Podcasts about english riviera

Marianne Daniels is an engineer who's worked in the automotive industry for her whole career. Starting as a quality engineer on the shop floor she's since worked in manufacturing, supplier quality, purchasing, programme management, and new vehicle launch.One of her earliest roles was as a process engineer for V8 Jaguar engines, and her current role is head of supplier quality for electric vehicle propulsion, so her career spans the industrial revolution from combustion engines to electrification.Along the way against this technical backdrop she's led business transformation, driven culture change, inclusion, talent development, and immersed herself in coaching – gaining a coaching qualification and putting this into practise to shape her leadership style.In our conversation we talk about Marianne's childhood in Torbay, on the English Riviera and how she excelled in maths and physics at school, leading to a mechanical engineering degree at Birmingham University. Her career began at Rover Group, where she faced challenges as a woman in a male-dominated environment. She later moved to Ford Bridgend and then Jaguar Land Rover, where she held various roles, including supplier technical assistance and program management. Despite setbacks, such as a difficult line manager and pneumonia, she rebuilt her confidence through coaching and leadership programs. Her journey emphasizes resilience, learning from experiences, and the importance of self-belief. I loved getting to know Marianne through this conversation and I am sure that her insights and authentic and rounded approach will be highly appreciated. I look forward to hearing what resonates with you.Connect with MarianneLinkedIn ProfileAbout AndyI'm an experienced business leader and a passionate developer of people in the automotive finance industry, internationally.During over twenty five years, I have played a key role in developing businesses including Alphabet UK, BMW Corporate Finance UK, BMW Financial Services Singapore, BMW Financial Services New Zealand and Tesla Financial Services UK.At the same time, I have coached individuals and delivered leadership development programmes in 17 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.I started Aquilae in 2016 to enable “Fulfilling Performance” in the mobility industry, internationally.Learn more about Fulfilling PerformanceCheck out Release the handbrake! The Fulfilling Performance Hub.Connect with AndyLinkedIn: Andy FollowsEmail: cvm@aquilae.co.ukJoin a guided peer mentoring team: Aquilae AcademyThank you to our sponsors:ASKE ConsultingEmail: hello@askeconsulting.co.ukAquilaeEmail: cvm@aquilae.co.ukEpisode Directory on Instagram @careerviewmirror  If you enjoy listening to our guests career stories, please follow CAREER-VIEW MIRROR in your podcast app. Episode recorded on 21 February, 2025.

Welcome to our festive Christmas special! Kelly and Lyn are decked out in holiday style, poppin' bottles, and ready to celebrate the season. We kick things off with recognition of Pier Point's awards ambitions, Jason and Emily at the Mercure for hosting a Wicked-themed afternoon tea, and a hello to Brendon Prince from SUPHub. Stay tuned for upcoming interviews with Annette Hunt from Hunts Cider and Jess Watkins from T-STATS Solutions, who'll share insights on the Southwest Visitor Economy Hub. Get involved with the Southwest Visitor Economy Hub here: https://swvehub.co.uk/ This episode highlights Torbay's incredible holiday offerings, including the Bay of Lights, Torre Abbey's Christmas Market and projection show, and the magical Train of Lights. Don't miss Santa in the Caves at Kents Cavern or Babbacombe Model Village's festive illuminations. For live entertainment, Torquay Harbour lights up with music and performances, and Drag Bingo's XXXmas Edition promises laughs for a good cause. On Boxing Day, join the Walk into the Sea for a charitable splash. Explore artisan markets at Cockington Court and festive workshops like wreath-making at the Mercure or clay decorations at Torre Abbey. Restaurants like Thatched Tavern, Offshore, and Pier Point offer seasonal menus, while Shoreline in Paignton hosts Grinch nights and Santa breakfasts. For New Year's Eve, celebrate at The Bay's Gala with live music, gourmet canapés, and bubbly. Subscribe for more hospitality news and interviews. Kelly and Lyn wish you a Merry Christmas and we hope to see you at these events!

Join Kelly and Lyn as they give you the rundown on autumn events, family favourites, and killer parties happening on the English Riviera this spooky season. And a huge congratulations to all the winners and nominees this awards season. Visit the Southwest Visitor Economy Hub to benchmark your business performance against others in your area and your sector! Here's the link: https://swvehub.co.uk/ Don't forget to subscribe and leave a 5-star review! Sponsored by Konsileo Insurance - your broker in Torbay and Teignbridge.

Dominic and Erica discuss their trip to the English Riviera town of Torquay and marvel over the architecture of Belgrave road.

This special episode features an interview from 13 August on Riviera FM by our host from Torbay Communities, David Gledhill. David sits down with Sean White, the founder of Soak Lifestyle at Torre Abbey Sands. During this conversation, Sean highlights the upcoming event, the Great Big Paddle Parade, which is set to take place on the 31st of August. They discuss the impact such events have on promoting local tourism and fostering community engagement with the sport of paddleboarding. The Great Big Paddle Parade supports 4 incredible charities: Rowcroft, RNLI, Above Water and The Shark Trust. The weather is set to be spectacular! Pick up your tickets on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-great-big-paddle-parade-2024-tickets-863666699347 David also chats with Lyn Spindley, the founder of the SupHub initiative and Torbay Hospitality CIC. Lyn shares her vision for the SupHub initiative, which aims to position the English Riviera as England's capital for stand-up paddleboarding. The conversation delves into how increasing paddleboarding activities can attract tourism and contribute to the local economy, attracting more visitors and increasing spend amongst this young, active demographic. The SUPHub is working to help fulfil the English Riviera Destination Management plan for the "On the Water" Theme. For more information and to get involved, visit https://torbayhospitality.co.uk/sup-hub

This week, Kelly and Lyn are back with exciting news, upcoming events, and the latest trends in cocktails and food. We also have a special segment on training your team led by Andy Banner-Price, and an exclusive interview with DJ Luna V as she kicks off her Friday evening residency at the Mercure in Paignton. Gaia Coffee Garden Launch, which marks the opening of a new garden space on Winner St. in Paignton, taking place on Friday, 2 August, from 10 AM to 2 PM. The Sofa Sessions at Cantina will start at 6.30 PM on Thursday Bao Beer & Beats will happen at Curious Kitchen in Brixham on Friday, 23 August, from 7 PM, offering an enticing deal of 3 bao and a beer for just £18. Paignton Sea Front Fireworks in celebration of Paignton Carnival will occur tonight, 1 August. Sea Shanties event at Kents Cavern is scheduled for Sunday, 18 August, from 7 PM, with tickets available on kents-cavern.co.uk. Learn about Greenway Ferry's charter boat, Hercule, which offers cruises complete with cream teas, summery treats, and prosecco. This experience is perfect for a delightful day out on the River Dart. More details are available at greenwayferry.co.uk. The Bay is now under new ownership and will be reopening on 8 August. The Paignton Pier Chippy has also received a stylish update designed by Michelle Lyons. Join the community on Threads to discuss food and drink trends and share your craziest hospitality stories. This summer's featured cocktails include the Hugo Spritz, available at 21, Otto, and Portofino, made with St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, prosecco, mint, and lime. Andy Banner-Price, owner of the award-winning The 25 Boutique B&B and customer experience consultancy Neon Duck, shares expert advice on training your team for excellence. His insights aim to inspire hospitality professionals to elevate their team performance and enhance customer experience. This week, Andy provides valuable tips on staff training, with practical advice that hospitality professionals can implement to enhance their team's capabilities. Visit https://www.neonduck.co.uk/ to learn more. Listeners can get to know DJ Luna V, the new resident DJ at The Mercure in Paignton, as she discusses her music style and her summer gigs. Visit Laura's Soundcloud here: https://on.soundcloud.com/hPBUuXdcDEgNfHG97 Special thanks go to Brett and the Offshore team for providing podcasting space, coffee, and occasional treats. Additionally, gratitude is extended to Robin at No 7 for making Lyn's birthday memorable. Join us next week for our exclusive interview with street artist, Szabotage! Have a great weekend.

