Bromley Buzz

We present a rather lengthy interview (as he was entertaining!) with Peter Fortune , London Assembly Member for Bexley and Bromley.

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale  present the latest Buzz about Bromley.  We introduce the new 'Briefcase full of Bromley' which contains things we talk about in the episode, and, for this episode, a harmonica.  We interview Jane Rogers, Chair of the Beckenham Business Association , and discuss recent and future events in the borough. All this and much more, plus Zeenat provides her regular empow...

Darren Weale interviews interviews Miss Janet Lewis, MBE , Founder and Director of the English National Ballet , and a resident of Bromley, from The Orpington Record Store and Cafe in Orpington. Miss Lewis talks about her life and career, becoming an MBE, including dancing with some of the greats of ballet, such as her idol Margot Fonteyne , and the founding of the 'unique' English Youth Ballet in...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale  present the latest Buzz about Bromley.  This episode reminisces about Bromley FC winning the FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium - and has crowd noise from when the winning goal was scored by Michael Cheek, and a recap on our interview with Manager Andy Woodman. We review the 'triumph' (yes, we said that) that is The Jersey Boys at the Churchill Theatre and talk with au...

Sarah Marsh-Collings interviews Michael Pickering , who plays Frankie Valli in The Jersey Boys , which appears at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley between 7th and 11th June 2022. Michael talks about the show, his dyslexia, playing in Wicked and Starlight Express, and Frankie Valli and the changing eras of music. The talents of the ladies in the cast - including fast changing backstage - are covere...

Dr Sam Parrett CBE is Group Principal and CEO of London & South Education Group , which comprises London South East Colleges with eight campuses across the region and London South East Academies Trust with eight schools across Bromley, Bexley and Surrey. She joins Bromley Buzz podcast co-presenters Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale on Zoom for a very full interview covering the provision of vocati...

The new Mayor of Bromley, Cllr Hannah Grey , talks on her first full day in office to Bromley Buzz podcast co-presenters Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale . Hannah shares her love of the people of the borough, and introduces her chosen Mayoral charities, Everybreath and Bromley Care Leavers Come Dine with Us Project . She talks about her upcoming Ukrainian event, the Mayor's Ball on 19th November...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale  present the latest Buzz about Bromley.  This episode features interviews with Andy Woodman, Manager of Bromley FC ahead of the FA Trophy final, drag artist That Girl from the monthly Drag Bingo at the Bridge House Theatre in Penge, and Dr Brian Philp at the Crofton Roman Villa in Orpington. All this and much more, plus Zeenat provides her regular  empowering ques...

Bromley is on its way to Wembley! Bromley Football Club to be precise. Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale talk with Ravens' Manager Andy Woodman ahead of the FA Trophy Final at Wembley on Sunday 22nd May, in one of the most significant games in the one hundred and thirty year history of the club.  Thanks to the club and to Head of Marketing, Charlotte Richardson, who also speaks in the interview. A...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale  present the latest Buzz about Bromley.  This episode features interviews with Alex Thomas of Metro Charity which provides services and get togethers, sometimes with guest dog, for eligible LGBTQ+ people in Bromley, and ours and audience views of A Murder Is Announced at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley, on until 14th May. We visited the Bethlem Museum of the Mind...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale  present the latest Buzz about Bromley.  This episode features interviews from the Steering Committee of the Bromley Arts Festival (1st-31st July) and with 'serial volunteers' Alison Stammers and Michael Jack of the Chislehurst Matters party ahead of the 5th May local elections. Rather than talk about what they're campaigning on, we talk about their background, th...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale talk exclusively with Gareth Bacon , Member of Parliament for Orpington - who also joined us as guest co-presenter in episode 31 of the Bromley Buzz podcast here and is interviewed at Orpington Football Club in episode 28 here .  We learn about Gareth's life and career, his interest in politics and sport, and his journey to becoming MP for Orpington via being a me...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale  present the latest Buzz about Bromley.  What did a member of the audience and the Bromley Buzz presenting duo think of Looking Good Dead at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley (on until 23rd April)? What was the Community Iftar at the Al-Emaan Centre in Keston? What did local artist Beci Ward have to say about her new mural at the GPO Orpington? Listen to the answer...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley, with special guest co-presenter Gareth Bacon MP , in an episode recorded in his Orpington constituency office.  This week's Bromley Buzzes include the Rocky Horror Show on at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley until Saturday 16th April, and we present two audience reviews. We talk with a Charles Darwin school teacher about a st...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale  present the latest Buzz about Bromley.  What do actor Adam Woodyatt - appearing 18-23 April in Looking Good Dead at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley - and musician Rag 'n' Bone Man have in common? What did Darren say which completely threw Adam? What did we learn from dancer Oti Mabuse ahead of her I Am Here show there on 15th June, in just 7 minutes? We intervie...

