Conversations with The Lincolnite

Join Ronnie as he makes the short trip to Lincolnshire Showground for day one of the first post-pandemic Lincolnshire Show. Ronnie speaks to a multitude of people around the two-day event, including a beekeeper, a blacksmith, and even a police officer!

Lincoln-based entrepreneur Owen Short speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about his ecommerce company, The Bloq, which supplies items to Amazon for nationwide sale.  Owen discusses the inception and development of the business, plans for the future, and the top bits of advice that he would give to other budding entrepreneurs.

Ronnie meets Tristan Jørgensen, Master Distiller at Massingberd-Mundy Distillery, to talk about the process of making gin, the history behind the picturesque 3,000-acre South Ormsby Estate that the distillery is situated on, and the fantastic gin that they produce.

Local businesswoman and newly-published author Paige Bingham speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about her new book 'The Unsexy Mum'; a part-memoir-part-guidebook for new mothers, covering everything from how to parent while hungover, to learning to still love yourself and feel sexy. The Unsexy Mum is available from Olympia Publishing and all major book outlets.

Action Community Theatre, a local theatre company in North Hykeham, have opened video auditions for a talent show in a bid to raise funds for the theatre's Christmas programme. Samantha Kendall of ACT speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about what they're looking for, and how to enter!

Jonathan Van-Tam speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about Novak House, a new wellbeing centre opened in Boston by St Barnabas Hospice, about the importance of mental health in the United Kingdom, and how important centres like Novak House are. Novak House was named after the late local philanthropist Stefan Novak, after he left a sizeable donation to the hospice. Helen Anastassiou, Stefan's best friend, talks about how much it means to see the centre named in his honour open it's doors. Ronnie also speaks to Chris Wheway, CEO of St Barnabas, about the new centre, and how important it will be to the people of Boston.

The 'Creative Freedom' exhibition, organised by EDAN Lincs, is currently at Chapter House within Lincoln Cathedral until June 12th. The exhibition features pieces from thirty artists, as well as art created by women in EDAN's own refuges.

Lincoln drag queen Celine Begone speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about her career, how she spent her Platinum Jubilee weekend, and the importance of LGBTQ+ venues in Lincoln.

Join Ronnie as he travels across the county, to bring you five incredible things to do over this historic Platinum Jubilee Weekend, from tea parties, tribute acts, and even Jubilee shots!

A plethora of local bands will be rocking the North Hykeham Memorial Hall playing field this Thursday for Geoff Fest, a festival set up to honour the life of Punch The Monkey drummer Geoff Foster, who passed away last year. Ronnie speaks to two members of Punch The Monkey to learn more about the festival, and how it feels to be staging a tribute to a man loved by so many.

ADHD360 Director Phil Anderton speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about his organisation's approach to treating ADHD, the stigma surrounding mental health, the challenges that he and his team overcame in establishing the company, and ADHD360's recent victories at the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards.

Ronnie catches up with star of stage and screen Colin McFarlane, to find out more about Colin's work, family, and his own roots to Lincoln. Colin has starred in numerous major motion pictures, including 'Batman Begins' & 'The Dark Knight', and his voice is heard all over the world in Peppa Pig, Hey Duggee, and The Cube UK & USA.

Join Ronnie as he heads to Lincoln Drill to see the preparations for this weekend's Lincoln Beer Festival, hosted by Lincoln CAMRA.

Join Ronnie as he visits the long-awaited return of Call Of The Wild festival at Lincolnshire Showground, and speaks to co-founder Dave O'Hara and event director Lee Byrne, as well as Lincoln band The Velvet Queens, fresh off releasing their new single 'The Morning After..'

Join Ronnie as he goes behind-the-scenes of the production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, just days before the show gets underway at Lincoln Cathedral, presented by The Starring Lincoln Theatre Company. Tickets are still available for the show, running from May 23rd to June 4th, and can be purchased via the Lincoln Cathedral website.

Join The Lincolnite Podcast host Ronnie Byrne as he travels to Grantham, Margaret Thatcher's birthplace, to ask passers-by on their opinion of the newly-erected tribute to the Iron Lady, in the same week it garnered media attention from across the world.

Cosplayer and ASMRtist Lizzielestrange speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about how she got into creating videos, her unique style of ASMR, and how she managed to turn content creation into a full-time career.

Ted and Oliver, two nine-year old boys are embarking on a thirty-three mile bike ride to raise money for the National Children's Air Ambulance. They speak to The Lincolnite Podcast to talk about their training, how they're looking forward to the big day, and the incredible amount of money they've raised so far, without even starting their journey!

The Rills frontman Mitch Spencer talks to The Lincolnite Podcast about the bands new EP 'Do It Differently', the origins of the band, and their headline show at The Drill in Lincoln this November.

Joan Bennett, a volunteer coordinator at Lincoln Community Larder, speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast to discuss the current situation, the increase in people using their service, and the new fuel voucher scheme the charity has put in place to help people with the rising cost of energy.