It's the premiere of Season 5 of the Torbay Hospitality Podcast! This season, we're focusing on innovation, trends, and upcoming events in the hospitality sector, featuring practical advice from industry experts. James Hull, GM of Kents Cavern, dives deep into the fascinating history and unique aspects of Britain's oldest known prehistoric home. Key discussions include: Introduction to Kents Cavern: What makes it a gem of the English Riviera. Personal Journey: How James became the GM of this incredible site. Historical Insights: Stories the walls of Kents Cavern would tell, surprising discoveries, and famous guests. Unique Features: Roman coins, cave paintings, and graffiti. Marketing Strategies: Balancing historical significance and adventure. Fun Events: Highlighting Cave Cinema and Dungeons & Dragons® in Cave events. During the news round, Craig Gomez shares his insights on the latest hospitality sector trends and sentiment from the establishments he visits. Kelly Widley responds to audience questions, focusing on strategies to increase footfall in hospitality establishments. Szabotage at Artizan Gallery: Showcasing two new pieces from 7 July to 1 Sept. Szabotage will be a guest on an upcoming episode! Fruit-Infused Salads: Otto's Chicken and Blueberry Salad Offshore's Roast Peach Salad The Dock's Lemon and Chilli Chicken Salad Twenty1's Peach and Pecan Summer Salad with quinoa, pomegranate, and lemon dressing Evening Dining at Three Degrees West: Offering evening dining on Fridays and Saturdays throughout July (except the 13th). Book now for a special dining experience at 01803 311202. Pose your questions on Facebook or Instagram DMs, and we'll ask them live! Stay tuned for our upcoming video podcasts. Join us for an exciting season filled with innovation, trends, and practical advice in the hospitality world of Torbay! Please leave a 5-star review and give us a follow on socials. If you'd like to come on and record a podcast with us, simply send us a DM.

Was gefällt Ihnen am Podcast? Was nicht? Wir freuen uns über eine Teilnahme an unserer Umfrage: https://1.ard.de/ZHuH_Umfrage Und nun zum Podcast: Wer „Südengland“ hört, denkt schnell erstmal an das bei deutschen Touristen so beliebte Cornwall. Doch wer aus London Richtung Süden fährt, der sollte auch in South Devon anhalten und sich von den sanften grünen Hügeln und beeindruckenden Stränden hier begeistern lassen. Zwischen den Küstenorten Torquay, Paignton und Brixham liegt eine Bucht mit dem passenden Namen „English Riviera“. Hier lässt sich so einiges erleben. Zwar sind die drei kleinen Städtchen mittlerweile schon etwas in die Jahre gekommen, aber auch heute noch kann man hier bei sehr mildem Klima hervorragend urlauben. Sei es mit einem traditionellen „Fish & Chips“-Gericht an der Seepromenade von Torquay oder bei langen Küstenwanderungen entlang des „South West Coast Path“. Vor Jahrzehnten urlaubten hier in Torquay vor allem die Reichen und Schönen aus London – und mitten unter ihnen war auch eine junge Frau, die später zu einer der bekanntesten Krimi-Autorinnen der Welt werden sollte: Agatha Christie. Sie wurde hier geboren und ließ sich an der „English Riviera“ auch für Tatorte, Mörder und Mordmethoden inspirieren. Der Reichtum der Landbesitzer wiederum ist heutzutage einigen Aktivisten der „Right to Roam“-Kampagne ein Dorn im Auge: Sie fordern mehr Zugang zur Natur und Wildnis – die in England oft in Privatbesitz ist. Wir begeben uns auf die Spuren von Agatha Christie, lassen uns zeigen, wie man den Fisch für das Nationalgericht „Fish & Chips“ so knusprig bekommt – und wandern mit den „Right to Roam“-Aktivisten durch den malerischen Nationalpark Dartmoor. Für uns war Konstanze Nastarowitz in South Devon unterwegs.

Welcome to another episode of the Torbay Hospitality Podcast! This week, we're excited to bring you our special episode recorded live from the English Riviera Attractions Showcase at Occombe Farm. Join us as we explore the heart of South Devon's tourism and hospitality scene through a series of engaging interviews with key figures in the community. News Update: Kelly Widley shares the news from Cantina and The Offshore! Don't forget Bays Fest on Sunday. SUP Update: Brendon Prince shares the latest update on the newly-named SUPER community! Spotlight on Education and Training: We kick off with Courtney and Erin from South Devon College, discussing their careers in hospitality and ambitions for the future. Leadership Insights: Carolyn Custerson, Chief Executive of the English Riviera BID Company, shares her vision for this summer! Family Fun at Splashdown Quaywest: Jackie Richmond, Marketing and Communications Director of Splashdown Quaywest, gives us insights into their new investment into kid-friendly Shipwreck Island. Hospitality Experiences: Amanda Donnai from The Chesterfield on Belgrave Road shares her supernatural and super-natural experiences at the English Riviera Walking Festival! Expert Advice: Steven Quick, a seasoned hospitality consultant and NCI volunteer, shares his insights on the importance of teamwork, recruiting the right people, and the evolving landscape of the hospitality sector in Torbay. Community Engagement: John Ross, owner of JRs Shoutouts, talks about the power of community and how his platform is helping to promote local charities, entrepreneurs and enterprises. Promoting Local Attractions: Lastly, Michelle Brown, Chair of English Riviera Days Out, highlights the collaborative efforts to showcase the richness of attractions available to visitors, promoting a united front for tourism in the region - and working in partnership with the English Riviera Bid Company. Thank you for tuning in to this special showcase episode from Occombe Farm. If you enjoyed our exploration of the English Riviera attractions and insights from our interviews, please subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review. Join us next time for more exciting conversations and discoveries from the world of hospitality. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode and any suggestions for future topics. Reach out to us via email or follow us on social media to stay updated on our latest episodes and adventures around Torbay. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/torbay-hospitality/message

Welcome to this week's episode of the Torbay Hospitality Podcast, where we have all the news you need to stay ahead in Torbay's thriving hospitality sector.In this exciting episode, we sit down with Graham Kerr, Director of the English Riviera Walking Festival. He shares captivating stories and adventures from around the Bay, bringing to life characters like Basil Fawlty and Miss Marple. Our co-host, Kelly Widley, joins us to cover all the latest news and shoutouts. Don't miss our exclusive update on the Sup Hub initiative and the highly anticipated live prize draw for Afternoon Tea at the Redcliffe Hotel. Interview Guest(s): Graham Kerr: Delve into the wonders of the Bay with Graham, and explore the impactful Sup Hub initiative. Prize Draw: Stay tuned for our live Instagram draw for a chance to win an exquisite Afternoon Tea experience from the Redcliffe Hotel. Our episode is proudly sponsored by Konsileo Insurance Torbay and Teignbridge. Special congratulations to Simon Steer on becoming the Chair of the Paignton Chamber of Commerce! Don't forget to check out our other sponsors, Churchill Private Finance and Treat Marketing. Naturally Inspiring Business Awards: Get your entries in before the deadline and showcase your business's brilliance. Swan Jovi: The heartwarming story of a swan nesting at Torquay Marina. Hotel and Restaurant News: From live music sessions at The Osbourne Hotel to delicious new openings like PalmCoco and innovative breakfast boards at The Bay. Beach Café News: Exciting updates from SOAK and the chance to become part of their community. Supplier and Bar News: Keep an eye out for Bays' new charity ale and don't miss the 2-4-1 ROCKtails at Rock Garden. Attractions and Events News: Discover what's new at Kents Cavern and Splashdown Quaywest, and don't miss out on the Brixham Pirate Festival and other exciting events. A roundup of the latest job openings in the hospitality sector across Torbay, including catering events, kitchen roles, and barista positions. Your go-to guide for live music events happening this week, featuring performances at OFFSHORE, Harbour Light, Cantina, Rock Garden, and more. Join the TH crew! We have a strong subscriber base and would love if you would join us! Simply follow for regular updates from the hospitality sector. Remember to tag us and DM on social media for a mention on next weeks episode! Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Audible and more. Please subscribe and leave a 5-star review to help get the word out. Have a fantastic weekend everyone! From the TH Team. #podcast #hospitality #torbayhospitality #torbayhospitalitypodcast #torbaybusiness #torquaybusinesses #torquay #paignton #paigntonpier #brixham #newtonabbot #newtonabbotbusiness #teignmouth #teignmouthbeach #southdevon #southdevoncoast #devon #tourism --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/torbay-hospitality/message

