My BBC Apprenticeship - In Pictures

On 30th September 2013, I started my first day as a BBC Production Coordinator Apprentice. I had absolutely no idea what the next 15 months had in store, but looking back on it now I can hardly believe how much I have been able to cram into this space of time! Now that I have graduated and completed my qualification, a Level 4 Diploma in Broadcast Production Management, I have had the chance to reflect on the abundance of amazing experiences I have had and wanted a place to log all of the incredible shows and events I’ve been a part of. So here it is – a snappy picture diary of my time as a BBC Apprentice. 

6th & 7th December

Top of the Pops, Riverside Studios

The Top of the Pops Christmas Special has always been a key feature of the Nicholson Household Christmas Day routine, so it was incredible that this was my first ever studio television experience. Here I worked as a Runner to presenters Fearne & Reggie and was delighted by just how lovely, friendly and charming they both were.

11th December 2013

Jools Holland’s Hootenanny, Maidstone Studios

In the Nicholson household, New Year is not complete without Jools Holland’s Hootenanny on the TV counting us into midnight, but in 2013 is seemed strange to be doing just that on December 11th! For the same nostalgic reasons as Top of the Pops, working as a Runner on Hootenanny was an amazing opportunity for me. Responsible for looking after any of the celebrity guests in the audience, this was my first chance to speak to some of my idols who had inspired me to work in TV and Radio, and it is these ‘pinch-yourself’ moments that you never forget.

31st December 2013

My First Credit!

As New Year’s Eve came around in 2013, not only was I looking forward to watching Jools Holland’s Hootenanny, but this was also the day that I received my first ever television credit for Sir John Tavener Remembered, a documentary looking back on the career of the late composer.

28th February – 1st March 2014

6 Music Festival, Victoria Warehouse, Manchester

My first few days in the BBC Live Music & Events team, I was thrown straight into an event and it was a brilliant way to get to know the team and to understand the workings of event day, preparing me for the many that followed! 

19th – 20th March 2014

Jo Whiley’s Sport Relief Challenge, NBH Piazza

Having watched Comic Relief and Sport Relief year upon year, watching the lengths that celebrities go to for the charity, it was great to get involved with one of the projects. Working as Artist Liaison, it was my job to meet and greet all of the show’s guests who would be joining Jo Whiley in her Perspex box as she ran for 26 hours straight to raise money for the charity! Everybody knows what Sport Relief is about and there was a great sense of team spirit surrounding the whole event, all working to achieve one goal. 

23rd May 2014

Radio 1’s Big Weekend Dance Party, George Square, Glasgow

I had the pleasure of standing in the crowd, enjoying the show and soaking up the atmosphere as Radio 1 opened its doors to 2014’s Big Weekend. Having worked on preparing the video mapping sequence that was projected onto the square, I felt a huge sense of pride as I watched the overwhelming display. 

24th – 25th May 2014

Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Glasgow Green, Glasgow

As a huge Radio 1 fan, I have applied year after year for tickets to Radio 1’s Big Weekend, so to finally be there but in a working capacity was even better than I could have imagined. As the Event Coordinator for the BBC Introducing Stage, I had worked very closely with the BBC Introducing team to plan the line-up. It was a pleasure to be able to email all of the chosen artists to confirm their spot on the line-up and to meet them across the weekend; they were all so genuinely grateful for the opportunity and put on an incredible show. Watching artists like Royal Blood, Catfish & The Bottlemen and Saint Raymond pack our little blue tent full to the brim until it was fit to burst was incredibly exciting, and they certainly did not disappoint, with many of the Radio 1 DJs quoting Royal Blood as their highlight of the weekend. 

Amidst the madness on our stage, I managed to make it out at the end of each day to see the event headliners – Coldplay and Katy Perry. As a massive Coldplay fan, it was my first time seeing the band, and they were perhaps one of the greatest live acts I’ve ever seen. Standing in the pouring rain with my amazing Live Events team singing our hearts out to Yellow is a memory I won’t forget anytime soon. 

28th August & 25th September 2014

Rugby Training with KSI, James Haskell and Wasps Rugby Club

My third placement on my apprenticeship was a chance for me to take a step outside of the BBC and experience the independent television industry. I joined the Endemol Beyond team working to coordinate shoots for 3 YouTube channels, including Rulem Sports, fronted by YouTube star, KSI. Rulem Sports’ mission was to teach KSI different sporting disciplines throughout the year and I loved being a part of his rugby challenges with England Rugby star James Haskell and some of his Wasps Rugby Club teammates. I never knew what was around the corner with these shoots; one minute we’d be practicing kicking and passing, the next they’d be weightlifting one another, having a dance off or smashing eggs on each other. As unpredictable as it was fun, KSI is perhaps one of the craziest and funniest people I’ve met on my apprenticeship.

