Press Contact

Freelancer of the Year 2008 web links

2009-03-05T17:33:00.003Z

From Freelance:UK

'Eight creatives have won the client-dazzling title ‘Freelancer of the Year’ having proved that their independent work for UK plc has been exemplary.

Their unparalleled contributions of services, including PR, marketing, design and editorial, have enriched outfits in major sectors like healthcare, IT and aviation.

The judging panel, staffed by industry captains, said they looked for the key traits of successful freelancers – flexibility, creativity, insight, discipline and value adding.

For creating a similarly “high impact” media campaign which boosted her client’s image and sparked a national debate, the PR Freelancer of the Year went to Vikki Rimmer.

Her work for the Spelling Society generated it unprecedented interest from the media, gifting it today a “strong PR legacy on which the society can continue to build.”

Like the seven other victors, her submission to the awards saw off more than 300 other freelancers all claiming to be, or nominated as, the best consultant in their field.

http://www.prweek.com/uk/home/article/886434/freelance-award-winners-revealed/

PR Freelance of the Year 2008: Vikki RImmer

2009-03-04T12:19:00.002Z

Freelance award winners revealed

PR Week, Kate Magee 02-Mar-09

Bowel Cancer UK's Ian Beaumont and the Spelling Society's Vikki Rimmer have won recruitment firm Xchangeteam's annual freelancer awards.

Ian Beaumont, Bowel Cancer UK's director of comms, was named Public Affairs Freelancer of the Year for the second year in a row.

Roger Majerski, Xchangeteam's public affairs expert said, 'For so niche an organisation as Bowel Cancer UK to punch so far above its weight is testimony to Ian's brave new style of public affairs campaigning, integrating media relations, harnessing third party advocates and bringing powerful case studies before decision makers.'

Meanwhile Vikki Rimmer picked up the PR & Communications Freelancer of the Year award. Rimmer was one of eleven finalists.

The category judge and last year's winner Rona Levin said: 'The changes brought about by Vikki's advice, coupled with her skill and creativity, enabled her to deliver a high-impact media campaign on a level never-before experienced by the Spelling Society.'

The Xchangeteam Freelancer of the Year Awards are now in their fifth year. PRWeek sponsored the Public Affairs and PR & Communications categories.

Americans 'embarased' by spelling - coverage on both side of the atlantic for the Spelling Society by Press Contact

2009-02-10T07:00:00.005Z

The Spelling Society asked Press Contact last September to help create a news story both here in the UK and the USA. After the success of their UK spelling survey in May 2008, the Society were keen to repeat the model in the USA. It's tricky undertaking a news story from the UK, pertaining to the USA. Press Contact agreed but said that we should also concentrate on getting coverage here in the UK too - as a back up.

Press Contact engaged the services of Ipsos MORI in January 2009. Using the same model used back in May 2008, MORI surveyed 1000 Americans on the question of spelling. The survey included questions such as 'do you or a member of your family have trouble spelling?' and 'would you be confident to fill out a job application form without the help of a spell checker?' These questions were followed by a spelling test utilising ten everyday words. The test was then followed by opinion statements such as - 'do you think spelling is worse now than it was ten years ago?' etc. etc. Full text and tables can be viewed at www.spellingsociety.org

The results that came back were perturbing, with over 50% of the population here in the UK unable to spell 'embarrassed' and over 60% failing to get the word right in the USA.

Men performed consistently worse than women in both the UK and USA.

All respondents were adults who had gone through the education system. We had a cross section of the population answering the survey, and post grad students and College graduates fared no better than their counter parts at vocational colleges.

UK Coverage:

The Times

The Telegraph

Americans embarrassed by poor spelling performance compared to Britons
Americans are worse at spelling than Britons, with more than half unable to spell "embarrassed", "liaison" and "millennium".

By Matthew Moore
Last Updated: 12:01PM GMT 09 Feb 2009
Americans embarrassed by poor spelling performance compared to Britons
Sixty-two per cent of Americans got 'embarrassed' wrong, against 54 per cent of Britons who struggled with the word in a survey last year Photo: GETTY

Despite the popularity of school spelling bee competitions, adults in the US fared poorly in a survey comparing how English speakers on both sides of the Atlantic deal with commonly misspelt words.

Sixty-two per cent of Americans got "embarrassed" wrong, against 54 per cent of Britons who struggled with the word in a survey last year.

Adults in the US performed less well on most of the ten words tested, including millennium (52 per cent wrong, against 43 per cent in UK), liaison (61 per cent to 54 per cent) and "accommodation" (42 per cent to 36 per cent).

Only "definitely" and "friend" were spelt correctly by more Americans.

Professor Edward Baranowski of California State University said that the results reflected the "horrific" drop-out rates of US high schools.

"This certainly puts an eventual strain upon the universities, which must devote lots of resources to remedial education," he said.

Jack Bovill of the Spelling Society, which commissioned the research, said the high inaccuracy rates in both countries showed the need for the English spelling system to be modernised to improve literacy.

"When asked, only a quarter of adults thought they had a problem with spelling. The answers in the test prove that this is far from the case," he said. "What is holding the UK and the USA back is the irregular spelling system."

The Spelling Society wants a cross-party committee of MPs to promote spelling reforms.

The US survey involvING a sample of 1,000 adults was carried out online by Ipsos MORI last month, with the method based on a survey of 1,000 Britons in April last year.

BBC Wales

BBC Sheffield

BBC 3 Counties

USA Coverage:

Washington Post

Washington Times

CNBC

Reuters

KMV.com

Movember

2008-11-05T14:53:00.002Z

Luke Collyer appears on BBC Breakfast with Mark Barrowcliffe

2008-10-22T09:38:00.003Z

Returning home from Walking The Amazon, Luke Collyer dealt well with the numerous media enquiries that arose off the back of the press release sent out by Press Contact to announce that he would no longer be walking the amazon alongside Ed Stafford.

Luke appeared on BBC Breakfast to duscuss the issue alongside novelist Mark Barrowcliffe.

Mark Barrowcliffe has since been out to meet Ed in the jungle and is writing up his experiences...............

