Black Country Talking News

In this week’s edition we have:All an update from Beacon with Dan.There's some fascinating news from across the Black Country, including the 2nd episode of a 3-part series, where the Express & Star puts the Royal Mail to a 20-letter test.We also have some fascinating nostalgia, as we head back in time for a classic ‘rags to riches’ story of Victorian times.You’ll have to be nimble-minded, as we have another challenging Did You Know feature with Roger and Quiz with Meena.We have all the latest reaction to the football action for Wolves and West Brom, with the latest reaction from our BBC Make a Difference Young Hero Award Winner and Wolve’s Superfan, Frazer.With thanks to TNF soundings and audiobooks service Calibre, we have our latest book review. And with the UK's living costs continuing to spiral we introduce Episode 1 of an exclusive 6-part series providing further insight into a lifeline service – Black Country Foodbank; from the initiatives and projects, through to interviews with the team of volunteers.

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Helen Some fascinating news from across the Black Country, including a lowdown on some of the free activities available across the region over Easter.Hopefully any Easter cards you may have posted out have reached their destination in time. That has definitely not been the case for many residents of the Black Country over the past few months, as we introduce the first episode of a 3-part series, where the Express & Star puts the Royal Mail to a 20-letter test.There's plenty of nostalgia too, as with thanks to TNF soundings contributor Lindsay, we look back at some of the traditions and celebrations that mark Easter Monday.You’ll have to be sharp of mind, as we have another Science and Nature Quiz from Roger.We continue our journey “’round the Wrekin” with Michael and Lesley Braccia, who this month, continue upon their journey through the airwaves, with fond memories of radio stations and programmes from the past.As we move from the cold depths of winter to the warming of Spring, are we set for some sharp April showers?! We hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead.And of course, we have the latest goings-on from the village of Leeford!- our exclusive drama series, written by local authors Jon Markes and Michael Braccia - with audio also provided by Michael and Lesley Braccia.

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Helen and Muhammed; as well as the Beacon Lifestyle Newsletter for April, with Dan.From the latest innovation and creation to a SEND focus on education, we have the latest news from across the Black Country.You’ll have to be nimble-minded, as we have another challenging number puzzle with soundings contributor Tina, using mental arithmetic to keep our brains active.There’s all the reaction to the latest game week football action for West Brom.We hear from Meena who has the forecast for the week ahead.And don’t forget our clocks spring forward an hour this Weekend – Sunday 29th March!

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Helen and Muhammed.From health and wellbeing to free events and sight-seeing, we have the latest news from across the Black Country.With news of a couple of new railway stations opening across the region, we also take ourselves back to the 90’s for another journey upon the tracks, with Beacon volunteer and Railway Enthusiast David Smith.You’ll have to be sharp of mind as we have the latest quiz from TNF Soundings Contributor Andrew.We have all the reaction to the latest game week of football action for Wolves and West Brom.Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, the sun is shining- has spring arrived!? We hear from Meena who has the forecast for the week ahead.And with thanks to Guide Dogs and St Albans & District Talking News, we introduce Episode 6 of Puppy Academy, a monthly series following Charlotte the trainer as she continues the journey with her latest puppy recruits.

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Helen and Muhammed.From health and wellbeing to free events and sight-seeing, we have the latest news from across the Black Country.And despite another poor weekend of results of Wolves and West Brom, we step back a little further into last week for some more positive vibes from our BBC Young Hero Award winner Frazer, as well as a feature focus on Wolves Women from Meena and Anaya.Meena also has the weather forecast for the week ahead.And with plants now in flowers or about to burst into flower, you’ll have to be blooming sharp of mind, as we have a Flower Shop audio based iSpy brainteaser challenge!

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Helen.From health scans to the forthcoming elections, we have the latest news from across the Black Country.You’ll have to be sharp of mind, as we have another set of ‘ten teasers’ from Roger, with his General Knowledge quiz.We continue our nostalgic adventures with Beacon’s Talking News Contributor and Railway Enthusiast David Smith; where this week David’s actually swapping the tracks for the region’s waterways.The sun has been peeking out over the past week- have we seen the end of winter? we hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead.And with the rising temperatures, the colours of spring are starting to appear. So, to help out, we’ve got a ‘blooming’ great guide to where you can find displays of spring flowers in the region.If you can’t get out to these locations, don’t worry, as we’ve also got the latest from our gardening experts at MK Pulse magazine; providing all the hints and tips on what to do in the garden in March.And despite the deluge from last Friday night, we finally have a few golden rays of positivity gleaming out of Molineux for Wolves- unfortunately the struggles continue for the Baggies, as the clouds have not yet lifted for manager-less West Brom…. We have all the reaction to the weekend’s football action.

