2026 S4Ep34 Female Empowerment with Tassels 360 Burlesque

The Brentwood Buzz is proud of its support of strong, independent women living and working in Brentwood.

This week female empowerment and political satire combine as Ginger Soumise brings her Tassels 360 burlesque show to Brentwood Theatre.

The Brentwood Buzz has been meet Ginger and discuss the true meaning of burlesque.

https://www.instagram.com/tassels360

Tassels 360 – and Ginger – will be at Brentwood Theatre on 17th October 2026. You can book tickets via the theatre’s website here:

https://brentwood-theatre.co.uk/whats-on

S4EP32 The Future of Brentwood’s Health and Hospital with NHS Essex ICB Boss, Tom Abell

There’s a lot to be proud of about the NHS in Brentwood, from Brentwood Community Hospital to our GP surgeries and pharmacies. Overseeing the services on offer in the Borough is Brentwood resident, Tom Abell, who has worked in the NHS for almost twenty years and is now the Chief Executive of the NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) which commissions health services across Essex.

Tom met The Brentwood Buzz to talk about what new services could be coming to Brentwood, why having people on the end of a phone could help some people access NHS services, and what’s on offer for water loving dogs in Hartswood.

https://www.essex.icb.nhs.uk/

2026 S4Ep30 Brentwood Pride Drag and Glitter

Brentwood’s first Pride celebration this last weekend was full of sunshine, rainbows, glitter, music and art, from Brentwood Theatre to the High Street and Crown Street.

The Brentwood Buzz previewed the day’s events on Sunday (see S4Ep29) but stayed around for the rest of the day to meet some of those taking part, including drag performers Sirena Hart and Aria Close.

https://www.instagram.com/sirena.hart_x/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/ariacloseviolin

https://brentwood-theatre.co.uk

Photo Credits: The Brentwood Buzz and Philippa Barr

Independents Day – Listen to some of Brentwood’s Independent Traders

The weekend of 4th July 2026 is Independence Day for the USA, but here in Brentwood it’s Independents’ Day, when our local independent shops and businesses encourage us to find them and use them!

The Brentwood Buzz has featured many of these independent businesses on the podcast in the last four years – have a listen to some of them by clicking on the Spotify links below.

S4Ep25 Essex Police Federation – Andy Thorn

The latest guest on Brentwood’s celebratory podcast, The Brentwood Buzz, is Andy Thorn. Currently the General Secretary of the Essex Police Federation, Andy has worked for Essex Police and the Met Police, he’s managed the Savoy Theatre in Monmouth, training for the ministry and offered pastoral care to the National Citizen Service when it was running in Suffolk.

We managed to pin him down to ask how many careers one man needs, and how his current work makes sure the police officers who keep us safe in Essex are protected and supported when the demands of 21st century policing hit home.

S4Ep24 From Pilgrims Hatch to Panto – Sophisticated Entertainment Founder, Sophia-Maria Hornsey

Brentwood born and bred founder of Sophisticated Entertainment, Sophia-Marie Hornsey is this week’s guest on The Brentwood Buzz, Brentwood’s celebratory podcast.

Sophia-Marie appeared on the podcast last Christmas when she brought a panto version of Beauty and The Beast to The Brentwood Centre. Now she’s back having a chat about how she moved from Pilgrims Hatch Primary School to performing in the West End and on cruise ships to bringing panto to Brentwood.

http://www.sophisticatedentertainment.com/

https://brentwood-theatre.co.uk

S4Ep23 In The Cigar Lounge at Shenfield Wine Company with Nish Patel

The latest The Brentwood Buzz is another in our series of podcasts celebrating businesses which are part of Brentwood Connected, the innovative three-High-Street Business Improvement District for Brentwood, Shenfield and Ingatestone.

Nish Patel owns the Shenfield Wine Company, which is the go-to place in Shenfield to pick up a decent bottle of wine, a good whisky and a fine cigar.

The Brentwood Buzz joined him in his Cigar Lounge to talk screw tops, business and Cuban cigars.

https://shenfieldwine.co.uk/

https://www.brentwoodconnected.co.uk

S4Ep21 Essex Girls – Witches and Stilettos

The dictionary definition of an Essex Girl has been, for some time, a young woman from Essex who is unintelligent, promiscuous and materialistic.

Despite a campaign in recent years to remove this definition, it still sticks, even though you only have to listen to the women who’ve appeared on The Brentwood Buzz in the last three years to find a bunch of intelligent, feisty women who have no qualms about saying what they want, and getting work done.

Now Blatella Films is producing a documentary – Witchcraft & Stilettos: Redefining The Essex Girl Narrative – for upcoming film festivals, and has been in Brentwood for interviews with some of those Essex Girls and women. The Brentwood Buzz was there to speak to director Natalie Scarsbrook.

Thanks to Natalie Scarsbrook at Blatella Films (https://blatella.co.uk/) for the interview and Dr Natasha Radford at the Chicken and Frog Bookshop in Brentwood for the use of the shop for recording.

S3Ep22 Remembrance Day 2025 with Brentwood School

Having spoken last week on The Brentwood Buzz to the Parade Commander, Sarb Singh, of the Brentwood Remembrance Parade, today The Buzz has been to Brentwood School to join its Remembrance Day service, and speak to some of the staff, cadets and pupils as they remembered the fallen in a Drumhead Service in the School Chapel.

Brentwood School – https://www.brentwoodschool.co.uk/

S3Ep20 Brentwood is the Place To Do Business – Brentwood Business Awards 2025

If ever confirmation were needed that Brentwood is the place to do business, the annual Brentwood Business Awards organised by Brentwood Chamber of Commerce is the place to go.

More than two hundred Brentwood business people, local dignitaries, friends and family gathered this week for a glittering awards ceremony at which awards were given for high Street Impact, Community Engagement, Customer Service and Brentwood Business of the Year.

The Brentwood Buzz was there to chat to as many of these fabulous people as possible.

Photos by David Hale