Darren Weale talks with actor Stephen Webb , who plays the role of Frank N Furter ahead of the Rocky Horror Show's run at Bromley's Churchill Theatre between 11th and 16th April. He talks about the iconic story, the impact of wearing heels, feeling like Mick Jagger, and how his fiancee reacted to his new stage outfit. Stephen says, "It is the best thing I have done in my life... the audience are a...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale  present the latest Buzz about Bromley.  In a show introduced in Polish by Joanna of the  Polo Market  in Bromley, We cover the launch of the  Community Green Hub  in  The Glades  in Bromley, visit  Love Da Beat Radio  in Penge, and regret the absence of prosecco when recording the show. We cover lots of What’s On, including at West Wickham’s  Theatre 62 .  Zeenat...

We recently interviewed Joseph and Luke, the actor-masterminds behind the Bridge House Theatre in Penge and the multi-talented Dusty, the Executive Director at the theatre. They talk about the highly varied output of the theatre, taking it over as an 'empty black box' and throwing themselves 'heart soul and mortgage' into it. They talk about the latest and upcoming productions, the latest at time...

Colonel Bob Stewart , DSO, is the Member of Parliament for Beckenham. He said to us, "Give a politician a platform and he just goes on." It was a pleasure to give Bob a platform, as he is a fascinating interviewee. In a candid and at times touching interview via Zoom with Darren Weale and Sarah Marsh-Collings, Bob talked about his military career including some of its most harrowing moments, his i...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale  present the latest Buzz about Bromley.  Beckenham member of parliament Bob Stewart tells us about his love of Bromley and Beckenham in an excerpt from a full interview to be published soon, and we go pitch side to Orpington Football Club (more in episode 15 ) to interview 'sports fanatic' Gareth Bacon , MP for Orpington, and speak with new club sponsor Surinder M...

In this episode we talk about theatre in Bromley, from Bromley's 'West End' - the Churchill Theatre - to amateur dramatics in the village halls of the borough. We talk with Pauline Armour, Artistic Director of Bromley Little Theatre . She is also directing the upcoming show Taken at Midnight , playing between 11th and 19th March. We also review The Addams Family at the Churchill Theatre, which run...

Johannes Radebe is an iconic dancer who appeared on TV's The Graham Norton Show on the same day he was interviewed by Darren and Zeenat of the Bromley Buzz! As he says ahead of his Freedom tour coming to Bromley's Churchill Theatre on 30th March, "I feel like the audiences here in the UK has an opportunity to see Johannes and experience Johannes and see what Johannes can do... I want to meet them...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale  present the latest Buzz about Bromley.  We talk about two exciting nights at the Churchill Theatre including, in Stop Press! at the end of the show, audience members take on the musical Waitress, which runs until Saturday 26th February (tickets here ), and we talk with actor Paul Hutton who appeared in Hairspray , which is now touring elsewhere in the UK. Before...

Sir Bob Neill is the Member of Parliament for Bromley and Chislehurst. Appropriately as Sir Bob is a supporter of the Arts, Darren Weale and Sarah Marsh-Collings interview him at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley when the Churchill Singers are rehearsing nearby. We talk about his life including his career as a barrister – “a tidied up version of Rumpole of the Bailey” – when he discovered that a fa...

'Start Up Bromley' is a selection of free services that has been helping people starting and growing businesses in Bromley. In our conversation with Martin Stone and Loretta Awuah, Martin confirms the service is to confirm beyond its initial March 2022 end. We talk about what is on offer at the three libraries involved - Bromley central, Biggin Hill, and Orpington - including workshops, a members...