To mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee local, community radio station Riverside Radio has embarked on a mammoth project to interview seventy local people aged seventy and over across south west London about their lives during the Queen’s long reign.
The interviews will be heard throughout the Jubilee month of June every day on the not for profit radio station who’s studios are based on the Doddington and Rollo estate in Battersea.
Riverside Radio was successful in gaining National Lottery Jubilee Community Funding for the Platinum People project which is being conducted by the Riversiders Radio Club. The club consists of a number of local children of secondary school age who come into the Riverside Radio studios every Saturday morning to run their own radio show while gaining a nationally recognised qualification in radio and picking up vital media skills.
Riverside Radio Managing Director Jason Rosam said “Platinum People has been a wonderful project bringing the generations together. I was thrilled to see some of our radio club teenagers happily getting to know those in their 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. The children heard some stunning stories about the war and how the local area has changed over the last seven decades. It was a superb example of how the young and elder members of our community can connect beautifully and I’m so looking forward to hearing the interviews over the next month.”
A Platinum Jubilee Street Party in Doddington Square is being organised for Friday 3rd June where some of the Platinum People interviewees and Riversiders will meet again for tea, cake and sandwiches to celebrate. The team have completed interviews with around 40 over 70s and are looking for more so please get in touch with the radio station if you’d like to take part. Here’s a selection of some of the Platinum People featured in the project.
Kenneth, 90 joined the Metropolitan Police in 1961 and spent time guarding Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and met quite a few members of The Royal Family. Ken was also on duty at the Palace gates during many Royal events such as Trooping the Colour, the Silver Jubilee in 1977 and at the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer. He thinks the Platinum Jubilee will be a marvellous weekend and we should all enjoy ourselves.
