Vix B Riverside Radio Replay

This week we celebrate exit strategies across SW London!Vix is joined by special guest, Poppy Mardall of Poppy's Funerals. That's right - a local funeral director who's completely changing the conversation around life, loss and celebration. We chat community, compassion, and why a little planning ahead can be one of the kindest gifts you leave behind.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of Raynes Park. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate football as a force for good!Vix B’s guest is David Dein MBE - former vice-chair of Arsenal F.C. and one of the most influential figures in the club’s modern history. David helped shape the Arsenal fans know and love today, working alongside Arsène Wenger during the legendary Invincibles era - and what a day to speak to him, just after Arsenal’s Premier League title win! David now focuses much of his time on community work through the charities The Twinning Project and Futures For All, helping inspire young people and prisoners through the power of football, teamwork and opportunity.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of the inclusive sports and skill building clubs across SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate community volunteering across SW London!Vix B’s guest this week is Imogen, a dedicated volunteer with Regenerate RISE (Reaching the Isolated Elderly) who work across Wandsworth. Living with physical disabilities, Imogen shares how she channels her remarkable positivity and natural gift for conversation into building warm connections with others. She’s a passionate advocate for using whatever strengths you have to support both yourself and the communities you become part of through volunteering.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of inclusive volunteering opportunities across our boroughs. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Vix is joined by Gyles Brandreth!Local Icon Gyles Brandreth is a broadcaster, podcaster, Gogglebox favourite, raconteur, writer, speaker… the list goes on! He is the ultimate multi hyphenate! We chat about his life in Barnes, all he continues to contribute to his community and his love of SW London. Plus, Vix B loves returns with the inside scoop on the best local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate parenting across SW London!Vix B’s guest this week is Dolly Jones, journalist and author of 'Leaving The Ladder Down', a book exploring how parents navigate - and THRIVE - while juggling family and work. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of brilliant places in our boroughs allowing parents to combine work and childcare effectively. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the ringing of church bells across SW London!Vix B’s special guest, Jackie Harrison, is Tower Captain of the bell-ringing team at St Mary Magdalene Church in Richmond. You can see the team in action most Sundays and on special occasions - and enjoy the beautiful sound of their bells ringing out across our boroughs.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of the church bells and towers across our boroughs. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate football across SW London!Rachel Pavlou, Women’s Football Development Manager at the The Football Association, joins us from Wembley Stadium to talk all things football - and how you can get involved right here in South West London. From the early days of the women’s game to today’s explosion of opportunity, she shares her journey - and why the future of football has never looked brighter.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of football opportunities across Southwest London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate Shakespeare across SW London!Vix B’s special guest this week is Jude Kelly CBE – award-winning theatre director, founder of Battersea Arts Centre, former creative director of the South Bank Centre and founder of the WOW (Women of the World) Foundation. She’s bringing ‘Shakespeare’s Women’ to Twickenham in aid of Refuge - what a way to mark Women’s History Month!The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of Shakespeare across SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate all things International Women’s Day!Vix B’s Local Heroes this week are CEO Carmen and volunteer Brigitta from the WONDER Foundation aka 'Women’s Network for Development & Educational Resources’. Built on a simple belief - that women and girls facing poverty aren’t just beneficiaries, but leaders and change-makers - this Brixton-based organisation is helping amplify their voices and champion their expertise around the world. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of International Women’s Day across our boroughs. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the musicality of SW London!Vix B’s special guest this week the renowned composer and local resident Roxanna Panufnik. We chat about the upcoming Barnes Music Festival and the Phenomenal Females Festival AND that time when she composed a piece of music for the King’s coronation and attended the ceremony!The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of music festivals across SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate good health across SW London!Vix’s guest is Dr Susie Stanway, the wonderful oncologist who helped set up London Global Cancer Week, and who today is helping us mark World Cancer Day with a hopeful look at what we can do to support ourselves and each other as we come together to beat cancer.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of ways to find February cheer across the borough of Lambeth. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate exciting new opportunities in Wimbledon!Vix B’s guests are Ash, Natalie and Alex of the new Wimbledon Citizen Hub. They want to design it for locals with locals. This will mean job and volunteering opportunities and, above all, finding and building community. So get in touch and see what this could mean for you!The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of the history of finding the right employment across our boroughs. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the music & bands of SW London!Vix B’s Local Hero & Expert is Kev Westbury, previously the founder and managing director of the brilliant Basement Door charity which builds confidence and skills in young people through live music events. He’s now launched his own music label, KS Music, and we’re along for the ride!The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of the musical communities to join across SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the joy of singing together across SW London! Vix B’s guest this week is Richard Knight, a proud member of the London Gay Men’s Chorus. Richard shares his passion for this brilliant charity choir, reflecting on the joy of singing together, the power of collective voices and the community he’s found both on and off the stage. