Bromley Buzz

Episode 57: Dr Sam Parrett, CBE, of London South East Colleges

Dr Sam Parrett CBE is Group Principal and CEO of London & South Education Group, which comprises London South East Colleges with eight campuses across the region and London South East Academies Trust with eight schools across Bromley, Bexley and Surrey.
She joins Bromley Buzz podcast co-presenters Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale on Zoom for a very full interview covering the provision of vocational adult and higher education for over 13,000 students, and offering industry standard facilities and teachers – serving the LSEC ethos of preparing people for working lives.
Sam talks about serving young people starting in life and older people retraining, and seeing both often going on to start their own businesses.
Sam's background is covered and the growth of LSEC and its becoming a social enterprise seeking to deliver a Career Advantage to its students by making their experience in the college more than an education. She refers to working with primary schools, Special Educational Needs provision, mental health, and college recruitment and its new 4 day working week offer. 
Look out for the Bromley Campus Open Event on 29th June. Sam refers to another, recruitment, event, but the date for this passed before this podcast was published.
We also cover more diverse topics including hairdressing, the BR6 restaurant, and Sam's proudest time at LSEC.

Episode 56: Mayor of Bromley, Councillor Hannah Grey

The new Mayor of Bromley, Cllr Hannah Grey, talks on her first full day in office to Bromley Buzz podcast co-presenters Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale.
Hannah shares her love of the people of the borough, and introduces her chosen Mayoral charities, Everybreath and Bromley Care Leavers Come Dine with Us Project. She talks about her upcoming Ukrainian event, the Mayor's Ball on 19th November at Oakley House, the Volunteers Day, her team including Deputy Mayor Cllr Christine Harris, and Chaplain Major Angela Strickland of the Salvation Army’s Bromley Temple. People, passion and progress - her inaugural speech themes - come up, as does her podcast, the Spitfire experience prize draw, the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in Bromley, mental health, sparkly shoes, Bromley Arts Festival, and her own background. You can look out for a separate interview with Hannah in Life in Bromley magazine soon too. 
We are spreading the love! Do listen in and share the Buzz. You can find us on our website www.bromleybuzz.co.uk, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. #bromleybuzz and - as Hannah says - #ProudOfBromley
The Mayor of Bromley's website is here, her Twitter @MayorofBromley0, her Instagram here, her Facebook here, and her You Tube here.

Episode 55: Romans, Drag, and Cup Final

Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. 
This episode features interviews with Andy Woodman, Manager of Bromley FC ahead of the FA Trophy final, drag artist That Girl from the monthly Drag Bingo at the Bridge House Theatre in Penge, and Dr Brian Philp at the Crofton Roman Villa in Orpington.
All this and much more, plus Zeenat provides her regular empowering question....
We are spreading the love! Do listen in and share the Buzz. You can find us on our website www.bromleybuzz.co.uk, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. #bromleybuzz
#ProudOfBromley

Episode 54: Andy Woodman, Bromley FC Manager, before Wembley final

Bromley is on its way to Wembley! Bromley Football Club to be precise.
Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale talk with Ravens' Manager Andy Woodman ahead of the FA Trophy Final at Wembley on Sunday 22nd May, in one of the most significant games in the one hundred and thirty year history of the club. 
Thanks to the club and to Head of Marketing, Charlotte Richardson, who also speaks in the interview.
Also, we wished Andy and the club the very best of luck on Sunday. Go to the game if you can: tickets available through the club website here.
We are spreading the love (of Bromley FC in this show)! Do listen in and share the Bromley Buzz. You can find us on our website www.bromleybuzz.co.uk, and on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. #bromleybuzz
 

Episode 53: LGBTQ+ and Bromley, Bethlem and more

Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. 
This episode features interviews with Alex Thomas of Metro Charity which provides services and get togethers, sometimes with guest dog, for eligible LGBTQ+ people in Bromley, and ours and audience views of A Murder Is Announced at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley, on until 14th May. We visited the Bethlem Museum of the Mind and Bethlem Art Gallery and talk at length about that profound experience, and we reflect on the recent Council elections, U3A in Bromley, a visit to the Farmers Market at Biggin Hill Memorial Museum, Bromley's viral TikTok video, and much more. We record once again from the Newman Flexible Workspace and say just how much we loved seeing Shakespeare In Love at Bromley Little Theatre (on 6th-14th May).
All this and much more, plus Zeenat provides her regular empowering question, or, in fact, two of them....
We are spreading the love! Do listen in and share the Buzz. You can find us on our website www.bromleybuzz.co.uk, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. #bromleybuzz

Episode 52: Chislehurst, Bromley Arts Festival and deep-fried mars bars

Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. 
This episode features interviews from the Steering Committee of the Bromley Arts Festival (1st-31st July) and with 'serial volunteers' Alison Stammers and Michael Jack of the Chislehurst Matters party ahead of the 5th May local elections. Rather than talk about what they're campaigning on, we talk about their background, their community, and how to start a political party! Plus we discover their favourite dishes at Ginger Spices. 
We accidentally welcome Sophie of the Newman Flexible Workspace (where we recorded) to the show, learn where Zeenat's favourite ever sausage roll can be found, and look forward to Shakespeare In Love at Bromley Little Theatre (on 6th-14th May).  
All this and much more, plus Zeenat provides her regular empowering question, and a bonus Affirmation....
We are spreading the love! Do listen in and share the Buzz. You can find us on our website www.bromleybuzz.co.uk, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. #bromleybuzz

Episode 51: Gareth Bacon, MP for Orpington

Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale talk exclusively with Gareth Bacon, Member of Parliament for Orpington - who also joined us as guest co-presenter in episode 31 of the Bromley Buzz podcast here and is interviewed at Orpington Football Club in episode 28 here. 
We learn about Gareth's life and career, his interest in politics and sport, and his journey to becoming MP for Orpington via being a member of the Greater London Authority, and now, newly, Parliamentary Private Secretary to Jacob Rees-Mogg. We ask what an MP does, and what is dominating Gareth's 300 emails-a-day postbag from his constituents. Gareth talks about 'Orpington Heroes' and other local stories including Orpington's Children Business Fair, which returns on 16th July.
You can listen to earlier interviews with Gareth's fellow local MP's: Sir Bob Neill (Bromley and Chislehurst) here, and Bob Stewart (Beckenham) here. We look forward to talking with Ellie Reeves (Lewisham West and Penge) soon.
We are spreading the love! Do listen in and share the Buzz. You can find us on our website www.bromleybuzz.co.uk, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. #bromleybuzz

Episode 50: Ramadan, Art launch, Life In Bromley, and Looking Good Dead

Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. 
What did a member of the audience and the Bromley Buzz presenting duo think of Looking Good Dead at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley (on until 23rd April)? What was the Community Iftar at the Al-Emaan Centre in Keston? What did local artist Beci Ward have to say about her new mural at the GPO Orpington? Listen to the answers to these questions in the new episode of the Bromley Buzz podcast, and hear Lauretta Wright, Editor of Life In Bromley magazine, read out her editorial introduction to the new May issue.  
All this and much more as we record from the GPO Orpington and elsewhere for the new episode.
Zeenat provides her regular empowering question.
We are spreading the love! Do listen in and share the Buzz. You can find us on our website www.bromleybuzz.co.uk, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. #bromleybuzz