Rutland & Stamford Sound’s 5th Birthday Bus tour last Thursday was a huge success.
The live radio show from a special bus route around the local area featured multiple events and interviews that highlighted the station’s deep-rooted role in the community with involvement from over 100 individuals from a wide range of organisations, businesses and local towns and villages.
The day started with dancing from Rutland Morris at the Butter Cross in Oakham’s Market Place. Onlookers included both the High Sherriff and the Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland, as well as members of the public, all armed with the station’s flags to join in the festivities and wave off the Rutlander bus, kindly loaned by Bland’s Buses and decorated with balloons and banners in the station’s colours.
On the journey, Rob Persani, Station Manager, broadcast his show from the bus with updates and interviews from all the stops. Along the way they met with Joe Davis, Head of Reserve Management for LRWT, for an interview about the various anniversaries for the trust and Rutland Water.
Once in Uppingham over 30 community singers representing a range of singing groups in the area congregated in Uppingham at the Church of St Peter and St Paul for a joyful rendition of Kool and the Gang’s Celebration and Happy Birthday, led and rehearsed by experienced MD Gavin Ashley-Cooper, presenter of the station’s Sunday evening Musical Directions show.
The next stop was Birch Tree Café in Easton-on-the-Hill, where the staff and visitors greeted the bus with great enthusiasm. The station was keen to spotlight the café’s amazing success in creating a workplace for young people with Down’s Syndrome, enabling them to gain experience and independence. The young people enjoyed being interviewed by Rob, talking about their love for the community cafe.
The day finished in the sunshine at Burghley House, where the bus spectacularly lead a community convoy of walkers, cyclists and dogs through the beautiful parkland and past the iconic stately home. Prior to the convoy starting they sampled cake donated by Oakham-based Love Life Eat Cake and listened to stunning live music from the highly talented pianist Yaroslav Oliinyk, a Ukrainian award winning composer and pianist who lives nearby. A sea of blue and green, including the station’s mascot Preston the Panther, travelled through Burghley Park marking an impressive end to the day, and a chance to spread awareness off the station’s important work.
Since its launch in 2021 Rutland & Stamford Sound has more than doubled in listeners, providing local people with a valuable source of local news and information, plus great music, 24 hours a day. As a Community Interest Company the station is led by Station Manager Rob Persani, supported by a team of over 30 local presenters and volunteers who undertake a wide range of tasks behind the scenes. The station conducts hundreds of interviews and attends a huge number of events throughout the year, connecting the community and championing local people and businesses.
Thanks to the support of Stamford Flower Club who decorated their Stamford Music Shop bike for the week using a radio theme, Anglian Water who lit the iconic county landmark Normanton Church at Rutland Water in the station’s colours, and a number of local businesses who dressed their shop windows with blue and green as part of a competition run by the station. Most of all thanks to the community for making it possible.
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Happy 5th birthday Rutland & Stamford Sound!