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of free-to-join choirs across SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Local Icon this week is the wonderful Aled Jones MBE, our special festive guest as we celebrate 40 years of The Snowman. Four decades on from recording the iconic song We’re Walking in the Air - which catapulted him to household-name status as a young boy - Aled remains as much a part of British Christmas culture as mince pies and crackers!The ‘Local Lowdown’ has ideas of how to really enjoy life in SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate Italy across SW London! Our Local Expert, Italian cook Vittoria, hails from Calabria in the toe of Italy and now lives in Putney. She talks us through how to find the taste of Italy across SW London and gives us excellent foodie advice for how to inject a bit of southern Italian taste and style into our Christmas! The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of Italian culture across SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate natural autumnal beauty across SW London!Our Local Expert is Anna Wardrop - the garden designer extraordinaire behind some of South West London’s most beautiful green spaces. Anna shares her top tips on making the most of autumn’s beauty across our local parks and gardens, and how to prepare your own green patch for the winter months and the spring beyond.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of the history of gardens across our boroughs. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate wellbeing through gardening work in SW London!Vix B's local heroes are Claudia and Ben of Thrive Charity, who bring positive change to the lives of people with disabilities and ill health through gardening. They chat to us about their newly opened Sanctuary Garden in Battersea Park, especially designed for those with dementia to work in - and for everyone to enjoy! The 'Local Lowdown' features a Talking Tour is packed with fun facts about Battersea Park. Regular Show features 'Vix B Style' and 'Vix B loves...' have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate inclusivity across SW London!Vix B’s Local Hero is actor Aurelie Burton, who chats to us about the new play in which she stars. Her experiences of living with autism have been the inspiration behind this production and her aim is to educate the world to be a more kind, understanding and inclusive place. ‘Monster’d’ is on soon at the Bread & Roses Theatre in Clapham.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of free-to-join singing groups across SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the musical heritage of SW London!Vix B’s Local Hero is Kev Westbury, founder and managing director of the Richmond based charity, The Basement Door. This brilliant organisation builds confidence and skills in young people by providing training and experience through live music events. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of the musical heritage of the borough of Richmond. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the gardens and trees of SW London!Vix B’s Local Expert is Emma House, curator of the Garden Museum in Lambeth. We also hear from artist Nancy Cadogan whose exhibition, 'The Lost Trees', is on at the Garden Museum right now. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of amazing trees across SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate superstar actor Stockard Channing and her directorial debut!Vix B is joined by Local Icon, Stockard Channing, and David Westhead — the star of the play she’s directing, Krapp’s Last Tape — to talk about their upcoming production at the Exchange Theatre in Twickenham. The ‘Local Lowdown’ celebrates all that is wonderful about SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the WI in SW London!Vix B’s Local Hero is Becky Warburton, founder and president of the Tooting WI. Inspired by the 110-year legacy of the Women’s Institute, Becky saw an opportunity to bring that tradition to life in a modern, inclusive way in her own community. She founded the Tooting WI to create a welcoming space that’s supportive, creative, and intergenerational—where everyone has a place. Becky shares what the WI stands for today and how it continues to empower and connect people today.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of the WI across SW London and beyond. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the positive power of music-making in SW London!Vix B’s Local Hero is Tara Maysey, music teacher, leader of Age UK Richmond’s Patch Ukulele Band and founder of the London Ukulele Project - now a country wide initiative - who uses the ukulele to combat loneliness and create communities across SW London. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of out of the ordinary musical things to do across SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate overcoming adversity in SW London!Vix B’s Local Hero is Maisha Sumah - a multi award winning speaker and elected Chair of the Violence against Women and Girls Community Forum for Wandsworth & Richmond. She’s also a documentary producer, was listed as one of the 50 most inspiring black women in the UK, is the founder of the She Walks in Value platform and works within our SW London communities to end domestic violence and give refuge to those who suffer, and she found time to come and chat to us!The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of trailblazing feminist inspired facts & events across SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate home renovation in SW London!Vix B’s Local Expert this week is Jeremy Lewis-Phillips, founder of the Handyman Station, a team of property care experts supporting SW London from their excellent cargo bikes, a practical and eco conscious way to get to their clients easily. Jeremy gives us his top tips so we can go about our home improvements wisely!The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of summer fairs & festivals across SW London. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the communities SW London!Vix B’s Local Experts are Shoba and Fran, co-founders of SW London Women, a networking platform giving opportunity for women across our communities, from all walks of life, to find inspiring companionship to help them thrive. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of community across SW London and is studded with little known facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate opera in SW London!Vix B’s Local Expert is Louisa Tee, opera singer, actress, comedy writer and co-creator of Warehouse Opera. We chat about her passion for opera and how she is bringing it to the mainstream with a comedy spin.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of opera history across SW London and is studded with little known facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the sport of boxing in SW London!Vix B’s Local Expert is Yusuf, founder of the new LNX gym in Putney. Yusuf is realising his long held dream of creating a gym which provides free boxing training to young people so they can develop confidence and build skills and community - and thrive. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of boxing culture across SW London and is studded with little-known facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate a new way to find employment in SW London!Vix B’s Local Expert this week is Alex Hughes, an entrepreneur passionate about local issues, who aims to transform our boroughs with his new concept job centre - and create a multipurpose Citizen Hub in the heart of Wimbledon. This concept has had huge success already in Cambridgeshire and is a new look and feel job centre which connects people to jobs that inspire them. This Citizen Hub will create opportunities for all generations to get involved in and thrive. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of SW London and is studded with facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate how the children of Tooting Bec are taking part in Wandsworth as 2025 Borough of Culture!Our Local Expert is Laura, or Mrs Varyawa to her pupils, a Year 3 teacher and creative lead at St Anselm’s school in Tooting Bec. We hear about how they are celebrating Wandsworth being the Borough of culture this year. And we bring you everything you need to know about the Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival, how you can get involved and why this is brilliant for SW London!The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of the Wandsworth as Borough of Culture 2025 and is studded with facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the German culture across our boroughs!Our Local Expert is Richmond resident and German native Dirk Hoffmann-Becking who hosts a German history podcast which is a fascinating listen and a font of brilliant stories. Dirk also shares his top tips for the best ways we can experience German culture in SW London!The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of all things German across our boroughs. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we find the best laughs in SW London!Vix B’s Local Icon is the fabulous Suzi Wild, impressionist, stand-up comedian and my fellow radio presenter at Riverside Radio. Suzi chats about her TV success on Britain’s Got Talent and how she got into stand up and radio DJing. She also advises us on how best to experience comedy in SW London.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of the greatest places to find comedy across our boroughs. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the heritage of SW London & Wandsworth as 2025 Borough of Culture!Our Local Expert is heritage champion Geoff Simmons. Geoff received the Tooting Community Hero award from Sadiq Khan for running his community history project. Geoff helps us connect with our neighbourhoods by telling the stories they hold. We also bring you everything you need to know about the Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival and how you can get involved.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival and is studded with facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves…’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts and culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are celebrating LGBT+ History Month in SW London!Our Local Expert is the fabulous Mark T Cox, who leads architecture and LGBT+ history tours across London. He joins us to chat about how LGBT+ history month came about and gives us ideas on the best ways to enjoy it. He also shares his insights into the amazing richness of queer culture we have in SW London. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a Talking Tour of Walking Tours across SW London, one for every borough. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Local Experts this week are Jackie Marie and Mike Hildesley of the Barnes Common Friends, the charity who oversee the stewardship of Barnes Common and other green areas from Barnes to Roehampton. This wonderful initiative started as a group of litter pickers. They tell us about their passion for our great Southwest London outdoors and ways you can get involved.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour of Barnes Common in the borough of Richmond, and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate how football unites communities across SW London!Our Local Hero is Xavier Wiggins founder of wonderful charity Dons Local Action Group. DLAG was initially formed in response to the COVID crisis who are now a permanent fixture in our boroughs. This wonderful initiative started among the football fans of AFC Wimbledon and is a brilliant community of local volunteers who provide food, furniture and household appliances to those in need across Southwest London. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour of football culture in SW London, and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate Indian culture across Southwest London!Our Local Hero this week is Richmond based Olly Belcher, founder and CEO of charity Shivia, which empowers the poorest women in India to create livelihoods, boost income and inspire permanent change within their communities. Olly chats to us about their amazing work AND gives us some great ideas about how to find the best of India here in Southwest London.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour of Indian culture in SW London, and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate a vibrant community hub in Roehampton!My Local Heroes are Nikki Rosner, Natalie Price & Nikaysha of Rackets Cubed, founded in Roehampton and now a nationwide charity. I chatted to them at their local outreach programme, The Roehampton Community Box. This brilliant hub offers families a pay-as-you-can supermarket, coffee mornings, hot lunches and a place to find companionship and community. Thank you so much for having me, my soup was delicious and the work you do is so important, most especially at this time of the year. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour of Roehampton, and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate young musical talent across our boroughs!Our Local Experts, and Community Heroes award winners, are Anna & Andrei of the not-for-profit Power Jam Band Project Rock School in Twickenham. They nurture and train young musicians, both budding and serious, ages 9-18, so they can learn all about the music industry, create amazing music and boost their confidence on stage and off. Also included is a taste of the brilliant music their bands produce.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour of the rock n’ roll history of SW London, and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we remember Remembrance Day with the Poppy Factory in Richmond!Our Local Hero is the Poppy Factory in Richmond, which I visited to find out what they do and how they cope with this, their busiest time of year. Their Chief Executive Amanda Shepard with their head of Communications Dan Hodges chat about this wonderful institution which is over a hundred years old and, aside from making the wreaths you see laid at the foot of war memorials across the world, they support veterans with health conditions into employment. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour around remembrance history in Richmond, and is studded with little know facts.Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and our four legged friends!Our Local Expert is world renowned male model, David Gandy with his lovely dog Dora chatting about his passion for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, his work as an ambassador for them and why it means so much to him. Our interview was recorded in magnificent Richmond Park and I was reminded yet again of how lucky we are here in Southwest London with the green spaces we have for all members of the family to enjoy, furry ones included. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour around the best dog walks of SW London, and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate finding community at the Tooting Bec Lido!Our ‘Local Hero’ is the Tooting Bec Lido, and to represent it are Claire Josey & Charlotte (aka Droopy) Wilson who spoke to me about how they swim with their Blue Tits Chill Swimmers group year-round at this fabulous open air swimming pool in the heart of Wandsworth and what the pool means to them. We celebrate the Lido for all it offers the community as the largest freshwater pool in England, encircled as it is by trees and birdsong. The water is bracing but the welcome is so warm!The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour around the Tooting Bec Lido swimming pool, and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate dreams being realised, coffee & Southfields!This week’s Local Heroes are friend to the show and founder of youth charity Regenerate, Andy Smith, his colleague Tyanna and their newly opened coffee house, Feel Good Coffee, in Southfields. Southwest London resident Gordon Ramsay himself said they have the best flat white coffee he’s tasted! Regenerate inspires and supports local young people in South West by building strong relationships and creating life changing opportunities.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour of Southfields, and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate strong women & the performance spaces of SW London! Our Local Expert is Jude Kelly CBE, Olivier award winning theatre director, arts producer and founder of the WOW Foundation – Women of the World – celebrating women, girls and non-binary people and their achievements. Jude has been a huge creative force in our boroughs during her illustrious career, with her work including building the Battersea Arts Centre and being artistic director of the Southbank Centre. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour of famous SW London performance spaces, and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate the musical culture of SW London & focus on Brixton!My guests are the rock band Tchotchke – a.k.a. Eva, Anastasia and Emily – the three-part band from Los Angeles who are currently touring Europe. I caught them after they performed at the Brixton Electric. These talented girls share their insights into performing in Brixton, life on the road, their musical heroes and their enthusiasm for Southwest London. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour of music in Brixton and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s show celebrates art, creativity and Raynes Park!Our ‘Local Expert’ and Raynes Park resident is contemporary landscape Artist Emz Finch with her guide to how to get more from the art scene across our boroughs. Life as an artist is a fairly solitary one but Emz has found company through the Common Works Gallery, a nonprofit local group that showcases artists so they can find community and inspire those around them. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour of Raynes Park, SW20, and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s show celebrates being inspired to do your best work at any age! Our ‘Local Expert’ and Putney resident is Lucy Standing, co-founder of Brave Starts, a not-for-profit organisation which helps people of 40-65+ feel excited about their future career opportunities with lots of brilliant local success stories. September is a time for new starts and Lucy gives her insights into how they nurture those in our workforce with a bit more life experience behind them.The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour of Embassy Gardens, Nine Elms, SW11, and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our ‘Local Hero’ is French native, relocation expert and happy SW London resident, Mel Rogers, who gives us her brilliant insider guide for how to find the best of France across our boroughs. She is currently soaking up the atmosphere of the horse eventing at the Palace of Versailles for the Paris Olympics! The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour of Olympic history, celebrating the games and is studded with little know facts and links to our boroughs. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s show celebrates the Wimbledon tennis tournament!Our ‘Local Expert’ is former Wimbledon Ball Girl, Ava Rickman, who shares her experiences behind the scenes of this famous tournament. Ava gives us the inside scoop of what life is like on those grass courts with brilliant stories of epic matches, professionalism and all things strawberries and cream as we celebrate this fantastic sporting institution which puts our boroughs on a world stage for two weeks in July. The ‘Local Lowdown’ features a talking tour of Wimbledon tennis and is studded with little know facts. Regular show features ‘Vix B Style’ and ‘Vix B Loves..’ have the inside scoop for how to make the best of your home and recommend local activities, arts & culture events to get excited about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.