Alex, once again marooned in England, found himself in dire need of a Mediterranean football fix. But where, and how? Thanks to Dave ‘The Gull', the answer was obvious: Bath City v Torquay United. Yes, a clash of The Romans v the club from the English Riviera, Torquay United. The palm trees fluttered, the sun shone, the ball left the ground and the Yellow Army kept up a racket despite the result going against them. To top it all SuperAl accurately predicted the weather. They don't make ‘em like this anymore. Bath City 1 Torquay United 0 was recorded at Twerton Park, Bath on Saturday 13 April 2024. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/footy-on-the-med/message

In this episode, we have a delightful chat with our hospitality hero, Jackie Fonseca, Deputy Manager at The Offshore, who shares her fascinating journey from Brazil to New York, and finally to the English Riviera. Hospitality Hero: Jackie Fonseca, Deputy Manager from The Offshore Jackie is an incredibly bubbly person with a tonne of positive energy! She shares her journey across two continents, and why she chose to work at The Offshore. Join the TH crew! We have a strong subscriber base and would love if you would join us! Simply follow for regular updates from the hospitality sector. Remember to tag us and DM on social media for a mention on next weeks episode! Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Audible and more. Please subscribe and leave a 5-star review to help get the word out. Have a fantastic weekend everyone! From the TH Team. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/torbay-hospitality/message

Welcome to the Season 4 Premiere of the Torbay Hospitality Podcast. We're starting this season with an insightful conversation about the future of Torbay's destination marketing with our exclusive guest, Carolyn Custerson, Chief Executive of the English Riviera Bid Company. Episode Highlights: Introduction: We introduce Carolyn Custerson and set the stage for our conversation about the future of Torbay. Reflections on the Past Year: Carolyn shares her thoughts on the past year, discussing the successes and challenges faced by the local hospitality industry. Future of Destination Marketing in Torbay: We engage in an extensive conversation about the plans for destination marketing in Torbay, including upcoming trends, strategies, and potential developments. Advice for Local Businesses: Carolyn provides actionable advice for local businesses on how to thrive in the evolving landscape of the hospitality industry. Hospitality Trends for the Coming Years: We discuss the hospitality trends that we're likely to see in the coming years and how they will shape the English Riviera. This episode offers a comprehensive look at what's in store for Torbay's tourism sector! It's a must-listen for anyone involved in local business or anyone who loves our beautiful region and wants to learn more about its future. Thank you for listening! Please subscribe and rate us 5-stars so we can continue these valuable conversations. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/torbay-hospitality/message

On today's show, Rohan Heatley discusses various topics including US politics, Trump, black voters, excess deaths, English Riviera trees, and the moon landings. GUEST OVERVIEW: Rohan Heatley is a psychology researcher, amateur historian, gamer, and self-confessed geek.

In this week's episode, we have the pleasure of interviewing Phil Black, the Culture & Events Manager at Torbay Council. Phil talks to us about a multitude of events he's involved with, including the Bay of Lights. This winter event has been lighting up the English Riviera, turning Torquay, Paignton, and Brixham into a luminous spectacle. We also revisit our holiday favourite, Holly the Christmas Octopus, who continues to make waves in the community. In addition to our regular hospitality news, we have some breaking news to share - the Torquay Pavilion is officially set to be renovated! This beloved landmark is getting a new lease on life, and we can't wait to see the transformation. As always, we appreciate your support for the Torbay Hospitality podcast. If you enjoy our show, please leave us a 5-star review and tell your friends about us. Thank you for listening! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/torbay-hospitality/message

Welcome to Season 3 Premiere! This episode, we will take you on a journey to explore the wonders of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark. We are thrilled to have Melanie Border, the Geopark Coordinator, as our guest. Melanie will guide us through Torbay's exceptional geology, its history, and its ever-evolving significance. Get ready to rediscover the English Riviera in a way you have never experienced before - it's a truly special and inspiring place! Delve into Torbay's rich geological history and its impact on the landscape and biodiversity. Discover Torbay's connection to early humans and their settlements in the area. Melanie presents some of the must-visit geosites within the English Riviera Geopark. Tips and advice for those looking to explore the Geopark and its exceptional features. Melanie shares her personal experiences as the English Riviera Geopark Coordinator, including challenges and rewards. We hope this episode inspires you to discover the wonders of Torbay's rich geological heritage and plan your own Geopark adventure. PLUS: We cover all the latest hospitality news, with a bumper crop of #PostYourRoast Sunday roasts, bar openings, Christmas party offers, Halloween events, live music calendar and the jobs boards. If you like what you hear, drop us a 5-star review and tell your friends to follow and listen! This season, we have a whole raft of fascinating guests and leaders in the hospitality sector. Thanks for listening! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/torbay-hospitality/message

There is much to discuss on the new Devoncast as national politics have their effect on local issues, and the people of Torridge show their creative side. Guy Henderson and Alison Stephenson unpick some of the biggest stories in Devon, with the help of guests from all over the county. The HS2 debacle has been dominating the national news agenda, but we hear how its ill wind could yet blow some good for Devon. In Torquay there have been protests over the future of the old Pavilion Theatre, and we hear how news on its future is imminent. There are boundary issues in mid-Devon, levelling up in Torbay, a health report from the English Riviera and a new statue of Agatha Christie. Oh, and what DID the people of Torridge decide to call their new bin lorries? All this and more on the new Devoncast.

Guest: Kelly Widley from The English Riviera Bid Company In this episode of the Torbay Hospitality Podcast, we dive deep into the exciting world of England's Seafood Feast, with an interview from event organiser Kelly Widley from The English Riviera Bid Company. She takes us through some stories from past events, all the unique experiences to look forward to, and the new adventures debuting this year! Hilarious tales from past Brixham Market Fish Tours, including reflections on last year's ground-breaking event with the Seven Chefs.  Kelly shares all the details on selected events, including the Sea Swim with Seafood at Cantina  Matt Newberry, where participants swim before indulging in delicious seafood.  Seabirds & Seafood at the Guardhouse, featuring National Geographic journalist Mike Langman.  Offshore's Sea Shanty and paella night The 'Meet the Maker' dining experience with Simon Hulstone & Frazer Pugh The pop-up Fish over Fire event at Loluli's at Otto on 13th September.  Must-attend Seafood Taster BBQs at Pier Point, guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds. French Riviera meets the English Riviera at La Petit Maison's exclusive event.  Seafest at Goodrington on 30th September. For more information on England's Seafood Feast and participating venues, visit The English Riviera Bid website. Use the hashtag #TheSeafoodFeast on social media to share your experiences, and follow @theseafoodfeast on Instagram for real-time updates.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/torbay-hospitality/message

