Swing band and gospel choir to perform in Crowthorne!

Crowthorne is putting on a great show a Swing Band and Gospel Choir that wouldn’t be out of place in the Albert hall.

It’s also giving local education support as all money raised (not just the profits) will go to 2 local schools for music project.

The Swing Band from Edgbarrow School, a very talented and professional group of young people. The Gospel Choir (up from Cornwall to entertain us) were asked to appear on the BBC’s Last Choir Standing but they were too busy with bookings. This is a great opportunity for people to see them live.

It’s Saturday November 14, show starts at 7pm (till about 9.30 depending on encores!). So enough time to go out and have a curry after.

In the stunning Wellington College Chapel in Crowthorne, Berkshire – seats about 600 people.

Tickets are £7.50 or £5.00 concessions (under 16 or 60 and over + families of 4 £20).

You can buy tickets in the Coffee Spot in Sandhurst, Edgbarrow or Wellington OR from the organiser:  bernard@bernardedwards.com

Bracknell MP’s wife seeks to stand again in her constituency

 

 

Beleagured and disgraced MP Andrew Mackay at Public Meeting

 

Co-conspirator in Bracknell MP’s dodgy expenses claims, Julie Kirkbride, and wife of Andrew Mackay MP, is understood to have told a special meeting of the executive of Bromsgrove Conservative Association on Thursday night that she wanted to rescind her expenses row resignation.

Kirkbride wrote to Tory leader David Cameron in May informing him she would not seek re-election following controversy over the parliamentary expenses she and her fellow-MP husband had made.

She claimed thousands of pounds in Commons allowances against their family home in her Worcestershire constituency, while Mackay – who represents Bracknell but had no home here  - received subsidy on the property they shared in London.

The scheming pair ensured all the couple’s accommodation was effectively paid for by the taxpayer, sparking widespread anger among voters and an anti-Kirkbride petition in Bromsgrove.

A Conservative spokesman said: ”We can’t comment while Sir Thomas Legg is conducting his review.”  The reaction of the people of Bromsgrove will be interesting – if the fury of local people here in Bracknell when the details of the sleaze allegations unfolded is anything to go by!

WHATEVER THE SEASON IT’S PARTY TIME AT MACDONALD BERYSTEDE HOTEL, NEAR ASCOT

From Family Celebrations to Dinner and Dancing for 300 it’s party time at the splendid Macdonald Berystede Hotel & Space near Ascot!

With six function suites offering facilities for groups of 10 to 300 guests, combined with excellent service and AA rosette cuisine, the Macdonald Berystede Hotel & Spa, offers the perfect venue for every kind of party or family celebration.

Whether it’s an intimate Sunday lunch or private dinner party, a society ball or fundraising event, the elegant four-star hotel set in landscaped gardens and woodland, provides a memorable setting for all those important occasions. Guests wishing to mark a special birthday or anniversary with family or friends will find the character-filled library, with its long, oval, mahogany table for up to 22, stylish fireplace, elegant chandelier and shelves lined with books, the ideal choice.

For larger events, there’s a choice of several elegant function rooms including the Windsor & Eton Suite, which can be divided into two self-contained rooms with private bar, balconies and lounge areas, or opened up into one huge venue with dance floor, seating up to 300 guests at a grand, banquet dinner. Other rooms include the Hyperion Restaurant, named after the famous racehorse, which boasts large picture windows with panoramic views over the grounds, plus two other more contemporary suites – the Park & Ascot and Wentworth – which are located in the hotel’s conference centre. Set apart from the remainder of the hotel, they each offer a private terrace, bar and lounge and can accommodate up to 120 and 110 guests respectively. Tempting menus, table decorations, drinks packages and live entertainment can all be tailored to suit guests’ special requirements. A five-course meal, for example, starts from £32.50 per person with terrine of duck confit and velouté of celeriac for starters, and grilled rosemary lamb rump for the main course. Exclusive festive events can be booked from now through to the end of January with worthwhile discounts for ‘early bird’ and ‘January sale’ parties.