19th October 2014

Radio 1 Teen Awards, The SSE Arena, Wembley

October saw my return to the Live Music & Events team for my final apprenticeship placement. My first event back in the team, once again, is one I have applied for tickets for in years gone by but to no success. However, an event that was a dream come true soon became a nightmare… as I dropped my iPhone down the toilet!! So unfortunately no photos from the Teen Awards, but if you look closely here, you can see that Now Magazine managed to capture a snap of me on the red carpet behind The Vamps and Shawn Mendes, who I was fortunate enough to look after and manage throughout the event!

10th November 2014

Best Day Ever for Children In Need, Tendring Technology College, Frinton

This year for Children In Need, Radio 1 took over a school for the day to give them the Best Day Ever, with Tendring Technology College being the lucky winners. With a Live Lounge from Rixton from their school hall, plus Scott Mills and Greg James’ shows coming live from their classrooms and school hall too, they certainly did have an amazing day and it was wonderful to see the children, but even more so the teachers, having a brilliant time, particularly at Danny Howard’s after school disco! Having spent the days leading up to the event, coordinating travel arrangements for all of our staff, DJs and guests on the shows, it was my job to transport these guests around the school for their appearances, meaning that I would be constantly stopped my excited school children and staff for selfies; but our guests were so accommodating and equally as excited about being involved with Children In Need, making for a really special day.  

15th November 2014

1Xtra Live, The NIA Arena, Birmingham

This was my first 1Xtra event since working in the Live Events team, so was a great opportunity to be introduced to new colleagues I hadn’t previously had the chance to meet. Some of the memories that stand out from our time in Birmingham were from our team nights out, both on our first night in the city, as well on our final night after the show when we were invited to Annie Mac’s night at The Rainbow Factory. 

21st November 2014
6 Music Celebrates Libraries, The British Library

During my time in the Live Events team, I was trusted to manage an event by myself for 6 Music, working as the Lead Event Coordinator. Broadcasting live from The British Library, Steve Lamacq and his team brought the show from the mezzanine level of the beautiful building, bringing with them DJ Yoda, who explored the library’s sound archives to make a brand new track with the samples he collected. As the Event Coordinator, it was my job to bring together the venue's events team, outside broadcast supplier, marketing team and production team to ensure everyone was sure and happy with the arrangements planned. It was a very smooth operation and sounded great on air, receiving a lot of support and great feedback on social media.  

11th December 2014

BBC Music Awards, Earls Court

As my apprenticeship drew to a close, the inaugural BBC Music Awards was my final event in the Live Music & Events team, but was certainly the ideal way to end the 15 months on a total high. This was by far the best event I have worked on throughout my whole apprenticeship and it’ll take something truly staggering to top it. With a sensational line-up including Ed Sheeran, Take That, Coldplay, One Direction, Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding and Tom Jones, you could not turn your head without catching one of the UK’s biggest music artists in your eye line. It was definitely at this event that I had the most pinch-yourself moments, especially when standing in the dressing room area to find myself surrounded by One Direction on one side and Chris Martin on the other! AND – What an amazing way to bring the event to a close and my apprenticeship to an end with a credit on prime-time BBC One television. 

18th December 2014 

My Last Day

So as you can see from all of these photos, I have had quite an adventure over the past 15 months working at some of the BBC’s biggest events, meeting some of my idols and favourite musicians, as well as making many amazing new friends. Very fortunately, I was able to share my last day with the Live Music & Events Christmas party. This team is made up of some incredibly talented and hard-working people who I completely admire and I hope I get the chance to work with them again very soon.

15th January 2015

Graduation!

Out of everyone I have met on my apprenticeship, it my fellow Production Coordinator apprentices I can guarantee I will be friends with for life. Balancing a new job with a huge amount of coursework was quite challenging at times, but just a text or phone call away we always knew we had each other to lend a hand of support. Add to that 3 amazing people we could not have done this without - our scheme manager, Maddy, and college assessors, Gilly & Suzz. Helping to find our next placements and supporting and guiding us with our college work from Day 1, they have helped us every step of the way and continue to do so even now that we have graduated. I think we would all agree that they were fundamental in helping us to achieve 100% on our qualification and continued to push us every step of the way. So a big thank you to them, as well as to everyone I have had the pleasure of working with over the past 15 months. 

BBC Production Co-Ordinator Apprenticeship - Placement #2

I finished my previous blog post at the end of my first placement on the Production Co-Ordinator Apprenticeship with ‘but the adventure must continue’, and wow, it certainly has! Soon after writing that post, it was confirmed that I had secured my dream placement.

I have always had a huge passion for radio and have always sought out opportunities to experience this industry as it is where I have always seen myself ending up in my career. From doing work experience at BBC Radio 1 at the age of 16, to volunteering at my local hospital radio station and even attempting my own radio podcast (yes, attempting is definitely the key word there), I returned to the location in the first point in that list. Yes, my dream had finally come true and on February 25th, I found myself walking through the doors of Radio 1 on the 8th floor of Broadcasting House.

