BFBS Colchester

Every week we ask YOU to choose the best out of four shortlisted
✨ Fresh New Music ✨ singles, played right across our Bfbs programmes.

Here are this week's keen contenders:

James Bay ft The Lumineers & Noah Kahan – Up All Night
JADE – Angel Of My Dreams
Mabel – Female Intuition
ArrDee – Different (ft Shapeshifters)

Vote for your favourite track and you can influence our Track of the Week! 🎵

Over to you 👇

Are you looking to keep the kids entertained and busy during the school holidays? 

Plans have been revealed for a new statue to mark 25 years of the 16 Air Assault Brigade being here in Colchester.
We spoke to Curt Vines from the East Anglian Parachute Regimental Association at the Garrison Show recently where they were giving us an idea of what the statue may look like, but using actual Paras standing on a plinth.

What’s this..?

‘Can you spare a few seconds, we’d love to hear from you?

Go to ➡️ https://www.research.net/r/Quick-Question-About-BFBS

10th Essex Regiment living history group at the Colchester Garrison Show.

A Very busy day on Abbey Fields at Colchester Garrison show.

We're looking forward to next Saturday's big AFD event on Abbey Field - the 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team & Colchester Garrison Show.

Just as excited about it is our Garrison Commander, Lt Col Ed Rankin, who's been talking to about what we can expect.

Hear Col Ed on Monday Breakfast (with Liz sitting in for Dom this coming week).

If you are looking for some things to keep the kids occupied during the summer holidays, Michelle Dunn from the Army welfare service has been telling Dom on breakfast about some of the summer activities on offer.

Did someone say PARTY?!

A look back at the weekend's immaculate Royal Gun Salute for His Majesty's Official Birthday, in Castle Park,

With a crowd of hundreds watching in Castle Park (in a perfectly timed break in the rain,!) the guns of G Parachute Battery (Mercer’s Troop), 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery fired a Royal Salute to send birthday greetings to the King, with commentary by Liz Mullen of Bfbs (on her third Gun Salute duty).

The 21-gun salute was fired by a battery of four 105mm Light Guns. The troops, based at the city’s Merville Barracks, were then inspected by the Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, Jennifer Tolhurst, as the King’s representative in the county.

Gunner Sam Hayes joined 7 Para RHA in February and this was his first ceremonial duty.

“We don’t get to fire our guns in public very often, and to do this for the King’s birthday makes it particularly special,” the 26-year-old said. “My job in the gun crew is to load the cartridge and we did lots of rehearsals through the week to make sure everything went as well as it did today.”

Before and after the salute, a brass ensemble from British Army Band Colchester played at the bandstand to entertain the public, alongside a gun set up to demonstrate the troops’ operational role with 16 Air Assault Brigade, the British Army’s global response force.

This week we're talking about how Colchester's Lock Hospital has finally gained historic recognition with a Blue Plaque - thanks to Colchester Civic Society. No more an embarrassing little secret!

It's on the car park wall of our "Rec" - and Liz was there...

WIN a pair of VIP tickets (worth £60 in total!) to Colchester Food & Drink Festival 2024.

This week's competition offers our lucky winners a VIP day out for two on either Sat June 29 or Sun June 30 in Lower Castle Park.

You'll get two seats in the VIP marquee - inside or in the open air - attentive table service, free fizz, product sampling, a meet & greet with a celebrity chef, live cooking demos, and a fully-stocked bar!

Of course, you'll also want to explore the whole festival, with its amazing range of food and drink.

Simply answer this: For which food is Mersea Island famous?
Send your answer and your contact details to [email protected] by this Friday morning.

TWO WINNERS will each get a pair of VIP passes - so what are you waiting for?

Your opinion counts! 📋

How do you feel about our radio and TV services? What do we do well and what could we improve on?

Tell us, and as a thank you you'll be entered into this quarter’s prize draw to win £200 of online shopping vouchers 🛍️.

The survey is simple and shouldn't take longer than 10 minutes.

Get started 👉 www.bfbs.com/survey

Our Liz Mullen of Bfbs Colchester will again be the Garrison's Commentator this Saturday for her third Gun Salute.

