Nick Thornely and Daphne Ashton

Down Your Way - Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 11.00 am to 12.00 noon

'Down Your Way' is the new title for our programme and we are grateful to the BBC for permitting us to use it. The new more powerful TFM Transmitter means that our programme will reach a larger audience and so we are looking for people and stories in a wider catchment area than just Thornbury. For example, Almondsbury and Tockington have always had difficulties receiving TFM, wherea across the water at Chepstow, they get a clear signal. So our new programmes will include visitors from Yate/Chipping Sodbury, Chepstow, Wotton-Under-Edge and Almondsbury and many others. The format will be similar in that the programmes take the form of a conversation with Nick and Daphne broadcasting live from the Thornbury FM Studio at St. Mary's Church Hall.

Nick Thornely's first job was with BBC World Services where he worked as a Studio Manager and Announcer.  He moved to television and worked with Sir Huw Wheldon on Documentary and Music Programmes at the time when Ken Russell and Melvyn Bragg were making films for ‘Monitor’.

He lived in New York for 7 years and moved to Crossways, Thornbury, in 1972 and has lived in the same house for 37 years with his wife Ann.  He ran his own consultancy business for 20 years, Industrial Motivation Ltd, from offices at 40 High Street, Thornbury (now occupied by Sims Cook & Teague). Nick’s many interests include learning Italian, playing tennis and golf, supporting Bristol Rugby, DIY and gardening. He has attended the Olympic Games four times (as a spectator) and is looking forward to the London Olympics in 2012.

Daphne Ashton and her husband Jack were both in education and have four children. They have lived and worked in London, Bahrain, and Derbyshire before moving to a cottage near St. Pauls Church, The Hackett, in 1985. Jack grew flowers that were sold in shops in Thornbury and Bristol. They then moved to Provence after buying an orchard and succeeded in building their own house after fourteen years living a totally new lifestyle. They now live near St. Mary's Church, Thornbury.

On arrival in Bristol in 1971, Daphne continued to work with partially-hearing children visiting schools in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, hence knowing many teachers in the area. Daphne was Artistic Director of the Thornbury Arts Festival for five years before she was succeeded by Jackie Jackson. She is one of the organisers of the 10 day Thornbury Eisteddford.

Down Your Way will introduce you to some interesting people. We will listen to lively music as well as improve our knowledge and appreciation of the historical area in which we live.

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