The Dragon's Apprentice with Jason Sammon

Danny was joined today by the Dragon's apprentice Jason Sammon and a member of the team Eclipse. The team came up with the name as they thought that this name would be a powerful name. Their charity is Hertfordshire domestic abuse. The Schools identifies their interest in participating and then encourage year 12 students to put themselves forward and form teams of 6. Each team is matched with a local business mentor (their dragon) and a local charity or community group. Teams are given £100 and challenged to "turn £100 into £1,000 or more". They've already had three events and they've raised already over £500. They are thinking to hold a silent disco.

If you want to also get involved with then you can visit https://www.facebook.com/teameclipsestags/

http://listenagain.radioverulam.com/ and navigate to Thursday from 5.30pm.

Drivetime Sessions with The Skeltons

What a perfect way to finish the Drivetime sessions for 2016! The Skeltons were back in the studio to talk to Danny and playing better than ever. Andy and his two daughters Holly and Laurie informed us of their antics in Nashville in October and their impromptu performance of '7 years', which they played live on air. The surprisingly upbeat '7 years' was sandwiched by two covers, both from female country singers, Maren Morris' 'My Church' and Miranda Lambert's 'Baggage Claim'. Beautiful stuff.

If you fancy watching The Skelton's session you can head over to the Drivetime's Facebook page and watch our live recording. Make sure to like the band's Facebook page to hear about their latest gigs and new tracks. We are looking forward to having The Skeltons in for another session next year!

Health Matters. Hospitals, Pharmacies, Stay Well, and GP Online Systems

Four Issues in Tonight’s DriveTime

·         Hospitals and Plans

·         Pharmacies

·         Stay Well

·         GP Online Systems

1. Hospitals. Good news – future for SACH seems more positive than at any time in the last four years; there is a high probability that it will be expanded and re-furbished and that its future is for the provision of planned care. Bad news it’s likely to take a while because of the impact of new way of operating called Sustainability & Transformation Plans (STPs). The area now includes North Herts and West Essex; and Harlow has real hospital issues too!

The new emphasis will be on keeping people out of hospital and increasing health & wellbeing in the community.

2. Pharmacies

Up to a third of the 26 pharmacies in the St Albans District area could close. The issue – Government believes all parts of the health service are suffering – and pharmacies should suffer too;  but the way they are implementing it is wrong – should incentivise quality!

The DEC cuts are happening; but there is time to encourage this to be looked at again before the APR 2017 cuts occur. Go to https://goo.gl/forms/CSTASS3GlD0Klzz23  to have your say.

3. Stay Well

the NHS is running a “Keep warm, stay well” campaign. Get a flu jab, keep warm and active, as soon as you start to feel unwell ask for advice from a local pharmacist, get information about heating bills and home insulation. For more information visit www.nhs.uk/staywell

4. GP Online Services

GP practices have online services, including appointment booking, ordering of repeat prescriptions and access to summary information in records – giving patients more control over their health and wellbeing, making services more convenient, personal and efficient.  For more information contact your GP practice or visit here 

And finally – Hemel Urgent Care now shuts at 10:00pm

And finally finally – very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year

The Radio Verulam Film Guide: Friday 9th December 2016

On the final show for 2016, Simon Carver shared the following choices of the best films on free-to-air TV for the forthcoming week:

Saturday
Nativity!
5.00pm – 6.40pm
BBC2


FX: Murder by Illusion
7.05pm –  9.00pm
Movie Mix


Sunday
Paddington
6.15pm – 8.00pm
Channel 4


Monday
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
9.00pm – 11.55pm
ITV4


Tuesday
Love Actually
9.00pm – 11.45pm
ITV2


Wednesday
Last Vegas
9.00pm – 11.10pm
Film4


Thursday
The Ghost
1.05am – 3.40am
Film4

The Film Guide will be back in 2017.

Chris' Film Club: The Lion King

The final Musical choice for this week's Film Club is Disney's 'The Lion King'.

The musical epic produced by Disney is their 32nd animated feature film, and tells the story of Simba the lion cub and future king as he searches for his identity. However his eagerness to please others and penchant for testing boundaries soon gets him into big trouble.