Gunners and musicians are joining forces in Colchester on Saturday (June 15) to mark His Majesty The King’s Official Birthday, and the public are invited to watch the spectacle.

The guns of G Parachute Battery (Mercer’s Troop), 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery will fire a 21-gun Royal Salute in Lower Castle Park. A brass ensemble from British Army Band Colchester will be playing at the bandstand to entertain the public, alongside a gun set up to demonstrate the troops’ operational role.

The Royal Salute will be fired by a battery of three guns at noon, with music from 11.15am. The Lord-Lieutenant of Essex Jennifer Tolhurst, will be the Inspecting Officer as the King’s representative in the county. Spectators can view the event from Upper Castle Park.

Police es**rt for 104 year old D-Day veteran Don …

D-Day memorial es**rt for Normandy veteran Don Mr Sheppard travelled to the memorial in an adapted mobility vehicle and was es**rted by officers from our roads policing unit including motorbike riders.

D-Day veterans, Thomas Cuthbert was at the Colchester D Day commemoration service yesterday.
An incredible man who served with the Royal Navy.

We met this incredible gentleman today at Colchester’s D-DAY 80. He is Thomas Cuthbert.
During the war he served with the Royal Navy.
On D-Day He was fuelling ships in the English channel on what her Majesty the Queen once described as a floating bomb.
You can hear more about Thomas and the rest of today’s events in Colchester on breakfast with Dom tomorrow morning.

Nearly time for Colchester’s D-Day 80 commemoration service at the war memorial

The D-Day 80 flag is flying on Colchester's Town Hall...

We continue our commemoration of D-Day, exactly 80 years on, throughout Liz Mullen's Bfbs Colchester Afternoon Show between 1 and 4pm today.

As well as hearing again Dom's lovely story of Essex veteran Don Sheppard (see photos on this page), we have some brilliant Sound Stories from that day 80 years ago.

Plus a listen-back at this morning's Official Proclamation, as read by Colchester Town Crier, Robert Needham, and our fourth guided history walk of the D-Day beaches by the amazing Mark Smith.

104 year old D-Day, veteran, Don Sheppard was in his early 20s, when he boarded the landing craft that was to take him to Juno Beach…
He finished the day on Pegasus Bridge. 

Another chance to hear Town Crier Robert "Bob" Needham this afternoon on Bfbs Colchester. The former Police Sergeant has been talking to Liz about his D-Day 80 Proclamation (Town Hall steps, 10am on June 6) and ringing this historic bell.

In most other parts of the UK, the "cry" time will be 8am, but our city's morning traffic flow has been taken into consideration!

-Day 80
Town Hall
Colchester City Council

Robert "Bob" Needham is our Town Crier and his important upcoming task is to "cry" the D-Day 80 Proclamation from the Town Hall steps on the morning of June 6.

Bob chats to Liz Mullen this afternoon (Tuesday) at 3.30pm and we'll hear his story again on Wednesday here on Bfbs Colchester.
But as you can see, he was also part of the new King and Queen's official welcome to our city.

Liz has been talking to Mark Smith, the Antiques Roadshow's expert on Militaria, and gets his opinion on her late father's "Sweetheart Brooch" sent to her mother back home...

By parachute, helicopter and airlanding, the British Army’s global response force has shown how it could rapidly reinforce NATO troops in Estonia in the event of a crisis.

From the reconnaissance work of Pathfinders to the airlanding of a Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), the unique skills of Colchester-based 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team (16 Air Asslt BCT) have been tested on Exercise Swift Response.

The training saw 2,300 soldiers, sailors, and aviators from four NATO nations rehearse how they could seize a foothold against armed opposition

Every day, the British Armed Forces face seemingly impossible challenges whether current soldiers or veterans 💪

To highlight the exceptional abilities of the British military and to mark the launch of our new UK National radio line-up, we've teamed up with Mark 'Billy' Billingham to lead a team of highly trained ex-forces in taking on 100 paintballers

BFBS Paintball 9x16 WITH SUBS.mp4

Want to get involved in the action? Find out more about how to listen to BFBS in the UK and listen to the full interview with Billy here 👉