Bromley Buzz

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. 

Episode 38: Start Up Bromley

'Start Up Bromley' is a selection of free services that has been helping people starting and growing businesses in Bromley. In our conversation with Martin Stone and Loretta Awuah, Martin confirms the service is to confirm beyond its initial March 2022 end. We talk about what is on offer at the three libraries involved - Bromley central, Biggin Hill, and Orpington - including workshops, a members directory, and the imminent 'March Madness' schedule including a conference, a business pitch competition with cash prizes, a video featuring participating businesses, and the already established coaching sessions. We go into how the service began, and its value to the libraries themselves.    
Check out Start Up Bromley here: www.better.org.uk/library/london/bromley/bromley-central-library/start-up-bromley.
 

Episode 37: Your Bromley ups its buzz online

The Bromley Buzz wants the high streets in Bromley to be thriving and happy, so we can buzz about them! The Your Bromley people, who brought you themed book benches and random snowmen in the town centre, today launch a new look and new content for their website. It  helps people wanting to enjoy Bromley's shops and services and adds more buzz to the borough. There is a new brand, better reflecting the people in the town centre, a "gem" of a members portal for 527 local businesses, information and contacts for businesses wanting to set up in the town centre, volunteering information, and more.
The website?  https://yourbromley.com 
Your Bromley are also known as the 'Bromley BID'. We interview Andy Bawn and Zoe Griffiths from the Bromley BID team. You can find out what that means, too! Happy feet are involved, that's what we said, anyway.... Also covered in the interview are some of Bromley's best-kept secrets, dog-friendly beer, David Bowie (sung badly), turtle repairs, upcoming events, and elfies. Not Selfies. That wasn't a typo. Enjoy the episode.
Your Bromley are on social media too - Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, and  Instagram .

Episode 36 - with Sir Bob Neill, MP; CASPA; and Hairspray

Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. 
We talk about two exciting nights at the Churchill Theatre including Hairspray, which runs until Saturday 12th February, with help from audience members who we talk to after the show, on their way to... buy tickets to see it again. Seriously.  
What does Sir Bob Neill, MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, love about Bromley? Listen to him talk on that topic in an excerpt from the full interview to follow separately. We also talk with staff from the charity CASPA, which provides support to autistic children and young people, and also to their families. 
We cover some local News and What's On, 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 35: Loneliness is everybody’s business - interview with Councillor Aisha Cuthbert

Darren Weale interviews Councillor Aisha Cuthbert about Bromley's Tackling Loneliness Strategy. 
Corrections from the audio - Aisha is Tackling Loneliness Champion, not Loneliness Champion, and the late MP involved in the initiative nationally was Jo Cox, not Jo Good.
Aisha explains her personal reasons for taking up this role, the importance of mental health, and talks about plans including Community Champions, a new directory, the Tackling Loneliness page, and the importance of Community Links Bromley. Bromley Well, Age UK Bromley and Greenwich, and the University of the Third Age (U3A) in Bromley are also discussed. As she says, though, "Loneliness is everybody's business."

Episode 34: Tackling Loneliness, Start Up Bromley, CLUEDO, and annoying bathroom habits

Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. 
Hear an interview sample with Martin and Loretta from the Start Up Bromley team, in which they talk about their business coaching programme and and 'March Madness' which brings with it a conference, a business pitch competition (open for entries until 9th February), a spring marketplace event, and a film about Start Up Bromley.
We feature part of an interview to be fully released soon with Bromley's Tackling Loneliness Champion, Cllr Aisha Cuthbert, on the Council's Tackling Loneliness Strategy. We review the Cluedo show at the Churchill Theatre, which runs until Saturday 5th February, with help from audience members who we talk to after the show and we conclude it is, 'Bouyant... yowzer... and a Masterpiece'.  
We deliver a 'Petts Wood Super Buzz' covering Laura's Larder; Fancies; Owens Imaging and getting a passport photo in 2022.
News includes cocaine (!), a grant scheme across Lewisham/Bromley, Pixie Lott's bling in the Daily Mail, and we have our regular Spotted On Social section, plus an alarming discussion of annoying bathroom habits.
Zeenat provides her regular empowering question, and Darren adds an affirmation this week.
We are spreading the love! Do listen in and share the Buzz. You can find us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. #bromleybuzz

Episode 33: Interview with Trustee Omar at the Al-Emaan Centre, Keston

In this episode of the Bromley Buzz podcast, Darren Weale interviews Omar, a Trustee of the Al-Emaan Centre, or Mosque, in Keston, from within the building. Omar explains the meaning of the name of the centre, talks about the call to prayer, and reflects on the history and design of the mosque.
A local doctor, Omar provides an insight into his own upbringing and how local Muslim people came together before the centre officially opened in 2016, as it approaches its 6th anniversary in 2022. 
We take in other topics such as prophetic remedies, the sisters circle, socks, and the importance of cake in the life of the mosque, notably in the Bromley Three Faiths Group, and in Peace of Cake walks. Omar describes charity work undertaken with a community centre in Penge and with a local church in Hayes. He also talks about the outreach undertaken with local schools and scout groups, the covid vaccination clinic, and he invites listeners to email and visit the centre.
The Al-Emaan website is here, Facebook here, Twitter here, and Instagram here.

Episode 32 - feat. Al-Emaan Centre and special HITIO Gym guests from Norway

Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. The show starts with the beautiful sounds of part of the Muslim call to prayer recorded live in Bromley - and the show ends with it played in full. That was recorded when we interviewed Trustee Omar from inside the Al-Emaan Centre, or Mosque, in Keston (the full interview to follow in a Special episode) and Norwegians Per Pedersen and Fredrik Bjernaes of the HITIO gym on the opening day of the HITIO gym in Orpington. 
Along with plenty of other content, we preview another interview that will be published soon, one with Bromley's Tackling Loneliness Champion, Cllr Aisha Cuthbert, on the Council's Tackling Loneliness Strategy. We, typically, enthuse about local food and drink, and talk about the recent Rotary Youth Awards ceremony. We have a stab (!) at the solution to 'whodunnit' at the Cluedo show at Bromley's Churchill theatre coming soon, and celebrate local charity work and share the Bromley Little Theatre's upcoming eco-production of Wind in the Willows.
We mention the Mayor of Bromley appearing on the Mindset Matters show on 28th January, and The Joy of Being Selfish, for the second week running - but for different reasons....
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