Scarborough Talking News for the Blind & Partially Sighted is a most welcomed and eagerly awaited presentation, on a (mostly) weekly basis for many in the Scarborough, Whitby, Filey area and, indeed, beyond to other parts of the country. We also reach many who for example once resided in the Greater Scarborough area but moved away but wished to keep a connection with our area. This enables them to have continuity to those happy days they enjoyed here.
To provide this service requires a significant number of volunteers in varying roles to search for suitable news from the local press, to edit that news in preparation for our Readers to then record that news and followed up by those recordings being further edited before being copied onto the memory sticks ready for the despatchers to post them off to all of our registered recipients.
Reader
The commitment for a reader is, at the present time, to attend the recording studio on Dean Road in Scarborough, on an approximately four weekly basis, at 10.00 am on a Wednesday for a two-hour session.
This two-hour commitment is the total time required and the material (news items) will be given to the readers on the morning of production, with sufficient time to scan those items to check on any issues such as ‘foreign’ names or to clarify any notes placed with specific items by the Editor.
Reading the items is the only necessity for the readers and, during a morning session, there will be approximately 30 to 35 items, divided between the Editor and between one to three Readers.
Some Readers express a wish to become an Editor, taking on an additional responsibility to select the news items.
Editor
The commitment for an Editor is to scan the current weekly editions of both the Scarborough News and the Whitby Gazette, cutting out of the papers news items which may be of interest. This may amount to fifty or more such items, to give sufficient for final selection of (say) thirty items. Also selected are the Death Notices (more of this in a moment!).
The items can include straight news, notices, letters, items advertising local productions, interesting stories and perhaps a selection of sports news. All of these are at the discretion of the Editor of the day. The newspapers are available on the preceding Thursday and are generally laid out (say) on the dining room table over the weekend and items then chosen to give some degree of continuity. Order of reading does, I assure you, become easier having firstly read the items, cut them out and laid on a flat surface for choosing. Having chosen, they are divided up into the required number of ‘piles’ for distribution to the readers on the day.
Bringing the recording together
On the morning of the appointed day the Editor will begin the recording with an introduction of those who will be reading, together with names of all the others who will be responsible for the recordings, despatch etc for the edition. The Reader will get the green light at which point they will commence the first item. Towards the end of that item they will raise one arm to signify to the Recorder that they are about to conclude.
The next Reader in turn will watch out for their green light to begin.
At the half way point (signalled by the Recorder) the Editor will announce that they have reached the end of part one and a short break ensues.
At commencement of part two the editor reads out the death notices prior to continuing with the readings.
At the end of the final item the Editor brings all to a close, perhaps with any notices which need to be brought to the attention of the listeners.
MJ – updated Jan 2024
How to apply
Please follow the link below to apply to become a Reader.