TB
Society & Culture
The Brentwood Buzz
The Brentwood Buzz
Celebrating all that is good about the people and places of Brentwood, Essex
- 20 episodes
- Updated July 22
Episodes20
- TBJuly 19 · 22 min
S4Ep26 The Lemon Curd Lady of Pilgrims Hatch
Running your own business is no easy task, as we've heard many times on The Brentwood Buzz when interviewing some of our local independent businesses. The Lemon Curd Lady - aka Sandra Harnor - sells her curds and marmalades at local farmers markets, fetes and fairs, having set up the business as part of an unexpected retirement plan. Brentwood's celebratory podcast, The Brentwood Buzz has been to meet The Lemon Curd Lady to find out what brought her to Brentwood and, most importantly, to have a look through the goods in her fridge!
- TBJuly 1 · 22 min
S4Ep25 Essex Police Federation - Andy Thorn
The latest guest on Brentwood's celebratory podcast, The Brentwood Buzz, is Andy Thorn. Currently the General Secretary of the Essex Police Federation, Andy has worked for Essex Police and the Met Police, he's managed the Savoy Theatre in Monmouth, training for the ministry and offered pastoral care to the National Citizen Service when it was running in Suffolk. We managed to pin him down to ask how many careers one man needs, and how his current work makes sure the police officers who keep us safe in Essex are protected and supported when the demands of 21st century policing hit home.
- TBJune 24 · 33 min
S4Ep24 From Pilgrims Hatch to Panto - Sophisticated Entertainment Founder, Sophia-Maria Hornsey
Brentwood born and bred founder of Sophisticated Entertainment, Sophia-Marie Hornsey is this week's guest on The Brentwood Buzz, Brentwood's celebratory podcast. Sophia-Marie appeared on the podcast last Christmas when she brought a panto version of Beauty and The Beast to The Brentwood Centre. Now she's back having a chat about how she moved from Pilgrims Hatch Primary School to performing in the West End and on cruise ships to bringing panto to the town.
- TBJune 17 · 27 min
TBB S4Ep23 In The Cigar Lounge at Shenfield Wine Company with Nish Patel
The latest The Brentwood Buzz is another in our series of podcasts celebrating businesses which are part of Brentwood Connected, the innovative three-High-Street Business Improvement District for Brentwood, Shenfield and Ingatestone. Nish Patel owns the Shenfield Wine Company, which is the go-to place in Shenfield to pick up a decent bottle of wine, a good whisky and a fine cigar. The Brentwood Buzz joined him in his Cigar Lounge to talk screw tops, business and Cuban cigars.
- TBJune 11 · 12 min
S4Ep22 Mad or Well-Advised? Lindsay Hollingsworth Directs The Comedy of Errors
In recent The Brentwood Buzz podcasts we have found there is a talented pool of community theatre players who circle effortlessly around the various groups with a lead role here, a bit part there and occasionally even some directing thrown in. One of those players is Lindsay Hollingsworth, writer of pantos for The College Players, in which she also acts and sometimes directs, when she's not teaching youngsters to play percussion instruments, or encouraging them to join Brentwood's Orchestras for Young Musicians. This summer Lindsay is bringing her directing skills to Romford Shakespeare Theatre for its summer show, The Comedy of Errors, which will be performed outside in Hornchurch. The Brentwood Buzz has been to meet Lindsay to find out why the arts are so important to her.
- TBMay 31 · 9 min
S4Ep21 Essex Girls - Witchcraft and Stilettos
The dictionary definition of an Essex Girl has been, for some time, a young woman from Essex who is unintelligent, promiscuous and materialistic. Despite a campaign in recent years to remove this definition, it still sticks, even though you only have to listen to the women who've appeared on The Brentwood Buzz in the last three years to find a bunch of intelligent, feisty women who have no qualms about saying what they want, and getting work done. Now Blatella Films is producing a documentary - Witchcraft & Stilettos: Redefining The Essex Girl Narrative - for upcoming film festivals, and has been in Brentwood for interviews with some of those Essex Girls and women. The Brentwood Buzz was there to speak to director Natalie Scarsbrook.
