Swansbrook Radio (2026)

27/07/2020

NEW this week on Feckenham's Own.....Swansbrook Radio

THE DOC, THE REV & THE SPEED CAM MAN
In THE BROADSHEET with Stuart Knowles
GP, Dr Davies. Explains why we should call even visit the doctor if we are unwell. But what about winter flu? The Rev. Barbara Wheatley brings us up to date on Zoom Church services and ‘virtual prayer’. But when will the Church doors reopen? Will you be caught over the limit? We reveal the location of a secret web cam in Feckenham clocking our speed as we go by. Also: it’s just not cricket! Complaints mount up about the behaviour at the cricket club. And, Kathy Gee joins is ‘thinking aloud’ as she reflects on her risk assessment of her recent holiday to Wales. What things might we have to think about and where does the balance of risk lie?

A PLUM A DAY KEEPS THE FILM STAR AWAY
In HAPPY HOUR with Ian Bellion
“When it’s plum glut in Feckenham the courgettes won’t be far behind”; “There may be no sunshine today - but put by your tickets for tomorrow”; “When a film star pinches your laxatives, you can be sure she’s been before” - three old Feckenham sayings that have something to do with the contents of this week’s Happy Hour. We’ve also got a bit of advice on how to enhance your Swansbrook listening experience.

DISCO DUCK DRAMA
In THE WAY WE WERE with Colin James
Our weekly dose of Colin introduces us to Sam The Sham and the Faroes, Rick Dees and his Idiots and The Pipkins - as well as more familiar names like Elvis, Barbera, Tom and Paul. Lulu’s selling the world and everybody loves George Melly’s Baby - specially when he squeezes his Disco Duck! Tom Jones claims he has nothing - “That’ll Be the Day”, says Buddy Holly...

Listen to Swansbrook at
swansbrook.com

Get in touch with us through
[email protected]

20/07/2020

📷
18th July 2020
For immediate publication
Press Release

STUNNING SUCCESS FOR COMMUNITY RADIO DURING LOCKDOWN

The figures are in and Feckenham’s Own Swansbrook Radio is celebrating doubling its audience figures in the last three months – with over half the village tuning in!
Swansbrook radio is one of the only community ventures to keep going in Feckenham during the current crisis. The station is broadcasting (on-line) essential information for the community to assist people access help and support and to offer valuable help to local business and others struggling with self-isolation and lock down.
But there has been some fun too! When the village cancelled its annual Wake (village fayre) at the end of June – Swansbrook Radio decided to throw a ‘virtual’ on-air party for four hours on Saturday June 27th 2020. The idea was to bring everyone in the community together on the radio with plenty of requests and dedications. What a stunning success. Over half the village joined us on-air to take part.

The Wake party was the brain child of producer Carol Price with Swansbrook’s top DJ Colin James in control of the ‘turntables’.

Programme Controller, Stuart Knowles, says:
“With virtually everything else in the Parish closed down and people in isolation, we’re really proud people are tuning into Swansbrook Radio. With the parish magazine, sadly, not publishing during lockdown, our new feature and publication ‘The Feckenham Informer” is providing that vital link to let people know what’s happening and what support is available to help during these troubled times.”

Listen; go to www.swansbrook.com
Ends
More information: Stuart Knowles 07966 278 448
Email: [email protected]

Note to editors:
Feckenham’s own Swansbrook Radio is a local internet radio service for Feckenham and the surrounding villages in North Worcestershire.
Our aim is to provide a locally produced radio service to encourage a sense of community in the village of Feckenham and in the surrounding area. Swansbrook also aims to accumulate and curate a library of audio recordings to form a historical record for future generations. The station is entirely voluntarily run and, to date, is entirely self-funded.
The service now operating is limited only by the availability of personnel. There is a four hour “rotation” of programmes playing continuously 24 hours a day and this is refreshed as and when new programmes become available. Listeners can sign up to an update service to be informed by e-mail of new programmes added to the service.
In addition many programmes are now available to play “on demand” or download for listening when required. It is this service which will form the backbone of the historical archive planned by the station.
Get in touch...
We’d love to hear from you - especially if you have an idea for a programme, want to help in any way, want to advertise on air or even if you just want us to play your favourite tune! e-mail [email protected]

