Catch up with XpressionFM's soap Union Road

PREVIOUSLY ON UNION ROAD

It’s the brand new radio soap on Xpression FM – and so much has happened in its first four episodes! Creator and writer Graham Eveleigh is here to remind you what has happened… and look at what is coming up too…

 

The cast of Union Road. Left to right: Lola (Maddie Soper), Jake (William Moore), Katya (Maddie Joint), Linda (Lucy Kinghorn), Jenny (Hannah Cummings), Ian (James Alston), George (Jack Sheeran), Harriet (Alexandra Newton), Samuel (Jon Jones), Mary (Sophie Weeks), Billy (Gabby Freeman), Thomas (Jordan Edgington).

 

Have you heard?! MR LAZENBY IS DEAD!

And he leaves behind a family at war, his children battling it out for the inheritance of his respectable solicitors’ firm, Lazenby & Sons. George, the eldest and also the most abrasive, is desperate for the firm. Ian was “always the favourite.” Youngest Samuel has no interest in the firm or his warring family. And it goes to…. Harriet!?

Union Road episode 1 (Wednesday 13 November 2013) by Union Road on Mixcloud

Link to http://www.mixcloud.com/UnionRoadOfficial/union-road-episode-1-wednesday-13-november-2013/

George soon declared war on Harriet, who didn’t want the firm at all… until George said she was doomed to failure. But how will she cope with the stress? And what is George’s plan to topple her? The Lazenby battle is set to run and run! Matters were complicated further when Mr Lazenby’s post mortem found that he was murdered! But by whom?

George? Ian? Harriet? Samuel? Or someone else…?

But there’s so much more happening on Union Road. Mr Lazenby was also the landlord of the student house, the home of the charming Jake and dedicated athlete Lola. Lola reacted badly to a practical joke of Jake’s, furious that it set her training back. When Jake tried to make it up to her she misread the signals and tried to kiss him. (She is near enough the only person in Exeter that Jake is yet to kiss!) But at the moment his eyes are set firmly on one person… and that person is Samuel Lazenby. Meanwhile, Lola’s 2016 Olympic aspirations may soon be halted by terrible news…

Union Road episode 2 (Wednesday 20 November 2013) by Union Road on Mixcloud

Link to http://www.mixcloud.com/UnionRoadOfficial/union-road-episode-2-wednesday-20-november-2013/

Hilarious street gossip Linda revels in everyone’s bad news, and there is plenty of it about at the moment! Landlord of The Union Arms Jenny tries to keep her in check, whilst offering her matriarchal support for all the residents, but is there someone she is forgetting…? Her friend Katya was engaged to Mr Lazenby and is inconsolable when he dies. She’s the only one that cares about the man, as opposed to caring about his money, or his firm. But sympathy for her is waning, leading to disastrous consequences…

Union Road episode 3 (Wednesday 27 November 2013) by Union Road on Mixcloud

Link to http://www.mixcloud.com/UnionRoadOfficial/union-road-episode-3-wednesday-27-november-2013/

Elsewhere on the street, the mysterious Mary Stone is moving in. She is fiercely protective of her young son Billy, to the point where it is stifling him. She instantly sees something in handsome workman Thomas, and vice versa. But the path of true love never runs smooth on Union Road, as on their first meeting she suspects him of kidnapping Billy and slaps him! They gradually reconcile and she opens up about her past more and more… but there’s still so much Thomas doesn’t know…

Union Road episode 4 (Wednesday 4 December 2013) by Union Road on Mixcloud

Link to http://www.mixcloud.com/UnionRoadOfficial/union-road-episode-4-wednesday-4-december-2013/

Mary is our eyes and ears – she moves into Union Road in the first episode, and it is through her that we first see this divided street. But every week it is a new story, new guest characters, new dramatic twists and exciting developments. Whenever you tune in, there will be something big happening on Union Road.

Especially at Christmas…

Union Road’s bumper Christmas special will be broadcast on Wednesday 11 December at the earlier time of 5.30pm on Xpression FM (www.xpressionfm.info). For more information visit and ‘like’ our Facebook page (search: Union Road).

 

 

 

XpressionFM surpass ‘Bigger Broadcast’ targets for Children in Need

Image credit: @Xpression FM

Xpression FM anchors Nikki Lloyd and James Hitchings Hales made a huge contribution to BBC’s Children in Need by carrying out a 30 hour non-stop broadcast. The team originally set their fundraising target at £1,000 but had already smashed that by 11pm and finished with a whopping £2,040.