Welcome to another episode of the Torbay Hospitality Podcast! In this episode, we're delighted to welcome Graham Kerr, Director of the English Riviera Walking Festival, to discuss two captivating festivals: the International Agatha Christie Festival and the English Riviera Walking Festival.The International Agatha Christie Festival celebrates the world-renowned author and showcases her literary works over a 10-day long event filled with special family friendly and literary activities, guest speakers, and themed walking tours around Torbay, the "Queen of Crime's" birthplace.The English Riviera Walking Festival, under Graham's direction, offers a wide range of guided hikes and walks throughout the region, from Galmpton to Greenway, Brixham, Shaldon, and more. These tours give attendees an in-depth look at the picturesque landscapes and fascinating history of Torbay.Graham's passion for walking and local history shines throughout the interview as he shares his knowledge of the area, the importance of these festivals for the local community, and how they attract visitors from all over the world. If you like the podcast, please leave a 5-star review and tell your friends! If you'd like to be featured, simply drop us an DM on Instagram with your email address and we'll send out a diary invitation. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/torbay-hospitality/message

DJ St. Paul neemt de muzikale week door met liedjes van o.a. Future Utopia, Jane Birkin & The Beths. Deze keer in de albumrubriek een uitgebreid gesprek met programmeur van het Concertgebouw Jelte Heringa over The English Riviera van Metronomy. Benieuwd naar de tracklist en shownotes? Check ze via: tivolivredenburg.nl/studio/podcast/st-pauls-boutique/

DJ St. Paul neemt de muzikale week door met liedjes van o.a. Future Utopia, Jane Birkin & The Beths. Deze keer in de albumrubriek een uitgebreid gesprek met programmeur van het Concertgebouw Jelte Heringa over The English Riviera van Metronomy. Benieuwd naar de tracklist en shownotes? Check ze via: tivolivredenburg.nl/studio/podcast/st-pauls-boutique/

With their third full-length album, 2011's 'The English Riviera', British band Metronomy transitioned from garish electro-pop to a sleek, sophisticated sound that's as much Steely Dan as Daft Punk. Our guest, Scottish singer/songwriter and producer Joshua Mackenzie (The Joshua Hotel, Lional), found inspiration for his own music in leader Joseph Mount's lush-yet-quirky songs about - among other things - his hometown of Torbay in Devon that make up this beguiling record. "You're up, but you'll get down You're never running from this town... This town's the oldest friend of mine" Songs featured in this episode: Corinne (Instrumental) - Metronomy; Repetition Town - The Joshua Hotel; I'm Aquarius, Night Owl - Metronomy; Hey Nineteen - Steely Dan; Indie Rokkers - MGMT; Missing U - Robyn; The English Riviera, We Broke Free - Metronomy; Untitled - Interpol; Everything Goes My Way - Metronomy; She's Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina - The Kinks; The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret - Queens Of The Stone Age; The Look - Metronomy; F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E - Pulp; She Wants - Metronomy; Don't Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy) - Ween; Trouble - Metronomy; Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie; Honesty Is No Excuse - Thin Lizzy; Don't Believe A Word - Marco Mendoza w/Josh Mackenzie; The Bay - Metronomy; Atlantis To Interzone - Klaxons; Loving Arm, Corinne - Metronomy; Blockhead - DEVO; Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus; Some Written - Metronomy; Lot 105 - Blur; Love Underlined - Metronomy; Daft Punk Is Playing At My House - LCD Soundsystem; Somebody New - The Joshua Hotel

Gary Johnson talks about sunshine and stardust, a chap called Dave tells us about a very good weekend on the English Riviera - and we've got new theme music

