Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch Herald Talking Newspaper

 

Our volunteers produce the Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch Herald Talking Newspaper each week. With local news and community stories from Kirkintilloch, Bishopbriggs, Lenzie, Milton of Campsie, Torrance, Twechar and surrounding areas.

New recordings are usually available on the same day the paper is published.

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This service is for anyone who finds it difficult to read printed text, including people living with sight loss or dyslexia.

 

Start Listening Now ​

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To begin listening straight away:

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Option 1 – Listen online

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Open this link:

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Press the play button to start listening.

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Option 2 – Use Alexa

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Say:

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• “Alexa, open Talking Newspapers”

• “Play Kirkintilloch Herald”

 

Listen Online

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You can listen to the latest edition using our online player.

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Listen now

 

When the page opens:

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• Press play to start

• Use forward and rewind to move through the recording

 

Daily Listening Options

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There are several ways to listen each day.

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The British Wireless for the Blind Fund (BWBF), in partnership with the Talking News Federation (TNF), helped bring together over 250 Talking Newspaper titles, including those produced by Cue and Review. The service is now delivered by the Talking News Federation.

 

You can listen using:

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• Online player – direct link above

• Alexa app or smart speaker – use voice commands

• USB stick service – recordings delivered by post

 

The BWBF mobile app closed on 1 August 2025.

If you previously used the app, you can continue listening using Alexa.

 

How to Listen Using Alexa

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You can listen using a mobile phone or an Alexa smart speaker.

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What You Need

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• A smartphone or tablet, or an Alexa device

• The Alexa app (for mobile use)

• An Amazon account

 

Download the Alexa app:

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• Apple App Store

• Google Play Store​

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Set Up

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1. Install and open the Alexa app

2. Sign in with your Amazon account

 

Enable the skill:

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• Open Alexa

• Go to: More → Skills & Games → Search

• Search for Talking Newspapers

• Select Enable

 

Or say:

“Alexa, enable Talking Newspapers”

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Start Listening

 

Say:

“Alexa, open Talking Newspapers”

 

then say:

“Play Kirkintilloch Herald”

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Playback Controls

 

You can say:

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• “Next” or “Next track”

• “Previous” or “Previous track”

• “Pause”

• “Resume”

• “Stop”

• “Loop”

 

To move within audio:

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• “Forward 30 seconds”

• “Rewind 30 seconds”

 

Listening Again

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If you return within 24 hours, Alexa may ask if you want to continue.

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• Say Yes to continue

• Say No to choose again

 

Weekly Listening Options

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If you prefer a shorter summary, you can listen to a weekly edition.

Available on:

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• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• YouTube playlist

 

You can also:

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• Download recordings from Dropbox
   

USB Stick Service

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If you prefer not to use the internet, we can send recordings to you on a USB stick by post.

To request this service, sign up to our mailing list 

 

Accessibility

 

All listening options on this page are designed to be accessible.

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You can use:

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• VoiceOver (iPhone and iPad)

• TalkBack (Android)

• Alexa voice commands

 

You do not need to use images. All links and controls are accessible using screen readers.

 

Join Our Mailing List

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We invite listeners to join our mailing list.

This helps us understand how the service is used and supports funding to keep it free.

Sign up here

 

Contact and Support

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If you need help using the service or setting up Alexa, we are here to help.

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• Contact our own team by phone or email:
   

• Email support for Alexa via TNF
   

If you leave a message, we will pass it to the right team member who will get back to you.

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