20/07/2020

NEW this week on Feckenham's Own..... Swansbrook Radio

Two brand new programmes from our team - plus a brand new News Bulletin and an updated edition of The Feckenham Informer.

https://soundcloud.com/user-973323022/20201007-feckinformer-skcj-ep004-od/s-MkLGwrnZTlR

https://soundcloud.com/user-973323022/20200719-heads-pfsk/s-OlhqODI7hI0

BARE FACED TAGALOGS
In HAPPY HOUR with Ian Bellion

We’re all masked avengers now - but who was Harold Smith and what has Marlene got to do with it? We’ve been to the seaside without leaving Feckenham and we’re off to Greece to learn how to cook some lovely flat balls. We’re tagging along with some Tagalogs, looking for the bare necessities and remembering a show where the necessities were very bare indeed.

GLOW WORMS ARE US!
In THE WAY WE WERE with Colin James

This week Colin’s On The Radio again but so is Donna Summer and Happy Jack… Who? Spike Jones has got a touch of the Glow Worms and there may be Danger Ahead as our top DJ creeps up on Brenda Lee - “Here Comes that Feeling” the poor girl cries, wondering if he’ll ask her to go Kissing in the Back Row. Where else would you find such a variety of music - enjoy and Take Your Time with Buddy Holly.

Listen to Swansbrook at
swansbrook.com

Get in touch with us through
[email protected]

27/06/2020

FECKENHAM WAKE IS CANCELLED....BUT...
Saturday, 27th June should have been the day of Feckenham Wake. There should have been brass bands, pig roasts, sideshows and all the fun of the fair. All that’s been cancelled because of the pandemic…. so Swansbrook Radio has decided to do something to cheer us all up!
We may not be able to get together for a proper party - but we can all party at the same time with Swansbrook’s non-stop disco hits.
Light up the barbie, pour out the Prosecco, crack open some tinnies and dance the night away in your garden, patio, living room or laundry cupboard. Dance along with your neighbours, family and friends (at a safe distance!).

Hosted by DJ Colin James - and friends.

Join us - join in! We’d like everyone to enjoy the greatest party you can have without leaving home!

JOIN THE PARTY
Go to www.swansbrook.com

ALSO TONIGHT...

WAKES WE HAVE LOVED
ten years of radio from Feckenham
To mark Wake weekend, Paul Furey and Stuart Knowles bring us highlights from Wakes over the last ten years. A real flavour of the event and a look forward to better times ahead. Who can forget Paul getting into a zorb; talking to a horse and his dogs doing the wrong kind of business at the dog show? We take a tour of the popular stalls and events. There will be vintage cars, steam engines, pig roasts and the very best from the Arrow Valley Brass Band. Another chance to hear Liz Atkins from 2013 when she gave a short history behind this event – when times were a little simpler.
Ten years ago this weekend Swansbrook Radio was born in the guise of WAKE FM. We celebrate with some unforgettable highlights and one or two low-lights!
Listen LIVE at 5pm and 10 pm TODAY
and at 2am; 4am; 8am; 12pm; 4pm; 8pm from Sunday

01/06/2020

NEW this week on Feckenham's Own.....Swansbrook Radio

Three new programmes to help you cope with unsettling times...

THE JOY OF JUNE
In CLASSICAL SWANSBROOK with Chris Fletcher
Summer has arrived and Chris greets it with gusto as Mozart lets his hair down, Vaughan Williams fantasises and Philip Glass counts The Hours. Lovely celebrations of the season from Glazunov, Rodrigo and Berlioz while Ditters von Dittersdorf does something incredible with an oboe.

DOING THE DURHAM DASH
In HAPPY HOUR with Ian Bellion
We’ll frolic in the fields where the buttercups grow - and that’s most of them with the Council mowers being out of action. We’ll be obeying government guidelines - even though the government itself can’t obey them. We’ve found some jolly songs about Little Dommie Cummings and his splendid drive in the country. We’ve also got some music for a Feckenhamster with a sore arm and some thoughts on who might come to dinner - even if the desert is chocolate moose.

MELLOW BUT NOT YELLOW
In THE WAY WE WERE with Colin James
Colin loves a good b*m on a woman - or so Jake Thackeray says. He’s also quite partial to a Boom Bang a Bang with Lulu - but he draws the line at riding a White Swan like T-Rex. Donovan’s a bit rude - Colin has never looked Mellow Yellow - he’s actually quite tanned since he Let the Sun Shine In. In fact he’s so fit that they used to call him The Leader of The Pack…. Those Were the Days!