Jesse Booth, a non-binary person from Grimsby, is raising money for breast reduction surgery, after being told the procedure wasn't available to them on the NHS. Jesse speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about their journey of self-discovery, and the issues their breasts give them on a daily basis.

Bahar Tomek, an international student at the University of Lincoln, speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about her new initiative 'WE Are The Change', designed to empower women and give them the tools they need to conquer the world of business.

Lincolnshire-based Extinction Rebellion activists Pete, Rosemary, and Eddie speak to The Lincolnite Podcast about the recent Spring Uprising in London, XR's list of demands, and why, if you feel not enough is being done for the climate, you should get involved.

Lincoln woman Kerry Moyles speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about the long process of rehoming Ukrainian refugees, after offering her own home as a safe space to a Ukrainian family fleeing the crisis.

Rachael Ruddock of Mamatoto Birthing speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about the placenta encapsulation service she provides to new mothers. Mamatoto Birthing provides support for women throughout their pregnancy, and offers to transform the placenta postpartum into capsules, smoothies, and oils.

Nat Kirchin from the UoL Student Union speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about the proposed hike in interest rates on student loans this September, and how the cost of living is affecting students across the campus.

Luke Wilkinson of Andy's Man Club speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about their ambitions to reduce male suicide rates through open and honest conversations. The Lincoln branch of Andy's Man Club meets weekly at the LNER Football Stadium, and has gone from strength to strength since opening, with many men coming through the door each week to speak openly about their feelings in an understanding and non-judgemental arena.

Miss Boston 2022 Summer Le Conte speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about the issue of skinny-shaming, and her own efforts to gain weight.

Lincoln rapper DStacko speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about the local music scene, the challenges he faces as a rapper in Lincoln, and how the city compares to places like Birmingham and Manchester.   Closing track: Dreams (ft. OWBOY & Deepmind) - DStacko

Ronnie joins yoga instructor Megan Aitken, founder of Activate With Megan, to talk about her work in the town, and how she hopes to elevate moods through her fusion of traditional Indian teachings combined with modern-day workouts.

Director of A2B Cars Vladimir Kubjatko speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about why it's currently so difficult to get a taxi in Lincoln.

Ronnie travels to JandJ Alpacas on the outskirts of Grantham to talk to owner Jess about their recent success at the National Alpaca Show in Telford. Three of JandJ's finest alpacas, Olympia, Neo, and Apollo, walked away with rosettes after coming fifth, fifth, and sixth in their classes respectively.

Lincoln's most decorated boxer Nathan Decastro speaks to The Lincolnite Podcast about the importance of his local boxing club ahead of his first bare-knuckle boxing title defence against BKB veteran James Connelly this Sunday.

Darren Edwards, founder of Ignite Elim Church in Lincoln, more commonly known as 'Chav Church' talks about his upbringing, how he established the church, and what to expect if you attend a Chav Church service.

On Friday, Ronnie caught up with star of cinema Warwick Davis about the 'Forever in our Hearts' display at Lincoln Cathedral, organised by St Barnabas Hospice, a charity of which Davis is a patron. Ronnie also speaks to Emma Gowland, who has been instrumental in the story behind the campaign, after the hospice gave care to her father. Finally, St Barnabas Hospice fundraising development manager Holly Ayre speaks about the logistics behind the display, and how long it took to put together.

This week, Ronnie is joined by Derran Brown, team leader from Polish School Lincoln's Ukrainian donation drop-off points in Lincoln, to talk about the work they've been doing since the war began, how many donations have been sent to the Poland-Ukraine border so far, and what more needs to be done. Later, Ronnie speaks to Miss Lincolnshire 2021 Chloe Ashford-Smith, about how she, a woman with alopecia, felt about the now-infamous moment between Chris Rock and Will Smith at this year's Oscars, and how she overcame years of bullying to be where she is now. Finally, celebrity hairdresser Lee Stafford talks about his hopes of opening a Lee Stafford Academy at Lincoln College by the new academic year. Closing this week's show is Lincolnite Unsigned's very first track of the week, ‘Don't Hold Me Down' by Lincoln singer-songwriter Georgie Hanson.   Clip Courtesy A.M.P.A.S.© 2022

This week, Ronnie is joined by Lincoln artist Sian Bristow, renowned for her work on the Lincoln Imp and Knights' Trails of 2021 and 2017. Sian discusses her art, and the pieces she currently has featured in the Who Run The World? exhibition at The Electric Gallery in London. Later in the show, Ronnie travels to the home of Francesca Amber, host of the UK's biggest self-improvement podcast Law of Attraction Changed My Life. Francesca talks about her own experiences with the law of attraction, how she manifested her husband (two years before she met him), and how she now teaches her own methods to people. Finally, notorious Lincoln graffiti artist Juice speaks out for the first time ever about his tagging across Lincoln, his motives behind his work, and whether or not he sees his graffiti as vandalism, art, or a form of therapy.

