All posts by Clive Hilton

Clive Hilton, On Demand

London to Brighton Veteran Car Run

LIVE FROM THE LONDON TO BRIGHTON VETERAN CAR RUN – CELEBRATING 130 YEARS!

Tune in to Clive and Company on SUSY 103.4 from 10am till midday, Sunday 1st November to hear from the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, celebrating its incredible 130th anniversary! Steve James and guests will be joining Clive Hilton.

Technology permitting, we’ll also be LIVE-STREAMING on YouTube (above), so you can watch the action from the warmth and comfort of your sofa! We’re hoping to get the livestream underway slightly before 10am, giving you a chance to soak up the atmosphere before the radio show begins.

Please note: There will be periods when the livestream is visual only, as we cannot broadcast commercial music on YouTube that we play on the radio. But you’ll still be able to see what’s happening behind the scenes and enjoy the sights of this extraordinary event!

OVER 400 VETERAN CARS – 130 YEARS OF MOTORING HISTORY!

This year’s spectacular event celebrates 130 years since the original Emancipation Run of 1896, which marked a turning point in British motoring history. Back then, new legislation increased the speed limit for motor vehicles from just 4mph to 14mph and removed the requirement for someone to walk ahead carrying a red flag!

More than 400 extraordinary vehicles, all built before 1905, are expected to tackle the famous 60-mile journey from London’s Hyde Park to Brighton’s Madeira Drive. With over 100 overseas entries and around 100 different makes represented, it’s a truly international celebration of pioneering engineering, passion and motoring heritage. Among the remarkable machines taking part is an 1894 Benz Velo, one of the oldest vehicles entered.

LIVE FROM THE HALFWAY STOP, CRAWLEY!

We’ll be broadcasting from the official halfway stop on this year’s route, where these magnificent machines and their crews will be taking a well-earned breather before continuing south towards Brighton.

We’ll be meeting drivers, owners, organisers and enthusiasts, discovering the fascinating stories behind these historic vehicles, hearing about the challenges of keeping 120-year-old machinery running and finding out what makes this unique event so special.

Unlike a modern motor race, it’s not about speed – it’s about making it to Brighton! With a maximum permitted speed of 20mph and the possibility of earning a coveted finisher’s medal, simply completing the journey is a wonderful achievement.

️ Expect fascinating interviews, plenty of atmosphere, a little motoring nostalgia with some fun and banter along the way!

LISTEN: SUSY 103.4 FM or online at susyradio.com

WATCH: Our YouTube livestream above (technology permitting).

Sunday 1st November | 10am–12pm

130 years of motoring history – LIVE from Crawley! ️

Clive Hilton, On Demand

Soapbox Livestream… The Impact of AI… Traditions vs Offence

Our next Soapbox conversation will tackle:
 
‍ The AI Impact & Our Humanness 
Tradition or Offence — Who Draws the Line?
 
The Livestream can also be watched below on Sunday 8 November from 3pm for the first topic and around 4.30pm for the second.
 
Further details on the two topics below. It promises to be a vibrant conversation in the room  – ALL are welcome to take part!
 
WHEN – Sunday 8th November, arrive 2.45pm for a 3pm start, expect to finish 5.30pm
 
WHERE – Goffs Manor, Crawley
 
Check out & subscribe to our NEW YouTube channel and watch recent episodes – CLICK HERE 
 
Diverse Voices — Real Dialogue — Less Division
 
‍ The AI Impact & Our Humanness (3-4.15pm)
 
Artificial intelligence promises to help us achieve more, amplify our abilities and accelerate everything from everyday tasks to scientific discovery. But what happens to jobs, skills and our sense of purpose when machines can do more of our work? Where does AI become a powerful human ally—and where does it become frightening or dangerous? From fake news and deepfakes to decisions made without human judgement, how do we know what to trust, and who takes responsibility when things go wrong?
 
Then there’s the deeply human question of connection. Could AI companions and virtual friends ease loneliness, or draw us further away from real relationships? On Sussex & Surrey Soapbox, we’ll explore the opportunities, fears and choices ahead—and ask how we keep humanity at the heart of an increasingly artificial world.
 
Tradition or Offence — Who Draws the Line? (4.30-5.45pm)
 
From fireworks and local bonfire celebrations to wearing a poppy, traditions can bring communities together—but also spark disagreement. How do we balance heritage and enjoyment with concerns about noise, animals, safety, personal beliefs and inclusion? Does respecting a tradition mean taking part, and when is asking for change reasonable?
 