B&B rates start from £90 per double/twin room per night; all rooms are air-cooled, have a mini bar and free Internet access. Guests also have free use of the contemporary VITAL Spa with its indoor-outdoor Hydro-therapy pool, 18-metre indoor pool, thermal suite, Technogym, relaxation area and six beauty studios where therapists offer top-to-toe pamper treatments for men and women using Carita and Decleor products from Paris. (Treatments should be pre-booked and are at extra cost).

If you would like to discuss arrangements for a birthday, anniversary, christening, barmitzvah, funeral, charity dinner, social club event or any other kind of party or celebration, contact the Macdonald Berystede Hotel & Spa on 0844 879 9104 or visit www.MacdonaldHotels.co.uk/Berystede.

Radio station invites your memories of Dame Vera Lynn for its xmas special

UK variety music internet radio station, Radio Bracknell Forest, invites the public to send in their memories and recollections of the legendary Dame Vera Lynn for its Christmas Day special show dedicated to the music of “the forces sweetheart”.

The show, repeated at various times during the day, is part of the Christmas Day tribute to days gone by. The schedule includes unique replays of radio classics such as Hancock’s Half Hour, Dads’ Army, The Goon Show and Men From The Ministry.

If you have memories you wish to share with listeners, please e-mail them to vera@radiobracknell.com

JOIN US CHRISTMAS DAY FOR OUR SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO DAME VERA LYNN: SINCERELY YOURS’ 09

BBC Music Magazine features new Bracknell Forest radio station

Crowthorne-based UK Jazz Radio, launched recently by UK Jazz Now and Radio Bracknell Forest, is featured in the latest edition of the BBC Music Magazine: read it here

 

 

 

 

It will be a Flawless performance this Christmas in Bracknell town centre

 

One of the country’s top dance acts will be welcomed to Bracknell this month to help turn on the Christmas lights in the town centre.

Flawless, finalists in this year’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, will be performing in Charles Square on Sunday 29 November to celebrate the lights being officially switched on for Christmas.

The Flawless performance, incorporating elements of street dance and hip hop, will headline a whole weekend full of family fun, leading up to the lights going on.

The festivities will begin on Saturday 28 November at 10.30 when Santa will be pulled in his sleigh by live reindeer through the town, from Broadway to Princess Square, to open his grotto.

 

This year, the grotto will again be located on the first floor of Princess Square with all proceeds being split between local charities, Sebastian’s Action Trust and the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance.

There will be plenty of FREE activities to entertain the family throughout the day, including face painting, puppet shows and balloon modelling.

On Sunday 29 November younger shoppers will have the chance to meet costumed animal characters, including penguins and a snowman. They will also be able to get their faces painted for FREE and to watch puppet shows and get their own specially modelled balloon.

In addition, on Sunday 29 November, Artemis dance studio in Charles Square, will be offering FREE Petite Street (street dancing for children) and Street Cheer dance classes in their studio on the gallery of Charles Square. There will be workshops taking place at 12.30 – 1.30 and then at 2.45 – 3.45, both ending with a performance on the stage in Charles Square.

Helen Barnett, Marketing Manager for Bracknell Regeneration Partnership said: “Our aim is to entertain the whole family and to make the shopping experience in Bracknell pleasurable and easy.

“This year we decided to have events running over thewhhole weekend, leading up to the lights going on in Princess Square and then outside in Charles Square. We are absolutely thrilled to be able to welcome Flawless into the town centre and I know they will put on an amazing performance – opening up our Christmas events schedule in style.”

Following the light’s going on, there will be activities in Bracknell every Saturday and for late night shopping on Thursdays.

For more information on these events visit www.bracknell.com

 

 

 

Get the latest local, regional and business news for Bracknell and the Royal County of Berkshire from Radio Bracknell Forest on the hour, every hour, with reporters Mark Lynch and Caroline Cook,  or access our news website via www.radiobracknellforest.com sponsored by Mark Roach Public Relations.

For detailed stories, please listen in to The Sunday Show with Chris Brant for his weekly round-up, news and interviews plus the events listings for the coming week, sponsored by The Green Machine

Send us your news stories and photographs at news@radiobracknell.com or you can write to Mark at mark@radiobracknell.com or Caroline at caroline@radiobracknell.com

 

 

Help yourself to cope with the financial pressures of Christmas with some free advice

Bracknell Forest Homes and the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) have teamed up to offer budgeting and benefit advice to tenants and leaseholders in the borough.