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Helen and Muhammed, plus Beacon’s Lifestyle Newsletter for March 2026, with Dan.Some fascinating news and nostalgia from across the Black Country.You’ll have to be nimble-minded, as we have another challenging number puzzle with Roger and Meena, using mental arithmetic to keep our brains active.We continue our journey “’round the Wrekin” with Michael and Lesley Braccia, who this month, continue upon their journey through the airwaves, with fond memories of radio stations and programmes from the past.With temperatures starting to hold up and keeping any winter bite at bay, will these spells of sunshine continue? we hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead.With thanks to Meena, there’s also a feature focus on Visually Impaired Cricket and the successes of the local Staffordshire VI Cricket team.The sun is definitely not shining on our region’s football teams though, as we have another gloomy weekend of action for both West Brom and Wolves.And of course, we have the latest goings-on from the village of Leeford!- our exclusive drama series, written by local authors Jon Markes and Michael Braccia - with audio also provided by Michael and Lesley Braccia.

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Muhammed and Helen.From the fifties to the fifteen hundreds, and from our roads to our skies, we have some fascinating news, nostalgia and information from across the Black Country.There’s all the reaction to the weekend’s FA Cup football action for both Wolves and West Brom.We’ve had a typical cold snap of sun, sleet and even snow over the past week! What whirls of weather will Meena bring us in this week’s forecast?You’ll have to be as sharp as the showers for the quiz, as we have an aptly themed weather station audio-descriptive I-Spy challenge from Soundings Contributor Lindsay.Our gardening experts at MK Pulse magazine, provide all the hints and tips on what to do in the garden in February.And with thanks to Guide Dogs and St Albans & District Talking News, we introduce Episode 5 of Puppy Academy, a monthly series following Charlotte the trainer as she begins the journey with her latest puppy recruit Buster.Kind Regards

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Helen and Muhammed, including information about how to access the RNIB’s Access to Work Survey.Including an urgent alert from the UK Health Security Agency - we have the latest news, nostalgia and a lot of valentine’s love from and for the Black Country.You’ll have to be nimble-minded, as we have a February number puzzle and challenge from Roger and Meena.With plenty of rain still locked over the region, we hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead.However, the drought continues for our region’s football teams, as we have reports from another hapless weekend of action for both West Brom and Wolves.And we also have a delectable delight for you too…. another bake-along session from Penny Melville-Brown – also known as, The Blind Baker.

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Helen and Muhammed.We have the latest news, nostalgia and innovation from the Black Country, including a feature focus on just what is happening with the postal delivery service across the region.You’ll have to be nimble-minded, as we have the latest puzzles and challenges from Roger and Meena.With temperatures still holding up and keeping any winter bite at bay, we hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead.However, points have truly frozen for our region’s football teams, as we have another hapless weekend of action for both West Brom and Wolves.And we have yet another absorbing adventure with railway enthusiast and talking news contributor David Smith.

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Helen and Muhammed, plus Beacon’s Lifestyle Newsletter for February, with Dan.The latest news from the Black Country.You’ll have to be nimble-minded, as we have the first of a new series for 2026. A simple number puzzle with Roger and Meena, using mental arithmetic to keep our brains active.We continue our journey “’round the Wrekin” with Michael and Lesley Braccia, who this month, take us on a journey through the airwaves, with fond memories of radio stations and programmes from the past.With temperatures still holding up and keeping any winter bite at bay, we hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead.However, points seemed to have been frozen for our region’s football teams, as we have another less than fruitful weekend of action for both West Brom and Wolves.And of course, we have the latest goings-on from the village of Leeford!- our exclusive drama series, written by local authors Jon Markes and Michael Braccia - with audio also provided by Michael and Lesley Braccia.

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Dan and Helen.From The Beatles to The Traitors, to our Towns and our Trains. We have some fascinating news and information from the Black Country.You’ll have to be sharp of mind, as we have our latest did you know section from Roger and quiz with Meena.There’s all the reaction to the weekend’s football action for both Wolves and West Brom.Is a cold snap of snow and ice set to return? we hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead.And with thanks to Guide Dogs and St Albans & District Talking News, we introduce Episode 4 of Puppy Academy, a monthly series following Charlotte the trainer as she begins the journey with her latest puppy recruit Buster.

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Muhammed and Helen.We have some fascinating nostalgia and all the latest news from the Black Country,You’ll have to be sharp of mind, as we have our latest did you know section from Roger and quiz with Meena.There’s all the reaction to the weekend’s FA Cup action for both Wolves and West Brom.Hopefully the cold snap of winter weather has now passed; we hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead.And we have a globetrotting adventure , with an Eye Health feature focus; A VI trip around the world.

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Muhammed, Dan and Helen.We have some fascinating nostalgia and all the latest news from the Black Country, as well as a satirical look at the new year ahead!You’ll have to be sharp of mind, as we have another challenging Did You Know section from Roger and Quiz with Meena.After a remarkable start to the new year for Wolves, there’s all the reaction to the weekends football action.Will this cold snap of winter weather remain with us for much longer? we hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead.And now that we’re in the season of cold weather and early sunsets, with thanks to the talking news federation and Sport England with the 10Today project, we have another session of gentle, fun 10-minute exercises, to help keep us active without the need to go outside.