In this episode, Rob Austin, from SME Skills, and Joel have an in-depth chat about the sales function of a business. They tackle sales stereotypes and how to ask powerful, authentic questions in your sales process.  They discuss why every business needs a sales process, why you are not the main character in your prospects' story and why getting a "no" is still a result. As well as how to take the fear out of picking up the phone. They also explain how to trick Jordan Belfort into buying his own pen and much more besides…   KEY TAKEAWAYS Most people think about the act of making a sale negatively. Marketing does not have that stigma.  There is no point in marketing if you don't follow through and make sales. To sell effectively you must get your mindset right. How to do that is discussed in the episode. You must 100% understand what you are doing. That is only possible through practice. Don't wing it. When selling, give people options that will genuinely get them to where they want or need to be. You must care and genuinely want to deliver for the prospective client. Realness is essential, people know when you are not being genuine and react badly when you try to deceive them. BEST MOMENTS ‘For some reason, sales have this stigma. ´ ‘I think business owners with sales and marketing are terrified of rejection.' ‘Take the time and really build the rapport.' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Codebreak Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/codebreakclub/about/ Stay Hungry podcast series Stay Hungry Bestselling Book Marketing coaching: www.andyandjoel.com Done-for-you marketing: www.codebreak.co.uk If you're fed up with wasting your time and money on marketing that doesn't generate enquiries and sales - hop on a Codebreak discovery call.  After all, getting lots of 'likes' on your Facebook page ain't gonna make your boat go faster. But up-to-date marketing techniques that attract buyers and action takers instead of tyre kickers will. The Codebreak team are here to show you how or do it for you - https://www.codebreak.co.uk/discovery-call/   EPISODE RESOURCES Email - rob.austin@smeskills.co.uk LinkedIn : https://uk.linkedin.com/in/robaustinsales   ABOUT THE GUEST Rob was born in Scotland but spent most of his life living in Spain enabling him to speak fluent Spanish. He then moved back to the UK, to the beautiful English Riviera in Torbay 15 years ago. Having spent over 12 years in corporate hospitality in some of the finest hotels in Torbay, he eventually wanted out of the industry so he could better utilise his skills. This led him to a sales position in Exeter working for massive clients securing opportunities for them, enabling growth and expansion.  His success within many different industries led to his building his own business, where he could pass his skills on to his clients, enabling them to double their sales within a short time. "I joined the SME Skills Academy as I could no longer sustain or give as much to my clients as I wanted to, SME Skills now gives me a lot more content, an excellent team to be a part of and so much more backing than I ever had before, opening me up to even more opportunities to help business owners just like you to double or even triple your sales because, at the end of the day, nothing within business is more important than sales, without it you will just have an expensive hobby! " ABOUT THE HOSTS Joel Stone Joel Stone is a marketer and disciple of business strategy. After seeing the impact of the 2008 recession, he decided to take control and leave employment to set up in business for himself. He quickly built an award-winning design agency, partnering with Andy on numerous projects until they formed Codebreak in 2019.    Having previously helped brands including GlaxoSmithKline, Diageo, Beta Tools, and Channel 4, Joel's work has been seen all over the world. He takes pride in applying techniques normally reserved for huge corporations to SMEs throughout the UK. Case studies of Joel's work have featured in Design Week, The Drum, and Social Media Today.   Andy Rao Andy studied Psychology at university, which was his springboard into the world of marketing. He realised that to sell successfully you have to put yourself into the shoes of your customer and understand their why. Andy started his marketing career working closely with dozens of Shropshire businesses, all of whom had something different to sell. During that time, Andy picked up the skills he uses today to tailor each marketing solution to his client's businesses, the industries they work in, and the different types of customers they need to reach.   CONTACT THE HOSTS Website - https://www.codebreak.co.uk/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/codebreak   Podcast Description Breaking down all things marketing, design, and geek culture. Hear from Codebreak co-founders Andy and Joel as well as the experienced team. On this podcast expect to find marketing top tips, useful insights, and expert advice that you can apply to your business. So, if you're fed up with wasting your time and money on marketing that doesn't generate enquiries and sales - hop on a Codebreak discovery call.  After all, getting lots of 'likes' on your Facebook page ain't gonna make your boat go faster. But up-to-date marketing techniques that attract buyers and action takers instead of tyre kickers will. The Codebreak team are here to show you how or do it for you - https://www.codebreak.co.uk/discovery-call/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Agatha Christie - The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd - Episode 1 - Meet The Author That Made The Whodunit What It Is Today!   I'm Christy Shriver, and we're here to discuss books that have changed the world and have changed us.    And I'm Garry Shriver and this is the How to Love Lit Podcast.  For the next two episodes, we are going to discuss an author who for me flies under the radar when we think of literary icons.  When you look at the lists of the world's greatest writers and/or novels, she's never on then.  Yet, she has sold more books than any other novelist in the world- bar none.  Her books collectively in terms of sales rank only after The Holy Bible and the works of William Shakespeare, totally over 2.3 billion copies sold.  Those kinds of numbers we only talk about when we're talking about Amazon, Google or the National Debt of entire countries.      HA! So true.    She is also the author of the single longest running play ever to play in London's West End.  The name of that play, The Mousetrap,  opened in London's West End in 1952 and ran continuously until 16 March 2020, when all stage performances were discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Performances of The Mousetrap restarted on March 17, 2021, as soon as state restrictions were lifted.  In case, you haven't figured out who we're talking about yet, today we're discussing the Queen of Crime, Dame Agatha Christie.    It really and truly is impressive how enormous of a body of work that Mrs. Christie has AND how influential her work has become.  For clarification, why do we say Dame Agatha Christie.     Of course, Dame is the feminine equivalent of Sir, it's a honorific title, in her case, she received an Order of Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1971 from Queen Elizabeth II.   Oh wow, that sounds very impressive however, at the same time, people, far less successful- non-recipients of Commander titles from Queen Elizabeth I might add, scoff at her and her work.  Many claim she's not to be taken seriously, her work isn't sophisticated, it's clichéd, yada-yada-yada…They say this in spite of all the big numbers.  Garry, beyond the big 2.3 billion in sales, quantify for us in other ways what the data reveals about Dame Christie.     Sure, first there's the amount of works she produced.  She famously wrote 66 detective novels, 14 collections of short stories (that's 150 short stories) as well as over 30 plays.  The most famous, we already mentioned, The Mousetrap.  But there are other numbers to consider, beyond just how much she produced.  Because of the long running status of The Mousetrap, her name has been in the newspapers of the West End every day without fail with the exception of 2020 since 1952 (btw, just in case you are doing the math on the performances, that number is over 25,000 of the Mousetrap- and that is just in London's West End). .   She tried to retire at the age of 75, but her books were selling so well, she said she'd give it five more years.  She actually wrote until one year before her death at age 86.   Less famously she wrote six semi-autobiographical, bitter-sweet novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott.   Interestingly enough, it took 20 years for the world to uncover the identity of Mary Westmacott as being the detective icon Agatha Christie.      That is a funny fact to me, I guess she thought it would ruin her reputation to write sappy books?.  I haven't read them, but her daughter Rosalind Hicks had this to say about her mother's romantic books. "They are not ‘love stories' in the general sense of the term, and they certainly have no happy endings. They are, I believe, about love in some of its most powerful and destructive forms."  They were moderately successful in their own right , even without her name of the cover, and Christie was said to be proud of that accomplishment, but obviously romance wasn't her forte.   Beyond just the quantity of work she produced, the amount of it we've consumed as a planet is also incredible.  Today her books are translated in over 100 languages, 48 million, at least have watched her movies, including I might add the one that is out right now, Death on the Nile Here's a. numbers fun-fact, in 1948 she became. the first crime writer to have 100,000 copies of ten of her titles published by Penguin on the same day in what is called - A Penguin Million   Oh wow- I guess that's like going platinum of something in the music industry.   I'd say that's a platinum in a day- usually the term going platinum refers to selling a million over the course of a life time- a single day is crazy..  In terms of dollars, I tried to find a good figure, but I don't really know.  At the time of her death, it's estimated she was worth $600 million, but she had incorporated her work in a business, of course, which of course lives on chaired and managed by Agatha Christie's great grandson James Prichard.    To me, it's an amazing resume, and I'm not a literary person, so obviously I'm looking at this differently, but I don't see how anyone could realistically contest that she's a good writer.  It sounds laughable in the face of so much success- if that's not good writing, how could we possibly measure it?  HA!  It shows how much you know- you'd make a perfectly horrible literary snob.  Everyone who's anyone knows, you can't go by the views of the lowly general population aka, the box-office!!!    Oh, well there is that.  But, just for those of us, who don't know, in all seriousness how can you explain her success away?  Well, no one is going to do that.  Obviously, but it does boil down to how you define your fiction.  