Daily Mail pick up on Walking The Amazon press release sent out by Vikki RImmer

2008-10-22T09:35:00.003Z

Two friends on 18-month Amazon trek fall out after just 68 days - in row over iPod

By Paul Sims and Niall Firth
Last updated at 4:51 PM on 10th July 2008
Comments (0) Add to My Stories

When friends Ed Stafford and Luke Collyer decided to set out on their adventure of a lifetime they thought they had prepared for every eventuality.
Packed with equipment for their epic trip across the Andes the two young adventurers were ready to tackle snakes, Maoist guerrillas and more than 4000 miles of jungle paths.
What they hadn't counted on, however, was how they’d cope with each other’s company.
Ed Stafford (right) and Luke Collyer planned to walk the Amazon until they fell out
The two Britons Stafford, 37, and Collyer, 32, had planned to walk the entire route of the Amazon from source to its mouth – a massive trek that had never before been attempted.
The trip was due to last around 18 months but within 68 days the two had fallen out – over an iPod.
Last week, Stafford lost his temper when Collyer asked for a supply parcel to be sent which only contained one MP3 player.
Writing on the expedition’s blog, Stafford wrote:

‘I insisted that Luke wrote an email to ... his fiancee's mother, asking her to only send specific items essential to the expedition.
'I could tell he was not happy but I wanted to make sure we were not sending stuff unnecessarily. On the list Luke read to me was 1 x MP3 player.
‘This annoyed me, as he had told me he was ordering one and offered to get me one too.
‘I said to him, 'Mate, why have you only put 1 x MP3 player? You know that I wanted one too.'
‘'Because I'm leaving the expedition, that one's for you,' said Luke.
Stafford continues: 'There was a hint of defiance in his voice but mostly tiredness.

'We need to discuss this.? I said, my leg actually staring to tremble because of the gravity of the situation.

'No point, Luke replied, I have been waiting to tell you for a while now my mind is made up.'
They set off on April 2 from the source of the Amazon river in southern Peru to the mouth in Brazil but within weeks had fallen out on several occasions.
Early last week Stafford, from Leicester, wrote: 'If I'm honest at this stage the hardest thing has been getting on well with Luke ...

'Basically when your brain has nothing to focus on it can direct this energy into the only thing it can - your partner! We knew that we could be susceptible to this but underestimated the degree.'

The pair were attempting to walk the entire 4000 mile length of the Amazon through thick jungle
'I have to agree with Ed on this,' Collyer wrote. 'So far we have had to deal with dry arid desert conditions, altitude, snow and freezing temperatures, steep climbs followed by steep descents, and fast flowing rivers. But the real test has definitely been with each other.'
The exact reason why the pair failed to get along remains unclear but according to their public relations team it had more to do with the stresses of the expedition than any bad blood.

Their spokeswoman, Vikki Rimmer, said : 'The expedition is incredibly tough both physically and mentally.

'Their back packs are 45lbs each and yet they're climbing mountains and wading through jungle.

'It's an enormous undertaking for anyone, let alone experienced adventurers like Ed and Luke.

'It's not a walk in the park and is something that will test every part of you and Luke has a fiance back home, so maybe he couldn't bear to be apart from her any longer.'

In the meantime Stafford is seeking a new companion and has instructed a survival expert, a good friend and, more importantly, his mother to sit on a selection panel back in the UK.
Battling on alone: Ed Stafford has advertised for a new trekking partner to join him on his epic voyage
In his blog entry on Wednesday, Stafford has said that he will battle on alone.
"Luke left this morning at 5am on the bus to Lima. From there he will fly home to the UK. It was a funny day walking without him but the expedition goes on.
Meanwhile, Stafford’s press release is quite specific in the qualities required in a potential trek buddy:
‘Must have GSOH, no fear of snakes or gun-toting guerrillas, have three months to spare, an interest in the environment and an ability to walk long distances without asking 'are we nearly there yet?’
Whilst Stafford headed into the Peruvian jungle controlled by the Maoist Shining Path guerilla group, Collyer claimed he had decided to quit the expedition to preserve his friendship.
'I didn't want to end up bitter and angry with [Ed] after two years, and our friendship meant a lot to me,' he said.

In response his former partner added: 'I'd like to say thanks for everything mate and good luck in whatever you decided to do now.'

Guardian article - Walking The Amazon

2008-10-22T09:32:00.001Z

Wanted: new partner for 3,000-mile Amazon trek - must have own iPodRow over MP3 player is final straw for adventurers facing piranhas, peaks and MaoistsEsther Addley The Guardian, Thursday July 10 2008 Article history The pair were equipped to cope with Amazonian perils such as piranhas. Photograph: Ricardo Beliel/Alamy

It was to be the expedition of a lifetime, two friends and adventurers who set out to complete the first source-to-mouth walk of the Amazon, a 4,000-mile trek which they expected would take 18 months.

But while Ed Stafford and Luke Collyer had foreseen everything from piranhas to Andean peaks and Maoist revolutionaries, they could not prepare for something a little more prosaic - falling out over an MP3 player.

Today Collyer, 37, an outdoor activities instructor originally from Sussex, is in Lima awaiting a flight back to the UK while Stafford, a 32-year-old former army captain from Leicester, is hacking his way through dense Peruvian jungle alone, after the pair had a bust-up having completed only an eighth of their journey.

Stafford is advertising for a new companion - one with whom he can get along. As a press release issued yesterday put it: "Must have GSOH, no fear of snakes or gun-toting guerrillas, have three months to spare, an interest in the environment and an ability to walk long distances without asking 'are we nearly there yet?'"

Ed Stafford (left) and Luke Collyer found the ultimate test was each other The pair, both experienced adventurers, have known each other since 2004 when they met while leading separate expeditions to Belize and got on "like a house on fire". They decided to embark on the record-breaking walk, Stafford recently wrote on the expedition blog, "over a drink".

The intention was to raise awareness of climate change and raise funds for a number of medical and conservation charities. "We came to the decision that walking the river would provide us with the ultimate challenge that we were looking for. The fact that no one had ever done it before was hugely exciting and has spurred us on to get to the mouth."

Almost 90 days in, the strain was showing. Early last week Stafford wrote: "If I'm honest at this stage the hardest thing has been getting on well with Luke ... Basically when your brain has nothing to focus on it can direct this energy into the only thing it can - your partner! We knew that we could be susceptible to this but underestimated the degree."

"I have to agree with Ed on this," Collyer wrote. "So far we have had to deal with dry arid desert conditions, altitude, snow and freezing temperatures, steep climbs followed by steep descents, and fast flowing rivers. But the real test has definitely been with each other."

Exactly what the problem was remains unclear, though according to the expedition's PR representative, Vikki Rimmer: "They admit they weren't good at expressing their feelings." The final straw came last Thursday when Stafford admits he got into "a bit of a mardy" over a supply parcel that Collyer had ordered from the UK which he feared would be too heavy.

"I insisted that Luke wrote an email to ... his fiancee's mother, asking her to only send specific items essential to the expedition. I could tell he was not happy but I wanted to make sure we were not sending stuff unnecessarily. On the list Luke read to me was 1 x MP3 player. This annoyed me, as he had told me he was ordering one and offered to get me one too.

"I said to him, 'Mate, why have you only put 1 x MP3 player? You know that I wanted one too.'

