Back in the New Year

Its been a busy week with Xmas now gone and new year on the way. All the usual features of the late show are on hold and will return on Monday 7th January 2008.

Thanks to everyone who contacted the show on Christmas Days night and hopefully the people we talked to have found the help they needed in the organisations that we put them onto.

2008 has been planned well in advance and you can expect to hear a fair bit of live acoustic music as we have singers and songwriters lined up for an acoustic session on the show.

Watch this blog for more details nearer the time

Have a great New Year. All the best for 2008 and I will be back woth everything on 7th January

Lonely this Christmas

Christmas is a lonely time for a lot of people and if you are going to be alone this Christmas then there are voluntary organisations whois services will be available to you over the festive period.

In the run up to Christmas its always a demanding stressful time, especially if you are alone but hopefully we can help you get through Christmas and New Year

Join me on Christmas Days night from 10pm when I will be talking about various organisations that can help you as well as chatting live to the Samaritans in Barrow in Furness ans putting you in touch with people that can be there for you at Christmas. You can also call 01229 808 222 right now and leave your special Christmas message to be broadcast on the show on Christmas Days night.

Telephone numbers of organisations that maybe able to help over the festive period and these are listed below:-

• Samaritans can be found at www.samaritans.org.uk , The local branch is at 16 Hartington Street in Barrow and can be contacted 24 hrs a day on 01229 825656

• Mind In Furness is there for any mental health and care in the community issues. The Barrow Branch is in School Street and can be contacted nationally on 0845 766 0163. Their website is at www.mind.org.uk

• Furness Carers association is available for anyone who cares for someone else and they can be contacted on the web at www.furnesscarers.co.uk or by telephone Barrow 822822

• Animal concerns should be directed at the RSPCA and they can be found by telephoning 0870 5555 999 or on the web at www.rspca.org.uk

• If you are homeless or worried about it and need support then you need Barrow Homeless Support centre located at 27 Bath Street Barrow. Telephone 821134

• SAFE stands for Stop Abuse For Everyone (SAFE) and is available to anyone who has been a victim of domestic violence. They will help you out in a number of ways and they can be contacted directly on Barrow 838746 and are committed to tackling issues of violence and also offer practical support for those in an abusive relationship as well as providing a service for children.
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• Victim Support provides services to Furness residents and you can find out more about them at www.victimsupport.org.uk or by telephoning the local office on Barrow 839989

• Age Corncern is there for helping the elderly and inirm. They are based at Lakeland House on Abbey Rd in Barrow and they can be contacted on Barrow 831425 or email joanne.smith@acbarrow.org.uk No matter what the issue is then Age Concern are there to help you, It could be anything from dealing with pensions and allowances to help with keeping warm and there are a number of things you can do to keep you and your home warmer this winter.
  
  * Wear thin layers of clothes rather than one thick layer
  * Choose clothes made with wool, cotton, or fleecy synthetic materials
  * Don’t stay sitting still for long periods
  * Spread chores through day and alternate between rest and activities
  * Get a flu jab
  * Eat at least one hot meal a day
  * Sip hot drinks regularly throughout day and before bedtime
  * Keep a flask of hot drink by your bed should you wake up feeling cold
  * Stock up on provisions in case it is too cold to go to the shops
  
  * If you are using an electric blanket make sure you have it checked by a safety expert at least every three years. Age Concern are offering free electric blanket testing in selected areas across the UK.
  
  For more information and help please visit www.ageconcern.org.uk and download the factsheet which will tell you about:
  
  * Reducing heating expenses
  * Warm Front Grants
  * Cold Weather Payments
  * Winter Fuel Payments

If anyone reading this knows of any other organisations then please feel free to click on the comments link and leave details there

Hits and Memories

Starting tonight on the show from 11pm, we play the hits of one particular year somewhere between 1965 and 2006 and ask you to identify the year. We will talk about the news stories and events of that year making it easier for you to get the year right as well as bringing back a few memories.

It all starts tonight on the late show straight after "Abbey Acoustic" at 11pm on your local station across Furness, Abbey FM

New Look Late Show

Abbey FM weeknights late show kicks off @10pm although some features stay, there are new ones introduced. One is the return of the Hits and Memories, Giving you clues to the news as we play an hour of music from one mystery year. It all starts Monday 12th November 2007

Hazel OConnor

My special guest on the show on Thursday 1st November 2007 was 80s pop icon, Television Celebrity and film star, "Hazel O'Connor".

Hazel has had Top 10 chart success with "Eighth Day", "D-Days" and "Will You" and continues to perform live in front of her fans.

She played a live acoustic set at The Nines in Barrow on Friday 2nd November and she joined me for a chat and to play some of her music live on 107.3 Abbey FM.

The interview in full is available for download by clicking this link.

All other interviews can be downloaded from http://audio.billclarkontheradio.co.uk


More Photos Below. Double click any of them to view full size

Sewer Side Cafe

“A rising band in the local area, who have impressed audiences at The Canteen in recent months with “an alternative acoustic set” and a “youthful contemporary take on acoustic pop” From sunny Millom, it‘s Sewer Side Cafe”

Sewer Side Cafe played live and acoustically on Wednesday 24th October 2007 on the late show and were interviewed by me on 107.3 Abbey FM.

