Month: June 2013

This Blessed Plot

07:25 Monday 24th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: For decades, when it comes to housing, politicians have only provided short-term fixes, according to our country’s chartered surveyors. They say the UK is at risk of creating another house price problem, (and) that the Government should be aiming to build twice the number of houses than it’s currently aiming for. But is that going to happen? Sean Farrington is from our business unit. Morning Sean.
SEAN FARRINGTON: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: We’d all like more houses built, I think. Every council in Cambridgeshire would like to build more houses, but there ain’t the money around.
SEAN FARRINGTON: Well you say we’d all like more houses, but of course if there was all of a sudden a plethora of new houses all across the country, that would mean house prices probably wouldn’t go up as quickly as they might already. And it’s a question that everybody really has to answer themselves. Do you want to see house prices going up? If you own one, do you like the idea of it, but if that means your child can’t afford one, or you’re in the market for one, you don’t really want to see them going up any more. And actually what the chartered surveyors say is that Government policy over decades now has been based around people owning homes. That has helped push prices up. And that is not a healthy way to have a housing market strategy.
PAUL STAINTON: The Government’s announced several housing schemes, part-buy, part-this, part-that. They’re sort of working, aren’t they, in the short term? Continue reading “This Blessed Plot”

One Of Those Days In England

17:56 Thursday 20th June 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridge

CHRIS MANN: It may seem hard to believe, but a Cambridgeshire removals expert says he’s seen a sharp rise in people repatriating to England from warmer sunnier climes. Mel Cohen manages the Ely depot for removal firm Bishops Move, and says there’s been a particularly steep jump in those coming back from France.. (TAPE)
MEL COHEN: At the moment, coming back from France .. I’ve just had a quick look at our figures and the amount coming back from France, up this year, has gone up about 70%. I think there’s a lot of people obviously worked out the sums on their retirement, and will get the pension, etcetera, etcetera, and relying on exchange rates. And then obviously the pound and the euro used to be two euros to the pound, now it’s not. And so many people are finding life quite tough. And having put all your savings into a house, where do you go from there? (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: So a 70% rise in people coming back to England. It seems unbelievable, with summer weather like today’s, but just how much of a problem is the weather? And is it likely to drive those currently living in Cambridgeshire away? Well our reporter Johnny Dee found out. Continue reading “One Of Those Days In England”

Three Formats – Which Is Best?

The great philosophers say that you can’t stand still.  Change or perish.
That’s the natural way.

Over the years this site has tried out three different formats as listed below.

The first is a summary of a radio programme as per this one:
BBC Peterborough March 29th 2010

The second is a selected transcript of an interview as follows:
Tariq Sadiq on George Galloway

The third is analysis drawn from observation of local media instances and documents available:
A Rose By Any Other Name

It would be nice to have them all, but as things stand that isn’t happening. Continue reading “Three Formats – Which Is Best?”

Popcorn Community TV From March Cambridgeshire

17:48 Wednesday 19th June 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: A local TV station is on its way to Fenland. And you have the opportunity to have a voice in front of the camera. Our reporter Sue Marchant bumped into the Popcorn TV team out and about in March, including 20Twenty Production’s Katherine Nightingale. (TAPE)
KATHERINE NIGHTINGALE: Popcorn Community TV is something we introduced late last year. It started by us doing very short films for local community organisations, people and businesses, to give them an opportunity to talk about what it is that they do, and enable other people within their community to understand and know that that service or whatever it is was available. Since then the funding stopped, and we’ve been really really lucky that we’ve got a wonderful group of volunteers who’ve come along to engage with Popcorn, and do and develop some of their own style of community television.
SUE MARCHANT: Simon. How did you get involved with this? Continue reading “Popcorn Community TV From March Cambridgeshire”

Godmanchester Bearscroft Development Controversy – Fairfield Statement

08:38 Wednesday 19th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: In yesterday’s show we were discussing the prospect of 750 new homes being built on the outskirts of Godmanchester. The development called Bears Croft has been strongly opposed by local residents, and many of the town, district and county councillors too. Councillor Colin Hyams said yesterday he recognised that new homes are needed, but that they shouldn’t be built now, on the planned location near the A1198. This is what Colin had to say. (TAPE)
COLIN HYAMS: I moved up here about twelve years ago, into a house that was twenty three years old. And we need houses. I want my kids to have houses, and everybody else does. But let’s do it properly. Let’s not put them where .. it’s the wrong place and the wrong time, ie get the A14 up, and let’s look at how we can cope with it. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well the developers Fairfield have finally got back to us. My producer Samantha Dalton is here. What have they said Sam? Continue reading “Godmanchester Bearscroft Development Controversy – Fairfield Statement”

AstraZeneca Cambridge Site Selected

08:20 Tuesday 18th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Some great news for the South of the county this morning. Cambridge’s Biomedical Campus is to be the new global headquarters and research and development hub for the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. About 1600 staff will be relocated to the city from Cheshire. About 300 will be coming up from London. It will also mean that staff at Medlmmune, the firm’s biologics research and protein engineering arm will move from their base south of the city to the campus near Addenbrookes. We can now speak to Dr Robert Winter. He’s the Director of the Eastern Academic Health Science Network. Morning Robert.
ROBERT WINTER: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: A big deal for Cambridge this, isn’t it? Continue reading “AstraZeneca Cambridge Site Selected”

People United Peterborough

17:42 Monday 24th June 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: A People United bus is touring the country at present, a conglomeration of five unions, to listen to people’s stories. It’s been in Cambridge today. Sue Marchant went along to find why people were attracted to climb aboard. (TAPE)
VOX ONE: We were at the People’s Assembly yesterday in London, where the buses were actually launched from, so we’ve come along to see what’s on offer.
SUE MARCHANT: Why would you want to be here?
VOX ONE: We’re concerned with the situation, the economic situation in the country, and the way it’s being tackled at the moment, which we think is quite wrong. The poorest people being forced to bear the brunt of things, we think that’s quite immoral, and people are beginning to more effectively protest against that.
SUE MARCHANT: And what about you madam? Continue reading “People United Peterborough”