Aside from my draw to radio, I have also always been interested in working in the world of events and events management. I touched upon this in a very small way at school, organising many of our Sixth Form events including our Prom, the school talent show, a Christmas party for a local school and a fundraiser to raise money for that party; and it was this introduction to events management that inspired me to seek more opportunities in an industry that I could see myself making use of my organisational head and attention-to-detail.

So, thanks to my scheme manager on the apprenticeship, I ended up at the absolute ideal placement for me. Radio + Events = Radio Events. And here I am! To give the team their deserved full title, the Live Music and Events team in Radio Popular Music. If you’ve ever listened, watched or even been to an event for Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, 6 Music or BBC Introducing, it would have been organised by the lovely team I am currently sitting alongside now as I write this. Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Radio 2 in Hyde Park, 1Xtra Live, The Teen Awards, 6 Music Festival – the list goes on and on.

One of the best parts about this placement has been the huge amount of trust that the team have put in me. I’ve been given a great deal of responsibility which I really appreciate and respect, and for that reason I’ve made sure I’ve put 110% into everything I’ve done so they wouldn’t regret it. So hopefully they haven’t!

Within the first days of this placement, I was already on a train to Manchester to work at the first ever 6 Music Festival. I was immediately thrown into a DJ and artist liaison role and loved every minute. Experiencing such a large event within my first days prepared me to understand the coordination and logistical process that goes into achieving the end result that I witnessed in Manchester, and helped me to know how to continue whilst working towards Radio 1’s Big Weekend – a project I have completely admired.

Two years ago when the team were organising one of their biggest events to date, the Hackney Weekend, I found myself at the Hackney Academy listening to a talk given by Neil Wyatt, the Live Events Manager who was heading up the event. I was completely absorbed in everything he had to say and now I can’t quite believe I’m sitting here two years on working with the same team on the Radio 1 Big Weekend in Glasgow. I’ve done a full loop, and as much as I enjoyed sitting on my sofa at home and watching Jay Z and Rihanna on telly playing the Big Weekend that year in 2012, I have absolutely no doubt that I will much prefer 2014 and I guarantee I will stand pinching myself when I see Coldplay in Glasgow. And even more importantly, as I run around in the mud on Glasgow Green chasing after artists to get them on stage, the thought of that sofa in 2012 will become an increasingly distant one.

One of the main projects I have been involved in is the ongoing BBC Introducing programme and I have absolutely loved it! It’s a fantastic scheme that supports unsigned and under-the-radar musicians – it’s an incredible opportunity for artists trying to break the industry, and from my perspective, an equally amazing scheme to work on. I have been involved in the organisation of the Introducing stages at some of the upcoming summer festivals, including Big Weekend, Glastonbury and T in the Park. I’ve been responsible for asking for recommendations from the local shows, sending these to a panel of presenters, producers and music experts for their opinions and then contacting the artists and confirming their availability once the line-up was chosen. I have also worked with the Introducing team to decipher to final running order at Big Weekend to ensure a variety across both days. The whole process was an extremely interesting and eye-opening experience, particularly because of my love for music and what better way to spend your day than by listening to a ton of new music! Of course, that isn’t all I do but I have spent the odd day here and there just browsing through the Uploader for some fantastic new music, which there is a huge abundance of out there.

I’ve also done a spot of writing for the BBC Introducing blog each week, listening to some more fantastic music that has made it onto the Introducing slot on the Radio 1 playlist and then writing about it. This job just gets better and better.

From working on 6 Music Festival, to Big Weekend in two weekend’s time, I’ve also been fortunate enough to work on Jo Whiley’s Sport Relief Challenge, the Radio 1 Academy, as well as looking ahead to Glastonbury, T in the Park and Radio 2 In Concert with Kylie this week!

With just days to go until I get on the train to Glasgow, the anticipation for the festival is building on the 8th Floor and across Glasgow it seems. Everybody is extraordinarily busy but also incredibly excited for the weekend and I feel truly inspired by the team I’m working with, with brains that can be best described as Big Weekend encyclopaedias! The creativity, organisation prowess and dedication of everybody working towards the event is admirable and I feel incredibly lucky to be doing my dream job surrounded by these people.

Onward to Glasgow!

 

BBC Production Co-Ordinator Apprentice Scheme - PLACEMENT #1

It may seem like I’ve completely abandoned my blog recently, and whilst this is slightly true, I’ve had a complete whirlwind six months that have distracted me, and fairly so!

Having spent night-after-night writing and tweaking my answers, I eventually clicked ‘Submit’, sending an application to the BBC for a place on the BBC Production Apprenticeship scheme.

