Dispatch to a Friend

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Two Australian friends read their letters to each other, revealing their love of books, gardening, travel and cooking, and the ordinary pleasures in life. Annabelle Hickson and Gillian Bell live in different states in Australia. Annabelle lives on a pecan farm in the north west of NSW. She is a wri…

Gillian Bell & Annabelle Hickson

  • Dec 31, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
  • monthly NEW EPISODES
  • 20m AVG DURATION
  • 28 EPISODES
  • 4 SEASONS


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Latest episodes from Dispatch to a Friend

S4, Ep4: Scotland & Friendship ( for Amanda )

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2020 29:16


The two friends reminisce about the gathering in Scotland in 2019 (when no-one knew what 2020 had in store) with Canadian friend and podcaster Lindsay Cameron Wilson https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com Instagram: @dispatchtoafriend

S4, Ep3: Fruit Crumble & Snapped Synapses

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2020 16:23


Gillian volunteers to dust an Italian apartment and plans a summer of fruit crumbles while Annabelle nearly goes postal as her magazine’s publishing day looms & mice invade her home. https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com Instagram: @dispatchtoafriend

S4, Ep2: Worn Out Carpet & Persistent Dreams

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2020 16:27


Gillian writes of carpet conundrums growing up & a garden makeover while Annabelle shares the secret of the woman who lives inside her. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com Instagram: @dispatchtoafriend Galah Press: https://galahpress.com/  Instagram: @galah.press

S4, Ep1: Let’s Talk Galah

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2020 16:35


The two friends are back behind the microphone and Annabelle’s new role as a magazine founder/editor is all the talk. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com Galah Press: https://galahpress.com/  Instagram: @galah.press

S3, Ep1: Christmas

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2019 37:24


Annabelle and Gillian kick off Season 3 with a special Christmas episode. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S2, Ep11 Christmas Special: Wildlife Ambulances and Cheeses Christ

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2018 32:58


Annabelle is on a long road trip to tick off her Christmas present list while Gillian is cleaning out the pantry, celebrating numerous family birthdays and trying to catch a bird in the run up to Christmas. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S2, Ep10: A Snake in the House

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2018 17:08


Annabelle introduces a new member to the family after another visit from an uninvited snake, while Gillian recalls an invasion of moths while eating coffee cake. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S2, Ep9: Breakfast in Bed, and Other Divisive Matters

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2018 19:19


Gillian and Annabelle disagree about the merits of breakfast in bed and the writer Karl Ove Knausgaard. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S2, Ep8: How to Boil Water and the Trauma of the Credit Card Tap

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2018 14:41


Annabelle is in Sydney suffering from the ‘credit card tap’ while Gillian contemplates the pleasures of a good scotch egg, roasting chickens and a cookbook that discusses how to boil water. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S2, Ep7: Floating on Lilo with a Bowl of Cauliflower Soup UPDATED

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2018 20:13


Annabelle convalesces on a lilo contemplating a return to choir singing, while Gillian is keen to dress up for a joyful Von Trapp singalong.   Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S2, Ep6: 4P's, 3G's; Pickles and Banana Cake

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2018 19:26


Annabelle’s life takes a serious turn of events and Gillian chats about weddings, pickles and banana cake in an attempt to help her friend through a difficult time. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S2, Ep5: Birds and Star Signs

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2018 8:51


Gillian compares her life to a migratory bird in her own home and uncovers her friend’s star sign. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S2, Ep4: Catmint, Venn Diagrams & Bread Pudding

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2018 18:05


Spring has sprung, motivating Annabelle to get stuck into the garden, while Gillian hangs onto winter with a delicious, spiced bread pudding.  Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S2, Ep3: Coffins, Jam Tarts and Dirty Cars

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2018 17:02


Annabelle finds herself lying in a coffin, while Gillian writes to her urban neighbours making excuses for Annabelle’s filthy country car. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S2, Ep2: Reward for your Efforts

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2018 17:56


Gillian writes about walking with Charles Darwin and the importance of effort while Annabelle regales tales of dodging kangaroos and a country fair misunderstanding. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S2, Ep1: Uncookable Hags

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2018 15:33


Season 2 starts with Annabelle stumped by a dish of beans while Gillian comes out of the closet over flannelette. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S1, Ep12: Did Virginia Pass This Way?

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2018 22:17


Join Annabelle and Gillian for the last episode in season 1 as they ramble across the South Downs in Sussex to the home of English authors, Virginia and Leonard Woolf. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S1, Ep11: The Wedding Cake Maker

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2018 28:31


Follow Gillian as she makes a wedding cake in Scotland. Annabelle comes along for the ride and sees firsthand the lengths to which her friend goes to make the perfect cake. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S1, Ep10: You Really Should Have Told Me

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2018 17:05


Annabelle and Gillian arrive in Scotland and tour the Isle of Skye in search of Annie’s ancestral roots. They meet some fierce Scots along the way. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S1, Ep9: Annabelle Applauds Mediocrity & Gillian's Hygge

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2018 20:22


Annabelle applauds mediocrity and a poem, while Gillian talks about hygge and shares a proverb for life. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com 

S1, Ep8: Post-hoc Women and the Tale of a Swedish Wedding Cake

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2018 29:25


Annabelle writes an ode to condensed milk and shares a story of a fierce woman and a book manuscript, while Gillian recounts the making of a wedding cake for a young couple in Sweden, under very trying circumstances. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com/

S1, Ep7: Tree Shakers and the Tunnel of Whispers

Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2018 22:08


Annabelle contemplates becoming a fierce, angry woman mid pecan harvest, while Gillian parties in Denmark and has a coffee date with Claus Dalby in his famous garden in Aarhus. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://dispatchtoafriend.com

S1, Ep6: On with the Daffs and a Dachsund Called Dahlia

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2018 22:27


Gillian contemplates slowing down time and childhood holidays while Annabelle, packing for her own camping trip is distracted by gardening videos. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://dispatchtoafriend.com

S1, Ep4: Gillian to the Rescue as Annabelle’s Common Sense Fails

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2018 19:59


Annabelle has a mental breakdown in the kitchen while trying to bake a cake while Gillian texts instructions from a train in Japan. Dispatch to a Friend Website:  www.dispatchtoafriend.com    

S1, Ep5: Monks House, Pecans and Complicated Love Lives

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2018 17:17


Gillian dreams about Virginia Woolf's garden and lemons, while Annabelle is occupied with surprise cats and Navaho pecans. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://dispatchtoafriend.com     

S1, Ep3: Tears and Toilets

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2018 18:18


Gillian, distraught, writes to Annabelle and Annabelle replies with thoughts on Japanese loos. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S1, Ep2: Ice Cream Tubs and Pantry Moths

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2018 17:23


Annabelle underestimates her ice-cream tubs while Gillian wages war against the pantry moths. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com

S1, Ep1: Two Breads and a Pumpkin Pie

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2018 14:42


Annabelle writes the first dispatch to Gillian after Gillian visits and completely takes over her kitchen. Dispatch to a Friend Website: https://www.dispatchtoafriend.com 

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