"'Because I'm leaving the expedition, that one's for you,' said Luke."

Neither man was available for comment yesterday - Stafford's satellite phone, according to Rimmer, was off, while she had no contact for Collyer in Lima.

Stafford is currently in an area of Peruvian jungle controlled by the Maoist Shining Path guerilla group, she said, which along with the dense jungle canopy meant he might be unable to power up his internet connection to check his email or update his blog. She was keen to stress that the split had been as amicable as possible, releasing comments from the two men wishing each other well.

"I didn't want to end up bitter and angry with [Ed] after two years, and our friendship meant a lot to me," Collyer said.

"I'd like to say thanks for everything mate and good luck in whatever you decided to do now," his former partner responded.

The website might suggest otherwise, however. Collyer's photograph, and any mention of him, have been removed from the home page, which now reads: "On April 2nd 2008, Ed Stafford started his attempt to walk over 4,000 miles from the source of the Amazon river in southern Peru to the mouth in Brazil. The expedition will be uninterrupted ..."

Rimmer said this omission was because Collyer had yet to confirm how he would like to be represented on the site, and insisted there was no ill-feeling between the two men.

The new companion, she said, would be selected by a panel put together in the UK, comprising a survival expert - who would know the levels of experience and fitness required - a close friend of Stafford who could advise whether they would get on, and his mum.

The type of person sought? "I think that it would need to be someone who wouldn't hold Ed up or cause him any problems."

Might that mean someone who would defer to his leadership a little more than Stafford had done? "That might be fair," Rimmer said.

David CAmeron mentions the Speling Society in his Conference Speech

2008-10-22T07:33:00.003Z

David Cameron's conference speech was memorable for its mention of the Spelling Society.
The Society employed Press Contact in order to 'raise awareness' of the Society and the issues faced.

A mention in the speech by the PM in waiting, was 'awareness' indeed!

No other Societies were mentioned in his speech. Clearly he'd been reading some of the cuttings......see below list.

Spelling Society press articles for the last quarter

2008-10-22T07:31:00.001Z

Press release in response to Dr Ken Smith – August 2008

Vikki received a call from The Times to alert her to an article that was being published the following day in the THES. The article in question was written by Dr Ken Smith. Vikki contacted the THES and asked the editorial team to read her the article. After taking notes, she spoke to Jack and they compiled a response to Dr Smith’s article, which they then sent out to 600 radio and television contacts, timed to land on producers and bookers desks the morning the THES was published. Most radio stations and TV news gathering services only take the broadsheets and tabloids and do not take the education supplements . The press release was also sent to the Press Association and released to all print outlets. The resulting publicity to his ‘little article’ took Dr Smith by surprise, but achieved a great deal of positive PR for the Society, along with awareness of the aims.

PRINT MEDIA:

1. The Times: 7th August 2008
August 7, 2008
Alexandra Frean, Education editor
‘I’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’. Or maybe not
Time to give up on spelling, says academic’

2. The Telegraph 7th August 2008
Graeme Paton, Education editor
‘University students cannot spell’

3. The Daily Mail
By Laura Clark
Last updated at 9:36 AM on 07th August 2008
‘The spell is broken: Lecturer calls for spelling amnesty on students' top 20 errors’

4.Guardian: Mortarboard 7th August 2008
By Anthea Lipsett
Does Student Spelling matter?

5. The Press Association 7th August 2008
‘Misspelt words should be accepted’

6. Buckingham Free Press 7th August 2008
‘Lecturer: overlook common spelling mistakes’
By Oliver Evans
7. Glasgow Daily Record 8th August 2008
Alison Kershaw
‘Common misspellings should become part of language, says professor’

8. Daily Squib (Satire) 9th August 2008
‘Renowned Chav Professor Advocates Use of SMS Text Language and Spelling Errors’
9. Time Magazine :11th August 2008

BLOG ENTRIES:
Ten and counting.

TELEVISION:

1. Newsround BBC Children’s Television Thursday 7th August 2008: Jack Bovill
2. BBC News Channel: August 7th 2008 – Jack Bovill
3. BBC News Channel August 9th – Jack Bovill: two slots at 7:50am and 8:50 am

RADIO:
7th August
1. BBC Worldservice: 7th August 2008: Jack Bovill
2. Radio Five Live Simon Mayo Show (2 million listeners) 7th August: Jack Bovill
3. BBC Wales: (1.2 million listeners) 7th August: Vikki Rimmer
4. BBC Radio Sheffield: Jack Bovill
5. BBC Tees: Jack Bovill
6. Siren FM (twice) Jack Bovill
7. BBC Jersey: Vikki Rimmer
8. Mercury FM: Vikki Rimmer
9. BBC Northants: Jack Bovill
10. BBC 3 Counties: Jack Bovill
11. BBC Newcastle: Jack Bovill
8th August
12. BBC Birmingham (Janice Long show) Jack Bovill 9th August
13. BBC Radio Kent: Jack Bovill
9th August
14. Jack FM (Oxford) Jack Bovill
11th August
15. Good Morning Ulster: Jack Bovill
16. Liverpool City Talk: Jack Bovill
17. Dublin 202 – Jack Bovill
Articles that mention Ken Smith but not the Spelling Society: Daily Mirror/ Daily Express 8th August 2008
Sky News on line, BBC News on line, Reuters.

Centenary Dinner PR – Beginning of Sept 2008A press release drafted by Professor Wells, sent out by Vikki on the 8th September to over 1,000 recipients in the media, along with MP’s and MEP’s indicating an interest in the subject of ‘education’.

The response (in terms of numbers) was similar to the press garnered the preceding month when we sent out a press release to coincide with the publication of Dr Ken Smith’s THES article. However, the response was not as supportive, nor as understanding as the two previous campaigns which seemed to generate a spirit of understanding with regards to the Society’s aims. This pres release did, in some ways, generate confusion as to the aims of the Society.

Radio & ~TV line-up: for 9th September
BBC Breakfast TV – 7:15
BBC World Service 08.25 The World Today (done)
BBC World Service 10.40 World Update (done)
BFBS radio 15.40
BBC R Berks 16.10
BBC R5 17.25
BBC R London 17.50
Sky News TV 19.20
tomorrow:
BBC R Wales 07.15

Press Cuttings:
The Guardian
Press Association
The Times
The Telegraph
Daly Mail
Teletext UK

The Independent (24th Sept)

Financial Times 27th Sept:

Plymouth Evening Herald (17th Sept)
South Manchester Reporter (18th Sept)
Calcutta Telegraph (30th Sept)

The Lawyer (2nd Oct )

Amazon guys placed in The Times

2008-06-21T19:48:00.005Z

Ed Stafford and Luke Collyer made it in to the pages of The times,
http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/pdfs/youngtimes090608.pdf
FHM and Nuts on line. All three publications responded to the press release sent out by Vikki Rimmer on the guys behalf.

