Swan TV Pilot Show

Saturday 18th January was to be the day we recorded our pilot show but instead we had to cancel because of the snow.

So it was the following Sunday that we gathered in our studio in Swansea High Street and set up the kit ready for our guests to arrive at 1.45 for a 2pm start. Initially we shot our musicians and then immediately set up the lighting for the chat show. 

Keth and Jenni were on the sofa whilst Flora was our "roving" reporter.

Our three presenters Keith Maynard, Jenni Crane and Flora Blathwayt arrived early and we were able to do a run through and discuss the guests.

Right on cue Cllr Nick Bradley, the Swansea Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Dylan Thomas, Geraint Davies the Member of Parliament for Swansea West and  Geoff Hayden, owner of the Dylan Thomas house in Swansea Uplands arrived.

Soon we were ready to go. Cameramen, lighting and sound operators, presenters and guests waited for the count-down and we got under way.

It took just one take to complete.

Dave Long of Onlyoneword started a monochrome piece of art and just before we started recording and completed it as we finished. We are planning to have this on display at the launch on 29th February.

Watch out for the channel going live at the end of the month.

The Glittering Prize!

Here is the new SwanTV logo. Watch out for it at local events and on the internet

SwanTV were pleased to contribute to the Dylan Thomas Literary Award ceremony by producing the video shown at the beginning of the evening and by following the finalist during the week as they were involved in different events including talking at local schools to inspire pupils.                       



Jamie Owen of BBC Wales hosted the event. We heard excepts read by each finalist from their book. 

Chibunda Onuzo read from The Spider King's Daughter. Born in Nigeria in 1991, she is the yongest of four children. She graduated fro King's College. London in 2012 with a first in History.  When not writing Chibunda can be found playing the piano or singing.

D W Wilson was born and raised in the small towns of the Kooteney Valley, British Columbia. He read from Once You Break a Knuckle. He is the recipient of the University of East Anglia's inaugural  Booker Prize Scholarship - the most prestigious award available to students in the MA programme. His stories have appeared in literary magazines across Cananda, Ireland and the United Kingdom: and The Dead Roads won the BBC National Short Story Award in 2011. He lives in London.

Seating Arrangements was read by Maggie Shipstead. She graduated from Harvard in 2005 and earned an MFA at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Currently, she is a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. Seating Arrangements is her first novel.

Tom Benn read an except from The Doll Princess. Born in 1987, he grew up in Stockport. He is a graduate of the UEA Creative Wrtiting MA and was a recipient of the 2009 Malcolm Bradbury bursary.

The White Shadow was read by Andrea Eames who was born in 1985. She was brought up in Zimbabwe, where she attended a Jewish school for six years, a Hindu school for one, a Catholic convent school for two and a half, and then the American International School in Harare. Andrea's family moved to New Zealand in 2002. She worked as a bookseller and editor and now lives in Austin, Texas with her husband. Her first novel, The Cry of the Go-Away Bird, was published in 2011.

It was no surprise to hear that the judges had a tough job selecting a winner, each book was a joy to listen to, and I would highly recommend reading all.

The winner was Maggie Shipstead and she was presented with a cheque for £30,000 by Hannah Ellis, grand-daughter of Dylan Thomas.

The evening celebrations were held at the Waterfront Museum, Swansea and this was a superb sumptuous setting for such a glittering prize.  
 

















This is a bi-annual event and will coincide with the century of the birth of Dylan Thomas.

Launching Swansea Bay TV on Friday 22nd July at 6.30pm

Raise your glass and lets celebrate. A first for Wales. A regular on-line TV channel focussed on the local community. Some would say that this is taking social media right up to the cutting edge. 

Proud to announce the launch of Swansea Bay TV on Friday 22nd July in the VIP Lounge at Oddysey Night Club in Little Wind Street, just off Wind Street by the new Premier Inn.

There will be a short presentation at 6.30pm prompt finishing no later than 7pm although the bar will be open. This exciting prioect wilkl help bring some new life into the Swansea area. We do need some good stories to work with so tell us about yours and others we'd be interested in.

Don't sit on the fence and wait to see if we succeed or fail. Come along and celebrate with us in what will undoubtedly be a long term success.

Joining me on Friday will be Louise Houghton who is an experienced presenter currently working with Deutsche Welle TV on the Lifestyle Show; she has also presented Quick Break on ITV2; European Drag Racing Championship Channel 5 and Skysports; and has presented numerous other shows national, local and on-line TV. As an actress she has appeared, amongst other shows, in BBC Wales "High Hopes", Channel 5's "World of Stupid Criminals" and ITV’s “Holby City”.

Although based in London and spending a week a month in Germany on her regular show she will be regularly returning to South Wales to taking part in Swansea Bay TV. 


Whilst talking about presenters we are interested in anyone who has an interest in sport, theatre, local music or being a news hound, getting ot and finding interesting stories. So if that sounds like you get in touch.You dion't need to have any experience, just enthusiasm. We'll help you all the way.


Meanwhile do join us on Friday for Swansea Bay TV on-line, which will be the most instant way to heaar abot what is happening locally.

Neath Steam Vintage Show

Yesterday I went to the Neath Steam Vintage Show. It was only the second year that it had run but it was full of the most interesting vehicles. There were full size, half size and quarter size steam engines fired up and going as if they'd just come off the assembly line.

It was held at the Cefn Coed Colliery Museum, Crynant so there was plenty to see. And we'll be talking to some of these enthusiasts on one of our first Swansea Bay TV Shows.

Just take a look at this incredible steam engine that was used on local farms when first built. Looking at it you'd be srprised at the immaculate state that it's in.

I talked to Joe Davies who has an amazing collection of petrol cans. "Petrol Cans!" I can hear you exclaim.What is there to know? Surely one is the same as the next." The simple answer is "No!"

Joe is just so knowledgeable that he held me enthralled about the different petrol companies. The way the cans were manufactured. What paint was used and how the companies amalgamated or traded under different names in different places. Watch out for Joe talking to me on a forthcoming show.

There were also skilled artists. Here you see Paul Strange. I didn't get his contact details. If you know him please let me know. He is a qualified stone mason and has moved on to what he describes as "the joy of slate" and he creates the most beautiful reliefs with incredible detail. These are absolutely unique and take many, many hours of work to complete.

If you are holding an event that you think our viewers will enjoy then let us know ask@swanseabay-tv.co.uk

Watch out for SwanseaBay-tv

SwanseaBay-tv is about to hit a sceeen near you watch out.