91Èȱ¬

The Face of Suffolk?

Mathew Marvell and Simon Talbot met in 1998 and, to their surprise, discovered that each shared the other's somewhat unusual view of life. Separated by a ten year age gap, Matt is a nature loving fitness fanatic who is prone to making sweeping generalisations while Simon is a health-anxious history nut who has a tendency to be verbose.

They honed their 'talking about anything' skills by arguing in a storage room at the company where they both worked. A radio show of their own seemed the next logical progression.

For over four years they hosted theÌý'Urban Sofa Beat Collective' on Ipswich Community RadioÌýwhich attracting a cult following of late night listeners. Fellow community radio presenters voted their show as the most creative of 2007.

Simon and Matt's podcast continues to be regularly downloaded by fans from Australia, the USA and EuropeÌý – one regular listener even lives on the tropical island of Maui. In 2006 they appeared live on the stage of the Ipswich Corn Exchange as hosts of the multimedia Braincandy event introducing the acts sitting, funnily enough, on a battered up sofa.

Sunday service

Simon said: "We will be travelling all over the county this summer doing things many people might think are ridiculous but that we genuinely findÌýinteresting."

"There are some extraordinary people in Suffolk" added Matt.

"We love meeting those who areÌý passionate about what they do and look at the world in a slightly different way, probably because they're a bit like us."

Clash of the Titans

For their first show, Matt and Simon pitted pedal power against public transport as they raced from Ipswich. Using the little-known banana-method, they chose Haverhill as a destination.

Waiting for the bus

Along the way the Wacky Racers made new friends in a fast food restaurant, felt nauseous on a high speed bus and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful Suffolk countryside.

Matt is a keen cyclist who's has taken part in many long distance endurance events. During one he was attacked by a lycra-hating buzzard. Simon does not have a driving licence so without public transport he would grow a long beard and never leave the house.

Matt & Simon broadcast on 91Èȱ¬ Radio Suffolk, Sundays 1400-1600 BST. You can Listen Live via this website and Listen Again to the latest show.