LISTEN AT: swansbrook.com

GET IN TOUCH: [email protected]

12/05/2020

We're appealing...
..Swansbrook Radio is free... no licence fee or subscription to pay. We're all volunteers so there are no wages to pay...but unfortunately we do have expenses - we have to pay for the music we play, the software we use and the equipment we break.
We've recently been hit with some rather large bills for software licences so we'd appreciate a little help from our friends. If you can spare a few coppers to keep Swansbrook on the air we'd be ever so grateful - we're not looking for millions - just a few quid to keep us solvent.
There are "Donate" buttons on all pages of our website - just a couple of clicks will make all the difference! Many Thanks.

11/05/2020

NEW this week on Feckenham's Own.....Swansbrook Radio
Three brand new programmes this week - plus a new NEWS BULLETIN - all the latest on Feckenham in lockdown. You can hear the News live on the hour, every hour - or ON DEMAND

A LITTLE BIT OF NORMAL?
In THE BROADSHEET with Stuart Knowles
News of a photo completion to raise cash for ‘feckthevirus’ and to get us snapping during lockdown. We visit the village shop as staff celebrate VE day. Also, news from the Parish council and County Council and the ‘Feckenham Informer’ – essential information and contact details what’s open, how to get help and what the GP is doing.
Kathy Gee joins us with news of an event on the high street and explains she can see the first signs of green shoots of hope. And we go down onto the street to test opinion about lockdown. What do people in Feckenham really think?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY HOUR
In HAPPY HOUR with Ian Bellion
Somehow we seem to have clocked up 200 editions of Happy Hour - so we’re going to celebrate…in a modest sort of way. We had planned a party in the pub but, as we’re all locked down/up, we’re making do with a picnic at an undisclosed location - come and join us. Bring a bottle and a nibble or two.. and do remember to keep 2 metres away from everybody and everything. We’ll save the big bash for the 250th edition - keep listening folks!

GNOMES ON THE MOON
In THE WAY WE WERE with Colin James
Colin aims to distract and delight during strange times - He’ll fly you to the moon, let the sun shine in and light your fire. Brenda Lee’s back - she’s Walking to New Orleans - how else is she to get there? Larry Adler is searching for his Melancholy Baby and David Bowie is seeing Laughing Gnomes after drinking Jimmy James’ Red, Red Wine.

Listen to Swansbrook at
swansbrook.com

Get in touch with us through
[email protected]

09/05/2020

Swansbrook Radio covering VE day events at the Village Shop but using that ubiquitous pole for social distancing!

27/04/2020

NEW this week on Feckenham's Own...... Swansbrook Radio

Three cracking good programmes to help you weather the current difficulties PLUS an audio version of our Feckenham Informer newsletter packed with useful contacts and suggestions. There's a printable version too for you to pass on to people who may not be able to access the internet.

IT’S A GOOD NEWS DAY IN FECKENHAM… AND NONE OF IT FAKE!
In THE BROADSHEET with Stuart Knowles
We talk to Dr Gilly Cooper back on the front-line for the NHS from her living room. Feckenham’s ‘scrub-hub’ is in full flow as Deb Deane leads the way in making PPE for the Alex and Barbara Wheatley has a new regular evening service – the perfect antidote to all that depressing stuff on other news programmes!
Plus a new feature; ‘The Feckenham Informer’ with a bang up to date guide with essential information as to what’s available, essential services and how to get help if you need. Plus, Kathy Gee with a unique perspective to help us survive the two-dimensional world of on-line social contact…

A BIT OF FRESH AIR
In HAPPY HOUR with Ian Bellion
We’re all allowed out for an hour of exercise each day. Ian invites you to join him on his daily stroll around Feckenham. On the way we reanimate some ancient machinery, find out why n**e sunbathing might be inadvisable for some, ask if the answer really does lie in the soil and find out the best place to get a slightly soiled sofa. Get your walking shoes on - you can reward yourself with a stiff drink at the end.

