Bus tour marks five years for Rutland and Stamford Sound

Rutland and Stamford Sound marked its fifth birthday by taking live radio out across the area with a bus tour involving more than 100 listeners.

The community station broadcast from five locations during a five hour trip, with presenters and volunteers travelling on a specially chartered Rutlander bus and other team members reporting in live through the day.

Celebrations began in Oakham Market Place, where the station was waved off by the Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Rutland after a performance from a local Morris side. The tour then called at Rutland Water, Uppingham, Easton on the Hill and Burghley House, before finishing with Normanton Church lit in the station’s blue and green colours.

At Uppingham Parish Church, the Rutland and Stamford Sound Community Choir performed live on air after rehearsing together for an hour.

The station also broadcast from Birch Tree Café, a project supporting young adults with Down’s syndrome, and covered a community convoy of runners, walkers and cyclists at Burghley.

Angela Wilson organised the birthday activity in her role as Business Development Officer, while station manager Rob Persani kept the outside broadcast running from the bus using mobile, WiFi and Starlink Mini satellite connections, using PlayoutONE’s WebVT

Rob said: “It was an extraordinary day of celebration and community support, with over a hundred listeners directly taking part.”