Local Life on Mix 92.6

Beware the killer plants!

October 31, 2019 16:19 - 20.4 MB

A special for Halloween week - tales of man eating plants, killer orchids, trees looking for revenge and more botanical Gothic tales - as collected for her new anthology by local researcher Daisy Butcher.

Imogen Slaughter – actor

October 22, 2019 19:54 - 17.2 MB

With her wide experience ranging from repertory and summer seasons to the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, from stage to TV and more, Imogen Slaughter - a local resident - talks about her career so far and about the pressures and pleasures of life as an actor, in the ongoing Local Life series "Me & My Job".

Little brown birds

October 15, 2019 20:22 - 3.7 MB

Nature correspondent Rupert Evershed is on the lookout for these 'Little Brown Jobs' that make up much of Britain's bird population.

What’s on in October & November

October 15, 2019 20:14 - 17.8 MB

Peter Burley previews music, theatre, talks and more - it's all coming up across the City & District in the next few weeks...

Ver Poets David and Gillian

October 04, 2019 14:29 - 16.6 MB

Two more Ver Poets - David van Cauter and Gillian Knibbs - read their selection of poems to add to the increasing store of local writers' work now available on Local Life's podcast series.

Concerts coming up in October

September 27, 2019 19:31 - 15.9 MB

David Ireson tells Jill Burridge about concerts and recitals due to be performed in the next few weeks at venues including St Peters, St Saviours, St Albans Cathedral, the Abbey Theatre Studio and the Western Auditorium in Hatfield.

Milkman by Anna Burns

September 27, 2019 19:06 - 17.8 MB

Local writer and teacher Clare Hobba tells Rob Pearman why she wanted to talk about Man Booker 2018 prize winner 'Milkman' by Anna Burns.

More from the Ver Poets

September 18, 2019 12:48 - 17.7 MB

Katharine Gallagher and Belize McKenzie offer a few of their poems for our pleasure and enjoyment.

Music, theatre, talks and events of many sorts

September 06, 2019 17:07 - 17.9 MB

Local Life's Events & Entertainment correspondent Peter Burley offers his preview of what's coming up in venues around the City and District over the next few weeks.

Looking for the Emperor

September 06, 2019 17:01 - 3.52 MB

Local nature expert Rupert Evershed is in search of butterflies but above all he wants to find The Purple Emperor.

Ian Hamilton – TV director & producer

August 29, 2019 13:50 - 16.9 MB

This month's guest in the series 'Me & My Job' on Local Life on Wednesday evening and Sunday morning is Ian Hamilton, TV producer/director. He lives locally but has worked everywhere from The London Palladium to the Australian Outback and most studios in between. He tells Jill Burridge about his career from early days on the first rung of the ladder at BBC Bristol to working with Ant & Dec, the late David Frost and many others.

National Allotment week Special

August 17, 2019 06:56 - 34 MB

The Good Morning St Albans team got together with the Cottonmill & Nunnery Allotment Association to explore the benefits of allotments and the effects of the River Ver development on the allotment for this National Allotment week special. Join Jonny Seabrook and Lady Jen as they explore the Cottonmill allotment with allotment holders Keith and [...]

Chris Delaney and Sandra Galton

August 15, 2019 15:56 - 16.6 MB

This month on Local Life, Ver Poets Chris Delaney and Sandra Galton share with us just a few of their poems, including several prize winning contributions.

What’s coming up soon?

August 09, 2019 16:01 - 8.79 MB

This month's preview by Peter Burley of events & entertainment coming up locally from mid-August to mid-September.

Returning nature to a British farm

August 09, 2019 15:57 - 3.84 MB

Nature correspondent Rupert Evershed looks for timely lessons for all in Isabella Tree's book 'Wilding' which describes the impact of efforts to restore nature to Knepp Farm in West Sussex.