In one sense, we can divide fiction into two broad categories- there's literary fiction and commercial fiction.  Obviously, commercial fiction is written to be sold.  It's the reason there are more Marvel movies than I can count on both my hands and toes.  They sell well and are enjoyable to consue.  It's why there are multiple versions of basically the same Spiderman movie, or double-digit sequels to Star Wars.  Now, there is nothing wrong with any of that that- we love it.  Every bit of that is fun and defines the culture of the world in some sense.   But there is a sense, and this is the English teacher nerd, that some of us find those pieces unsatisfying over the long term- and not worth teaching as a work of art in school.  There are many books we just don't care to read more than once.  There are many movies and songs we feel the same way about.  They are good but not considered of literary merit because there is no enduring quality to them.  On the flip side, there are other books that speak to man's condition., that expresses universal truths, that reflect something about the world that resonates inside of us- which is why we can read, watch or listen to them over and over again and still love it.  I would suggest that The Scarlet Letter or Hamlet are examples of that.  When we read them agin, we find something else that perhaps we didn't see before, of even if we did see it beflre, it satisfies something eternal inside of us to hear it once again.  The knock on Agatha Christie is that they say she's full-on commercial fiction and there is just nothing universally true about what she has to say.  The critique is that her characters are flat and underdeveloped, even the main ones.   The main character in our book is Hercule Poirot but her other main reoccurring character is a woman named Miss Marple – both are sort of shallow, honestly, featureless except for maybe being kind of annoying.  Christie investigates crime, but she doesn't really seem all that interested in any of the existential or moral questions surrounding crime-  like what social causes lead people to these actions.  She doesn't explore any social, psychological or moral issues of any kind in any real obvious way?   And do you agree with that?  Well, honestly, a little.  You can't deny that the characters are flat, and, it's absolutely true, she doesn't get into any deep discussions about the nature of man.  But having acknowledged that, I cannot discount the numbers, and so I feel compelled to think about it more deeply.   Well, and just to add to the confusion, we've been poking fun at the hoi polloi here, but from what I read, Christie is popular primarily with higher educated audiences.  She is a preferred writer of the world's academic elites.    I know, and she has been since she started writing a far more accomplished litearary critic than myself was a ardent fan of Agatha Christie, the Nobel Prize winner, TS Eliot.  Eliot actually loved all crime fiction, especially Agatha Christie.  He even wrote about it from a critical standpoint.  For TS Eliot, good crime fiction had to follow five basic rules.  Let me read these to you:  (1) The story must not rely upon elaborate and incredible disguises.  (2) The character and motives of the criminal should be normal. In the ideal detective story we should feel that we have a sporting chance to solve the mystery ourselves; if the criminal is highly abnormal an irrational element is introduced which offends us.  (3) The story must not rely either upon occult phenomena, or, what comes to the same thing, upon mysterious and preposterous discoveries made by lonely scientists.  (4) Elaborate and bizarre machinery is an irrelevance.  (5) The detective should be highly intelligent but not superhuman. We should be able to follow his inferences and almost, but not quite, make them with him.    I think I must agree with the Nobel- prize winner.  We do intuitively feel that way about a good crime novel.  So, taking Elliot's list as the standard or rubric for crime novels, should that have different standards than other books or rather- No insight to life or theme necessary?  Oh, I don't know about that.  I think anything that lasts 100 years, as does the book we're going to discuss- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,  it turns 100 in June of 2026, - anything people are reading for that long-  must be saying something.  So the mystery the mystery novel is what resonates with our souls in these works?  HA!  A little irony.   Yes, but before we get into the nitty, gritty about what makes this book great, oh and make no mistake, it IS considered great. The 2013  The Crime Writers Association claimed The Murder of Roger Ackroyd to be the greatest crime novel of all times- so there you go for a shout out- I haven't read enough crime novels to contest them.- but before we talk about this particular book- let's talk about Christie' life, for just a bit, and bring us up to speed on how this book came about.  She has a bit of a mystery embedded in her life story as well.  Indeed- but I will say, one thing I do enjoy about the books is that, at least the ones I've read, are often set in this very English very Victorian setting.  There's some fun in that.  True, you can't say that Christie didn't write about what she knew.  She was born in Torquay in 1890..  Torquay is a seaside town on the Southeastern side of the UIK.  I saw one article that called it the. English Riviera.  It's a resort town, and once even Elizabeth Barrett Browning was sent there to help recover her health.  Her family was an upper-middle class family,  In other words, they were financially well-enough but not limitlessly wealthy.  One interesting to note is that that family did not approve of her learning and didn't want her to read until she was eight.  It seems the general attitude of the time is that smart girls had trouble finding reliable husbands that wanted them (I'm not going to speak to that thought).  Oh dear, I would like to say that I find smart women immeasurably attractive.    Well, thank you, darling.  In her case, there was no holding even little Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller (that's her maiden name), back.  Apparently, she just picked it up on her own, and eventually her nurse had to confess that Agatha had taught herself to read.  HA!  Oh my, there's a rebel.  Well, did they relinquish ahd let her go to school at that point.  Well, it depends on what you mean by school.  When she turned 15, they sent her to Paris to attend finishing school.  I probably could have used that kind of support myself, honestly.  At Mrs. Dryden's finishing school she studied singing and piano playing.  This is what Christie herself said about it years later, “I am hazy now as to how long I remained at Miss Dryden's – a year, perhaps eighteen months, I do not think as long as two years.”    So, not reading Voltaire or Flaubert.   Well, maybe she did, but not because she was forced to.  But, reading was not her only rebellious streak.  In 1914, Agatha met, fell in love with and became engaged  on Christmas Eve to the man of her dreams,  A very handsome war pilot named Archie Christie.  Unfortunately, this was not the match her mother had in mind for her.    What was wrong with him?  Well, not his looks or personality,  He seemed to have that covered.  His problem was that He had no money.  But they married and a few months later Rosalind, her only daughter was born.  During WW1 Archie went off to war.  Agatha stayed home, trained and worked as a nurse at the local Red Cross hospital in Torquay- and let me add here, this is where she got her start learning so much about drugs- something she became very knowledgeable of and used successfully during her entire career.  In 56 of her novels there are over 200 references to specific, individual drugs.    So, can we expect that a large number of her characters will get poisoned?  No, not necessarily,although that IS a thing.  The most commonly dispensed drugs by Mrs. Christie were sedatives.  As you might expect, if someone is always being murdered, you may need to have a supply on hand to calm down or even put to sleep your cast of suspects.  But there are pain relievers, stimulants, blood pressure medicines, barbituates and even antidotes to other poisons.      Of course, our book, The Murder of Roger Ackrod has three drugs: liniment for a knee problem, tonic as a stimulant and of course, veronal which is the cause of a lethal overdose early in the story.    Yes, so after the war,  In 1920, after six rejections, her first real novel finally got published for $25 (pounds),- not a big risk on the part of the publisher. The title of that book was The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and it introduced the world to a 5'4 Belgian refugee who would charm and annoy readers for over 100 years, Hercule Poirot.  It did well, but her breakthrough novel would be her third novel.  It came out in the summer of 1926.  It became a best seller and launched her into a stardom from which she would never return, which is remarkable, but honestly, it's not the most interesting to happen to her that year.   I'm not sure how you top becoming a best seller.  I know, right, but it can be bested!  So, the story goes that the year 1926, in general, starts out a little rough.  Agatha's mother, who was very dependent on her daughter, died in April- and this was devastating for Agatha.  But, while she was at her mother's estate with their seven year old daughter, Rosalind, Archie revealed that he had fallen in love with another woman by the name of Nancy Neele, and he wanted a divorce.  Agatha said no.  She was deeply in love with him, and she wasn't willing to give him up.  Well on December 3 of that same year, Archie informed Agatha that he did not want to be married to her and he wasn't going to be married to her.  To somewhat reinforce this idea, he told her he was going off for the weekend with Ms. Neele.- which he did.  Apparently, Agatha did not receive this news well..and this is where the mystery begins…..and it does sound quite a bit like a story she would write.  So at 9:45pm, we know that Agatha left the house in her car after having written three letters- one to her secretary Charlotte Fisher, one to Archie and one to Archie's brother Campbell.   So far, I feel like I listening to an explanation by Piorot.    Exactly, and here is where it gets very strange.  Agatha does not return home.  In fact, she will be missing for 11 days.  The next day they find her car crashed in a tree above a local quarry with the head lights still on.  Her fur coat was in the car as well as  a small suitcase and an expired driver's license.  There was no blood anywhere in the car.   There were no skid marks on the road like you might have expected if she had been driving too fast and there had been an accident.  Finally the gearshift was in neutral, the way it would be if you had been pushing the car and not driving it.   It makes no sense, but Agatha was gone.    Well, the world went nuts.  