Spreading a little happiness with a song!

We all feel a little bit better when we sing, don’t we? A favourite track starts playing out on the radio and suddenly we’re joining in – and often dancing around too!

Chances are some of you will be doing just that listening to Girls Around Town this weekend, especially after you’ve heard what Kari Olsen-Porthouse has to say about singing, not just at home or in a choir but at work as well…

Kari joins June and Rosalyn to describe how she goes about spreading a little joy and wellbeing through group singing.

And how bringing it into the workplace can help create better working relationships and give staff the chance to mix in a different environment.

“I believe we all feel better when we sing but this is amplified massively when we do it together,” says Kari. “As well as running a number of choirs and ensembles, I’m passionate about bringing singing into the workplace. It’s great for morale, for building confidence and, above all, bringing a little laughter into the working day.”

Teaching in a no-nonsense way, she sings songs from across the decades – her singers don’t need any previous experience or the ability to read music, everything she teaches is by ear. When she’s not teaching, Kari blogs regularly through her website and sometimes even finds time to do a bit of singing for herself.

Tune in or listen online between 10am and 12 noon on Sunday to hear what she has to say about her mission to spread a little happiness through song. And feel free to sing along to your favourites from this week’s playlist – no doubt Kari, June and Ros will be doing so in the studio!

Photo by Ursula Kelly Photography

A new chapter for Newark Book Festival

Image by Brigitte Werner from Pixabay

Newark Book Festival is back – which means organiser Sara Bullimore is back too, in the studio for next Sunday‘s show…

Showcasing the world of books through an exciting, engaging programme of events for all the family, the festival returns for the third time over the weekend of Friday 12 to Sunday 14 July. This year, visitors will be invited to explore the theme of Home and Away, from travelling around the world and through your imagination to a celebration of all things home and Nottinghamshire.

Avid readers all, the Girls Around Town will be supporting the Festival as usual but they’ll be going the extra mile this year to present the entire show live from the Market Place. Why not pop by to say hello between 10am and 12 noon on the Sunday and maybe even share some of the things you love about books on air?

In the meantime, tune in or listen online between 10am and 12 noon to join June and Sara for NEXT week’s show, when you’ll find out more about some of the things in store this time round.

One thing’s for sure, if you’re as much into books as June, Rachel and Ros are, you’ll want to put the dates in your diary now and get your hands on a Festival brochure as soon as possible so you can start bookmarking the events you’re going to enjoy…

Tina’s back in town!

It’s going to be just like the old days on Girls Around Town this weekend, when former presenter Tina Bettison pops back again to bring June up to date with what’s been going on in and around Southwell

And what’s to come for the rest of spring and into summer – looking at her website, she’s got a busy time ahead!

The April exhibition, featuring images of Sherwood Forest and the River Maun by photographer Terence Lane is coming to a close but there’s lots more to see and do at BELOVED@THE BARN during May and June.

In Nourishing the Creative Fires, Tina joins forces with Jules Wheat to show a range of intuitive painting and photographic work, images and creations that have come through nourishing their creative fires and exploring their creative voices. The exhibition runs throughout next month, culminating in the Southwell/Upton Open Studios weekend from Saturday 25 to Monday 27 May.

Perhaps you’d like to get hands-on? No problem, there are workshops galore in May and June too, including a weekend retreat aimed at women feeling a need to reconnect with their inner nature and the natural world and to the wisdom of the female body. If you want to rediscover the fire in your belly, to feel nourished and inspired, this one on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 May is definitely for you…

Tune in or listen online between 10am and 12 noon on Sunday for details of this and other events and activities coming up at The Barn and nearby.

There’s a lot to cover but, with a bit of luck, Tina and June will still find time during the show to share a bit of the lighthearted gossip that was a regular feature when they were co-presenting the show in its early days!