The interview is now available for download from the usual place at http://audio.billclarkontheradio.co.uk

Double click on the image to enlarge

Happy Abbey Birthday

ABBEY FM, the local station for the Furness Peninsula is 1 year old today. Please feel free to leave your comments or birthday wishes.

That means I have been here since the start and still enjoying every minute of it. The late show has seen some changes over the year and there are more to come.

Achievements on the late show this year have seen new up and coming bands promoted as well as listenership increase and the show is very popular. You only have to read back through this blog to find out what we have achieved.

Not only have I promoted local bands but also big name bands as well. If you are a local band please get in touch and we could be having you on the show.

More info can be found at www.myspacecom/billclarkontheradio

To celebrate this first birthday we are inviting you to join us this Sunday (21st October 2007) at Craven Park Rugby Ground in Barrow between 12 noon and 4pm for a great family fun day where you can have a great day out and meet the Abbey FM Team.

Thanks to everyone at Abbey FM for a good year and for making great local radio.


Check out the Abbey FM website for more info.

From Late show to Breakfast

There have been no website reviews for a couple of weeks and this is still on hold due to the fact I have been covering the Breakfast show and not been able to sort any out. If anyone has a great website they would like reviewed on the late show then please email me bill@abbeyfm.co.uk

The Rezillos live on Abbey FMs Late Show

I had the oppertunity of chatting to the Rezillos and playing their music on the late show on Thursday night.

The rezillos were formed in the 1970s and have appeared on Top of The Pops and shared a stage with Souxie and the Banshees and other pop icons of that era. They also wrote the song "Dont you want me" for the Human League,

Pictured left to right are The Rezillos, Eugene Reynolds, Bill Clark (Abbey FM Radio Presenter), Johnny T., Fay Fife, Angel Patterson and Jo Callis. Credit to the photograph goes to Fays son, Eliot Hynd (Double click the image to enlarge)

Jo Callis is the man who gave the Human League a top hit by writing "Don't You Want Me" and also was once part of them.

They appeared live at the Canteen Media and Arts centre in Barrow last night and the radio interview including their original "Dont you want me" is availabe for download.

Click here to download

or

Click here to go to the audio page and download anything I have done on the radio.

Please check out their websites at

www.rezillos.com and their myspace site at www.myspace.com/officialrezillos

Taking a break.

Website reviews will take a short break for a week. If you have a great website you would like reveiewed please send details to bill@abbeyfm.co.uk

Tongue Tide

Tongue Tide and Twisted are a female duo known as Jodi and Ali and they appeared live on Abbey FMs Acoustic hour on Thursday 20th September playing some of their own material and promoting themselves.

The interview is available to download and listen to in the audio section at http://audio.billclarkontheradio.co.uk scroll down near to the bottom to locate it.

Double click on image to enlarge

Dave Duffin's Acoustic Meltdown

Dave Duffin joined me in the studio this evening and played acoustically and talked about his music. He is playing at The Nines on Dalkoeth Street this Thursady and all money raised will go to the Oncology appeal.

More info soon. Watch this space.......

Hairy Bikers

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Dave Myers who is one half of Televisions "Hairy Bikers". Dave Myers is now part of the Abbey FM team and can be heard with John Little on Sunday afternoons between midday and 4pm.

The photo is of me and Dave Myers.

Gwen Hechle

Gwen joined me again on Abbey FMs acoustic hour on Tuesday 28th August 2007 and played her little heart out to the listeners.

The interview and music is available for download in the usual place http://audio.billclarkontheradio.co.uk

Lobe

Lobe are an acoustic duo who have appeared on the show before and have come back by popular demand. Tonight they were playing at The Canteen in Barrow and came straight to Abbey FM to play again live on the radio and had yet another phenominal amount of feedback.

The interview is now available for download on the audio page at http://audio.billclarkontheradio.co.uk

Elvis Hasnt quite left the building

Thursday 16th August 2007 will be 30 years to the day since the death of the legendary Elvis Presley. Join me for 10pm for an hour as a special one off Elvis special playing his music and talking about his life.

Special guest joining me in the studio is Neil Maclaughlin who is well known throughout Furness and Cumbria as a very talented Elvis Impersonator. Its gonna be a show not to be missed if you are an Elvis Fan.

LATER.............

The show is now available for download in the audio section of this website. http://audio.billclarkontheradio.co.uk

Screwy Live on Abbey FM

The interview and songs are now available for download in the AUDIO section.

Photo taken in Abbey FM Studio 1. Double click it to enlarge.

SCREWY

Monday Night at 10pm 13th August SCREWY, playing live in the studio

LOBE

LOBE played acoustically and live on 107.3 Abbey FM last night. It was a good night and the listener response was famtastic. They will definately be back on the radio in the very near fututre and dates will be announced soon. A copy of the interview will be available for download on the audio pages at http://audio.billclarkontheradio.co.uk

Harry Potter Fever

Harry Potter fever gripped Barrow at the weekend with people queueing to get their hands on the new book "Harry Potter and the deathly Hallows". I was at "Waterstones" in Portland Walk talking to those people who were desperate to get their hands on a copy.

The interview, which was played throughout the day on 107.3 Abbey FM was also featured in full on Abbey Tonight at 6pm on Monday 23rd July 2007

The interview is available for download here

Other interviews are available at http://audio.billclarkontheradio.co.uk