Walking The Amazon: www.walkingtheamazon.com

The Spelling Society on BBC ONE'S The One Show

2008-06-21T19:42:00.003Z

The Spelling Society appeared on BBC ONE'S popular One Show on Friday June 6th 2008. Dr John Gledhill chatted to Giles Brandreth about The Spelling Society and spelling in the UK.

The One Show dedicated 8 minutes of the show to the thorny issues of spelling, and reform. Giles Brandreth argued that the current English spelling system left many confused.

The Spelling Society were placed on The One Show by Vikki Rimmer/Press Contact.

Spelling Society on BBC Breakfast

2008-06-21T19:38:00.004Z

Following the publication of the Spelling Society's research on the current state of UK spelling, BBC Breakfast invited Jack Bovill - chair of the Society to come and sit on the famous sofa and chat to the Breakfast team about spelling.

Vikki Rimmer followed Jack on to the BBC Breakfast sofa and discussed the thorny issue of spelling.

Jack then went on to do a tour of regional radio stations and national TV news - appearing on BBC News 24 and Five News.

Telegraph kicks off a great press campaign for The Spelling Society in June

2008-06-21T19:33:00.004Z

To celebrate their 100th birthday, The Spelling Society commissioned a study to look at the current state of spelling in the UK.

The results were published by Press Contact, and were sent out nationally and regionally to broadcasters and print media. The response was interesting.

The Telegraph were the first to publish the results of the study.

Does spelling leave you embarrassed?
By Tom Peterkin
Last Updated: 3:22AM BST 23/05/2008 | Comments 98 | Have Your Say
Around half of British adults are unable to spell commonly used words such as embarrassed, liaison or millennium, research has disclosed.
Pupils of Harrow public school filing past their headmaster Dr J L James on Founders Day
GETTY
Those surveyed blamed poor spelling on parents and teachers

More than a quarter of those surveyed struggled to spell definitely, accidentally and separate.

One in three Britons had trouble spelling and was not confident enough to fill in an application form without resorting to a dictionary or spell checker.

The under-35s were more likely to be uncomfortable filling in a job application form than their parents or the over-55s.
Thirty-five per cent of under-24s relied on some form of spell check compared with 13 per cent of over-55s.

For the study, 1,000 people were asked to spell 10 commonly used words.

Every word was misspelled by somebody.

The survey commissioned by the Spelling Society, an organisation campaigning for the simplification of spelling, showed that those in the North were worse at spelling than their southern counterparts.

Tim Hutt, of ICD research, which carried out the study, said: "Embarrassed is most likely to be spelt incorrectly at 54 per cent incorrect rate. However, 63 per cent in the North East spelt the word wrongly compared with 51 per cent in South East and South West."

Those surveyed blamed poor spelling on parents and teachers, with three quarters believing that spelling among children had declined over the past 10 years.

But John Gledhill, of the Spelling Society, said: "It is not the fault of the teachers, nor of the students, but of the archaic spelling system which they have to learn.

"We are, in effect, still using 16th-century spelling for a 21st-century language, and grammar and pronunciation have changed since then, with the written language lagging a couple of centuries behind."

Percentage of those who spelt the following words incorrectly:

Embarrassed - 54

Liaison - 46

Millennium - 43

Definitely - 37

Accommodation - 36

Accidentally - 26

Separate - 25

Attempted - 8

Appeared - 6

Friend - 3

What are the words you have difficulty spelling?

Press Contact places the Spelling Society across the UK

2008-06-17T20:36:00.003Z

Press Contact has placed the Spelling Society across 19 radio stations in the UK in the last three weeks, including Radio Five Live. The Spelling Society also featured twice on BBC Breakfast and on Channel Five news. BBC TV's The One Show devoted 6 minutes to the Spelling Society and print coverage was garnered in The Telegraph, Guardian, Independent and regional newspapers.

The Wall Street Journal also covered a Spelling Society story.

The Spelling Society celebrated their 100th birthday at Coventry University with a conference entitled 'The Cost of English Spelling'. The conference ran over two days - 7-8th June 2008.

The below figures show the radio coverage in the UK:

1) Market: Northeast/Northwest [UP]
Date: 23/05/2008 Time: 5:00pm Aired On: BBC RADIO NEWCASTLE Show: JON AND ANNE

17:13:41.00 Jon and anne: discussion about difficult words to spell. Some of the difficult words were listed by the spelling society. Top stories. Weather and traffic (TRT=00:11)
17:37:19.00 Jon and anne: discussion about survey of the spelling society "jack bovill", chairman of the spelling society. Discussion about the problem words where people stumble. Discussion about how to remember spellings (TRT=00:11)

2) Market: Scotland [UW]
Date: 23/05/2008 Time: 4:00pm Aired On: BBC RADIO SCOTLAND Show: NEWSDRIVE

16:54:08.00 "Marine conservation society spokesman calum duncan." Bbc scotland-news drive: discussion about spelling embarrass. In a survey by the spelling society more than half of those question got it wrong. "Vox pop." "Jack bovill, spelling society." Logger-snsharib (TRT=06:53)

3) Market: United Kingdom [UK]
Date: 23/05/2008 Time: 8:00am Aired On: BBC ONE NATIONAL Show: BREAKFAST

08:18:54.00 Join the club if youre struggling. A survey of 1,000 people join the club if youre struggling. Spelling society found that many were stumped by the words. We set the good folk of west london a challenge. T m B A s e macrO d e macro F e mbA a S e m bA now i feel embarrassed (TRT=10:00)
08:20:24.00 Full marks to that young lady at the end. You just wanted to put him out of his misery. Lets speak rimmer from the spelling society and a broadcaster and writer, simon fanshawe. You write on and a broadcaster and writer, simon wrote a book on manners and behaviour. Can you spell etiquette? (TRT=10:00)
08:22:19.00 Is that a possibility? It is. The spelling society are interested in the awareness of the situation and the problem. I dont think people realise that spelling is at the root of a lot of literary problems. Root of a lot of literary problems. The way we spellers difficult. A third of people in the survey said they had a problem with spelling (TRT=10:00)

4) Market: United Kingdom [UK]
Date: 23/05/2008 Time: 8:00am Aired On: BBC NEWS 24 Show: BREAKFAST