The free session called “The Christmas Budgeting Session”, will be led by the CAB and is designed to give practical tips about the best ways to save for Christmas, keeping your Christmas budgeting under control, avoiding a debt hangover in the New Year and other topics which may be helpful before and after Christmas. Everyone who attends will be entered into a prize draw to win one of two luxury hampers courtesy of Mears (one of Bracknell Forest Homes’ major works contractors.)

The session details are as follows:

• Monday 16 November, 10am at Easthampstead Baptist Church.

Linda Wells, Housing and Community Services Director, said: “We are very pleased to be working with the CAB to offer assistance and information that we hope will help people who are experiencing financial pressures during this difficult economic climate. Christmas is sometimes a stressful time financially especially for families and we hope that some of our customers will take up the offer of this free session and find it useful.”

Bracknell Forest Homes also employs two benefits advisors who can advise on the range of welfare benefits available and can help tenants and leaseholder’s complete forms to claim benefits to which they may be entitled.

Rhiannon Stocking-Williams, Chief Executive of Bracknell and District Citizens Advice Bureau, said: “Working together with Bracknell Forest Homes is a fantastic opportunity to help their tenants with managing their money in this hard economic climate and to access the wide range of services, such as benefit entitlement checks, debt management and consumer enquiries, that we offer free in our town centre office and outreach sessions across the borough.”

For more information about benefits advice tenants can call Bracknell Forest Homes’ freephone 0800 692 3000 or visit www.bracknellforesthomes.org.uk.

If customers require any assistance to attend the CAB session such as free transport or help with child care costs this can be arranged by contacting Emma Martin on 01344 382912.

Refreshments will also be provided.

For more information please visit www.adviceguide.org.uk

 

 

Get the latest local, regional and business news for Bracknell and the Royal County of Berkshire from Radio Bracknell Forest on the hour, every hour, with reporters Mark Lynch and Caroline Cook,  or access our news website via www.radiobracknellforest.com sponsored by Mark Roach Public Relations.

For detailed stories, please listen in to The Sunday Show with Chris Brant for his weekly round-up, news and interviews plus the events listings for the coming week, sponsored by The Green Machine

Send us your news stories and photographs at news@radiobracknell.com or you can write to Mark at mark@radiobracknell.com or Caroline at caroline@radiobracknell.com

 

 

Staff at Fujitsu have overwhelmingly voted to take industrial action over jobs, pay and pensions.

Latest business news from Bracknell, Berkshire:  Trade union Unite, which represents staff at global business giant Fujitsu, said 92 percent were in favour of some form of industrial action. Three quarters wanted to strike.

Workers are angry at the company’s plans to close its defined benefit pension plan to future accruals. Such a move would affect 4,000 UK employees, Unite said, and effectively reduce their pay package by an average of 20 percent.

“The company intends to force this through by dismissing employees after the end of the consultation period in November, and offering them employment on new contracts which are unchanged except in relation to pensions,” the union said in a statement.

Fujitsu announced 1,200 redundancies in August, and also has an ongoing pay freeze. But Unite said that in total 6,000 staff – nearly half of Fujitsu’s UK workforce – were “at risk” of losing their jobs as the consultation progresses and decisions are taken.

Fujitsu’s main sites are at Bracknell, Stevenage, Manchester, Crewe, Belfast, Staines, Basingstoke, Wakefield, Sheffield, Solihull, Slough, Lewes, Warrington, Cardiff, Bristol, Newcastle and London.

ComputerworldUK’s RSS feeds sends the latest news, reviews & analysis direct to your desktop! Peter Skyte, national officer at the union, said: “Fujitsu remains a highly profitable company, and our members are insisting that the company must treat them fairly and increase pay, provide decent pensions, and consult meaningfully to minimise job losses and avoid compulsory redundancy.”

Fujitsu declined to comment, citing the ongoing consultation period.

 

 

Get the latest local, regional and business news for Bracknell and the Royal County of Berkshire from Radio Bracknell Forest on the hour, every hour, with reporters Mark Lynch and Caroline Cook,  or access our news website via www.radiobracknellforest.com sponsored by Mark Roach Public Relations.

