BBC Bus

Jo - Broadcast Journalist

Peer out from behind your curtains and you may see a figure scouring your local church noticeboard. I'm Jo, a reporter based on the BBC bus. It's my job to uncover stories from the places that the BBC bus visits. That might mean reporting live on the radio from the bus, putting together reports for the news, writing articles for the website, or helping people to record their own stories and digital films.

I've definitely found my vocation being a journalist. Other than that…hmmm? maybe write a novel? rock star/style icon…I fancy that too. I do music interviews and reviews for our website, so if I wasn't doing what I'm doing, I'd probably have ended up a full time music journalist. Or a barmaid. I was a great barmaid.

As far as other jobs go, you name it I've done it! I've worked in bars, shops, restaurants, offices. I've been a Personal Assistant and spent some time as a corporate account manager! (which was very mind-numbingly dull!) Outside of work I enjoy going to gigs and scouring record shops for obscure vinyl. I'm a book geek too - I read everything and anything. And to counteract all the red wine and nightlife that I also enjoy, I took up boxing 6 months ago. I'm rubbish but it's great for getting fit.

And finally my fascinating fact is that I studied philosophy at University - So I spent three years hanging out with bearded men - discussing space time continuums!

Cumbria must be one of the most beautiful counties in England so to do a job that requires you to travel its length and breadth on a regular basis is fortunate indeed.
I was born in Devon, grew up in Bristol and have lived in many different places in Britain and abroad including Spain, Indonesia and Northampton.

I started out working in the theatre before going into teaching and latterly radio journalism. I've been lucky enough to meet many wonderful, interesting people, though almost none of them are famous. The highlight would a be a man who'd fought in the First World War, who was a hundred and who still lived independently with his wife of the same age. Their home was a nineteen-thirties semi and they told me the plaster was still wet on the walls when they moved in.

I now live near Longtown with several pigs, some ducks and a beehive as well as a daft dog and my wife (who isn’t daft). Outside work I tend the animals and grow vegetables, read a lot, enjoy real ales and good wines and play guitar. If I had one life's ambition it would be to become completely self-sufficient – unfortunately the potential shortage of real ales, new clothes and a decent car preclude it.

Joan - Tutor

"Never say never" it's been suggested might be my motto. My formative years were spent moving sheep from field to field - hi to all you mature young farmers out there - and then in tourism. Lots of my down time seems to have been spent dressing up, as a fairy in a lovely pink tutu (don't ask!), and once as a captain of the Royal Navy for a playgroup fun day. Mmmmm…..

"What are you doing riding around Cumbria on a big bus?" I hear you ask. Students need I.T. skills, imagine all those hours tapping away at a keyboard, word processing all those essays. I turned my need to learn computer skills into a way of earning money via Kirkoswald CDC and Cumbria Credits.

Since joining the BBC bus I've been awarded the Adult Learner of the Year award for Cumbria and the North West, graduated from St Martin's in Carlisle where I studied for an English degree and had loads of fun learning how to use all the latest audio and video editing software that are available for you to use on the bus.

Who knew working on a bus would turn out to be so interesting.

Paul - Senior Broadcast Journalist

Hi - I'm Paul Teague and I'm a Senior Broadcast Journalist at BBC Radio Cumbria.

I've had a varied career, having worked as a primary school teacher, a sales rep, an waiter, a landscape gardener and a DJ ... among other things.

I've worked for the BBC since 1992. I started by visiting Martin Lewes in his Kendal studio for a week, and was soon working as a reporter and producer on the afternoon show which used to be broadcast from Barrow. I presented the breakfast show in Barrow for a time, then moved to BBC Radio Humberside where I spent over 6 years presenting different programmes.

The BBC Bus is another project and I'm looking forward to being out on the road again, meeting local people and making radio programmes.

If there's anything you think we should be doing on the bus let me know and I'll do my best to help.