After a long summer of waiting, an email shocked through my inbox inviting me to an interview at BBC Elstree. Having met so many talented and passionate people, I was beginning to doubt my chances but was grateful for the interview experience I attained.

Just a few weeks later, I was contacted inviting me to attend a second interview, but this time for a different scheme. My love of organisation and planning must have come through to the assessors, who recommended I apply for the BBC Production Co-Ordinator Apprenticeship instead.

“Would you be able to come to Broadcasting House on Thursday 15th August?”

“Sure, of course, thank you!” I immediately responded. Just seconds later, I began to question why this date seemed so familiar in my mind; of course, it was my A Level Results day. If one day wasn’t already stressful enough, I now had the added pressure of the most important meeting in my life so far.

BBC Broadcasting House

Less than a week after my second interview, I received a call offering me a place on the Production Co-Ordinator scheme. Shock, nerves and excitement thundered through me as I looked forward to the 30th September and the all-important first day.

Having already met some of my fellow apprentices at our interview, I felt at ease as soon as I saw a handful of familiar faces in the room. Quickly I began to mingle and meet all of my fellow apprentices. It wasn’t long before we were all smiling, laughing and on our way to the pub after work! Many friendships begun on that day and I know that I’ll hold them dear for a very long time.

Upon entering the BBC Academy at Elstree, I have always felt hugely welcome and supported by the amazing team that run the apprenticeships and training schemes. My scheme manager, Maddy, and scheme co-ordinator, Darren, have been incredibly supportive from Day 1, firstly for giving me this opportunity having read my application and interviewed me, as well as their ongoing help and support 24/7 during our training and whilst out on our industry placements. Having started this scheme fresh out of secondary school, I really do have Gilly and Martina, our scheme assessors, a lot to thank for due to the incredibly useful and insightful training they gave us to prepare for our placements in the TV and radio industries; I’m not quite sure what I would have done without it. The organisation that the whole team have put into planning every finite detail of our apprenticeship, from co-ordinating our training, finding our placements and assessing our evidence and coursework, has been fantastic and one of the countless reasons why I would recommend this opportunity to anybody with an interest in working in the media.

I’m now coming to the end of my first placement and the 3 months have completely shot by; but time flies when you’re having fun. BBC Music Television was an ideal first placement for me and I’ve had the opportunity to work on some incredible shows that I’ve grown up watching. Top of the Pops and Jools Holland’s Hootenanny are iconic British TV shows that I feel very fortunate to have worked as a runner on. The experiences I had in December at these two programmes were made by the very intelligent, organised and talented colleagues around me, as well as by the guests and presenters I was responsible for looking after. They say that you should never meet your idols but I’ve certainly met some of mine in the past three months and will cherish the memories of meeting such genuinely lovely and interesting people.

Jools Holland Hootenanny

Another highlight from my time at my first placement was achieving my first broadcast credit as a Production Team Assistant on Sir John Tavener Remembered, a documentary shown on BBC4 on New Year’s Eve. There’s no greater buzz than seeing in the New Year celebrating the hard work you put into a programme.

One of the reasons I have loved BBC Music Television is the variety of roles I’ve been able to take on. As a Departmental Production Management Assistant, I’ve been very fortunate to have a role that oversees the whole department with the opportunity to work on all sorts of productions and projects. From BBC Learning, to Classical Music documentaries, Entertainment Music documentaries and larger Popular Music shows, my experience here has always been diverse, interesting and full of different challenges and opportunities to learn.

The iconic Top of the Pops sign

My colleagues here have always been supportive, helpful and willing to teach me and give me opportunities to learn and develop myself and I can’t thank them enough. I’ll be keeping in touch with many people here and will miss them when I’m gone.

But the adventure must continue – but where will I go next? My second placement is nearly here but still TBC. Watch this space!

Lawson: "It's been a mental year and it's gonna finish with a bang" - Looking ahead to V Festival 2013

The excitement and anticipation for this summer’s V Festival is hotting up, with just days to go until the gates of Hylands Park and Weston Park open up to campers and spectators for a weekend of incredible live music.

But it’s not just the visitors who are counting down the days…

Adam Pitts, Andy Brown, Joel Peat and Ryan Fletcher, better known as hit boyband Lawson, have been telling me what they’re looking forward to about V Festival, and what fans can expect from their set.

Lawson are no strangers to the V Festival crowd, having played on the Arena Stage in 2012. But with a string of success following them over the past year, it’s no surprise that they’ve been chosen to open the festival on the 4Music stage on Saturday 17th August.

Their latest single ‘Brokenhearted’ featuring American rapper B.o.B is the group’s fourth track to reach the UK Top 10, following the success of ‘When She Was Mine’, ‘Taking Over Me’ and ‘Standing In The Dark’.

After four years together as a band, 2013 is definitely set to be their biggest year yet.

