Outside Broadcast

Every now and then, some of the team from Welcombe Radio comes out of the studio to broadcast events live from place in and around Stratford upon Avon. These include concerts, local church services and other community events such as the River Festival and the annual Shakespeare birthday celebrations.

Fab Fest 2019

For the second year running, Welcombe Radio suspended its usual weekend programme and decamped to the garden of the Tramway Inn in Stratford upon Avon for Fab Fest.

Fab Fest is organised by our own Tori Rushton and is in its fifth year. This year, we broadcast the entire festival from start to finish. Live music from the stage was interspersed with interviews with the performers and other people at the festival. You only have to look at the faces in the pictures to see that a good time was had by all.

Saturday

Sunday

River Festival 2019

On the 6^th and 7^th of July 2019, we were guests of the Avon Navigation Trust who gave us the run of the river cruiser Princess Marina and the Trust's pontoon. From this base, we collected donations and musical dedications and interviewed visitors and other participants in the festival.

Stratford Playhouse - Grand Opening

Stratford Playhouse in Rother Street

On the 20^th October 2018, Welcombe Radio broadcast live from the Stratford Playhouse to celebrate their Grand Opening. We interviewed the new management of the Playhouse, many of the performers who appeared on the day and visitors to the event.

More links:
Andante - Multi-instrumentalist duo who performed on the Grand Opening day
Hoakser - Graffiti artist responsible for the mural showing the history of the Playhouse building

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Fun Palace

The Shakespeare Centre in Henley Street

On 5^th October 2018, Welcombe Radio was part of the fun of the Fun Palace at The Shakespeare Centre. This year steady, heavy rain forced the event indoors. The team from Welcombe Radio occupied a corner of the Queen Elizabeth lecture theatre and interviewed people from the various groups represented at the Fun Palace at the Shakespeare Centre and - thanks to Penny, our roving reporter - at the library and Play House which also hosted events on the day.

May interviews Nigel from Shakespeare Morris at today's Fun Palace at the Shakespeare Centre

Mike talks to Robert Spooner from Warwick University about his research into recreating the entry of plague into Europe

Nick talks to young scientists Ryan and Eliot from the Ogden Trust

James talks to Isabel from the Drama Club

FabFest

From The Old Tramway Inn, Stratford upon Avon

The weekend of 14^th and 15^th July 2018 sat in the middle of the UK's longest heatwave since 1976. The weather wasn't the only thing that was on hot, though. The whole of Welcombe Radio decamped to the beer garden behind The Old Tramway Inn in Shipston Road to broadcast live from the 4^th edition of FabFest.

Brainchild of our very own Tori Rushton, FabFest is a free festival with music provided by a combination of local performers with other from around the country. On top of this, there was a fine range of real ales, drumming workshops and the participation of organisations from all parts of Stratford upon Avon. Welcombe Radio presenters were there all weekend, playing tracks by local musicians interspersed with interviews with the festival organisers, the performers, members of the audience and each other.

The Welcombe Radio outside broadcast team were especially excited as this was the first time we've broadcast live beyond the studio without being reliant on a 'borrowed' wi-fi connection. After this success, we anticipate that Welcombe Radio live on location will be a regular feature of events in and around Stratford upon Avon throughout the year.

Tori, organiser of FabFest, speaking live on Welcombe Radio on Saturday afternoon

Bruno and Charlie interview Bo, the leader of the drumming workshop

Glen plays some tracks by local musicians while Penny looks for her next interviewee

Penny takes a break from interviewing to learn to play the drums

Celebrating Kochanowski, Shakespeare and enduring Polish links with Stratford upon Avon

from The Shakespeare Centre

On 28th April 2018, we broadcast an evening of an literature, dance and music and a talk on two literary giants of Renaissance Europe. It's all about the links between Jan Kochanowski, one of Poland's eminent poets, and his near contemporary: our own William Shakespeare. This event took place at The Shakespeare BIrthplace Trust Centre.

The evening was attended by H.E. the Ambassador of Poland and the audience included many members of the Polish community from in and around Stratford upon Avon. Among the people involved in the organisation of the evening were the team from Welcombe Radio's Cafe Polska.

Anita Jones Dębska, Iain Smith and Maciej Garbowski rehearse a “Dialogue between Kochanowski and Shakespeare” – the view from the control room.

Peter prepares a playlist of Polish music. — Peter prepares a playlist of Polish music to introduce our broadcast of the Polish evening from The Shakespeare Centre

A Service of Lessons and Carols

from Holy Trinity Church

The Welcombe Radio Outside Broadcast team at Holy Trinty Church, Christmas Eve 2017.
Peter, Sophie, Patrick and Barney (behind the camera).

One of the highlights of the festive season in Stratford upon Avon is the Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols from Holy Trinity Church.

Welcombe Radio broadcast this service live in 2017.

We would like to thank everybody who has helped to make this broadcast possible. This includes everybody from Holy Trinity Church, as well as the RSC for loaning equipment, advice and support from the staff of the Maplin store on the Birmingham Road and, of course, all the volunteers at Welcombe Radio.