In this edition We have tales of Christmas’ past from 100 years of our newspaper archives, An update from Beacon, A festive quiz with TNF soundings contributor Roger. We have special guests- local author and acoustic duo- Mike and Lesley from Second Chance, wishing us all a ‘Bostin Christmas’ with a Black Country version of the Nativity Story. Some feature football stories- where football was more than just a game. A look back to 2010- when the “weather outside was frightful.” and a bake-along session full of sugar, spice and all things nice. We start this week with some housekeeping notes, a gentle reminder that this edition of the black country talking news, will be the last one of this year, and we’ll be returning on the 07th of January 2026

In this edition we have some: Christmas cracker jokes full of festive fun and cheer, and a topical Brainteaser for the winter season in the form of an audio-based i-Spy. Our gardening experts provide some ideas on bringing nature indoors and decorating the house over the festive period; with plants and wreaths to brighten up the festive season. We travel on a magical fictitious festive adventure through the Black Country, with railway enthusiast and Beacon volunteer David Smith. And from Christmas in Wartime to our favourite Christmas TV down-time; there’s plenty of nostalgia to bring us some warm feelings of Christmas past….

In this edition we have quite a musical journey: Finding out how Slade's Merry Christmas Everybody stormed the charts in 1973 and turned four West Midland lads into global music legends. We hear from Beacon Volunteer David Smith who tells us all about a glam rock band who also, quite literally, had a block-buster release in the same year of ’73. Get ready for a sing along, as in our latest journey ‘round the Wrekin’ with Lesley and Michael Braccia, we celebrate some of our favourite festive songs. And in a special Christmas-themed edition, we have all the latest goings-on from the village of Leeford!- our exclusive drama series, written by local authors Jon Markes and Michael Braccia - with audio also provided by Michael and Lesley Braccia.

In this week’s edition we have: All the latest from Beacon with Muhammed. We have some fascinating nostalgia and all the latest news from the Black Country. Are you planning on attending a pantomime this holiday season? Well, with thanks to soundings contributors Gill and Bob, we learn all about VocalEyes – the charity that offers audio description for events at theatres, museums, galleries and more. You’ll have to be sharp of mind, as we have another challenging quiz from Soundings contributor Ann. With the weather remaining settled and surprisingly mild, we hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead. There’s all the reaction to the weekends football action, for Wolves and West Brom. And with thanks to Guide Dogs and St Albans & District Talking News, we introduce Episode 3 of Puppy Academy, a monthly series following Charlotte the trainer as she begins the journey with her latest puppy recruit Buster.

In this week’s edition we have:We have all the happenings from Beacon.We have some fascinating nostalgia and all the latest news from the Black Country.With the wonderful sounds of the natural world, we continue our journey “’round the Wrekin” with Michael and Lesley Braccia, who this month, take us on a journey in search of a natural wonder- concealed amongst the depths of the Black Country- the enigma of a 'secret waterfall'And you’ll have to be sharp of mind as we have a capital cities quiz from soundings contributor Roger.With December here, what does the weather hold for us? we hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead!And now that we’re in the season of cold weather and early sunsets, with thanks to the Talking News Federation and Sport England with the 10Today project, we have another session of gentle, fun 10-minute exercises, to help keep us active without the need to go outside.There’s all the reaction to the weekends football action, for Wolves and West Brom.And of course, we have the latest goings-on from the village of Leeford!- our exclusive drama series, written by local authors Jon Markes and Michael Braccia - with audio also provided by Michael and Lesley Braccia.

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Helen and Muhammed, plus Beacon’s Lifestyle Newsletter for December and January 2026, with Dan.With the latest innovation and information, as well as some fascinating nostalgia too, we have all the news from the Black Country.You’ll have to be sharp of mind, as we have another did you know feature from Roger and quiz with Meena and special guest Anaya.With temperatures still holding up and keeping any winter bite at bay, we hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead.However, points seemed to have been frozen for our region’s football teams, as we have another unsuccessful weekend of action for both West Brom and Wolves.And with a special request in this week’s edition, we hear from Beacon Charity Shop Volunteer Barry, who is looking for your help to try and find a photo of his beloved Father.

In this week’s edition we have:All the latest from Beacon with Matthew.From information about the region’s Ring and Ride to some updates flushed with pride, quite literally! We have all the latest news from the Black Country.You’ll have to be sharp of mind, as we have another challenging iSpy brainteaser from Soundings contributor Lindsay.With temperatures beginning to drop, we hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead.There may have been no domestic football last weekend, but there was still plenty of sporting events to report on; we have the latest from the Black Country.And with thanks to Guide Dogs and St Albans & District Talking News, we introduce Episode 2 of Puppy Academy, a monthly series following Charlotte the trainer as she begins the journey with her latest puppy recruit Buster.

In this week’s edition we have: All the latest from Beacon with Muhammed. We have all the latest news for the Black Country, including some transport updates for the regions Metro and Buses. With this week marking Remembrance Day, we have a did you know section from Roger and quiz with Meena; all about the tradition of the Poppy; as well as a regional feature remembering, a forgotten Roll of Honour form The Great War. We hear from Meena, who has the forecast for the week ahead. After another dramatic weekend of football action, we have all the latest news for Wolves and West Brom. And we have all the latest seasonal hints and tips from the gardening experts at MK Pulse magazine.