Lincoln in the Bardo

August 01, 2019 20:49 - 17.1 MB

Rob Pearman tells regular reviewer Debbie Heath why he chose George Saunders' Man Booker prize winning novel 'Lincoln in the Bardo' for this edition in the series 'Talking about Books and Audiobooks'

Pam Firth:- psycho-social counsellor

July 28, 2019 17:14 - 19.3 MB

In the latest in the series "Me & My Job", Jill Burridge chats with Pam Firth, psycho-social counsellor in palliative care about this demanding and challenging work and about other work Pam has undertaken during her career internationally as well as in the St Albans area.

Two more short stories

July 19, 2019 14:48 - 13.8 MB

In the series by members of the BeauSandVer Writers Group, Nick Churton reads another of his short stories (An Unwanted Appearance) and then Clare Hobba brings us a longer story about 'The Ginger Beer Bug'.

They might bug you, but….

July 14, 2019 14:37 - 3.78 MB

Nature correspondent Rupert Evershed focuses on the importance of - and threat to - the insect species.

What’s on from mid-July to mid-August

July 14, 2019 14:26 - 10.2 MB

Peter Burley previews music, theatre and other events and entertainment around the City & District over the next few weeks.

Dominic Johnson – sports journalist & commentator

July 03, 2019 20:31 - 17.4 MB

He lives locally but he reports and commentates on football matches played around the world. Dominic Johnson gives an insider's view of working in one of the world's favourite sports and tells Rob Pearman how he built his career.

Roy Batt and Simon Cockle

July 03, 2019 20:19 - 13.9 MB

Two more Ver Poets read a selection of their poems in a series looking at the work of this much-acclaimed poetry society which meets in St Albans but has a national and international membership.

Local concerts from 29 June onwards

June 27, 2019 06:36 - 19.4 MB

David Ireson and Jill Burridge tell us about what's coming up in St Albans & Harpenden venues over the next few weeks (including the first concert in the Assembly Room at the new Museum + Gallery) in this final edition of In Concert before the summer break.

Local needs v need for tourists?

June 21, 2019 19:55 - 20 MB

Helen Burridge, Manager of St Albans BID, looks at the challenge for the City in meeting the needs of local people and the need to encourage more visitors.

Heading East and Postcard

June 11, 2019 14:27 - 7.39 MB

In the first in a series of short stories by the BeauSandVer Writers, Nick Churton reads two of his pieces: Heading East and Postcard.

Poems by Ver Poets

June 11, 2019 14:14 - 10.2 MB

In the first of this new series, two Ver Poets (Anna Avebury and Sylvia Banham) read some of their work.

Introduction to Ver Poets (2)

June 11, 2019 11:38 - 15.3 MB

In the second of two conversations, Terry Jones, Anna Avebury and Chris Delaney tell Rob Pearman about Ver Poets, who it is for, how it operates and about the annual competitions including the open event which welcomes non-members as well as members to submit entries. Once again, all three read poems of their choice. For more about Ver Poets, go to verpoets.co.uk.

Introduction to Ver Poets (1)

June 11, 2019 11:30 - 18.5 MB

In the first of two conversations, Ver Poets Terry Jones, Anna Avebury and Chris Delaney tell Rob Pearman how and why they became poets, what poetry means to them and why being a poet is open to anyone who is ready to commit to both inspiration and perspiration. All three read poems of their choice. For more about Ver Poets, go to verpoets.co.uk.

Tom Hammond – conductor

June 07, 2019 09:52 - 18.6 MB

Tom Hammond, Principal Conductor of St Albans Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Hertfordshire Festival of Music (June 13 - 23), chats with Jill Burridge about his career thus far, in the series 'Me & My Job'. (Links: tom-hammond.org.uk; @tomhammondmusic; hertsmusicfest.org.uk; saso.org.uk)

In Concert – June

May 31, 2019 09:17 - 17.5 MB

David Ireson chats with Jill Burridge about choral and orchestral performances in various venues around the City & District over the next few weeks.

