On a high from an excellent day at the Gate to Southwell Festival, Rob and I set off mid-afternoon to play live and be interviewed on Doug Welch’s Sunday evening Kent Folk programme on BBC Radio Kent. We had jointly selected this date with Doug ahead of our gig at nearby Tonbridge Folk Club (Nellie’s) on 20th June.
The BBC Radio Kent studio being situated in Tunbridge Wells allowed us to stop off on arrival in the town for a cuppa, a chinwag (and a Tunnocks!) with family friends ahead of meeting up with Doug.
Fully refreshed we arrived at the studio to be met by Doug and his producer Casey whose warm welcome put us at our ease immediately. With a minimum of fuss, we were set up to record some live tracks and to talk with Doug and we both feel the relaxed atmosphere helped us give of our best.
Once finished, we packed up, said our goodbyes and set off home. Travelling back home through Essex we were met with the most ominous stormy sky either of us has ever seen. Looming curtains of rain and multiple lighting strikes flashing ahead of us made us feel like participants in one of those ‘twister chasers’ documentaries that are shown endlessly on cable TV channels. However, although aquaplaning on the M25 alongside the juggernauts and the speed junkies was a bit too interesting for comfort, it did nothing to dispel the augmented high we were now feeling at the end of a very satisfying weekend.
Many thanks to Doug Welch both for the invitation to visit him at BBC Radio Kent and for his kind words on the show. Thanks also to the show’s producer, Casey, who did a great job. We very much look forward to performing more in and around Kent and, we hope, running into Doug again when we do so.