A podcast celebrating all that's good about Brentwood, Essex
King George’s Playing Fields, with its new pavilion, splash park, children’s playground, rugby and football facilities, skatepark and woods is a popular place for people of all ages to visit throughout the year.
The Brentwood Buzz has been to meet Keeley Heasman, who is the General Manager for King George’s Playing Fields for Everyone Active, to hear more about what’s on offer for outside fun and entertainment.
https://www.everyoneactive.com/centre/king-georges-playing-fields/
The Brentwood Buzz has been back to Ingatestone this week to meet some of the people who make the village better, by helping residents keep fit and to find homes.
The two might seem like a heady mix, but with Mark Newman running his lettings and property business, Barrington’s, just round the corner on Market Square from his wife, Shelley’s gym – Studio 35 – it’s a combination which works.
With thanks to Studio 35’s manager, Fran for getting in touch with The Brentwood Buzz for a chat, and now please listen to this week’s podcast on why these two businesses find Ingatestone is a great place to live.
The Marlborough Dramatic Club has been putting on plays for the people of Brentwood for one hundred and twenty five years, and members are currently rehearsing their latest production, ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ by Roy Horniman.
The Marlborough Dramatic Club meets at Brentwood School and performs in the school’s Memorial Hall. The Brentwood Buzz has been along to rehearsals to find out about the club’s history and to meet up with some of the cast – who, it turns out, are old friends of the podcast.
Kind Hearts and Coronets is on at the Memorial Hall, Brentwood School, on 9th, 10th and 11th April, and you can get tickets by calling 07746 915348 or online at http://www.marlboroughdramaticclub.uk
Come to Brentwood High Street and you will see the Sugar Hut – formerly the White Hart coaching inn, and then central nightclub venue for the antics of the The Only Way Is Essex cast – and, if you are lucky, a glimpse of a tiny Smart car covered in fake grass.
Strangely enough, both attractions were brought to the town by the same man, Fraser Donaldson, who’s now the Managing Director of Easigrass Essex and Herts, based at the Hunters Chase Garden Centre in Hutton.
Fraser has been telling The Brentwood Buzz how he came to be involved with classy bars and grassy cars.
The Brentwood Buzz celebrates all that’s good about the people and places of Brentwood, Essex – and that’s the whole Borough of Brentwood, not just the town.
There are so many amazing people living here, with great stories to tell, and so many businesses, voluntary groups, arts collectives and societies who do great work in the Borough.
Currently, the three main high streets of Brentwood, Ingatestone and Shenfield, are also being celebrated and highlighted by the Business Improvement District project, known as Brentwood Connected.
This week Brentwood Connected held a networking breakfast in Ingatestone for some of its members, so The Brentwood Buzz popped along for a (very) early morning coffee and chat.
https://theloungeingatestone.co.uk/
https://www.brentwoodconnected.co.uk/the-ginger-tree
https://www.pinneytalfourd.co.uk/
https://www.thestarinningatestone.co.uk/
https://www.brentwoodconnected.co.uk/
The Brentwood Buzz is a regular visitor to Brentwood Theatre, reporting on many of the shows put on by local theatre groups, including Shenfield Operatic Society, Brentwood Musical Theatre Society, 1:4:9 Productions and The College Players.
Last year a new manager arrived at the theatre, Jake Bedson, a professional actor, director and former Haven Holidays host. He’s helping shape the theatre’s future, and has an exciting secret project due to be revealed later this year.
The Brentwood Buzz has been to visit Jake to find out more about what is going on behind the scenes at our wonderful local theatre.
You can find out more about upcoming shows at the Brentwood Theatre here: http://www.brentwoodtheatre.co.uk
Photo: Jake Bedson at Brentwood Theatre
Photo Credit: The Brentwood Buzz
Photo Credit – Jeremy Blunden: Brentwood School
Brentwood School has navigated some choppy waters in the last decade, with the Covid pandemic sending lessons online, and changes to the VAT status for private schools forcing some parents to make difficult decisions about costs.
Add to this a couple of big building projects and the day to day running of the non-academic side of the school, and School Bursar Jeremy Blunden, is using the navigational skills he brings from 37 years in the Royal Navy to best advantage.
Oh, and Jeremy was the Royal Yacht Britannia’s Navigating Commander in the last couple of years of her sea-going life.
So batten down the hatches and pour yourself a tot of rum for the latest podcast from The Brentwood Buzz as we talk to Jeremy about why swapping the sea for school works well for him.
http://www.brentwoodschool.co.uk
Photo Credit – Jeremy Blunden: Brentwood School
Photo Credit: The Brentwood Buzz
1:4:9 Productions is back with the Bard at the Brentwood Theatre at the end of February with a high-fashion production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.
1:4:9 have turned to social media to bring the comedy firmly into modern times, and with family disputes, too much money, a leather-trousered baddie and a female actor playing the male lead, it’s a show not to miss.
The Brentwood Buzz has been to rehearsals to find out how family ties and man-spreading are all part of the drama.
Tickets for Much Ado About Nothing (26th-28th February) are available from Brentwood Theatre – https://brentwood-theatre.co.uk/ – or you can hover over the QR code on the flyer and book there!
Shenfield Operatic Society is staging a production of The Witches of Eastwick at the Brentwood Theatre at the end of this month (27th to 31st January) so if you feel a bit of devilish raunchiness and a “Sex Choir” might brighten up your January, make sure you get tickets.
The Brentwood Buzz has been to rehearsals to meet the Witches and to find out some of the behind the scenes business and gossip from the Society’s Chairman, Jamie Fudge-Smith.
Tickets for The Witches of Eastwick are available from https://brentwood-theatre.co.uk/
You can find out more about the show and its cast on the Shenfield Operatic website here: https://www.shenfieldoperaticsociety.com/next-shows
And this podcast can also be found on Spotify and Amazon Music by searching for The Brentwood Buzz. Like, comment and share!
As we stumble into 2026, it seemed a good idea to meet up with one of the people who has brought Brentwood – and Ongar – into the public eye over more than twenty five years.
Lord Eric Pickles of Brentwood and Ongar was one of the youngest Council Leaders in the country when he led Bradford Metropolitan Council in the 1980s and came to Brentwood in 1992 where he was Member of Parliament for the town from 1992 to 2017. He was Chairman of the Young Conservatives when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, and served as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in the 2010-2015 Coalition Government under David Cameron.
For ten years, Lord Pickles has been the UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues, and has been a member of the House of Lords since 2017. He’s a big character whose Yorkshire ways and distinctive London taxi were recognised across the constituency during his time in the Commons and, now, the Lords.
The Brentwood Buzz has been to Lord P’s office in the House of Lords for a catch up, and a look back on his years as a Communist-turned -Conservative politician.
The Brentwood Buzz