Bromley Buzz

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...

The Bromley Buzz wants the high streets in Bromley to be thriving and happy, so we can buzz about them! The Your Bromley people, who brought you themed book benches and random snowmen in the town centre, today launch a new look and new content for their website. It  helps people wanting to enjoy Bromley's shops and services and adds more buzz to the borough. There is a new brand, better reflecting...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale  present the latest Buzz about Bromley.  We talk about two exciting nights at the Churchill Theatre including Hairspray , which runs until Saturday 12th February, with help from audience members who we talk to after the show, on their way to... buy tickets to see it again. Seriously.   What does Sir Bob Neill , MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, love about Bromley? L...

Darren Weale interviews Councillor Aisha Cuthbert about Bromley's Tackling Loneliness Strategy.  Corrections from the audio - Aisha is Tackling Loneliness Champion, not Loneliness Champion, and the late MP involved in the initiative nationally was Jo Cox, not Jo Good. Aisha explains her personal reasons for taking up this role, the importance of mental health, and talks about plans including Commu...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley.  Hear an interview sample with Martin and Loretta from the Start Up Bromley team, in which they talk about their business coaching programme and and 'March Madness' which brings with it a conference, a business pitch competition (open for entries until 9th February), a spring marketplace event, and a film about Start Up Broml...

In this episode of the Bromley Buzz podcast, Darren Weale interviews Omar, a Trustee of the Al-Emaan Centre , or Mosque, in Keston, from within the building. Omar explains the meaning of the name of the centre, talks about the call to prayer, and reflects on the history and design of the mosque. A local doctor, Omar provides an insight into his own upbringing and how local Muslim people came toget...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. The show starts with the beautiful sounds of part of the Muslim call to prayer recorded live in Bromley - and the show ends with it played in full. That was recorded when we interviewed Trustee Omar from inside the Al-Emaan Centre , or Mosque, in Keston (the full interview to follow in a Special episode) and Norwegians Per Pe...

From 5 year old athletes, to elite international athletes and Paralympians, B lackheath and Bromley Harriers athletics club is a crucible of talent in the heart of Bromley. Bromley Buzz co-presenter Darren Weale interviews club President Nic Corry and Trustee Chris Hilditch trackside at the Norman Park athletics ground, on a sunny winters day. Nic talks about their new community centre, a project...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. The show includes a trackside interview with Nic Corry and Chris Hilditch from Blackheath and Bromley Harriers athletics club, a little more of our chat with dancer Kevin Clifton, and talk of local Indian food. We also discuss Dancing on Ice, Show Racism the Red Card, The Apprentice, Blue Monday, Chislehurst Rotary Club, Brom...

An exclusive Bromley Buzz interview by Darren Weale and Zeenat Noorani with dancer Kevin Clifton as he looks forward to performing in Burn the Floor at Bromley's Churchill Theatre on 6th February 2022. Kevin explains why the show, which he co-produces and stars in, means so much to him since he first joined it in 2008, talking about the brilliant costumes and live band and "two hours of, for me, j...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley, featuring Kevin Clifton, the Strictly Come Dancing star who will be appearing at Bromley's Churchill Theatre on Sunday 6th February in the 'Burn the Floor' show . We talk about lots more, including U Tea ; Alpaca Annie in Burmarsh, Kent; GPO Orpington ; the 1st Anniversary of Zeenat's Mindset Matters Radio Show ; the Lift Eac...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. The show includes several interviews from Biggin Hill during the Bromley Rotary Club Christmas Sleigh Collections , and interviews from Bromley Football Club recorded during their Boxing Day game with Southend United. In a very full episode, we talk about Emma Raducanu's MBE, bonding with cats, a 100-year old Bromley resident...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. The show includes an interview with Ann-Marie of Fused Glass by Ann-Marie in Bromley market, reflections on our interview with actor Danny John-Jules  ahead of his appearance in  The Da Vinci Code at Bromley's Churchill Theatre from 10th to 15th January, the launch of Bromley Council's Loneliness Strategy, achievements by pup...

In this exclusive interview with Darren Weale of the Bromley Buzz podcast, actor and comedian Danny John-Jules looks forward to performing in the Da Vinci Code production which makes its tour debut in Bromley's Churchill Theatre between 10th and 15th January 2022. Danny plays Sir Leigh Teabing. He shares how tour preparations are going, talks about the value of theatres and their volunteers, refle...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. The show includes a sample of an interview with actor Danny John-Jules ahead of his appearance in The Da Vinci Code at Bromley's Churchill Theatre from 10th to 15th January, and he speculates about whether Sir Ian McKellen could be The Cat in Red Dwarf... the full interview will be in our next 'special' episode. We also inter...

Councillor Tony Owen of the Petts Wood and Knoll ward is also Bromley's Deputy Mayor. Here, in the full version of an interview first sampled in episode 12 , Darren Weale and Zeenat Noorani interview Tony at length about his two stints as Deputy Mayor, and his life and career. Tony explains what a Deputy Mayor does, touches on cream teas, and on visits to locations including local Methodist church...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. We record while taking part, dressed as Father Christmas's, in Orpington's Santa Dash and talk with organiser Sharon Baldwin of Orpington 1st, Orpington Councillor William Huntingdon-Thresher, and lots of Santa's (and elves). We talk about Start Up Bromley , the Bethlem Art Gallery ,   Southey beer in Penge, local police dogs...

Zeenat Noorani  and  Darren Weale present the latest Buzz about Bromley. We talk about the elves of  Bromley Rotary Club s, the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and its vampires in What We Do In The Shadows, and a 'Gold' lecture by the Arts Society Bromley  on 6th December. Cray Valley East Councillor Yvonne Bear is interviewed, we discuss Bromley's deli's and coffee shops as they gear up for Christmas...