Bromley Buzz

Episode 46 - Community Green Hub opens, Love Da Beat Radio, and more

Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. 
In a show introduced in Polish by Joanna of the Polo Market in Bromley, We cover the launch of the Community Green Hub in The Glades in Bromley, visit Love Da Beat Radio in Penge, and regret the absence of prosecco when recording the show. We cover lots of What’s On, including at West Wickham’s Theatre 62. 
Zeenat provides her regular empowering question.
We are spreading the love! Do listen in and share the Buzz. You can find us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. #bromleybuzz

Episode 45: From the Bridge House Theatre in Penge

We recently interviewed Joseph and Luke, the actor-masterminds behind the Bridge House Theatre in Penge and the multi-talented Dusty, the Executive Director at the theatre. They talk about the highly varied output of the theatre, taking it over as an 'empty black box' and throwing themselves 'heart soul and mortgage' into it. They talk about the latest and upcoming productions, the latest at time of posting being Under Electric Candlelight. Lots of ground is covered including their contribution to the community, mental health, and good causes, and hiring out space for rehearsals and such diverse activities as yoga classes. 
 

Episode 44: Bob Stewart, MP for Beckenham, interviewed

Colonel Bob Stewart, DSO, is the Member of Parliament for Beckenham. He said to us, "Give a politician a platform and he just goes on." It was a pleasure to give Bob a platform, as he is a fascinating interviewee.
In a candid and at times touching interview via Zoom with Darren Weale and Sarah Marsh-Collings, Bob talked about his military career including some of its most harrowing moments, his interest in the welfare of ex soldiers and he tells "stories I wish people would hear", touches on the 106th Royal Artillery at Grove Park (interview with Warrant Office Mark Cain here), what Remembrance Day means to him, and the war in the Ukraine. 
He talks about friendships across political boundaries and fellow Bromley MP Ellie Reeves, his in at the deep end introduction to political selection, helping people and intervening for them as an MP, middle class poverty, property ownership and the young, the care of the elderly, and the NHS.
This is an episode in which it is particularly recommended you listen right up to the end.
You can also find Bob Stewart on Facebook.

Episode 43: Talking with two local MP’s, and interviews from Orpington FC and Laura’s Larder 2nd anniversary

Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. 
Beckenham member of parliament Bob Stewart tells us about his love of Bromley and Beckenham in an excerpt from a full interview to be published soon, and we go pitch side to Orpington Football Club (more in episode 15) to interview 'sports fanatic' Gareth Bacon, MP for Orpington, and speak with new club sponsor Surinder Manak of Manak's solicitors, new Trustee Neil, and Simon Morris on the club's SEN team.
Other show content includes Start Up Bromley, Blackheath and Bromley Harriers, the British Blues Exhibition and Bromley Court Hotel, Dancing on Ice/Brendan Cole, Mindset Matters - Cllr Aisha Cuthbert (more here and here), Monica Cruz, Life In Bromley magazine, interviews from the 2nd anniversary of Laura's Larder in Petts Wood, and news via Orpington 1st all come up.
Zeenat provides her regular empowering question.
We are spreading the love! Do listen in and share the Buzz. You can find us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. #bromleybuzz

Episode 42: Snapshot; Theatre in Bromley

In this episode we talk about theatre in Bromley, from Bromley's 'West End' - the Churchill Theatre - to amateur dramatics in the village halls of the borough. We talk with Pauline Armour, Artistic Director of Bromley Little Theatre. She is also directing the upcoming show Taken at Midnight, playing between 11th and 19th March. We also review The Addams Family at the Churchill Theatre, which runs until Saturday 5th March, and have a few words from members of the audience who saw the show. 
Enjoy local theatre! Not forgetting Beckenham Theatre, Bromley Community Arts Theatre, the Bridge House Theatre in Penge, the Chelsfield Players, and the Farnborough Dramatic Society.

Episode 41: exclusive interview with Johannes Radebe

Johannes Radebe is an iconic dancer who appeared on TV's The Graham Norton Show on the same day he was interviewed by Darren and Zeenat of the Bromley Buzz! As he says ahead of his Freedom tour coming to Bromley's Churchill Theatre on 30th March, "I feel like the audiences here in the UK has an opportunity to see Johannes and experience Johannes and see what Johannes can do... I want to meet them more than they want to meet me, and I want to say thank you and then I will dance... there's just beautiful dancing and I want to do something that's true to me and authentic to me." Tickets here, tour website here, and don't forget other Strictly Come Dancing stars are heading to Bromley's Churchill Theatre: Joanne Clifton, Craig Revel-Horwood, Giovanni Pernice, Ore Oduba, Anton Du Beke, and Oti Mabuse. You can listen to our earlier interview with Kevin Clifton here. Interviewing Johannes was a delight and a Mega Buzz!

Episode 40: Johannes Radebe, Waitress and Hairspray musicals, Rotary Bromley and more

Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. 
We talk about two exciting nights at the Churchill Theatre including, in Stop Press! at the end of the show, audience members take on the musical Waitress, which runs until Saturday 26th February (tickets here), and we talk with actor Paul Hutton who appeared in Hairspray, which is now touring elsewhere in the UK. Before that, we get very excited talking exclusively with dancer Johannes Radebe before his Freedom show tours the UK and lands in Bromley on 30th March (tickets here). We speak with people at the book launch of Michelle Elman's 'The Importance of Being Selfish' at Waterstones in Bromley where she talked with Megan Jayne Crabbe, have a speech and interview from the Rotary Youth Awards, a snippet of advice from Nancy James at a Start Up Bromley workshop on branding. And we talk bubble tea, bubble tea espresso martinis, poetry at the Al-Emaan Centre, review a Farnborough Dramatic Society production, and much more.   
We cover some local News and What's On, including the Rotary Youth Awards, and Zeenat provides her regular empowering question.
We are spreading the love! Do listen in and share the Buzz. You can find us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. #bromleybuzz

Episode 39: interview with Sir Bob Neill MP

Sir Bob Neill is the Member of Parliament for Bromley and Chislehurst. Appropriately as Sir Bob is a supporter of the Arts, Darren Weale and Sarah Marsh-Collings interview him at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley when the Churchill Singers are rehearsing nearby.
We talk about his life including his career as a barrister – “a tidied up version of Rumpole of the Bailey” – when he discovered that a famous crime was plotted in Chislehurst. Sir Bob talks about what an MP does, how he became one, and then becoming a Minister of State. He describes the value of MP’s, his joy and relief of being first elected, and then his first steps as a new MP, which was a “pretty frantic time… the first couple of years were absolutely manic”. We ask about his local and national work that has made him proud, his role in organising the 2012 Olympics, and about his priorities for the future. Sir Bob tells us what he loves about Bromley, and the importance to him personally of support services for people who have suffered a stroke. We also bring a moment or two of parliamentary banter to life from the Churchill Theatre.