08:18:51.00 Or separate? It is harder in join the club if youre struggling. A survey of 1,000 people by the spelling society found that many were stumped by the words. We set the good folk of west london a challenge. T m B a s e macrO D e macro F e mbA a s S e m bA now i feel embarrassed (TRT=10:00)
08:20:19.00 Full marks to that young lady at the end. You just wanted to put him out of his misery. Lets rimmer from the spelling society and a broadcaster and writer, simon fanshawe. You write on etiquette? I wrote a book on manners and behaviour (TRT=10:00)
08:22:19.00 Is that a possibility? It is. The spelling society are interested in the awareness of the situation and the problem. I dont think people realise that spelling is at root of a lot of literary problems. The way we spellers difficult. A third of people in the survey said they had a problem with spelling (TRT=10:00)

5) Market: UK Radio [ZR]
Date: 23/05/2008 Time: 8:00am Aired On: BBC RADIO 5 LIVE Show: BREAKFAST

08:24:42.00 Breakfast: discussion about burma, burmas ruling military have agreed to allow all aid workers in. Breakfast: discussion with "jack bovill, chairman spelling society" about spelling, around half of british adults are unable to spell commonly used words such as embarrassed, liaison or millennium. More than a quarter of those surveyed struggled to spell definitely, accidentally and separate. Weather (TRT=10:00)

6) Market: National London [VD]
Date: 23/05/2008 Time: 7:00am Aired On: LBC 97.3 FM Show: NICK FERRARI

07:37:42.00 Lbc 973-nick ferrari: discussion with john gledhill, of the spelling society about the spelling society which celebrates its 100th birthday this year, says its time for the english language to drag itself into the modern world, it help lot of people problem of spelling certain important words. In us spelling bee competition. Solution to spell words correctly and its problem (TRT=02:20)

7) Market: United Kingdom [UK]
Date: 23/05/2008 Time: 6:00am Aired On: BBC ONE NATIONAL Show: BREAKFAST

06:43:39.00 You cant? Well join the club, because i cant either. A survey of a thousand people by the spelling society found that many were stumped by the word. We set the good folk of west lnd a challenge. EmbA double resed (TRT=10:00)
06:45:14.00 Sometimes you can see things more quickly. Bg / 888 see things more quickly. With us now the chairman of the spelling bg / 888 now the chairman of the spelling society. Good morning to you. That is part of the problem, isnt it, that you if you see it in your head it is harder? (TRT=10:00)
06:45:39.00 Some people see things visually. I voice the cape in knife, for example. Are you chairman of the spelling society because you are good at spelling of because you were very bad at it and he decided to address the because you were very bad at it and because you were very bad at it and he decided to address the issue? I am very good at chairing meetings! How good is your spelling? (TRT=10:00)

8) Market: United Kingdom [UK]
Date: 23/05/2008 Time: 6:00am Aired On: BBC NEWS 24 Show: BREAKFAST

06:45:10.00 Its harder saying it than writing it down. Sometimes you can see things more quickly. With us now the chairman of the spelling society. Good morning to you. That is part of the problem, isnt it, that you if you see it in your head it is harder? (TRT=10:00)
06:45:34.00 Some people see things visually. I voice the cape in knife, for example. Are you chairman of the spelling society because you are good at spelling of because you were very bad at it and he decided to address the issue? I am very good at chairing meetings! How good is your spelling? (TRT=10:00)

9) Market: Northern Ireland [UZ]
Date: 22/05/2008 Time: 6:00pm Aired On: BBC RADIO ULSTER Show: EVENING EXTRA

18:21:04.00 Evening extra: discussion: crewe and nantwich bi-election. A voting is underway in the crewe and nantwich bi-election today, the contest follows the death of the long serving labour mp gwyneth dunwoody last month. Evening extra: discussion: according to new research commissioned by the spellings society shows pupil in the northern ireland society are top of the class when it comes to spelling. "Spellings society publicist vikki rimmer", talking about the problems of school pupil unable to spell the words correctly. Headlines. Weather (TRT=07:00)

10) Market: Northeast/Northwest [UP]
Date: 12/05/2008 Time: 9:00am Aired On: CITY TALK (LIVERPOOL) Show: DUNCAN BARKES

09:21:20.00 Duncan barkes: discussion with "jack bovill, chairman of the simplified spelling society" on secondary pupils struggling with spelling. Experts said it should be second nature for 11-year-old children to spell simple words and that accurate spelling and grammar were crucial for children to be able to express themselves clearly. Behind the governments hype about improving performance we can see the pupils are still struggling with basic spelling and the building blocks of literacy (TRT=08:46)

11) Market: Southwest [UM]
Date: 08/05/2008 Time: 6:30am Aired On: BBC RADIO SOLENT Show: THE JULIAN CLEGG PROGRAMME

06:46:34.00 The julian clegg programme: discussion with "john gledhill, constable with hampshire police marine unit" about solent sea dogs. Sports: cricket update. The julian clegg programme: discussion about a couple how they enjoyed there journey all the way through france into santiago with a donkey and cart (TRT=07:15)

Tom Hart Dyke searches for a new name for his Cacti House

2008-01-29T21:21:00.000Z

What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
Or…that which we call a Cacti & succulent house
May be one to keep…..….?

The, as yet, un-named, Cacti & Succulent House, World Garden, Lullingstone
Tom Hart Dyke’s all new Cacti and Succulent House, part of the World Garden at Lullingstone Castle, will be unveiled on Saturday 22nd March when the famous Tudor House and grounds opens its gates for the 2008 season. Tom is busy plant up the beds. In fact he's so busy he's forgotten to come up with a new name for the 'Cacti House'. Tom says: 'I don't really know what to call it, it would kill me to call it 'The Cacti & Succulent House' - that's so boring! We're in need of some assistance here with the name and we'd love to throw it open to the public'.

The new plant House will contain close to 1,000 species of cacti and succulents collected by modern day plant hunter Tom Hart Dyke. Tom says: ‘'In terms of horticulture, it's going to be amazing - and it should even rival Kew! We’ve invited Mr Cactus himself – Jim Earles from Eltham, to come and open the new House. Jim is wonderful, an absolute expert on the ‘pricklies’, he donated thirteen Golden Barrell Cacti, thought to be extinct in the wild.'

Cacti Jim's Golden Balls will have pride of place in the Mexican border. The Cacti House will be laid out in five beds, roughly corresponding to the shape of South West USA, South East USA, Mexico as the central roundabout and South Africa and South America, mirroring the outline of Tom's famous World Garden (WG) laid out in the shape of a map of the world. Every plant grown in the cactus house will be exclusive to that structure and won't be repeated outside in the WG itself.

At 58 foot long, 23 foot wide and 16 foot high at its highest point, the new House will cover the entire south wall of the WG, sitting on the site of the ancient Glass Houses from the Edwardian days. The new structure to house Tom's amazing collection of Cacti and Succulents has been erected, with proper ventilation, and gravel has been laid.