The ‘Bigger Broadcast’ took place from 12pm on Thursday 14 November until 6pm on Friday 15 November. Neither presenter was allowed to leave the studio and instead had their team bring them food and surprises to keep them awake.

Each hour took on a new theme, from James getting his legs waxed, Late Night Love Sessions, and live music from The Beacons; a four piece indie-rock band from Exmouth. Alongside all this excitement, deputy station manager Matt Bate did a 100 mile bike ride from Exeter to Falmouth on the Friday, helping the team reach their target.

Nikki Lloyd commented: “I’d never felt prouder to be part of XpressionFM and it was a huge team effort, from producers, to guest presenters, to the social media team, everyone was amazing and so supportive”.

This was XpressionFM’s longest ever broadcast, six hours longer than their 2012 Children in Need show. Due to the programme’s continual success the team hope they’ll be able to try something like this again next year, with even more hours and exciting surprises to get them through.

Jak Curtis-Rendall, VP Participation and Campuses said “XpressionFM has done an absolutely fantastic job for Children In Need. Presenters James, Nikki and the rest of the team should be proud of their exceptional broadcast, and for keeping going through the night for the whole 30 hours”.

A second year Physics told Exeposé: “The Bigger Broadcast made really good listening and it’s great that Xpression managed to raise so much money for such a deserving cause”.

Oliva Bateman, News Team

Follow @ExeposeNews on Twitter and like us here on Facebook.

Exeter's Music Scene Needs You

Become a cog in the musical machine
Image credit: Flickr

There has never been a better time to become part of Exeter’s growing music scene. You can alter the musical landscape through a number of unique opportunities available on your doorstep: whether you want to play, watch, discover, influence, promote or write – Exeter has it all. Here are just some of the ways you can get involved:

Extunes and Campus Bands – Radiohead, Coldplay and The Computers have all come out of Exeter in recent years. Now it’s your turn to become a member of the city’s illustrious alumni by starting up a band. The best way is to sign up to Extunes and Camus Bands in order to source band members, use practise spaces and keep up to date with events. Later in the year, Timepiece hosts the annual Battle of the Bands contest in which bands wage war on each other for the unequivocal right to call themselves the university’s best band.

Xpression FM – If your interests or talents lie in the airwaves rather than on paper, then the university’s award-winning radio station, XpressionFM, could be right up your street. You can join the passionate music team, have a role in Exeposé’s own radio show Xmedia, and could even present your own show after receiving the necessary training on offer every term. It costs a mere £10 each to sign up to Xpression and Exeposé for the year – an absolute snip for the fun you will have.

Exeposé – Exeposé, the university’s most widely read newspaper, offers an inclusive and professional platform for budding journalists to showcase their talent. Be sure to sign up to the paper during Freshers Week to receive content calls, acquire press passes with interview opportunities, and mix with like-minded music lovers. We’re all right, I promise.

Events Management – There are a host of opportunities (some paid) to promote and organize events across campus and in town. Original Sin (Arena, Mosaic) is always after new recruits, while other nights like Beats & Bass and Thick as Thieves would love to have you on board their murky ships. Meanwhile, Feast Your Ears and KINK are exciting new indie nights looking for students who share a passion for live music and eclectic tastes. If this sounds like your gig then contact the clubs/events directly. A word of warning: be careful not to become that facebook friend who shamelessly spams ‘2-1 drinks deals at Arena this Thursday night only!’ on every status. Its not clever and sure ain’t cool.

Live music – Although not renowned for its live music scene, Exeter attracts an impressive array of big and small acts. The Cavern, The Cellar Door, Mama Stones and Exeter Phoenix are the first ports of call if you want to get up close to some live action in the city.  That said, your best bet is to travel to nearby Bristol in order to catch the really big fish. Exeposé Music often gets its mitts on a pair of press passes for gigs in Exeter and Bristol, so drop us a line if you ever fancy seeing a band in return for a pithy, eloquent well-written review.