Numbers very but possibly up to a 1000 police officers were dispatched on four countinents looking for her.  15,000 volunteers, fans, amateur detectives and so forth, joined the hunt. They used airplanes and diving equipment.  Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle joined in- remember that's Sherlock Holmes.  He took Christie's glove to his medium for a consultation to see if she could find her.    I'm guessing no.  No.  She wasn't in the afterlife. Everyone around the world was looking for this mystery writer.  When Archie got back from his weekend activity- which quite likely was an engagement party a friend threw for him and Nancy, he found a very different world- than just the unpleasantness of fighting again with Agatha; , now he was a potential murder suspect.  He also found his letter, which curiously he and burned immediately- to this day,  no one has any idea what she wrote in that letter.  His brother, Campbell, got his later, and strangely again, his letter was postmarked on Saturday AFTER Agatha went missing,  This does sound like Hercule Poirot and I'm starting to need to employ my little gray cells just to keep up.    Exactly, what secret did Campbell carry that also caused him to dispose of his letter as well.  Everything seemed to indicate that Archie had murdered her.  The police dragged the ponds, searched everywhere, it was in every newspaper on earth… until on December 14th, two musicians report seeing Mrs. Christie at a luxury spa called the Harrogate Hydro.  She had checked into the hotel days before under the name, get this- Mrs. Theresa Neele (Archie's girlfriend's last name).  This honestly sounds exactly like something she would right.  Was she play-acting?.  We will never know, this mystery, I'm sorry to say, is unsolved.  Christie had told the people at the spa that she had arrived from South Africa. She played pool, she danced, she read mystery novels in the hotel library.  She seemed undisturbed.  And here's an even stranger turn of events, Archie covered for his wife afer she was busted.  She was immediately accused of abusing an entire country's police resources over a publicity stunt, but Archie helped dispel this criticism.   He called in two doctors, they interview Agatha, and arrived at the conclusion that Agatha Christie suffered an episode of temporary amnesia.  She stress of her mother's death, the success of new book and the divorce from her husband led to a nervous breakdown.  The only thing she ever admitted to was havin been in a car crash, but even that is suspect since although she said she bruised her head, no one ever saw any bruises.  Well, after the bitterness of paying all those police overtime, can we say, all's well that ends well.?  For Agatha, yes, but not Archie.  The scandal sold gobs of books, and basically cemented her celebrity, but it also portrayed Archie as a terrible person.  How terrible for a man to do such a thing to his wife and cause the Queen of Crime to have a nervous breakdown.  He got to be the world's biggest schmuck.  Nancy Neele's family were so embarrassed they sent her on an around the world trip for ten months trying to get her away from Archie.  It didn't work though.  Archie and Nancy did get married two years later.  But so did, Agatha.  And her second marriage was to a man who adored her.  They were amazingly compatible and had a wonderful marriage.  He was an archeologist, and they spent time all over the world- hence the setting of several of her books including Murder on the Orient Express.    So, do you buy Agatha had amnesia.  Personally, not at all.  I think she got angry, ran off and then things got crazy.  I did read that she was shocked at how the story blew up.  She never imagined that that many police would come looking for her. Do you think it was legit?  It does seem a little far-fetched.  And to be the world's most famous detective novelist- I'd say, there's room to doubt.  But I'm keeping an open-mind- isn't that what Hercule Poirot would tell us to do.  The question I have is what were in those letters she left Archie and Campbell.  We need Hercule Poirot, as he would remind us, nothing is ever concealed to him..  He would have gotten to the bottom of it..    Oh, no doubt- so are we ready to meet Hercule Poirot and open the Murder of Roger Ackroyd?.   I think so, so let me make an important disclaimer- we are NOT going to spoil the book this episode by telling you who the murderer is, but we will next episode.  So, if you are starting the book now and are listening to this in real time, you have one week…. But you do have a week.  This week we are going to look at the book from the perspective of understanding how Christie was adhering very cleverly to the conventions of what we call a “formal detective. Novel” - otherwise known as the “whodunit”.  Edgar Alan Poe is credited of creating the detective story,  but of course most of us think of Sir Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and his side-kick Watson as being kind of the iconic example of what this looks like. Agatha Christie basically follows their pattern but takes it from the short story to the longer novel form.  As we might expert per the conventions of the trade, we are going to open up our story in an English country house- think of every clue like movie you have ever seen.   But in this case, there has already been a murder, but not the one from the title.  Let's read the opening couple of paragraphs.  Page 1  We also meet the narrator who is going to walk us through the story, Dr. James Shepperd and his meddling sister Caroline (Caroline, by the way is going to by the prototype for Mrs. Marple, Christie's other detective.). But since the opening murder isn't the murder from the title of the book, so we know this isn't the right murder.  I want to say that another characteristic of these formal detective stories is that we don't have emotional connections to any of the characters of the story.  We are not made to feel upset in the least that there has been a murder.  At no point in the story at all are we to feel sad about anything- not when victims die,or get falsely accused or anything.  We don't feel angry either, in fact, there are no negative emotions at all.  We aren't even led to find the perpetrator necessarily an evil person.    You know, I think that may be one of the appeals.  We feel enough anger, guilt or sadness in real life. These books may be relaxing  BECAUSE we don't have to be emotionally stressed out about anything.  We can just enjoy the process of the puzzle..  We know the murder will get solved, and all will be set aright in the world.  So, it's just a matter of watching everything unfold.  True, and although there is fun in trying to guess who did it and following the clues, but I'll be honest, I didn't figure out who the murderer was, and I basically never do when I read these thing. I barely even try.  And I don't think most people do either, or even care to try.    I know, kind of like when someone tells you a riddle, you're likely to give it about 30 seconds, then you want them to tell you what the riddle is.  Exactly.    Funny, by chapter 2, we meet the man who will be murdered, Roger Ackroyd. King's Abbot, which is the name of this village, apparently has several very wealthy people- one of which is already dead, Mrs. Ferrars; the other is getting ready to die, Roger Ackroyd- and the crime scene will be Mr. Ackroyd's house, Fernly Park, of course.  For me, one of the hardest parts of this book is keeping straight in. my mind all of the characters that will necessarily become the suspects.  That IS the hard part, but that's one of the most important elements of the entire game.  We have to know who each of these suspects will be, so we can focus not only on whether they have opportunity and means, but if they also have motive.    And we meet the cast of suspects here at the beginning.  There's Mrs. Russell, the housekeeper.  There's the two female relatives, a sister-in-law and her beautiful daughter, Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd and Flora.  We don't meet but we find out about Ralph Paton, Mr. Ackroyd's adopted son who seems to have a reputation for being irresponsible with money and women but who will be the heir to the fortune.  When our narrator, Dr. Shepperd, meets Roger Ackroyd on the road, Ackroyd is extremely upset.    Let's read that encounter.  Page 11  And that is an example of Christie's writing style that I find so charming.  The narrator takes us into his confidences and these little aside comments to us, as readers, are charming and endearing.  We find ourselves as we read the story trusting Dr. Shepperd's understanding of the murder, for one reason precisely because he takes us into his confidence   True, although I will say, another reason we trust him is because the detective Hercule Poirot takes him so often into his confidence.  Dr. Shepperd goes everywhere and helps with the investigation from start to finish.  He's kind of like Watson to Sherlock Holmes.    True, and we see that this cast of characters looks remarkably like a lot of them from this Golden Age and in fact, they are the stock characters from many a Clue game.  We will have the damsel in distress, (who we have already met with Flora).  We'll have the house staff who are always keeping secrets thus making them suspicious. Besides Miss Russell, who we've met there's also Geofrey Raymond, who is Roger Ackroyd's secretary, Ursula Bourne who is a house maid, and John Parker, the Butler.  Of course- the Butler in the library with the Candle-sticks.  HA!! To which we say, is that your guess.  For those of you who don't know, that's how you play the game of Clue.  So true.  And so when we get to chapter five and Dr. Shepperd gets the call to come over to the house go inspect the body because there has been a murder, we already have all of suspects lined up and ready to go.  Well, and although this next feature isn't in a game of Clue, We can't overlook the buffoon policemen who will be foils to our eccentric but brilliant detective.  Inspector Davis who comes over initially and then later on Inspector Raglan our of members of the law enforcement community..    Oh, and let's not fail to mention the silent almost brooding Major Hector Blunt- our visiting military man, who although never is a suspect in this particular murder, has an important role in the story, none the less, because he's secretly in love with Flora, and this would not be a classic detective story without a romantic interest somewhere.  You know, it's almost like we're not reading a drama at all.  In some ways these books feel like sit-coms.    That is it exactly.  And I want to make this point, a formal detective novel of this tradition, is not a tragedy at all, but in fact, meets the criteria of what we would call a comedy.  If you remember from our series on Romeo and Juliet, we talked about the difference between a comedy and a tragedy. A comedy ends in marriage and a tragedy in death.  From a literary stand point, an Agatha Christie novel, and those that are modeled after hers, are popular precisely because they are comedies of manners cloaked as tragedies (it's a trick).  The characters serve comedic purposes- not thematic ones.  