This week, Ronnie is joined by Jasmine Foley, Miss Lincoln GB 2022, and founder of Raising Them Resilient- a movement empowering children by providing resources teaching them confidence, positivity, and responsibility, so they can overcome issues such as bullying and anxiety. Later in the show, Ronnie speaks to Lincoln artists Sally Kheng and Laura Andrew about their exhibit ‘GLIMPSE' being showcased at the Sam Scorer Gallery, and what it means to each of them to be an artist in Lincolnshire. Also, farmer Tom Ward speaks about his mental health-based viral videos encouraging people working in the agricultural and farming sector to speak openly about their feelings. Finally, Ronnie is joined by Nathan Wilson, founder of Dad's Advocates- a community-based company helping fathers build meaningful and consistent relationships with their children. Dad's Advocates also run courses on domestic violence, from both a victim and perpetrator perspective.

On this week's show, host Ronnie Byrne interviews Lincoln-based children's author Lydia Sanders, showcasing her ‘Hysterical Herstories' books, written to teach children about influential women in history in a fun and entertaining way. Also this week, The Lincolnite associate editors Emily Norton and Leanne Crawford discuss what being women in journalism means to them, and how workplaces can combat gender disparity. Finally, Ronnie is joined by Lincolnshire's own Henry Camamile, lead singer of one of the UK's most exciting new bands, Sea Girls. Henry discusses his links to Lincolnshire, how the COVID pandemic affected the bands' songwriting and touring, and Sea Girls upcoming album Homesick.

This week's guests include Peter Rowlett, Deimante Norbutaite, and Bradley Wall giving their opinions and perspectives on the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Stonebow Media Partnerships Manager Katrina Burrill outlines The Lincolnite's events portfolio for the year, and James “Curly” Woodliffe from Lincoln band Vigilantes talks about the future of the band and their homecoming gig at Lincoln Drill alongside The Sherlocks and Huey Morgan.

The new, revamped Lincolnite Podcast will be available every Friday across all major streaming platforms. Hosted by Ronnie Byrne, The Lincolnite Podcast will bring you behind-the-story interviews, exclusives, conversations with local businesses, artists, and musicians, and so much more.

In Lincoln, the tourism sector last year contributed £216 million to the local economy. At a time when high street shops struggle to compete with online counterparts and draw in the crowds, the 'experience factor' is the thing pulling people into the city. Listen to our latest Business Week feature read to you by Associate Editor Emily Norton.

During a special appearance in the city, Peep Show star Robert Webb told The Lincolnite of a difficult childhood in rural Lincolnshire, finding joy in performing, exploring masculinity and grief in his first book, and important lessons from a “lucky” career. Robert’s first home was a house called Slieve Moyne in Woodhall Spa. He speaks of his ‘working class’ upbringing, with a chuckle at the mention of his ‘posh’ persona. “My two brothers and I grew up in a house where we read the Daily Mail, drove second hand cars and no one went to university. Everyone had a job but no one had a career.”

We have all heard of the 'glass ceiling'. Anyone who's ever felt they have the skills to reach new personal heights, but can't get there, can easily blame an impassable blockade: "I can't compete with them", "I don't have time for that", "opportunities aren't available to me", "I'm not good enough". But there's no ceiling. The ability to do that thing you've always wanted to do lies within your hands, and it's up to you to get your self off that "sticky floor". That's the mantra of The Lincolnite'slatest podcast guest, prominent Lincoln business and marketing professional and public speaker Ruchi Aggarwal. Ruchi is the Director of Business Development at the University of Lincoln and is a marketing and strategy professional with over two decades of industry experience.

What if boys and girls were treated exactly the same? What difference would it make to them... to their self-esteem... to their confidence? The Lincolnite spoke to primary school teacher and gender neutrality champion Graham Andre when he visited the city for a talk as part of the Be Inspired lecture series at the University of Lincoln. We met Graham in the Eleanor Glanville Centre on the Brayford campus, where a dedicated team work to drive cultural change, inclusion and diversity across the institution. He had spent the day exploring the city after travelling from the Isle of White for the talk, and began the meeting by discussing his experiences under the lens of BBC camera crews. In 2017, Graham appeared on a BBC reality TV programme about gender free classrooms titled No More Boys and Girls.

The Lincolnite was joined by renowned archeologist, former Time Team presenter and professor Carenza Lewis for the first episode of our new podcast. Associate Editor Emily Norton met Professor Lewis in the haunting and echoing atrium of the Victorian prison at Lincoln Castle, surrounded by Medieval and Roman discoveries from archaeological digs in the castle grounds, as well as a nearby Saxon sarcophagus. Coffee in hand and surrounded by historical treasures, she shared how she was plucked for a new hit TV programme in the early 90s, told us of life and research in Lincoln and also spoke out about her experiences as a victim of a cancer misdiagnosis scandal during the peak of her career. Carenza is well known for her work on Channel 4's much loved Time Team programme. She specialises in the academic fields of history, archeology and landscape studies. She currently works at the University of Lincoln as Professor of Public Understanding and Research.