Tynedale Talking Newspaper (TTN) is a small charity, which was founded in 1982 and run entirely by volunteers, it's funded by donations, street collections and grants. The talking newspaper, a weekly recording of the Hexham Courant, is produced by eight teams on a rotation. Each team gets together on a Thursday to read and record articles from the paper, copy the recording onto USB sticks and administer the wallets used to send and return the sticks in the post.
On alternate months either the Tynedale Talking Magazine or The Northumbrian is added to the USB sticks, giving listeners about four weeks to enjoy the magazines' longer articles.
You can listen to some short excerpts from the Hexham Courant recording using the player below.
The Tynedale Talking Magazine was established in 1996.
Currently, a team of volunteers record approximately 20 pieces between them for each magazine. Most of the readers source what they read and some write their own pieces. Each piece takes seven or eight minutes on average to listen to, with a few being shorter and the occasional longer one for variety.
There are usually articles on nature, local history, food, entertainment, a poem and a quiz. Other subjects are covered too, on topics as diverse as interviews with local people, daft events at the Olympics and robot pets. Previously some students at High Schools in the Tyne Valley have written and recorded for the magazine and it is hoped this will be done in the future too.
Most recordings are done at “TTN HQ” in Hexham but some readers record at their own home and email their recordings to the editor.
The recordings are then edited to remove any mistakes, long pauses, noises and then finally volume levelled to produce a consistent listening experience.
Finally, the editor considers the best order for the pieces within the magazine and records a welcome, some short links to introduce the pieces and their readers, and an appendix with a phone number for any feedback or suggestions for future editions. The magazine is then added to the Tynedale Talking Newspaper’s Hexham Courant recording for the next four weeks or so.
You can listen to some short excerpts from the magazine using the player below.
The Northumbrian is an audio recording of articles from the the popular magazine, read, recorded and edited by a group of volunteers. It's a bi-monthly magazine for people who love “England’s Finest County” covering the culture, history and nature of Northumberland.
Interspersed between articles are short excerpts of music by Landermason, a local duo who write and perform their own unique blend of folk, roots and jazz. You can find more about them on their website by clicking on the image.
You can listen to some short excerpts from the magazine using the player below.
Registered Charity No. 1034087
© Tynedale Talking Newspaper
We use a small number of cookies for functional purposes, these are removed from your device when you close your browser. Please see our privacy policy for details.
OK
Deny