August
Steam – a life on the railway is a two CD audio collection of the memories of the last generation of men to work on the steam trains of Britain. The archive of voices was collected over a period of years by Graham Allen and George West who asked Janet to listen. Record producer Pete Waterman – a lifelong steam enthusiast – introduced the collection and it was iTunes choice of their non-fiction downloads. The CD is available from Amazon or from www.audiogo.co.uk
May
Janet went to the Pain Conference in Brussels to collect interviews for the charity Pain Concern. They were broadcast on the charity’s internet radio station - you can hear ‘Airing Pain’ at www.ableradio.com
Clare recorded interviews about engineering for an exhibition held at Sheffield University in June. Engineered by US showcased the work past, present and future of the university’s Faculty of Engineering – work that covers everything from toothpaste particles and hip joints to rollercoasters and jet engines.
April
Clare appeared on Radio 4’s Excess Baggage with Sandi Toksvig to talk about her love of India, where she is a regular visitor.
December
Merry Christmas, Morris Minor, BBC Radio 4: Martin Wainwright explored the history of the Morris Minor. Dave Brown from the comedy group The Mighty Boosh sang to his vintage car, and veteran racing driver Sir Stirling Moss remembered how fast he could drive the car – as long as it was downhill. Janet collected some recognisable noises from the car, including the exhaust, horn, suspension and windscreen wipers, and radio wizard and post-production expert Mike Thornton wove them into a tuneful rendition of ‘Jingle Bells’ for the Christmas Eve broadcast.
Jhansi station © Stephen McClarence