- TBMay 23 · 25 min
S4Ep20 Aligning with Chiropractor Grayson Nolan
Keeping fit, healthy and in shape from childhood to old age is something we all know we should do , even if we ignore good advice at times. New Zealand born Doctor of Chiropractic, Grayson Nolan, runs The Chiropractic Centre in Brentwood, and Billericay. His passion for the benefits of chiropractic is evident - and probably if we listened to him more, some of us would ache less! The Brentwood Buzz has been to meet Grayson in his premises in Pilgrims Hatch.
- TBMay 9 · 15 min
S4Ep19 Brentwood Musical Theatre Society - The Family Connections
Brentwood Musical Theatre Society is no stranger to The Brentwood Buzz, featuring in S3Ep19 and S1Ep17 as well as a fond mention in the recent chat with actor Stephen Moyer (S4Ep16) BTMS's next show is Evita at the Brentwood Theatre from 19th to 23rd May, so we've been back to talk to some of the Society's long standing members and find out why being part of this fabulous community theatre group is a real family affair. https://brentwoodoperaticsociety.co.uk/
- TBMay 5 · 17 min
S4Ep18 The Bear in The Room with Artist Jill Busby
Graphic designer and Brentwood mum, Jill Busby, of Hive Art Studios is bringing her artistic skills to the King George's Playing Fields Pavilion on 14th May with a "Sip and Paint" evening. Wineglasses are some of the smaller items Jill paints, as The Brentwood Buzz discovered when visiting Jill's studio. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sip-paint-wine-glass-painting-tickets-1984984352633
- TBMay 4 · 11 min
S4Ep17 Alastair Clark - On The Record at Hey Joe Music
Brentwood's independent record shop, Hey Joe Music, hosted the Essex leg of comedian Alastair Clark's national tour in which he brings comedy to record shops. Alastair worked in a record shop for ten years before giving up the glitz, glamour and admin duties of trading vinyl for the glitz, glamour and admin duties of life as a stand-up comedian. The Brentwood Buzz caught up with him at the end of his gig in Hey Joe's to talk about the tour, his forthcoming Edinburgh show, and collecting comedy records.
- TBApril 22 · 8 min
S4Ep16 An Actor’s Life for Stephen Moyer
International TV, film and theatre actor, Stephen Moyer, was in Brentwood last night for a fundraising event at Brentwood Theatre. Stephen grew up in Brentwood and started his acting career at St Martin's School and Brentwood Theatre - and he's now the theatre's patron. Last night's Evening With... hosted by Bill Wells (see S4Ep13 for a chat with Bill and with Stephen's mum, Jean) was a great success. The theatre was packed and there was a huge feeling of pride and fondness for Stephen as he described his early days in theatre and his life now as an actor. He even had time to talk to The Brentwood Buzz about some of those memories.
- TBApril 18 · 15 min
S4Ep15 Record Store Day at Hey Joe Music in Brentwood
It was an early start at Hey Joe Music off Crown Street in Brentwood this morning with record collectors gathering from just before midnight onwards for Record Store Day, and the chance to buy exclusive pressings of some of the world’s finest pop musicians.The Brentwood Buzz joined Marc Sardinha of Hey Joe Music for the early shift and to meet some of the people who are willing to give up a night’s sleep to get the records they want.
- TBApril 15 · 20 min
S4Ep14 From Feet to Fiction
The Chicken and Frog Bookshop on Crown Street, run by Natasha Radford, is a good friend to The Brentwood Buzz - there's always something interesting going on and there's a quiet space for podcasts to be recorded too. But Chicken and Frog is not just a bookshop; it's a safe space which encourages writers, illustrators and content creators to come together to talk about their work and share their experiences. One of those writers is Amanda Claire from Doddinghurst, a foot health practitioner, mum, bad allotmenteer and self-published author of stories for children. Amanda is joining Natasha and others to talk about writing, publishing and illustrating books on 23rd April, so The Brentwood Buzz has been to meet her to find out why her writing takes precedence over weeding.