Tom says: Ventilation will be very important, looking to keep it 5 degrees c minimum. Wheel chair access is a must, so we've built the path at 3 foot 6 wide, on level ground so that it's easy to negotiate. The beds themselves will be a mixture (no soil) of gravel, stones, flint, coal, charcoal to give drainage, and will be raised a maximum of a metre from the ground. I'm currently considering using purple sand!'

But what's in a name?
Tom's own suggestion; 'The Xeraphytic House' fell on deaf ears at Lullingstone - most of the volunteers were left wondering what he was going on about. Tom says: 'It's not the first time, I've had my volunteers lost for words! Xeraphytic sounds pretty good to me - it means lover of dry and arid climes - but I'm also aware that it's not exactly a catchy name for the new House which will contain over 1,000 species of Cacti and Succulents from across the globe'.

Tom says: ' We'll have lot s of really tall cacti from South America – Cleisto cactus with a big tall colomnus furry spikes. Mexico will hold the thirteen golden Barrel cactus – which were donated by Cactus Jim (Jim Earles from Eltham) thought to be extinct in the wild. The South African border will contain fabulous succulents.'

Suggestions to: cacti@presscontact.co.uk or via www.lullingstonecastle.co.uk or by post to Tom Hart Dyke, Lullingstone Castle, Eynsford, Kent DA4 0JA

Press enquiries: to Vikki@presscontact.co.uk 07886673412 or 01322 866293

Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden open on Saturday 22nd March details www.lullingstonecastle.co.uk 01322 862114

Working with the explorers

2008-01-17T20:10:00.000Z

There seems to be a theme developing of late...... and it involves fit young men who travel to the ends of the earth to satiate their passion. Yep, I've been working with some explorers.

Having worked with Tom Hart Dyke for the past four years I'm used to the lengths guys will go to make their dreams a reality. Tom brought home an idea for a garden, created in the depths of the Colombian jungle, and built it within the grounds of his family's Castle. Not an average challenge or a 9 to 5 endeavour.

Ed Stafford and Luke Collyer aren't your average thirty-something guys either. In April they will begin their 4,000 mile walk along the banks of the amazon river. Ed and Luke hope to highlight the perils of climate change by keeping a comprehensive educational blog at www.walkingtheamazon.com

Ed and Luke will walk the Amazon for approximately 16 months, carrying only what they can fit into their rucksacks. They're also taking some pretty funky technological kit with them. In order to 'blog'camera footage from the depths of the jungle, they'll need to unfurl their rolled up solar panels and plug in their chargers and laptops. The camera's they're taking, courtesy of Sony and Ginger TV, aren't small either.....leaving me to wonder, what they'll actually be taking in their rucksacks in terms of survival aids! .....erm.....pants????
Ed and Luke's Top Five Survival Tips…

Water. You cannot survive for more than a couple of days if you run out of water. How much do you have on you and where might you look for fresh water? Head downhill to find water courses - moving water is better than stagnant. Boil if possible to purify. If there are no streams then you can also make rain traps and find water vines.
Shelter. Protection from the elements is essential for cooking and sleeping. If you don't have any materials then palm leaves can be easily fashioned into a thatch on a basic wooden structure. A machete is invaluable for this job.
Fire. As well as being essential for cooking, purifying water, and keeping insects at bay, a fire is also fantastic for morale. Great jungle telly for those long evenings.
Food. This is the least essential survival priority. You can go for weeks without food and should ensure the first three priorities are covered before you start looking for food. Palm hearts are readily available and there are many seasonal fruits and nuts that can be foraged for. Fishing is the easiest way of getting protein although termites make a less tasty alternative.
Positivity. A positive attitude and keeping yourself busy and active will ensure that you survive. Your attitude towards a survival situation is the key to success. Enjoy it.

Alternatively…

Never eat yellow snow
Always use a condom
Follow your kebab to find your way home
Always carry a towel
Always tell your mummy before you go off somewhere

PRWeek Awards Freelance Achievement 2007: Vikki Rimmer

2007-10-25T10:22:00.000Z

'Can't quite believe it, but I won.' Probably not the most eloquently constructed sentence I've ever written, but it's going to rank up there as one of my favourites!

It's been a long and difficult journey to get to this point, and not just the last 20 yards in my gold six inch sandals!.. I wasn't expecting to win, the other two finalists had completed some superb work in the past year and were fantastic finalists. So, I nearly choked on my truffle when they announced my name as winner, my first thought was, 'Oh my god, I've got to go up on stage!'

Picked up my award from Dara O'Brien, had my picture taken, then lugged the hefty beast (the award, not Dara) back to the table, and my half eaten truffle.

PRWeek Editor, Danny Rogers said: 'Vikki Rimmer has worked magic for her clients, achieving results even they hadn't expected'. Ta Danny!

PRWeek said: 'Rimmer will have been a freelancer for three years in January, but she has already made her significant mark in the UK PR freelance market. Rimmer dismisses money as the factor driving her PR career, preferring to cite 'creativity and engagement' instead. She is indeed an inspiration for the UK's very best PR practitioners.'

Maria Boyle and Amanda Johnson were both Highly Commended by PRWeek for their outstanding work this year.

Al Gore won Communicator of The Year 2007. (Gutted I never got to meet Al!)

Press Contact: Finalist PR Week Awards 2007

2007-10-21T17:14:00.000Z
Battling a horrid bout of the flu, the beginning of October started out as the worst month of the year for Press Contact. It ain't easy being freelance when you've got a temperature and full on 'Man Flu'. However, all the aches and pains receeded into the background when I learnt last week that I'd been selected as a finalist for Freelance Achievement 2007 by the 21st Annual PR Week Awards.

It's a huge achievement for me to get this far. Recognition from the industry means so much. Working on your own at home, you can sometimes wonder if you're 'doing it right'.

I think I'm supposed to add this to the bottom of my correspondence now: Vikki Rimmer, Finalist PRWeek Awards 2007........... We'll see.

The Guardian agrees; 'enuf said'

2007-06-05T13:48:00.000Z

She cud have stayed at home. But she thawt she shud go. Retired English teacher Masha Bell, from Dorset, will travel to Washington DC to picket the American National Spelling Bee this week. Bell is fighting for words such as "could", "cough" and "should" to be spelt the way they sound - that is, "cud", "coff" and "shud". She intends to stand outside with placards reading "enuf is enuf" and "we are thru with through". "Because of the way we spell, millions of English speakers have trouble learning to read, let alone spell," Bell argues. Enuf sed.

Press & Publicity: Vikki@presscontact.co.uk

Media Buzz around the Spelling Bee Picket

2007-06-05T13:33:00.000Z

The Simplified Spelling Society were in the news again in the last week of May as they congregated at the Scripps' Spelling Bee competition to protest the problems inherent in the English spelling system.