As Christmas approaches, we’ll also explore the debate around Christmas branding and “Winterval”, whether the season has become too commercial, and those surprisingly passionate household disputes: how early is too early for the tree, and when should it come down? What to cook? How to celebrate? On Sussex & Surrey Soapbox, we’ll ask which traditions we cherish, which we’d change, and how we make room for each other without losing what makes these occasions special.
 
Thank you,

Clive

The livestream players are below to watch from 3pm Sunday 8 November but I hope to see you in the room!

 

 

 
Clive Hilton, On Demand

Pride in Place, Bewbush

 

 

SUSY 103.4 live on Saturday 19 September at Pride in Place, Bewbush with Neil Munday, Andy Brown and Clive Hilton.

‘Up to £20 million over 10 years’ sounds like a headline, but what matters is who gets to decide. We go live from Bewbush Academy, where residents are invited to shape a resident-led regeneration plan for Bewbush, backed by Crawley Borough Council and a neighbourhood board that turns local priorities into action. You will hear how the money could support social, economic and environmental improvements, and why this is designed to work from the ground up.

We chat with event organiser Amanda Foster, CCYS about how the event was pulled together in just 4 weeks and  Matt Pollard, Crawley Borough Council about the programme, and we also hear from local voices on what should come first, from upgraded play spaces and 3G pitches to better traffic flow, cleaner streets, lighting and safer public areas. The idea board fills up as the afternoon goes on, and the conversation stays practical: what would genuinely make daily life better for families, young people and older residents in Bewbush?

Community support is part of the story too. We meet Menshare Listening Group on men’s mental health and the power of listening circles, and we speak to the Free Shop, Bewbush about food support and the café that helps fund it and the many other community stalls. PLUS the brilliant live performances on the stage – youth music work, and a hula-hoop moment with Peter Lamb MP and Madam Mayor Cllr Marion Ayling that somehow turns into a serious point about participation, and you get a warm, grounded snapshot of what local pride can look like speaking with the Leader of Crawley Borough Council, Cllr Michael Jones.

If you have ideas for Bewbush, share this with someone local, subscribe to the Sussex & Surrey Soapbox for more community stories, and leave us a review. What would you spend the first years £2 million on? Join the drop in session at Bewbush Academy on Tuesday 22 September, 7pm to have your say!

Clive Hilton, On Demand

Tilgate Zoo’s Fundraiser For TRAFFIC

Sunday Brunch Went WILD!

Clive Hilton and Andy Brown took SUSY Sunday Brunch on the road for an August Bank Holiday fun broadcast from Tilgate Zoo — mixing wildlife, conservation, community fun… and a fair amount of chaos.

At the heart of the day was a serious issue: illegal wildlife trade. Supporting Tilgate Zoo’s Wild Weekend fundraiser for TRAFFIC, we explored an industry driven by demand for trafficked animals, skins and body parts — and heard how those smuggling routes could lead all the way back to the UK.

With our mobile studio set up between the meerkats and guinea pigs, we discovered how Tilgate Zoo used real artefacts seized by HM Customs to make the scale and cruelty of wildlife trafficking impossible to ignore.

But it was Bank Holiday Sunday — so things didn’t stay serious for long!

There was face painting, games, a bake sale and kids’ activities, plus a brilliant animal-sound challenge where we turned the tables on the keepers to see whether they could recognise the calls of animals living at their own zoo — JUMP to 15:15 to hear.

Then things got competitive. There was a timed obstacle course, a slime bucket challenge, compelling evidence that small children were considerably faster than radio presenters… and allegations that Andy cheated.

We also met the team behind Turtle Tally, a citizen-science project tracking pet turtles that had been released or escaped into UK waterways. Those cute little hatchlings can grow surprisingly large and live for decades — highlighting the wider problem of impulse-buying animals that later become difficult to care for or rehome.

We rounded things off by getting up close with beekeeping, before looking ahead to more Bank Holiday live music with Ash Miles and CRASH Music at The King’s Head, Horley.

Wildlife, conservation, community, live radio and two presenters let loose in a zoo. What could possibly have gone wrong? ️

 

 

Clive Hilton, On Demand

ORIGINALS Showdown’26

ORIGINALS Showdown ’26 is a new live music event organised by the ‘Sussex & Surrey Soapbox’ podcast – created to discover, showcase and celebrate original, local musical talent from across the SUSY 103.4 area. 

CLICK HERE

ORIGINALS Showdown ’26
Discovering. Showcasing. Celebrating. Local Original Music.

Presented by Sussex & Surrey Soapbox with SUSY 103.4.