Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Fiona Ritchie shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Fiona Ritchie offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Fiona Ritchie at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Fiona Ritchie? Wrong! If the Fiona Ritchie is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Fiona Ritchie then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Fiona Ritchie? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Fiona Ritchie and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Fiona Ritchie wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Fiona Ritchie then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Fiona Ritchie site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Fiona Ritchie, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Fiona Ritchie, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
Fiona Ritchie (b.
1960) is a radio broadcaster best known as the producer and host of The Thistle & Shamrock, an hour long
Celtic music program that airs throughout the
United States on National Public Radio (NPR). Fiona was born and raised in Scotland, where she went to the University of Stirling for her undergraduate education. While there, she was invited to spend one semester in
North Carolina in the United States, and that was when she first heard NPR. After graduating in Scotland she returned to North Carolina and, although initially pursuing post-graduate research, was hired by WFAE FM, the NPR station in Charlotte, North Carolina, to oversee fundraising and promotion efforts.
WFAE was a new station open to new ideas and in 1981 Fiona began a weekly hour of
Celtic music for its local audience.
The Thistle & Shamrock was picked up for national broadcast less than two years after this debut. The program's national following grew quickly and it was soon established as one of NPR’s most widely heard and best-loved music offerings. During her years based in North Carolina, Ritchie visited radio stations coast-to-coast across the US, presenting live broadcasts and events, and in 1989 and 1990, traveled to 22 US cities with The Thistle & Shamrock Concert Tour.
Fiona Ritchie has come full circle to re-settle and create her radio programs at home in Scotland. On numerous return trips to the United States, she has visited and raised funds for NPR member stations everywhere from Louisiana to
Alaska, and hosted festival concerts from Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts to Chicago’s Grant Park. Along the way she has forged a strong association with the United States, and made a unique contribution to the American airwaves. In 2003 the Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage honored her for “creating an on-air community, serving as a musical ambassador, and connecting listeners with the best of traditional and contemporary artistry.”
In the
UK, Fiona Ritchie has presented numerous programs for BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio 2, launching the Radio Scotland world music series "Celtic Connections" in 1993. She has produced and presented many live concert performances and broadcasts, including a musical event for HRH Prince Charles in 2001 at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, and has acted in an advisory capacity for arts organizations in the US and UK, including serving on the Scottish advisory committee for the
British Council.
Fiona’s awards include four World Medals from the New York Festivals International Competition for Radio Programming, and a
Flora Macdonald Award from St. Andrews Presbyterian College, which also conferred upon her the degree of honorary doctorate. Hundreds of Thistle & Shamrock tapes and vinyl albums, along with concert recordings, playlists, newsletters, and related materials are now part of a working archive in the Scottish Heritage Center] at St. Andrews College. The archive is open to anyone interested in studying the rich heritage of Celtic music.
In 2006 Fiona launched
Thistlepod, a free podcast from NPR featuring new-releases from Celtic roots. She has also produced several CD compilations, authored a 2005 volume on Celtic music for the NPR Curious Listener’s Guide book series, and is co-writing a book on the many musical connections between Scotland and Appalachia.
External links
- The Thistle & Shamrock - official site
- The Thistle & Shamrock via streaming audio
- A brief autobiographical statement by Ritchie
- Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts
- Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
- New York Festivals
- Scottish Heritage Center
- NPR Curious Listener’s Guide book series
Fiona Ritchie (b. 1960) is a radio broadcaster best known as the producer and host of The Thistle & Shamrock, an hour long
Celtic music program that airs throughout the
United States on
National Public Radio (NPR). Fiona was born and raised in Scotland, where she went to the University of Stirling for her undergraduate education. While there, she was invited to spend one semester in
North Carolina in the
United States, and that was when she first heard NPR. After graduating in Scotland she returned to North Carolina and, although initially pursuing post-graduate research, was hired by WFAE FM, the NPR station in Charlotte, North Carolina, to oversee fundraising and promotion efforts.
WFAE was a new station open to new ideas and in 1981 Fiona began a weekly hour of Celtic music for its local audience.
The Thistle & Shamrock was picked up for national broadcast less than two years after this debut. The program's national following grew quickly and it was soon established as one of NPR’s most widely heard and best-loved music offerings. During her years based in North Carolina, Ritchie visited radio stations coast-to-coast across the US, presenting live broadcasts and events, and in 1989 and 1990, traveled to 22 US cities with The Thistle & Shamrock Concert Tour.
Fiona Ritchie has come full circle to re-settle and create her radio programs at home in Scotland. On numerous return trips to the United States, she has visited and raised funds for NPR member stations everywhere from
Louisiana to
Alaska, and hosted festival concerts from
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts to Chicago’s
Grant Park. Along the way she has forged a strong association with the United States, and made a unique contribution to the American airwaves. In 2003 the Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage honored her for “creating an on-air community, serving as a musical ambassador, and connecting listeners with the best of traditional and contemporary artistry.”
In the UK, Fiona Ritchie has presented numerous programs for
BBC Radio Scotland and
BBC Radio 2, launching the Radio Scotland world music series "Celtic Connections" in 1993. She has produced and presented many live concert performances and broadcasts, including a musical event for HRH Prince Charles in 2001 at
Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, and has acted in an advisory capacity for arts organizations in the US and UK, including serving on the Scottish advisory committee for the British Council.
Fiona’s awards include four World Medals from the New York Festivals International Competition for Radio Programming, and a
Flora Macdonald Award from St. Andrews Presbyterian College, which also conferred upon her the degree of honorary doctorate. Hundreds of Thistle & Shamrock tapes and vinyl albums, along with concert recordings, playlists, newsletters, and related materials are now part of a working archive in the Scottish Heritage Center] at St. Andrews College. The archive is open to anyone interested in studying the rich heritage of Celtic music.
In 2006 Fiona launched Thistlepod, a free podcast from NPR featuring new-releases from Celtic roots. She has also produced several CD compilations, authored a 2005 volume on Celtic music for the NPR Curious Listener’s Guide book series, and is co-writing a book on the many musical connections between Scotland and Appalachia.
External links
- The Thistle & Shamrock - official site
- The Thistle & Shamrock via streaming audio
- A brief autobiographical statement by Ritchie
- Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts
- Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
- New York Festivals
- Scottish Heritage Center
- NPR Curious Listener’s Guide book series
