Yes, you’re right, that was me on Drive Time at @PCRFM with David Edgeworth!!!
It’s been a while since I was first invited to speak with Peterborough Community Radio so I thought it was about time I paid them a visit. It’s great to see a host of volunteers giving their time to an independent radio station, and yes they are all volunteers doing it for the love of it… and that’s what I like. We Love Peterborough is all about loving where you live – and they love doing what they do on the radio. Great stuff guys!
So, today is the day. Nervous? Yes, a little bit as I’ve never done a radio interview before. I’ve been in a radio station years ago, you might remember Hereward Radio when it was on Bridge Street. The funny thing is that I wasn’t at PCRFM to promote We Love Peterborough but more to see how they do things and to promote them… strange how things turn out, so let’s do this double act.
I get shown around both studios with Dave and see stacks of CD’s, which to be fair they don’t use much of now, machinery, computer software and it’s a lovely setup. It’s great when you see a new area that you’ve never been into before come to life. Computers are amazing, aren’t they! Being able to plot what’s playing when, choose tracks, add adverts and music, start it, stop it…. On David’s show there’s a Fish & Chips competition where you have to guess the song that’s played for a short few bars.. not difficult you say, BUT, it’s played backward, Ha! Tonight’s will have you on your feet and arms in the air at any party (hint).
Just a little bit about them…Two years ago Radio Peterborough and Peterborough FM merged to become Peterborough Community Radio and in short PCRFM. You’ll find them tucked away in the community centre at Herlington, Orton Malborne just across from the Spar shop – which is useful when your host runs out of milk when offering you a coffee…..LOL.
Looking around there are two studios, both fully equipped with the latest technology and gadgets as well as hooking up on the Internet which helps for drive time and what trains are not on time… and that’s the show I’m on today. (Drive Time with David Edgeworth from 5-7pm) The station is supported by Peterborough City Council and Cross Keys who have enabled the premises to be developed into the station as well as a community drop-in centre so there’s an area where you can use the pc, use the tables, etc. The radio station basically aims to give a professional local community radio service across the city of Peterborough. As I said earlier everyone who works for the station is a volunteer as it’s a ‘not for profit’ enterprise.
So back to our interview…Jingles played, music played and we need a bit of drive time info, so David checks what’s happening where: all clogged up from Thorney and Guyhirn and also problems, as usual, on Fletton Parkway – what’s new I hear all you commuting home say through gritted teeth, whilst I’m sat here in a warm studio watching black road lines turn red. It’s great when you don’t have to sit in the rush-hour traffic!
David made me feel at ease, a great host, well as relaxed as I can be… 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, so let’s start with: What is and where can you find WLP… – We’re on Facebook and online, and what’s that article that was disclosed in the Mail today about Peterborough being the top of the list of the worst place to live?!?!? A load of old rubbish. Well, I believe Peterborough’s definitely NOT the worst and I’m sure some of you will do too. (Mail Article: England’s worst place to live) Whoever voted and wrote this rubbish should be shot or better still – MOVE!
I’m saying how nice Peterborough is when you really look at it. Every city has areas or places you don’t like, but at the end of the day it also has some great places to.. let’s name a few:
- Ferry Meadows,
- Peterborough Cathedral,
- Flag Fen,
- Central Park,
- the Lido,
- Orton Mere
…are just some of the great places to visit.
Activities? we have lots for you to do including:
- Ice Rink,
- Bounce Trampolines,
- Nene Valley Railway,
- Railworld Wildlife Haven,
- Laser Games, Escape Games, tennis, bowls, bowling,
- A huge cinema
- Ample theatre spaces around the city.. and much more.
Peterborough is expanding, all cities gain and lose shops it’s a fact of life.. but we’ve got Queensgate, Serpentine Green, Retail One, Brotherhoods and lots of little micro shopping centres out of the city. Also, on top of that when you walk around places like the Embankment, along the River Nene and NVR, around the Cathedral or around where you live, you can really see how pretty Peterborough can be too.
How many followers are in our ‘little’ group? Well, it’s not so little now with 10,700 followers and I feel so proud that you do follow us here and like to know what’s going on with events around the city, what’s cooking in some of our new restaurants, what bargain you can bag with offers from local companies.
And then our interview is over, really? That quick? All done and dusted! A nice time and we’ve made two new friends.. Craig and David. So, next time you want to tune in to a Peterborough station, try PCRFM! You’ll find them on 103.2fm and on the Internet at www.pcrfm.co.uk.
As a note for We Love Peterborough….we urge you to keep following us here online for information, on Facebook for most of our news and all events, and on Instagram for some lovely photos.
And of course, THANK YOU to you all for following us in the first place!
Listen to our interview on PCRFM here!
