In Focus Podcasts

A well stocked, well managed river brings a lot to a local community; it brings tourism, it provides an amazing learning resource and it can help create jobs and training oportunities.Maintaining stocks of salmon in the Cree has been exactly what the Cree River Hatchery and Habitat Trust has been doing since its inception in 2010 and now every year the hatchery produces up to 200,000 young salmon - more correctly called salmon fry.It's been a big month for the Trust; the river was opened for the season, it received one of two inaugural Orri awards from North Atlantic Salmon Fund and it has launched a Crowdfunder to hopefully double the £10,000 it received as part of the Orri award.At the beginning of March 2026 Stuart Baillie met Hatchery Coordinator Murdo Crosbie to find out more about the history of the hatchery and how it goes about ensuring the Cree is a well stocked salmon river that is attractive to anglers and you'll hear how the trust hopes to spend the money it raises.If you would like to donate then follow the link below. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/eWoNvgvl?utm_campaign=sharemodal&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=shortlink

The Quarrymen's Art Centre, opened in 2021, is described on it's Facebook profile as 'a wee venue at the heart of Creetown', it's all that and more. Brought back to life by a dedicated team of local people The Quarrymen's in home to Creetown's Silver Band.Its re-opening was marked with a ceremony and, of course, by a performance by the band. The Silver Band had maintained the former church as best it could until 2009 but by then it was becoming clear that maintenance costs would spiral and something had to be done. Following advice and the support from Creetown Initiative, a trust was formed and funding was secured to bring the building back and give it a new lease of life.In this podcast Stuart Baillie talks to Gillian McKnight and Douglas McDavid who are among those who have breathed new life back in to the old building and they chat about their ambitious plans for its future. There has already ben a huge range of diverse events from band concerts, Scotland on Tour performers which included jazz, traditional Scottish, country/Americana, folk and also theatre productions and highland dancing performances and as you'll hear from Gillian and Douglas there’s lots more to come.For more information https://www.quarrymensartscentre.co.uk/

The first episode of a new season of People & Landmark podcasts. This time we're visiting Linlithgow Palace in central Scotland, home to Mary Queen of Scots and a significant royal residence for the Stewarts.Photograph by Andrew Sutherland.

Joe Bravaco is an American playwright whose work 'One Good Thing or are Ya Patrick Swayze' won an award for new writing from The Stables Theatre in Hastings. In this interview he discusses his career and his inspiration.

Everyone knows about 9/11 not so many know that when the US closed its airspace, 38 planes carrying nearly 7,000 passengers from around the world were unexpectedly diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, nearly doubling the town’s population overnight.Come From Away is a heart-warming and multi award-winning musical, based on this remarkable true story. The show follows both the stranded 'come from aways' and the townspeople who opened their homes, schools, and hearts to care for them.Amid fear and uncertainty, strangers form deep connections, friendships, and even love. The musical celebrates human kindness, resilience, and community spirit in the face of tragedy – and gives us hope in today’s unsettled world.Usefuk web linkshttps://www.sedlescombeplayers.co.uk/https://stablestheatre.co.uk/

Stuart Baillie has been writing about the Seaview Project in St Leaonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, since 2019. Seaview is a local charity that works with those on the margins of our society and reaches out to offer help to the homeless and rough sleepers.Last Friday (Oct 3rd) Seaview staged one of its Big Sleep fundraising events. There was a night of live music and entertainment then around 40 hardy souls slept rough raising awareness - and crucially cash - to help the charity. Once all the money is tallied it looks like the event will have raised around £35,000 and in times when securing funding for this kind of work is becoming ever more challenging.Stuart was one of those hardy souls prepared to brave the elements and during the evening he caught up with Seaview staff, supporters and volunteers and with people who are very frank about the fact that Seaview saved their lives.

The Seaview Centre in Hatherley Road in St Leonards-on-Sea is a remarkable place. Stuart Baillie has been out with the early morning outreach team meeting those sleeping rough on the streets of Hastings and St Leonards and he has been to the centre itself talking to those who make use of its many facilitiers and for whom Seaview, a charity that celebrates its 40th birthday this year, is nothing short of a lifeline!

Homelessness and rough sleeping are big news when politicians decide to use the issues to make political capital. But behind the headlines are real people living on the margins of society. The Seaview Project in St Leonards in East Sussex has been providing an open access wellbeing centre since 1985 and is currently the only such facility focused on homelessness and mental health in East Sussex outside Brighton and Hove. Seaview is a small independent charity that delivers an open access approach to people experiencing a range of issues including mental health, learning disabilities, substance misuse, physical disabilities, social isolation, rough sleeping and homelessness. Last year Seaview served the needs of more than 1,200 people.In this episode Seaview's Sue Burgess talks about the charity in general but about The BIg Sleep in particular. Takning place on October 5th she hopes it will raise much needed funds that will allow Seaview to continue to do its amazing work.