Adam, drummer of the band, said: “It’s been a mental year already and it’s gonna finish off with a bang.”
“We're off to American for a month or so, we have a new record coming out in October and then we're touring the UK and Ireland too.”

Lawson’s ‘Everywhere We Go’ tour will start in New York for a 9-date US run, before Adam returns with lead vocalist Andy, lead guitarist Joel and bass guitarist Ryan for a 15-date UK tour.

So it seems that V Festival is just the start of a busy few months for the group.

This is your second time performing at V Festival. Is it a date you look forward to on your calendar?

ANDY: As a band, performing live is our favourite thing to do. It's how we started and if we could do a gig every single day then we would.

JOEL: Festival shows are particularly important for us as they allow us to perform in front of a more diverse sort of crowd usually. People who might not necessarily know the band or particularly like the band – they're one of the best crowds for us to play in front of as it gives us a challenge to win them over!

What do you enjoy about festivals in comparison to your theatre and arena gigs? What makes a festival special?

RYAN: Rain or shine, festival crowds are always up for a good time. They're there for the whole day, usually getting pissed up, it always makes for a great audience.

ADAM: We love going to festivals as punters anyway so we love playing them ourselves now. We always make sure we go and check out some of the other bands playing when we can.

What other acts on the V Festival line-up are you hoping to see?

ANDY: We're all massive Kings of Leon fans and have seen them play a bunch of times, so we'll be checking them out again.

RYAN: We start our US tour the day after V Festival so we can't go too mad, but definitely a few beers and seeing the likes of Jason Mraz and Calvin Harris sounds like a good day.

What song on your set-list is your favourite perform?

ANDY: I'm really enjoying playing a lot of our new songs which will be on our new record. We're still learning them and getting them properly tight, but they're some good songs in my opinion.

RYAN: Standing In The Dark is my favourite. Always a great sing-a-long moment.

ADAM: Everywhere You Go is going down well at the minute. It wasn't a single for us, but it's the name of our forthcoming tour and we open the set on it.

What can the V Festival crowd expect from Lawson and your setlist this year?

ANDY: I think people of all ages and genders will enjoy a Lawson set. We rock things up a fair bit, but there's those moments you can jump up and down to and have a good time in there as well.

Do you have any tricks up your sleeves?

JOEL: We've been doing a cover of a big dance song lately so no doubt we'll pull that out of the bag again.

Do you have any pre-performance rituals?

ADAM: We all do different things. Andy spends ages steaming and warming up his voice. I normally bang random bits of furniture with my drumsticks.

RYAN: We listen to different songs to get us pumped – usually Kings Of Leon or The Script. Sometimes a bit of country music too.

What will be on your V Festival rider to prepare you for your performance?

JOEL: We once read somewhere we asked for plasma TV's and fresh clean underwear. The reality is we just ask for beer, cider and popcorn.

For updates on Lawson’s tour dates and upcoming releases, follow @LawsonOfficial on Twitter or visit Lawson's Official Site

V Festival Countdown!

There’s just two weeks to go until some of the biggest names in the music industry arrive in Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park in Staffordshire for one of the best weekends of the summer.

Over 180,000 visitors will travel to Chelmsford to help celebrate V Festival’s 18^th birthday in style with the support of over 70 performers across four stages.

Line-Up

International Queen of Pop, Beyoncé, will join Tennessee rockers, Kings of Leon, to headline the festival on 17^th and 18^th August.

Beyoncé, who will perform in Chelmsford on Saturday night, will be making her only European festival appearance at the festival and her first UK festival appearance since headlining Glastonbury in 2011.

Kings of Leon are no strangers to the V Festival stage, having headlined the festival in 2010. With undeniable festival anthems in their back catalogue, including ‘Sex On Fire’ and ‘Use Somebody’, the Followill brothers can always whip the crowd into a chorus.

Their sixth studio album titled ‘Mechanical Bull’ will be released at the end of September, so spectators can expect to hear many new tracks in their set, which will close V Festival in Chelmsford on Sunday night.

Beyoncé will be joined (on Saturday in Chelmsford and Sunday in Staffordshire) by Irish-trio The Script, ‘The Voice’ judge Jessie J and Liam Gallagher’s Beady Eye.

Joining Kings of Leon are V-Festival-veterans Stereophonics, Scottish-sweetheart Emeli Sandé and DJ Calvin Harris.

Other returning artists on the bill include Essex-boy Olly Murs, who will complete his hat-trick of performances at the festival in his home-county, as well as Labrinth, Ellie Goulding and Scouting For Girls. They will be joined by V Festival newcomers Two Door Cinema Club, The Vaccines and X Factor-winner James Arthur.

Chart-favourites Rita Ora, Little Mix and Fun will also be appearing over the August bank-holiday weekend.

Bob Angus, one of three of the festival’s directors, has recently explained the process behind booking acts.

