to the St Helen and St Katharine website (shsk.org.uk)

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Just gaga for radio!

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Robbie James from Farnham is obsessed with cheese, wine, Scotland and golden retrievers, is a music, sport and comedy fanatic and will be writing a regular column for Round & About on pretty much anything that takes his fancy from the view of a young, self employed presenter

My first column. The first of anything is always scary isn’t it? The first word you type. The first slice you cut off Colin the Caterpillar. The first step you take into the sea after you’ve been told ‘it’s fine once you’re in’.

As you’ll know if you read my intro to R&A last month (if you didn’t, why didn’t you?) cricket is one of my true loves. The other is radio.

I love radio a silly amount. I loved it way before I knew I loved it & I think that’s the beauty of it. It fills any gap in your life that you’d like it to, without you asking it or even consciously knowing there’s a gap to fill. Radio gives me the same physical feelings as when someone holds a door open or gives you their unused parking ticket. ‘Ah, that’s nice isn’t it, the world isn’t all terrible’. You hear people sharing parts of their life, letting their guard down a bit, providing silly stories or dedicating a song to their pal. ‘Just nice things’ tend to happen on the radio.

I’ve barely done any task this summer without having some form of sports radio on. Test Match Special, Wimbledon, they’re just there as a constant. You hear the hum of a crowd on their day out. You hear a collective expressing their emotions in a world where we are horrendous at expressing any emotions when other people are around. But then it leaves the rest to your imagination. TV doesn’t do that.

Radio is also so live and raw that it allows us to remember that nothing really matters. Radio 1 can be live to six million people at any one time, and a phone line can disconnect mid call. They can play the same song twice. Unless you’re a *insert rude word*, when you hear or see something go wrong in front of lots of people, we generally just laugh or empathise don’t we? No one was nasty of Twitter when I meant to say I couldn’t ‘get my clock up’ whilst hosting Pompey Live last year and accidentally said something else. What can I say… radio allows you to open up.

Mistakes remind us that these people inside the radio are not unreachable. They make mistakes, and that makes them relatable no matter how many TikTok followers they have. And then we warm to them through that empathy. We feel like we may just know them, and we feel a bit less lonely when we get into the car and pop the radio on after a terrible day in the office.

I’m too thick to be a doctor or a therapist, and not to say these occupations quite compete on levels of necessity, but I really do see being on the radio as a chance to improve people’s days a bit. I miss having a regular radio show more anything – but I’m really confident still has a future on both a local and national level. Oh and AI can do one.

Robbie is a Presenter/Broadcaster/DJ/Idiot, now living in Farnham. I do the radio, the TV, and anything else people pay me to do that my moral compass says yes to.

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