DJs – It’s going to be an exciting year for Exeter’s dance music scene. Nights like Beats & Bass, Thick as Thieves and Our House are proving to be more and more popular, so why not get involved and show the growing crowds what you have in your locker? Beats & Bass put on great DJ workshops for society members. But the best advice is to embrace the DIY ethic and contact the events directly. You could land yourself a resident spot at one of the clubs in no time.

Drama productions – Plays offer a whole host of musical opportunities, from belting out a chorus to getting involved with the sound production side of things. Sign up to the drama societies and keep your eyes peeled for the vast array of productions that take place across the university throughout the year.

Go, go, go!

Ben Clarke, Online Music Editor 

The Xmedia Awards 2013 results

The annual Xmedia Awards were held on June 2nd in the Thistle Hotel.

Presenters, Jak Curtis-Rendall and Hannah Barton Image credit: Niklas Rahmel

The evening saw Exeter’s student media gather to celebrate the best across XTV, Exeposé, Exeposé Online and XpressionFM.

Incoming Students’ Guild President, Hannah Barton, and incoming Vice President Participation and Campuses, Jak Curtis-Rendall, were on-hand to host the ceremony.

The award judges included:

Rhodri Jones – Assistant Editor, the i Newspaper

Matthew Sydney – Senior Producer, BBC News

Chris Cook – Lead Director, BBC News

Ted Kravitz – Pit-lane reporter, Sky Sports

Adam Hunt – TV Producer, former XTV station manager

Adam Walmesley – Journalist, former News Editor from Exeposé

 

The winners are listed below:

BEST FEATURE

1st – ‘The Venue Goes Record Shopping’ (James Tyndall, Henry Coulshed and Jamie Grace – XTV).

2nd – ‘Road to an XTV Music Video’ (Rob Seabrook – XTV)

3rd – ‘How much is your virginity worth to you?’ (Dom Madar – Exeposé)

MOST ENTERTAINING

1st – ‘Wake and Bake’ (Laurence Foreman and Gareth Jones – XpressionFM)

2nd – ‘The Big Broadcast for Children in Need’ (George Graham, Gareth Jones and the Big Broadcast Team – XpressionFM)

3rd – ’10 things to do with Exeposé’ (Zoe Bulaitis, Tom Payne, Ben Murphie and Ellie Steafel – Exeposé)

BEST REVIEW/PREVIEW

1st – ‘Django Unchained’ (Owen Keating – Exeposé)

2nd – ‘The Star Wars Holiday Special (Rob Harris – Exeposé)

3rd – ‘Argo’ (Kat Hyland, Sam Osman, Tini Papatheodorou and Chris Davies – XTV)

BEST INTERVIEW

1st – ‘Martin McDonagh from Cameo: London BFI Special’ (Kat Hyland, Sam Osman and Rob Seabrook – XTV)

2nd – Peter Hitchens (James Crouch and Meg Drewett – Exeposé)

3rd – Mr. Scruff (Eleanor Loftie – XpressionFM)

BEST USE OF PRODUCTION, IMAGERY OR DESIGN

1st – Guild Elections Week 2013 (Amelia Jenkinson, Genevieve Ladd, Hazel Morgan and the XpressionFM production team – XpressionFM)

2nd – Aeternus Terrarum titles (Becki Pantling and Jamie MacLeod – XTV)

3rd – Exeposé 25th Anniversary (Zoe Bulaitis and Tom Payne – Exeposé)

THE i NEWSPAPER AWARD FOR BEST NEWS/COVERAGE

1st – Tuesday Night Sport (Joe Alexander, Will Baker, Simon Dewhurst, Ben Kaye, Alex Manning and Ben Warden – XpressionFM)

2nd – Cameo: London BFI Special (Kat Hyland, Sam Osman, Chris Davies, Tini Papatheodorou and Rob Seabrook – XTV)

3rd – The 2013 Rugby Varsity Pullout (Will Kelleher and Mike Stanton – Exeposé)

THE XMEDIA 2013 AWARD FOR BEST INNOVATION

1st – Sketchpad (Becki Pantling – XTV)

2nd – XpressionFM website (Ron Liong – XpressionFM)

3rd – The Xmedia Music Show (Callum McLean, Anthony Prodromou, Ben Winsor, Daisy Meagre and Eleanor Loftie – Exeposé and XpressionFM)

PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR AWARD

Ronald Liong (XpressionFM)

THE XMEDIA 2013 SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The NaSTA40 Committee

Congratulations to all winners!