“We look at what’s currently out there and popular with the general public and try to get them, it’s as simple as that’.

“We ask ourselves who’s the hottest, most popular act right now, and we go after them.”

Craig Hayward, 22 from Folkestone, agreed with this. Having attended V Festival for the past 4 years, amongst many other festivals, he said: “It’s the best all-round festival on offer in the UK, simply because you get a bit of everything.”

“They always have a really good variety of acts from different genres, which attracts a variety of different people, which produces a great atmosphere.”

Price

So what price can you expect to pay to see some of the world’s top artists?

Prices start at £89 for a day ticket, but you would have to save £160 for a weekend ticket or £185 for a camping ticket.

Iona Rawson, 17 from Chelmsford, says she ‘would be silly not to go to V’ but is still shocked at the increase in ticket prices.

“The price has risen dramatically due to the celebrities performing and tickets are now ludicrously just under £200 when they used to be just over £100, but this is a price I can realistically be expected to pay for all musical events.”

“This year I look at is as I’m paying more for the camping experience than I am V Festival itself. By day it is a family event but by night it is party central.”

Despite any appreciation for the nightlife or line-up at V, a recurring issue is the price. Tickets may have sold out, but have organisers narrowed their demographic with a steep price that excludes a younger generation, particularly of students, who struggle to pay for a ticket?

Krina Patel, 18 from Essex, said: “Beyoncé is by far the greatest act V has ever managed to secure. But, I was a fool to think that I could afford a weekend ticket. I don’t actually earn enough to cover the cost of a ticket and still have enough money for university.”

Nevertheless, V Festival continues to sell-out each year and if world-class artists like Beyoncé are consistently topping the bill, people will manage to find the money to pay for their ticket to the most electrifying and exciting weekend of the summer.

Effect on local residents

Aside from the price of a V Festival ticket, This Festival Feeling have investigated further to find out the true price V Festival has on Chelmsford, and even more locally, Writtle, the small village where Hylands Park can be found.

Local residents, Margaret and Don Smith, live just a 10 minute walk from the V Festival site and are fed up with the annual event.

“We live on a private road that is usually quiet. The festival causes a lot of youths to come down our road and we don’t like the anti-social behaviour that follows, particularly as a result of alcohol and also the litter that they leave.”

For business owners however, it’s a slightly different story.

Barry Long, Landlord of the Rose & Crown Pub in Writtle, said: “V Festival is good for our village. Our pub and the shops get really busy and it definitely boosts revenue if you’ve had a bad start to the year.”

Anne Martin, landlady of the Sir Evelyn Wood pub, just a one minute walk from the V Festival site, says that she has ‘never had a hint of trouble’ over the V Festival weekend.

Just a stone’s throw from the site, the pub is a popular destination for many festival go-ers, with many punters returning each year.

Mrs Martin, who has been running the pub for more than 14 years said: “V Festival is wonderful for us. There is always such a wonderful atmosphere. We see people returning year after year and it’s lovely.”

Nevertheless, living and working so close to the site of one of the country’s most popular festivals will inevitably have some drawbacks, particularly for Anne, with the closure of her road. After much inconvenience, Mrs Martin complained to Essex County Council and managed to attain several passes to show to the officers who stand at the top of her road to allow local taxi firms to access the pub.

In recent years, Anne has found the festival to be slightly more ‘self-contained’, with many visitors utilising the food and drink stalls in the park and campsite instead of returning for a drink in the pub.

“If you’re being inconvenienced you want to join in. If this continues we may not get the financial benefit that the chaos is worth.”

“Even so, I do always look forward to it.”

Despite many expectations, a Tesco superstore situated just a 10-minute walk from the V Festival site say that they only get ‘a little bit busy’, perhaps as a result of the festival’s self-contained nature described by Landlady, Mrs Martin.

The Tesco store’s Duty Manager Darryl John said: “We get a flood of people in the morning for food, water and alcohol and also to use the toilets, but it’s nothing massive.”

Is it worth it?

Whilst some local residents may find the festival a nuisance, it seems that for just two days in the year, the advantages heavily outweigh the disadvantages. V Festival benefits the area financially and in terms of reputation, helping to put Chelmsford ‘on the map’. 

Richard Branson’s Virgin team and the V Festival organisers provide residents of all ages with an exciting date in their calendar, enticing some of the world’s biggest stars to the newly-crowned city of Chelmsford, compensating for the short-term noise and traffic disruptions. 

A year on... Is Grimmy the just successor to Moyles?

“So, er, this is actually happening.”

Nick Grimshaw’s uneasy first words reflected the reluctance of the nation, who listened in anticipation on Monday 24th September 2012 to hear the voice of the next generation of the breakfast show.

The latest RAJAR listening figures, however, reveal that many of Chris Moyles’ older listeners may have not been as pleased with his replacement. From 6.73 million listeners when Moyles left the breakfast show, the 6:30-10am slot has faced a slight decrease to an average audience of 5.9 million.