The Times covered the picket and their piece on line was one of the most forwarded of the day.
Masha Bell from Dorset caught the attention of the media and made an appearance on GMTV, live from Washington.
Masha and the other picketers, from around the globe also caught the attention of CNN and ABC.

Print media in America is obsessed yearly with the competition, but this year the focus wasn't solely on the competitors; column inches were also devoted to the Simplified Spelling Society and American Literacy Council picket outside the competition.

The LA Times, San Francisco Times and The Guardian (UK) covered the event.

Allan Campbell was feted in his home country of New Zealand too, on line at 'Stuff'.

In the UK, local based radio stations in Birmingham and the Solent covered Masha Bell's trip, Masha also appeared on BBC Radio Five Live.

Natasha Desborough: My Life in Media

2007-05-17T19:10:00.000Z

17 May 2007 20:09 Home > News > Media
Natasha Desborough: My Life in Media

Natasha Desborough, 32, is the voice of BBC 6 Music and presents the station's weekend breakfast show. She worked on local radio and football station Crystal Palace FM before joining Xfm in 2000. She joined the BBC three years ago and has also worked as a voiceover artist on Five's Real Sex and California Escorts. She lives in Croydon with her partner Jim and their baby son, Oscar.

So what inspired you to embark on a career in the media?I actually intended to build a career in film, but after a few horrible jobs as a runner I decided that I wasn't cut out for the industry. Chance led me to radio presenting. I made a production demo, which I sent to all the radio stations I could think of hoping for some production work, and a controller came back and offered me a stint on the breakfast show on Invicta FM in Kent. There was one snag - I had to start the next day, and I'd be presenting.

When you were 15 years old, which newspaper did your family get, and did you read it?My parents always got The Times but at 15 I was more interested in Smash Hits.

And what were your favourite TV and radio programmes?I religiously recorded the Radio 1 Chart Show every Sunday. My favourite TV programme of all time was and still is Moonlighting. Currently the only programmes I can't bear to miss are Desperate Housewives and Shameless.

Describe your job
I'm lucky to have such a varied job because every day is different. Little bits of TV, a voiceover here and there and a splash of writing, but my bread and butter is my weekend breakfast show on BBC 6 Music.

What media do you turn to first thing in the morning?GMTV's News Hour until 7am and then straight on with the radio while I'm getting breakfast ready.

Do you consult any media sources during the working day?I check all the papers online in the morning, but we avoid the grown-up papers. At the weekend we use all the red tops for the show - the Daily Mirror, The Sun, the News of the World and The People. I check Digital Spy, Reuters, Pop Bitch and Ananova for the gossip and BBC News.

What is the best thing about your job?
I love my job. I feel like the luckiest person in the world. Mick and Rowan who produce my show are such good fun and it's great that the time slot fits so perfectly around my son. I can be mummy during the week and retain a sense of independence at the weekend.

And the worst?
The schmoozing. I rarely attend work-related dos. The radio industry is incredibly incestuous and it can be a big help to socialise out of hours. But I'm quite shy at times and I find those situations terrifying so I do my best to avoid them. I've often wondered if it has held me back in my career. I think it probably has.

How do you feel you influence the media?I'm not so arrogant as to believe that I have much influence. I'm just a neurotic mum from Croydon who witters on and plays music. However, I do believe that 6 Music as a radio station has a massive influence on the music industry.

What's the proudest achievement of your working life?After an 18-month break from radio, my boyfriend Jim and I had a lot of financial worries and had lost all confidence in my abilities as a radio broadcaster. Then suddenly, in the same week that I discovered I was pregnant with my first child, Lesley Douglas and Ric Blaxill offered me the 6 Music weekend breakfast show. I was both grateful and petrified. My hormones were all over the place and my confidence was at an all-time low. Getting back in the driver's seat is something I'm still proud of.

And what's your most embarrassing moment?Oh crikey, there are too many to mention. But calling a Channel 4 executive "Dad" in a crucial meeting ranks pretty highly. (I was tired and premenstrual.)

At home, what do you tune in to?
Usually it's Terry Wogan for breakfast, Vanessa Feltz on BBC London 94.9 from nine then back to Radio 2 for Jeremy Vine. Then it's Nemone on BBC 6 Music, then Danny Baker on BBC London and then Radio 4 for the comedy. My favourite show of the past few years was Iain Lee's drivetime show on LBC.

Who in the media do you most admire and why?Jo Brand. I like the way she's conducted her career and maintained a normal, private family life. She's endured a lot of criticism for being outspoken and intelligent but the insults just seem to make her funnier and cleverer. Plus she supports Crystal Palace FC! And I've always admired Lesley Douglas because she has built a career in a male-dominated industry and she's now the most powerful person in radio.

The CV

1995: Works as a runner on films and pop promos before moving into radio production at Croydon FM

1997: Moves to Crystal Palace's station

1999: Becomes a presenter at Kent's Invicta FM and soon bags a spot on Xfm presenting her own show

2000: Presents Xfm's Breakfast Session with co-presenters including Iain Lee and Ian Camfield

2003: Presents the weekend show with Jimmy Carr

2004: Becomes the voice of 6 Music, recording all their links and announcements

2005: Gets her own show, Natasha's 6 Music Weekend Breakfast Show, and becomes the voice of The A-List music chart

Article placed by Vikki Rimmer/Press Contact

6 Music's Tash Goes for A Song with The Sunday Times

2007-05-13T05:45:00.000Z

From The Sunday Times May 13, 2007
Going for a song
Natasha Desborough on Till I Die by the Beach Boys

I was introduced to the Beach Boys’ 1971 album Surf’s Up by a boy I fancied at sixth-form college. At the time, I was heavily into the Stone Roses, and thought the Beach Boys were a bunch of Californian beach bums who had an unhealthy obsession with surfing and cars, and sang like girls.

Anyway, in an effort to impress the boy in question, I agreed to listen to the album. I took Surf’s Up home with me and discovered a fabulous record, with tracks including the magical title track, the drug-influenced Feel Flows and Bruce Johnston’s Disney Girls.

But the track that really touched me was Till I Die, a poignant, heartbreaking song written by Brian Wilson some years before, when he was in the middle of a breakdown. The song has incredible richly layered harmonies, yet the melody remains humble. Band member Mike Love thought it was too depressing to be a Beach Boys song, and wouldn’t let it be featured on any earlier album. What a ninny. I fell head over heels in love – with the track, that is – and “accidentally” never gave the record back. I ended up avoiding the boy in question rather than return his album.

I was lucky enough to see Wilson perform live a few years ago at the Festival Hall, and was moved to tears. He looked so delicate perched behind his keyboard. His voice was fragile, but still held the emotion of an inconsolable romantic. And it was clear to every person in the audience that this was a man who was still battling relentless inner demons. I could blame my emotional state on the three glasses of chardonnay I’d drunk before the concert. But although that might have contributed, the fact remains that as Wilson began to perform Till I Die, I started crying hysterically, and didn’t stop until the end of the show.