For detailed stories, please listen in to The Sunday Show with Chris Brant for his weekly round-up, news and interviews plus the events listings for the coming week, sponsored by The Green Machine

Send us your news stories and photographs at news@radiobracknell.com or you can write to Mark at mark@radiobracknell.com or Caroline at caroline@radiobracknell.com

New jobs posted on Radio Bracknell Forest website

The latest jobs listings from Radio Bracknell Forest have been posted:

Account Executive / Sales Support

A leading PC peripherals brand, Logitech, requires an Account Executive / Sales Support in their Slough office. The role will provide a first class, professional administration and sales support function to the UK Retail Account Management Team and Retail Account Mangers. £17000 – £20000

Recruitment Consultant for the Care Sector

Team support are an independent recruitment company who offer temporary and permanent job solutions to the Transport, Industrial, Logistics, Public sector and Care sectors. The Slough branch is currently recruiting for a Care Recruitment Consultant

Customer Service / Warehouse Staff

Our client is currently looking for 2 Customer Service / Warehouse Staff – this will be an 10 week contract from 16th November – end Jan 2010 You will be working in a busy returns Office – dealing with incoming parcels and letters that contain items that are being returned – either damaged or unwanted goods.

Media Sales Executive

Excellent prospects to develop a career in media and publishing. We are looking either for a candidate with some previous phone-based new business sales experience. Any previous experience of media sales would be ideal, but for one of the roles is not essential.

Account Manager

Great opportunity for a candidate from a Marketing Agency background. You will need prior Marketing Agency experience which includes Account Management. You will be responsible for account growth within designated accounts. This includes building strong client relationships, writing clear and effective strategic and tactical proposals, as well as briefing documents for internal departments.

Sales Coordinator with French

A great opportunity for a candidate who is fluent in French to join an international company and make full use of their language skills. We have an excellent opportunity for a candidate who is fluent both written and verbally to join an international company with a friendly atmosphere and great benefits

Business Accountant

Our client is a fast growing international IT Services Company (over 100% growth this year) and is looking for a full time Business Accountant to work as part of the management team reporting direct to the owner. The person we are looking for should be a qualified Business Accountant that can work in a fast moving environment and fit into the company’s ethos and style. The company offices lie on the M4 just south of Reading. £30,000 – £40,000

 

 

Click here to find more information: http://radiobracknell.webs.com/jobsearch.htm

 

 

 

 

Budding young broadcasters and DJ’s spin the decks

Budding young broadcasters and DJ’s spin the decks  as Bracknell Forest Homes’ young residents turned their hand to learning new skills and spinning the decks during October half term in an innovative project.

The housing association’s most recent community development initiative was for 12 to 16 year olds to produce their own radio show, which was broadcast at 7pm on Radio Bracknell Forest (www.radiobracknellforest.com) on October 29.

The 20 music mad youngsters took the chance to mix music, edit and produce news and advertising, and put together a one hour show. The group also mixed their favourite tunes on Disc Jockey (DJ) mixing decks.

The participants went home with a certificate for their achievement and the pride of hearing their hard work on radio. A souvenir CD of their show was also given out.

Enoch Kiio attended the radio production and said: ‘‘It was better than I had expected, it was a mind opening experience to learn about radio and it was a good thing to spend time doing rather than being at home.”

Caroline Titley, Chief Executive of Bracknell Forest Homes, added: “I am pleased so many young people took part in this new initiative. Producing a radio programme is no mean feat and shows that the group worked well together and learned about the process of making a broadcast. We hope that the show will be enjoyed by listeners of Radio Bracknell Forest as well as the young people themselves.

“We are delighted to work with Radio Bracknell Forest and the Headspace Community Centre and look forward to more exciting projects like this in the future.”

Part of the day included asking the young people how Bracknell Forest Homes might help them develop skills and create opportunity for them to develop their potential. They also explored how they might like to make a contribution to their community. The results will help Bracknell Forest Homes produce a community development strategy.

Bracknell Forest Homes also sent the group of youngsters for action packed fun at Oakwood Youth Challenge during the half term break and will be looking for more ways for young people to get involved in future holidays.

 

Photo: budding dj’s with DJ Clinton (back left) and JohnHicks of Radio Bracknell Forest (back right)