Following The Good Stuff blog, you sent me some lovely messages about it and a whole host of other great stories too... and in fact, there’s been so much good stuff going on that ‘The Good stuff’ is now a weekly radio show. During this strange time we all find ourselves in, I'll be sharing the positive stories from Somerset and beyond, every Friday, from 8-9am on Frome FM.
You can listen from wherever you live (we even had someone tune in from Texas this week!), just by going to www.frome.fm and clicking the ‘listen now’ button in the top right hand corner of the page. We’re 2 shows in and if you missed those, you can listen on demand right here:
We’ve been talking about everything from a group of volunteers in Frome making free masks for key workers, to Taunton Town FC shaving their heads (and their legs!) to raise funds for Musgrove Park Hospital... but one thing I have to say is there’s never a dull moment and never a shortage of people doing brilliant things – things that touch the heart, make you proud or make you well up (that’s been happening to me a lot).
I’ve been chatting to some inspiring people on the show too. Somerset Community Foundation joined me on Friday to talk about their Coronavirus Appeal, which is helping raise much needed funds for our smaller charities in Somerset. I chatted to Steve Ashworth a couple of weeks back about how he’s co-ordinating a virtual support group for people in the food sector in the South West (and beyond). Concert Pianist Jonathan Delbridge joined me this week to talk about how he’s adapting his music during the pandemic, and about his online piano concerts taking place every Friday morning, and I also caught up with The Cheeky Bean Café in Shepton Mallet, about the cakes they’re making and delivering to frontline NHS staff. You can sponsor a cake and write a personal message to be delivered with it too. We sponsored one for frontline staff at Yeovil hospital.
It was great chatting to the Somerset Wildlife Trust in show one as well, and if you're looking for activities to keep you connected to nature and wildlife from the comfort of your own home, they've got a whole host of them on their website.
And, if you’re wondering how to make your food go further at the moment, or what to make with the contents of your kitchen cupboard, every week I grab ‘5 minutes with the Chef’ and put your questions to Yeo Valley Executive Chef and Food Ambassador, Paul Collins.
We’ve had some brilliant questions in for Paul so far and there might’ve been some nettle soup making going on too!
I’ll be sharing some of Paul’s recipes here on the blog as well, so don’t miss those.
Every show, I’m also rounding up ‘six of the best’ on social media and there have been some heartwarming stories from all over the UK, as well as some funny ones. This week, we’ve been in awe of head teacher, Olly Priestly, from St John’s Church of England Primary School in Wellington, who promised his students if they sent in 50 pieces of art so the school could create an online art gallery, he’d sing ‘Let It Go’ from Frozen. Well, he did and he didn’t disappoint – there was an Elsa wig involved and some pretty impressive moves from his lounge! If you missed that, here it is in all its glory...
What’s been great is we’ve been giving shout outs to and mentioning lots of different people from all over the county. As well as Olly, the good stuff that Rebecca Bruton, The Close Quarters, Danielle Sharp, Taylors of Bruton, Rebekah Marshall and Lydia Needle have been doing has been on the show too.
Rebecca has created the 'united in isolation' print above, with all profits going to NHS Charities Together (you can grab one from her Etsy store).The Close quarters went viral on social media, when they sang for their neighbours in Vicar's Close in Wells. Danielle has written a catchy 'stay home' song which we played out with on show number one. Taylors of Bruton donated 100 loaves and 80 Hot Cross Buns to NHS staff at Yeovil hospital to say thank you. Rebekah created a gorgeous colouring sheet which she was sending to people who wanted a copy and Lydia has donated needle felting kits and an emergency hug (a felted bear) through nominations on her Instagram page.
If you want to give a shout out to anyone, or if you'd like me to say hello to someone on air who you can’t be with right now, or if there’s anyone you’d love me to chat to, please let me know by emailing me on jenn@somersetcool.com or messaging me on Twitter or Instagram @somersetcool – same address for your questions for Chef Paul Collins as well. I’d absolutely love to hear from you.
For a little bit of light relief and a giggle, we’re also doing a quick quiz on the show – Stuff and nonsense... the most curious quiz in Somerset! I’m asking you one question every week which takes inspiration from Somerset’s curious past, and the first week definitely raised a smile. I asked you to complete this old Somerset limerick and we had some fantastic ‘last line’ responses. To listen to them, check out show two here.
Whether you get the weekly question right or wrong though, all is not lost because every answer gets a message from our friends Virginia Saggers or Gerald Terd from Rare Species - and that'll definitely make you smile!
Anyway, if all this sounds like the way you want to start your Friday, join me on www.frome.fm at 8am every week, by clicking ‘listen now’ on the homepage. I’d love to have your shout outs, your questions and your company.
Take good care and keep safe x