- TBApril 10 · 5 min
S4Ep13 Local Vampire Returns to Brentwood Theatre
Internationally acclaimed actor, director and well-known vampire, Stephen Moyer, is returning to Brentwood - his home town - for a fundraising event for Brentwood Theatre. Stephen, who is the theatre's first patron, will be interviewed by friend of The Brentwood Buzz, Bill Wells, whose work with pretty much every theatre group in town makes him something of a local legend. Bill will be talking to Stephen at Brentwood Theatre on Tuesday 21st April at 7.30pm (tickets are £25 and available from the theatre website) but The Brentwood Buzz managed to catch up with him, and Stephen's mum, Jean Wilson, at the Marlborough Theatre Club this week for a bit of a preview.
- TBApril 9 · 21 min
S4Ep12 The Lounge, Ingatestone - How To Succeed In Business On A Whim
In another of The Brentwood Buzz's series of podcasts featuring businesses within the Brentwood Connected Business Improvement District, we're back in Ingatestone to meet Julie Bell, one of the family directors of The Lounge in Ingatestone. The Lounge has been offering tea, coffee, cake and wine to the good people of Ingatestone since 2023. It's also a safe space for anyone dealing with domestic abuse, trauma or illness. Business is booming but it's not been a smooth ride for Julie, as this week's podcast tells.
- TBApril 1 · 25 min
S4Ep11 Create Yourself Calm Brings Art and Mindfulness to Brentwood
Having had an overview of the activities on offer at King George’s Playing Fields in the last episode of The Brentwood Buzz, this week we’ve returned to focus in on one of the groups which meets at the Pavilion. Create Yourself Calm is a Community Interest Company which runs sessions in the Borough of Brentwood combining creativity with mindfulness. They are run by three Brentwood women with backgrounds in primary school teaching, HR and counselling who, like so many women we’ve heard from on The Brentwood Buzz, needed to find something to do which fitted in with their personal and caring responsibilities, so they set up their own company. The Brentwood Buzz has been along to one of the sessions to meet the team and those taking part in the art.
- TBMarch 25 · 11 min
S4Ep10 Keeping Everyone Active at King George's Playing Fields, Brentwood
King George's Playing Fields, with its new pavilion, splash park, children's playground, rugby and football facilities, skatepark and woods is a popular place for people of all ages to visit throughout the year. The Brentwood Buzz has been to meet Keeley Heasman, who is the General Manager for King George's Playing Fields for Everyone Active to hear more about what's on offer for outside fun and entertainment.
- TBMarch 18 · 14 min
S4Ep9 Health and Housing – Why Ingatestone is a Great Place to Live
The Brentwood Buzz has been back to Ingatestone this week to meet some of the people who make the village better, by helping residents keep fit and to find homes. The two might seem like a heady mix, but with Mark Newman running his lettings and property business, Barrington’s, just round the corner on Market Square from his wife, Shelley’s gym – Studio 35 – it’s a combination which works. With thanks to Studio 35’s manager, Fran for getting in touch with The Brentwood Buzz for a chat, and now please listen to this week’s podcast on why these two businesses find Ingatestone is a great place to live.
- TBMarch 12 · 13 min
S4Ep8 Backstage With Brentwood's Oldest Theatre Club - Marlborough Dramatic Club
The Marlborough Dramatic Club has been putting on plays for the people of Brentwood for one hundred and twenty five years, and members are currently rehearsing their latest production, 'Kind Hearts and Coronets' by Roy Horniman. The Marlborough Dramatic Club meets at Brentwood School and performs in the school's Memorial Hall. The Brentwood Buzz has been along to rehearsals to find out about the club's history and to meet up with some of the cast - who, it turns out, are old friends of the podcast. Kind Hearts and Coronets is on at the Memorial Hall, Brentwood School, on 9th, 10th and 11th April, and you can get tickets by calling 07746 915348 or online at www.marlboroughdramaticclub.uk