Nick Thornely and Daphne Ashton Thornbury Past and Present - Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 11.00 am to 12.00 noon In this new series of 12 programmes for Thornbury FM, Nick and Daphne will be expanding the range of their stories to include outlying areas as well as Thornbury. They will be taking a fresh look at many of the familiar landmarks in Thornbury and District that have a meaningful present and a colourful past. Each programme will feature local residents and businesses all of whom will be broadcasting live from the Thornbury FM Studio at St. Mary's Church Hall. Brian Jarvis of Thornbury Castle and Charles Berkeley of Berkeley Castle will be returning to the programme after their debut in May, and we look forward to continuing our conversations with them both. The Sheiling School who play an important part in Thornbury life, will be on the programme for the first time. 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 36 years with his wife Ann.  He ran his own consultancy business, Industrial Motivation Ltd, from offices at 40 High Street, Thornbury. 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. As well as living in India and America, he has travelled extensively, and visits Italy every year.  He is a business mentor for The Prince’s Trust and Chairman of the British Lung Foundation, South West Region. Daphne Ashton and her husband Jack were both teachers and have four children. They have lived and worked in London, Bahrain, and Derbyshire and moved to a pretty 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 has many connections with the theatre and was on the committee of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club where she met and interviewed many famous actors including Sir Michael Horden. Daphne has been an actress since she was a young girl, beginning with a famous little theatre in Derbyshire with L du Garde Peach, and where she performed with Edna Rayworth, grandmother of the BBC News Presenter Sophie Rayworth. Thornbury Past and Present will introduce you to some interesting people. We will listen to lively music as well as improve our knowledge and appreciation of historical Thornbury and District.

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