It is considered that some devoted fans of ‘The Chris Moyles Show’ may have switched their allegiance to Radio 2. The station’s flagship morning show, fronted by Chris Evans, has swelled in support with almost one million extra listeners, allowing Radio 2 to extend their lead as the UK’s most popular breakfast radio programme.

Nevertheless, Grimmy’s introductory figures stand side-by-side with Moyles’, who started the Radio 1 Breakfast Show in 2004 with 5.93 million listeners; just marginally higher that Mr Grimshaw.

So it’s not all doom-and-gloom for the 28-year-old from Manchester.

Ben Cooper, controller of BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, will be particularly pleased with the effect Grimmy has had upon introducing nearly a quarter of a million extra listeners in the 15-24 age bracket within his first three months as the breakfast show host. A recent BBC trust document had outlined Radio 1’s need to lower the station’s audience age profile, which the placement of Grimshaw has certainly accomplished.

Research has found that over the past five years radio listening among 15-24 year-olds has fallen by 16.9%, with Grimshaw’s dramatic spike in listeners from this age category proving to be a meaner feat than originally considered.

In a world where radio is no longer the only source of new music, teenagers tend to turn to online sources to access the music they want, but Grimshaw’s chat, funny features and celebrity guests appear to have enticed listeners ahead of these online competitors.

In fact, the ‘Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw’ currently holds the highest proportion of 15-24 year-olds in any Radio 1 breakfast ratings for three years.

Veteran Radio 1 listeners who were discouraged from tuning in due to the apparent desired cull of older listeners could have been deterred even further after Grimshaw’s highly-speculated first song, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s ‘N***as In Paris’.

Grimshaw’s audacious charm shone through this decision, ignoring any inner obligation to conform by playing a more BBC-friendly track; Grimmy says himself: “the ruder and cruder the lyrics, the better. Obnoxious hip hop is my favourite genre.”

Grimshaw’s bold selection represents his connection with the intended young demographic and his true love and devotion to music.

Following a long stint on the prestigious 10-till-Midnight slot, playing his favoured current artists and trendy-tracks alongside best friend and DJ Annie Mac, Grimshaw has had to become accustomed to a reduced sense of choice. Nevertheless, he has still managed to fill listener’s ears with an abundance of Jessie Ware, Aluna George and his personal favourite, One Direction.

Within his first show, Grimmy name-dropped the boy-band a grand total of 23 times, as well as continuously referencing Harry Styles, who he is repeatedly snapped with by the paparazzi on the celebrity party circuit.

There is no doubt that having Styles as a close companion will irrefutably attract teenage listeners, particularly females, with whom this ‘1D’ star is the figure of their infatuation as the UK’s current teen-heart-throb.

As a friend-to-the-stars, Grimmy’s phone book is a list of the country’s elite with models, Kate Moss and Agyness Dean, joining Lily Allen, James Corden and former flatmate, fashion designer Henry Holland, as potential victims of his most popular radio feature ‘Call or Delete’.

Who would have thought that the most efficacious and creative item of one of the biggest radio programmes in the UK would come in the form of a practical joke?

The feature suffered unnecessary criticism, however, in light of the Australian DJ prank-call scandal, despite the “rigorous editorial procedures around the use of hoax calls on air” that a BBC spokesperson outlined. Nonetheless, the show took a minor hiatus in the wake of the death of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who took her own life after revealing medical details about the Duchess of Cambridge to Australian radio presenters.

The respectful decision is likely to have derived from Grimmy’s faithful production team, who are undeniably, the secret of his success.

The reliability and resourcefulness of Grimshaw’s ‘breakfast clique’, which includes producer Matt Fincham, assistant producers Ian Chaloner and Fiona Hanlon, and social media producer Laura-May Coope, enables the continuous output of an entertaining show with engaging features, impressive guests and amusing dialogue.

Left to right: Fiona Hanlon, Matt Fincham, Ian Chaloner, Nick Grimshaw

It is without hesitation that the team behind a breakfast show are of equal significance to the presenter in regards to the overall success of the programme. You must simply take a look at Grimshaw’s predecessor to understand the sheer magnitude that the supporting voices on the show can have.

The Chris Moyles show became renowned for its prominent zoo-format that combined the participation of multiple contributors, including sidekick Comedy Dave, newsreaders Dom and Tina, producer Aled, plus assistant producers, a role which Fincham previously held.

It was initially envisioned that, the transformation of the breakfast show would include the removal of this format, a particular wish held by Ben Cooper. Within the first few weeks, this was somewhat apparent, but Grimshaw’s familiarity with having another agent, whose contributions he could deflect from, became increasingly evident.