Helen Gray – Hertfordshire Community Foundation

May 16, 2019 13:33 - 17.1 MB

Helen Gray, Director of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation, talks about her job and the many aspects of the Foundation (hertscf.org.uk) - including providing financial support for local charities, voluntary and other community groups as well as individuals in need, offering training courses for local organisations and volunteers, encouraging donations from local people and businesses, and managing funds to maximise their impact on the community of Hertfordshire.

What’s coming up in May/June

May 09, 2019 16:52 - 15.2 MB

Peter Burley previews events and entertainment of all sorts coming up in venues across the District in May and June.

Is it a mouse?

May 09, 2019 16:43 - 3.68 MB

No, it's a wren - one of the smallest British birds but also one of the noisiest, as Rupert Evershed explains.

The Lewis Man by Peter May

May 05, 2019 15:59 - 15.2 MB

Val Page introduces Rob Pearman to the work of prolific Scottish writer Peter May. The Lewis Man begins with the discovery of a body buried in the peat....

In Concert – May 2019

May 03, 2019 17:17 - 15.8 MB

This month's preview of choral and orchestral performances across the District, brought to you by David Ireson and Jill Burridge.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

April 25, 2019 20:11 - 15.9 MB

Local author of fiction for children, Camilla Chester, discusses the first of Hilary Mantel's planned trilogy about Thomas Cromwell with Local Life host Rob Pearman.

Clicks and bricks

April 25, 2019 20:02 - 14.8 MB

In the first of what is planned as a regular quarterly chat with Rob Pearman on Local Life, Helen Burridge (Manager of St Albans BID) looks at some of the challenges and opportunities facing local retailers.

Martine Croxall – BBC TV News

April 19, 2019 15:12 - 27.6 MB

Martine Croxall talks about her work as a BBC Television News journalist and presenter as well as her career path from local radio to national television. Fortunately for Local Life host Rob Pearman, Martine lives in St Albans and so was able to join him in the studio.

What’s on in April/May

April 05, 2019 14:45 - 15.3 MB

This month's preview of events & entertainment across the District ranges from mandalins to musicals, jazz to folk, choral to orchestral, punk to comedy, ballet to talks & lectures, solo singers to tribute bands, drama from Agatha Christie to Shakespeare. That sounds like enough for one month!

The Return of the Egrets

April 05, 2019 14:33 - 3.84 MB

This month, local nature correspondent Rupert Evershed tells the story of the return of the egrets and suggests a visit to Heron Watch, which can now be joined at Verulamium Lake every weekend from 11am to 3pm until 12 May.

April concerts in St Albans & Harpenden

April 02, 2019 14:39 - 15.3 MB

April brings an impressive variety of choral and orchestral performances across the District - at St Peter's and St Saviour's Churches and The Cathedral in St Albans, at St John's Church in Southdown, and at St George's School and the High Street Methodist Church in Harpenden. David Ireson tells Jill Burridge all about what each [...]

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

March 21, 2019 14:52 - 16.8 MB

Regular reviewer, Debbie Heath, tells Rob Pearman why she recommends Gail Honeyman's first novel 'Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine' (with excerpts from the audiobook).

Helen Burridge – St Albans BID

March 18, 2019 13:51 - 18.1 MB

Helen Burridge, Manager of St Albans Business Improvement District (BID), tells Rob Pearman how this organisation is working on behalf of all the businesses in the BID area to maximise the number of consumers and the amount they spend in the City centre, thereby also benefiting the City as a whole. Helen also describes her [...]

What’s on locally in March/April

March 12, 2019 11:58 - 17.3 MB

This month's preview by Peter Burley of what's on over the next few weeks in and around St Albans covers a wide range of music (from choral and orchestral to jaz and folk) as well as who's performing at the Arena and the Harpenden Halls, not forgetting drama at the Abbey Theatre and The Maltings, [...]

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