James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, and Whoopi Goldberg star. The film was the biggest success of 1994.

 

Drivetime Sessions with Tom Craven @TomCraven

This week Danny was joined by singer songwriter Tom Craven. Tom played two of his original tracks, firstly 'Under Postcard Skies' inspired by his 2008 tour in California, and the newer 'A Change in the Papers'. If you would like to hear Tom explain a little about his writing head over to http://listenagain.radioverulam.com/ and you can listen to his performances too. Tom then finished his session with a spirited cover of 'One of Us', written by The Hooter's Eric Bazilian and released by Joan Osborne.

All of this was video recorded live on the West Herts Drivetime Facebook account.

More information about Tom Craven and his musical happenings can be found at https://www.facebook.com/tomcravenmusic/

Chris' Film Club: The Sound of Music

On today's Film Club Chris chooses 'The Sound of Music' as his musical choice.

The 1965 film directed by Robert Wise stars Julie Andrews as Maria, a nun sent to be the governess for the Von Trapp family, headed by patriarch Georg (Christopher Plummer).

One of the most enduring musicals of all time, Maria manages to bring wonder to the life of the family with her songs.

Look out for Nicholas Hammond as Friedrich von Trapp, the first live action Peter Parker/Spiderman! 

Local Literary Slot with K.A. Hitchins

I was joined for this month's local literary slot by K.A Hitchins, who joined us to discuss her latest book 'The key of all unknown'. The book is about an excellent research scientist who wakes up in hospital unable to move or speak, not able to remember how she found herself there. And all kinds of twists and turns follow after that.

To find out more about her work visit: www.kahitchins.co.uk/

I also ran through a number of events happening in the local area this month and next.

For full details visit: segruebooks.co.uk/events, www.berkospeakeasy.co.uk/ and www.verulamwriterscircle.org.uk/programme

Chris' Film Club: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Chris's next musical choice is 'Sweeney Todd'.

In the film Johnny Depp stars as a man accused of a crime he didn't commit and deported to Australia by a Judge enamored by his Wife. Returning after 15 years and calling himself Sweeney Todd, the now-mad man vows revenge, applying his razor to unlucky customers and sending their body's to the  meat-pie shop below. Though many fall to his blade, he will not be satisfied until he slits Judge Turpin's throat.

Tim Burton directed the gothic musical, and Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen also star.

 

Chris' Film Club: An American in Paris

This week Chris sets the Film Club theme to 'Musicals', and starts with 'An American in Paris'.

This 1951 film stars Gene Kelly as Jerry, a US Veteran now living as an artist in Paris, who falls in love with a French girl (Leslie Caron). Only problem is, she’s in a relationship with someone else.

Also stars Oscar Levant, Nina Foch and Georges Guetary.

Thrifty Mrs C

Penny Carr joined us tonight for some more money saving tips.

Making money on line
There are guides on line about matched betting, a lot of information can be found on line on this subject.
On line surveys are another way to earn money either cash or shopping vouchers.
Running an on line blog can also make you money,  Blogging your way to riches is a new book explaining how make money from an on line blog .

Energy Bills
http://www.goenergyshopping.co.uk
this site provides an easy guide to different tariffs and more.

More information can be found at Penny's web site http://beingmrsc.com/thrifty-mrs-c

Penelope Pritchett, perfect housewife & agony aunt - 2nd December 2016 @PerfectPritchet

Originally broadcast on 2nd December 2016.

Penelope will be back in 2017!  If you have a problem that you would like Penelope to address, email danny@radioverulam.com or tweet @PerfectPritchet

Chris' Film Club: Under Siege 2: Dark Territory

Chris' last Steven Seagal choice this week is 'Under Siege 2: Dark Territory'.

Under Siege but on a train! Casey Ryback is back, and when a holiday train ride through the Rocky Mountains with his niece is rudely interrupted by a team of hijackers, he has to jump into action once more.

Also stars Morris Chestnut, Eric Bogosian, and Katherine Heigl.