Similarly to his predecessors Moyles, Evans, Sara Cox and Zoe Ball, Grimshaw also has a wealth of experience in television. The introduction of his voice to people’s mornings will not be too unfamiliar, with many acquainted to hearing his Northern tone at sunrise when watching T4 and Freshly Squeezed, which Grimmy fronted between 2007 and the shows’ culminations in late 2012.

It seems that the RAJAR statistics highlight an even further increase of younger listeners to Radio 1, with Channel 4’s teenage morning audience redirecting to Radio 1 to follow Grimmy since the axing of T4 in December 2012.

There can be no denying that Moyles was one of the most talented and passionate radio broadcasters of his time, but like all things, everything must come to an end. There could have been no better substitute than Nick Grimshaw, who has embraced the role with observable dedication and a great hunger for the entire industry.

To a station that has faced a bout of negative coverage in the media in recent months, Grimmy is a breath of fresh air and evidence of a strong and lengthy future for Radio 1.

A Clubbing Holiday To-Do List

If you’ve just left school or university and are in need of a week-long getaway in the sun with your friends and don’t want to spend much money, it’s likely you may choose to go on an 18-30s holiday to one of Europe’s top clubbing destinations.

Now you’ve seen ‘Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents’, ‘The Magaluf Weekender’ and ‘What Happens In Kavos’, it’s time to jump on a cheap flight to Magaluf, Kavos, Zante, Ibiza, Kos, Malia, Ayia Napa or Faliraki to experience a holiday like no other.

Before the summer is up, there’s still time to book a last-minute trip to one of these destinations before the resorts shut down in late October.

Whether you want to enjoy a week in the sun and a few cocktails with friends or stay out all-night-every-night, this list compiles eight of the top itinerary fillers that you need to add to your holiday to-do list, ensuring it’s a fun-filled, exciting and memorable week that you’ll never forget!

8 – Visit a Karaoke Bar

Every resort has a handful of great karaoke bars, but do some research and talk to your holiday-rep to find out which is best. These bars are always a great spot to start your night with a bang and often supply some of the greatest and funniest moments of your holiday. Pick a song, gather your friends and sing your heart out!

7 – Buy a fish-bowl

Every hotel, bar and restaurant will have a cocktail list complete with ‘Sex On The Beach’, ‘Woo Woo’ and all of your favourite holiday drinks. Upgrade your glass to a bowl and share with friends! If you’re heading to Zante, start your night at the centre of the strip at ‘Fish-Bowl’, one of the busiest bars in Laganas, overflowing with groups gathered in circles to share their favourite cocktails on a rather large scale.

6 – Book a trip to the waterpark

No holiday is complete without a dip in the pool, so why not shoot into it after a ride on a flume or rubber-ring slide! Speak to your holiday-rep to find out when trips run and be sure to check that your excursion includes your travel. One top tip: if you have a choice, try to go to the waterpark towards the end of your holiday so that your skin is used to the sun; it’s very easy to burn at the waterpark whilst queuing for attractions and your sun-cream has washed off in the water.

5 – Jump on a Booze Cruise

If you like boats and you like booze, this is the perfect trip for you. Pay before you go and enjoy a free bar all day! These trips are often the most popular so be sure to get your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

4 – Silent Disco

You can guarantee that there will be no stranger moment on your holiday than walking into one of the busiest clubs on the strip to find everybody in silence! Put on a pair of wireless headphones and dance the night away.

3 – Celebrity DJ Night

Every resort has their fair share of celebrity-endorsed club nights, complete with Radio 1 DJs, chart-toppers and TV stars. If you’re booking your trip last minute, you have the opportunity to co-ordinate your travels around the stars you wish to see. If you’re heading to Zante, head to Plus Club, where Radio 1’s Scott Mills, Danny Howard and Vernon Kay are regulars year-upon-year. Ibiza Rocks, Mallorca Rocks and BCM in Magaluf have been host to the likes of Example, Rizzle Kicks and Calvin Harris this year so try to book tickets as soon as possible so you don’t miss out!

Vernon Kay at Plus Club in Zante 2013

2 – Foam Party

So you’re probably thinking ‘been there, done that’… but you would be wrong. Foam parties in your local UK clubs are nothing compared to these European party resorts, where you’ll find yourself knee-deep or even to your neck in foam! If you’re slightly concerned about the smell, as many tourists sometimes are, don’t hesitate as this will truly be one of the funniest and most memorable nights in your stay.

1 – UV Paint Party

Wherever you’re heading this summer, be sure to find out where the weekly UV paint party is held – you do not want to miss out! As part of ticket price, you should receive glow sticks and a T-Shirt, so don’t concern yourself with having no old clothes to wear. Throw on your new tee, customise it and head on out to one of the messiest, busiest and craziest club nights you will ever experience. Paint is fired at you from all angles, so don’t expect to come out without glowing from head-to-toe!

UV Paint Party at Rescue Club, Zante