I spend my working life playing music on the radio and, although I have a deep passion for my job, there aren’t many other songs that can move me to tears. Certain pieces of music, such as the Fanfare to the film Rocky and children’s choirs singing Away in a Manger at Christmas, can make me blub, but nothing gets my lip quivering like Till I Die. It captures perfectly that feeling of being small and insignificant in relation to the universe, something everyone can relate to: “I’m a cork on the ocean/ Floating over the raging sea / How deep is the ocean? / How deep is the ocean?”

Knowing the state of Wilson’s mind when he wrote the song makes the lyrics seem even more haunting. But I think everyone has felt like that at some time in their life. And, although the lyrics show a man dwarfed by the vastness of the world and obsessed with death, the melody is surprisingly hopeful and uplifting. I don’t find it a depressing song, though it’s certainly thought-provoking.

Natasha Desborough is the presenter of BBC 6 Music’s Weekend Breakfast Show

Article placed in The Sunday Times by Vikki Rimmer/Press Contact

Not since the days of the Lullingstone silk farm!!!!

2007-05-07T16:42:00.000Z

Record Visitor Numbers flock to Lullingstone Castle - home of the famous 'World Garden'.Yesterday (Sunday 6th May 2007) record numbers of visitors piled through the gates of Lullingstone Castle to attend Tom Hart Dyke's first personal plant fair.

BBC Gardener Tom Hart Dyke declared 'we've not received numbers of visitors like this since the days of the silk farm in the 1950s! It's amazing!'

Steve Bradley from The Sun and perennial favourites
- Andy Garland and Trevor Claringbold of BBC Radio Kent broadcast their popular 'Gardening Show' live from the Castle from 8am-11am, chornicalling the setting up of the big event.

Chelsea Gold medal winners from across the South East were in attendance; Iris of Sissinghurst, The Old Walled Garden, Derek Lloyd Dean, Riverside Fuschias, McBean's Orchids and Rotherview Nursery were among the exhibitors on the day.

Iris of Sissinghurst dispatched a van back down the A21 back to Sissinghurst at 12 noon when half the stall was stripped bare by voracious plant hunters. More Iris's were needed. And quick!

The refreshments were besieged by the multitude of visitors and the sellers even sold their own lunch to the hungry punters.

An orderly queue, four deep, stretched all the way from the house down the driveway to the gatehouse as visitors waited to gain entrance to the famous Castle - a favourite of Henry VIII and Queen Anne.

Visitors were keen to meet the family who are well known to BBC2 viewers from both series; 'Save Lullingstone Castle' and 'Return To Lullingstone Castle'.

The publicity for the event was handled by Vikki Rimmer/ Press Contact. Publicity ranged across all media and included The Telegraph, all Kent media and Radio Kent. Garden's Monthly were the events sponsors.

Gun's N Roses fight it out with The Beatles and Julian Lennon on Tash's BBC6 Music Weekend Breakfast Show

2007-04-29T11:47:00.000Z

Leeds Primary School choir Triumph in BBC Music comp

By Swapping Liszt for Lennon

This weekend at the hallowed ‘Maida Vale’ studios in London Meanwood Church of England Primary School from Leeds triumphed in the BBC 6 Music Weekend Breakfast Show’s unusual competition to find the best choral version of a rock/pop song.

The 53 strong choir from Meanwood Church of England Primary School stole the final with their tearjerking performance of ‘Saltwater’ by Julian Lennon. Weekend Breakfast Show presenter Natasha Desborough said; ‘ Saltwater did well in my eyes! It was a brilliant performance. The kids were amazing’.

The famous studios in Maida Vale – scene of recordings by The Beatles, Stones and Kaiser Chiefs - was packed to the rafters with excitable school kids who’d been up since 2am in order to travel considerable distances from Halifax, Dorset and Leeds, to make it to the studios for the live breakfast performance and to raise the roof with their choral rock songs.

The idea for the competition was sparked by a choral version of the Kaiser Chiefs hit ‘I predict a riot’ given the full choir treatment by Warrington based choir - The Cheshire Chord Company. The song was given to the ladies choir by the mother of a Kaiser Chief’s roadie. Natasha Desborough – the presenter of BBC6 Music’s ‘Weekend Breakfast Show’ heard the spine tingling version and launched the competition to find the best kids choral version of a classic 6 Music Song.

This is Hardchoral – the UK wide competition has really caught the public’s attention and looks set to change the way choirmasters recruit in the future!

Natasha says; ‘The response to the UK wide competition was brilliant, we had entries from all over the country, and it looked like Kaiser Chiefs fans from Yorkshire voted in their droves, beating off stiff competition to blag two final places for TWO Yorkshire Schools. Cross Lane Primary School, from Elland, nr Halifax and Meanwood Church of England Primary School, competed with The Funky Little choir from Christchurch Dorset. And it was only fitting that the three choirs should get to perform and record their choral ‘rock song’ live at ‘Maida Vale’.

BBC6 Music listeners – known for their credible music tastes deluged the studio with their texts and emails in response to the competition which aired three unusual versions of 'let is Be' (Cross Lane), 'Saltwater' (Meanwood Primary) and 'Sweet Child of Mine (The Funky Little Choir). Natasha Desborough says; ‘the response was wonderful and I’m thoroughly surprised at how wussy the 6 Music listeners really are – our listeners do have a heart!’

The final was judged by Ross Millard from the Indie band ‘The Futureheads’, Shaun Keaveny (seasoned XFM and BBC6 Music DJ) and by Denise Lines, Musical Director of the Cheshire Chord Company – the originators of the ‘hardchoral’ genre. Natasha says; ‘I nearly cried three times, all three choirs deserved to win and I’m glad it wasn’t me who had to make the final decision. In the end the judges unanimously decided that the passion shown by the Meanwood Choir was worthy of the trophy and the prize – something that tons of bands would love to have - two weeks airplay on BBC6 Music.’

IMAGES AVAILABLE FROM vikki@presscontact.co.uk 01322 866293 / 07886 673412

Notes to editors:

1. These links might be of interest – ‘why boys do not join choirs’ : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6434409.stm

£10 million package to boost singing in schools http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6264899.stm - £10

Some example cuttings from the Return To Lullingstone Castle campaign

2007-04-22T08:27:00.000Z
The Following cuttings aren't the definitive portfolio, I'm still waiting on a couple of cuttings to come through - including the Evening Standard's 'pick of the day' featuring Tom, butt naked but for his loin cloth on the top of Ayers Rock!