ZOO BEE ZOO BEE ZOO
In THE WAY WE WERE with Colin James
Who’d have thought that Sophia Loren would stoop so low or that Peter Sellers would aim so high? The Monkees fraternising with The Yardbirds? Deep Purple singing and being sung about? Mungo Jerry wondering if the Three Degrees will ever be seen again in the Summertime? What on earth is happening - Colin will explain.

Listen to Swansbrook at
swansbrook.com

Get in touch with us through
[email protected]

20/04/2020

NEW this week on Feckenham's Own....
We may all be confined to barracks but there's no reason why, with the help of the radio, we shouldn't let our imaginations range far and wide. We've two new programmes this week to amuse and intrigue - and please check our Information Page regularly for helpful things in a time of crisis - we update it as soon as we hear about anything new or changed.

ALL HAIL SAINT BILL
In HAPPY HOUR with Ian Bellion
Things could be worse - It’s an ill wind that blows no good. At least Nude-Fest is postponed, a murderous barrel throwing game is off and the worms of Devon can remain uncharmed. We’ll discover a new use for excess spaghetti and toilet roll middles, do a riverdance with a goddess and elevate a bard to the sainthood on his birthday - all this and spot of good music too. Tune in - there’s no point in being bored in isolation!

KAISER BILL'S WIZZARD
In THE WAY WE WERE with Colin James
When it’s all getting too much, when the world seems a terrible place… who else can we turn to but the man who knows who Kaiser Bill’s Batman was, why Jethro Tull is living in the past, what happens if you touch Diana Ross in the morning and what makes Jackie Wilson get the sweetest feeling? Colin James reveals all the answers!

Listen to Swansbrook at
swansbrook.com

Get in touch with us through
[email protected]

PICTURED: COLIN JAMES TAKES TO THE CONTROLS....

04/04/2020

REQUESTS AND DEDICATIONS FOR EASTER ON SWANSBROOK RADIO

STAY IN TOUCH WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

If you'd like to say hello to friends and family, and send your best wishes and messages then just drop us a line at [email protected] or just send your message here and we'll do the rest.

swansbrook.com

30/03/2020

NEW this week on Feckenham's Own......SWANSBROOK RADIO

As we all stay at home to combat the virus Swansbrook has ramped up production - so this email is a bit bigger than usual. There's lots of information and oodles of entertainment and, if you're a churchgoer, there's a brand new series just for you - Meditations with Clare Furey. Local programmes for local people!

There's also a page on our website with useful information and contact details - swansbrook.com

NEWS BULLETIN
Just updated, you can listen live on the hour, every hour or click here
http://archive.swansbrook.com/upload/HEADS/20200328-HEADS-SPK.mp3

LOOKING FOR THE SILVER
In HAPPY HOUR with Ian Bellion
Time-Out has become Time-In - but what is there to do? Where is there to go when we’re not allowed to go anywhere? Fear not - Happy Hour is on the case. We’ve found a great theatrical occasion to enjoy from your sofa, some exotic animals to feed without risking a nip and some silly suggestions from the capital. We’ll also chat about the world’s first pop idol and the joys of party lines - nice music too.

APRIL SOOTHERS
In CLASSICAL SWANSBROOK with Chris Fletcher
In troubled times we turn to music for comfort. Who better to sooth us than Handel, Mozart, Vivaldi, Bach and Mascagni. Chris presents a wide ranging selection of established favourites alongside some you wont have heard of but may grow to love.

PUPPETS IN THE PARK
In THE WAY WE WERE with Colin James
Colin meets an old flame with no shoes, looks up a Girl called George and a medicine woman called Lily. Although A Kind of Hush has descended on the country Colin can hear the music as he dances with his H***y Tonk Woman. Join him if you love music and hate the Sound of Silence.

YOU'LL NEVER FEEL ALONE
In THE BROADSHEET with Stuart Knowles UPDATED
Things have been moving fast in Feckenham - there are new things and things that won't happen anymore. This edition of The Broadsheet has been extensively updated to make sure the information for our village in lockdown is correct.

Listen to Swansbrook at
swansbrook.com

Get in touch with us through
[email protected]

Swansbrook Radio

27/07/2020

20/07/2020

20/07/2020

27/06/2020

01/06/2020

12/05/2020

11/05/2020

09/05/2020

27/04/2020

20/04/2020

04/04/2020

30/03/2020

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