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This summer, to complement our wonderful Wake, continuing with our tradition of doing something different each year, we made a radio station, 87.9FM W.A.K.E. Feckenham.
We started out with three aims: to further the Wake’s purpose in bringing our community ever more closely together, to enable people young and old who had never made radio before to stretch themselves and “have a go”, and, inspired by the wonderful photographic record of the village produced in 2000, to create an audio archive of life in Feckenham in 2010.
How did we do it? We leafleted every house and business in the community – twice! – and advertised in Feckenham News and on this website, and held meetings, and invited every individual and every organisation in the village we could think of to help, contribute or support the station.
We needed to raise some money to pay for the licence from Ofcom and the hire of the broadcasting equipment and local businesses together with a well supported Race Night helped there. Many of our sponsors are listed below. We hope your contribution brought you some return and it certainly brings Feckenham’s gratitude for your investment in our community. Numerous local businesses and individuals supported us in big ways and small, with money, the car, printing, informative features, buying a T shirt or a CD or just moral support. The emails and visits to the station were great! We thank you all.
We are blessed in Feckenham not only with a fantastically motivated and enthusiastic population but also with a wealth of talent of every sort. We put together a band of Feckenham people with relevant skills – broadcasting, editing, fundraising, administration, we hired most of what we needed from Kingfisher FM (thanks chaps!) and begged borrowed and stole the rest, and we supported a truly brilliant band of Feckenhamsters to put together the material we all listened to over five fabulous hot days at the end of June.
The most enormous amount of work went in to it. All of us involved in the radio bit thank the Wake Committee for letting us do it and for their support. As if they didn’t have enough to do!
Rest assured that the material we assembled will be archived. Also we are producing CDs of some parts for sale (proceeds will go towards the equipment hire as we are not quite there yet!). See below for details.
We called in friends to help us with some of the technical stuff – we thank them – not a single person involved in this enterprise was paid a penny and indeed many of them were put to some personal expense so for those who raised concerns that “some professional radio outfit” made money out of the Wake – not so!! (Though we are flattered to think we made that impression with some!).
What was the best bit? There were so many. One thing worth mentioning (this feels a bit like telling you there’s no Father Christmas) - Metchopper 1 is not real. No, honestly. To everyone who asked for a ride, I am sorry we had to disappoint you. And to whoever flew their big black helicopter over Feckenham so many times during the five days, thank you! You really added to the atmosphere!
For me the joy was seeing people who thought they would never be able to do something like this doing it anyway, scripting, interviewing, editing, live on air. Feckenham, you are amazing! Radio W.A.K.E. (Kathy Gee, 2010)
Thursday Radio Feckenham awakes, hits the air at five a.m. transmitting to the void. Big noise and big impression filling kitchens, sheds and cars, come and see us, here we are, make me tea and bring me cake this is your very own Radio Wake. Inside the fabled Rose and Crown a solitary presenter, huddled in the corner, earphones on his head - is anybody listening?
Friday Street conversations, morning sun, did you hear, did she really say, I never knew, I liked the stories, the Bellion back catalogue of charismatic characters, does anybody know the bullish Brigadier, who was he? With news of bees and choirs and films, signal reaching Kidderminster, - somebody is listening
Saturday Feckenham Wake is here at last, the tent is up, gazebos pegged, fights over tables finally over, chairs for the brass band wait in curving rows beneath a shady tree. Smells of hog roast, candy floss lemon pancakes, home made soap; splat a rat and circus tricks, hanging baskets, children’s dog show; Roaming mikes and field reporters, busking, fluffing, laughing … live - everyone is listening!
Sunday On the green the village elves appear picking litter, tents dismantled, tea urns emptied, paintings taken down from scarlet stands. By eleven, peace and you would never know. But Radio Feckenham goes on: dedications, evocations, love and magic, village style. Radio folk, our thanks are due, “Respect” from all of us to you
We are putting together CDs of some of the material we broadcast. If you would like one of these they are £5 each, any profit will go towards meeting the hire costs of the broadcast equipment we used.
The following will definitely be available:
If you would like something else – the Waiting for Broadband programmes have been popular as have the Feckenory stories – let us know. If it is feasible and there is enough interest we will do our best. In the case of Waiting for Broadband the cost may be higher because of music licensing issues but if you register an interest we will get back to you before we make them.
Email radio@feckenham.com or phone Fiona Hawker on 01527 894171 with
And we will do what we can!!
87.9FM W.A.K.E. FECKENHAM THANKS ITS SPONSORS
Feckenham couldn’t have done it without you!!
Alert Alarms: intruder and fire alarms, CCTV, access control: 80 Edgmond Close Winyates: 0800 955 8848: www.alertalarms.co.uk
ASP Industries Concept2Creation: 360 degree T shirts: Newquay Cornwall: 01637 879873: www.asp-industries.com
Astwood Law: Solicitors: 1262 Evesham Road Astwood Bank: 01527 892200: www.astwoodlaw.co.uk
Directions by Paul Jackson Ltd: kitchen and fitted furniture specialists: 25 Lyndey Close Redditch: 01527 68340: www.directionsbypauljackson.co.uk
Martin Barry: Wealth Management and Estate planning, Wills: 11A Station Rd Studley: 01527 852897: www.sjpp.co.uk
Bristol Street Motors Battens Drive Redditch: 08448 264164: www.bristolstreet.co.uk
HandSaM: Health and Safety Management: 118 Alcester Road Studley: 01785 220763: www.handsam.co.uk
Neil Johnson‘s Kingfisher Angling Centre: all fishing equipment, tuition in fly and coarse angling for beginners Arthur Street: 07771 618654
Phil M Jones: Workshops, Training and Consultancy: 07970 126435; www.philmjones.com
Mount Pleasant Windows: Washford Industrial Estate: 01527 501400: www.mountpleasantwindows.com
Printing.com: Design, Printing, Marketing, Websites: Avon House Stoke Heath: 01527 910966: www.printing.com
thebestofbromsgrove: Word of mouth specialist: Bromsgrove Technology Park: 01527 834665: www.thebestof.co.uk/bromsgrove
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