That's why it's okay that they are pretty much the same stock characters in every story.  The story would be totally different and if fact would be a completely different genre, if we did not have every assurance, life would end well.  Let me explain what I mean,  Recently, Lizzy and I watched together the Netflix movie, The Woman in the. Window.  Lizzy had just finished reading the book  by AJ Finn and had really liked it.  It's also a murder mystery, but totally different in purpose and genre.  In The Woman in the Window,, the characters are serious, They struggle with anxiety and depression.  The characters themselves are meant to be deeply analyzed- that's the entire point of it.  Finn is commenting on issues regarding mental health.  That is not Christie's purpose at all.   It would take away from the fun really if she went that direction.  In comedies, only the unlikeable characters ever really suffer anything terrible.  And Roger Ackroyd,, although we don't get to know him very well, is not a likeable person.  He's selfish, stingy and is forcing his son Ralph and Flora to get married against their wills (in fact, we find out towards the end, that Ralph is actually already secretly married to the parlormaid) and this makes Ackroyd lose his mind.  In chapter six, Dr. Shepperd describes Ackroyd of having a “choleric temper”- and although it's never good to murder people because they are disagreeable, it's worth pointing out that Christie doesn't go to any trouble to make Ackroyd likeable in any way.  The point being, we don't really care that Ackroyd's been murdered really.  There's nothing tragic about it.    And so the fun of every chapter is following Hercule Poirot around, interviewing all the witnesses and seeing if we can figure out before he does who the murderer is.  Who has the most compelling reason to do it, and it will turn out that almost everyone stands to gain something from his death.  Exactly, except we don't figure it out- and if Christie's success is any indication I don't think almost anyone in the last 100 years figured it out before Poirot.  During my second reading of the book, the one where I read it after already knowing who killed Roger Ackrod, I realized that Poirot had the murder solved well before- well, at least before chapter 17.    I want to revisit that, but before we do, let's flesh out a little our heroic detective.  This isn't the first book where she introduces Poirot, but I was surprised to see that he was retired.  I didn't expect that precisely because I knew she wrote 66 novels, and I had heard of this funny little man, as he is described.    And he IS a funny little man- obnoxious and ridiculous.  And the way Christie introduces him is funny too.  Hercule moves into the house next door to Dr. Shepperd and his sister Caroline live.  They are both unmarried.  James is a doctor, and Caroline's main occupation is local purveyor of gossip- something she seems to conduct through a very sophisticated network of servants and friends.  Dr. Shepperd acts annoyed by it, but he also seems very impressed with her mad-dog skills.  Before we meet Poirot, we are led to believe by Dr. Shepperd that the mysterious neighbor next door must a hairdresser as evidenced by his perfectly groomed mustache.    That mustache is what he is most famous for- that and his egg-shaped head- whatever that is.  According to Christie, he was inspired by a Belgian refugee she saw coming off of a bus after the first World War.  Of course, all of the inspiration was external, and she never met the gentleman personally, but she took that inspiration and created a short man, with a distinguished mustache, a solid head of black hair and an egg-shaped head.  She wanted him to have as she called it a “grandiloquent name”- hence Hercule and she wanted him to be very orderly, brilliant but vain.  After a while, she says she came to be resentful that she was stuck with him since she didn't like him very much.  Well, and funny enough, at one point in her career, she killed him off, but her publishers didn't let her publish that book.  What, she killed Hercule? Did it ever get published?  Oh, it eventually did, of course, we'll save that story for next week.    Oh okay, something to look forward to, but back to our book, if you are a Christie fan, you'll know immediately that the mysterious hairdresser is none other than our sleuth.  If this is your first Christie book, you may not but it doesn't matter.  By chapter 8, he's in the mix having been hired by Flora to figure out who killed her uncle.   By chapter 6, we've also introduced a rogue stranger with a mysterious accent, who we know from years of experience with other detective novels and movies, cannot possibly be the murderer- he's too much of a ruffian.  We all know that our criminal, although technically a criminal by virtue of having murdered someonw, will have no actual noticeable criminal behaviors.  In fact, he likely will have impeccable manners, just like everyone else in the story.We won't experience any bloody murder scenes; there will no harsh language, the investigation will be polite and the world “unpleasantness” will be the euphemism of choice to describe anything from the dagger in the neck to the awkward questioning   Well, speaking of the daggar to the neck, I'm assuming that a spectacular weapon of choice is also a characteristic of the formal detective story.  OH, it absolutely is.  And ours, does not disappoint- we have a Tunisian one of a kind dagger.  Let's read about it.   Page 64-65  And of course, the details are the glorious part.  In fact, that's one reason I never even attempt to solve these murders.  It tires me out to weed through all of the details.  There is a diagram of the study, the specifics of when Dr. Shepperd left, when he was called back, when Flora last heard from her uncle, where everyone was at exactly the time of the murder, the phone call, the foot print, the in and out of the garden house over and over again- all of it laid out before us with consummate British precision.  The pieces of the puzzle are completely spread on the table ready to be ordered again.  The universe that Christie creates, some have called claustrophobic because it's small and contained, but that's what's great about it.  It's knowable, ordered, and most importantly benevolent.  These people are good- likely even the murderer.  Of course, they are trying to get away with little lies and deceptions because Victorian society is very demanding, but even the murderer is not going to want to leave willingly.  He or she will only leave as a final resort.  This world is rational and sensible and one where even we as readers find comfort.    Well, from a historical perspective, I find that extremely important.  If you recall, England or rather Europe in general was nothing ljke what you described.  It was not predictable or benevolent.  People were being exiled; wars were raging, governments were in upheaval; poverty was rampant- what a wonderful escape and promise of possibility- a well ordered upper class environment where the rules apply and if you break them- you get exiled.  I would say the rigid formality came across as comforting and peaceful- not boring and predictable.    I guess you're right.  The book is really best read twice, if you want my opinion.  At least it was for me.    It's a very carefully crafted puzzle, so when you read it the first time, you can enjoy it as a it's a straightforward whodunnit- but when you read it the second time knowing who the murderer is, it's even more interesting to watch how she deceived you.  Nothing is every hidden, but her duplicitous way of writing deceives us from start to finish, and it's delightful to watch her do it.    So, Christy, getting us back to the difference between commercial fiction versus literary fiction, you said you think there is a theme in her work?  Without giving away the murderer can we speak to it this episode?  Yeah, I think we can- there are several, but one I think does speak to this idea of finding value in a well-ordered world.   One of the most memorable scenes in the entire book is chapter 16.  When I read it the first time, I had no idea why it was included.  For most of the book, we're following Poirot around, looking at clues, interrogating witnesses, but chapter 16 is different. Also, it's pretty much the center physically of the book.  Sheppard and his sister Caroline and spend an evening playing Mah jong with local friends (a retired Army officer, Colonel Carter and a Mrs. Gannett)- neither of which have anything to do with anything, at least as far as I can tell.  They enjoy coffee, cake, sandwiches and tea and then sit down to play. The main purpose of the evening really is to collect gossip, but sitting around and doing that would be vulgar.  And no one in King's Abbot is vulgar, so an exotic game from the Far East is a wonderful excuse.  As they go through the hand, we realize in some ways playing this game is a lot like living life.  They talk about how each person expresses something about themselves by how they play.  They can express weakness or strength, an ability to perceive, an ability to make decisions.  Sometimes the hand you are giving is a wreck; sometimes you get a winning hand effortlessly.  At one point, Caroline very astutely yet unconsciously comments that Miss Gannett isn't playing like she thinks she should.   “   Garry, do you know how to play mah jong?  NO, I really don't.  It looks fascinating and of course I've seen it featured in several movies, just from looking at the external features it appears to be a little bit like rummy except with tiles.  I don't know either.  But at this point in the game, Caroline points out that Miss Gannett's hand wasn't worth going mah Jong over.  Miss. Gannett responds to Caroline's criticism by saying, “Yes, dear, I know what you mean, but it rather depends on what kind of hand you have to start with, doesn't it? Caroline replies, “You'll never get the big hands if you don't go for them.”  To which Miss Gannet replies, “Well, we must all play our own way, mustn't we? After all, I'm up so far.”   This goes on and on for an entire chapter- the women gossiping, attention going in and out.  Let's read the part where the finally get to the end of the game and someone wins.   The situation became more strained. It was annoyance at Miss Gannett's going Mah Jong for the third time running which prompted Caroline to say to me as we built a fresh wall: ‘You are too tiresome, James. You sit there like a deadhead, and say nothing at all!' ‘But, my dear,' I protested, ‘I have really nothing to say that is, of the kind you mean.' ‘Nonsense,' said Caroline, as she sorted her hand. ‘You must know something interesting.' I did not answer for a moment. I was overwhelmed and intoxicated. I had read of there being such a thing as The Perfect Winning – going Mah Jong on one's original hand. I had never hoped to hold the hand myself. With suppressed triumph I laid my hand face upwards on the table. ‘As they say in the Shanghai Club,' I remarked – Tin-ho – the Perfect Winning!' The colonel's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.  And so there you have it, Dr. Shepperd has been tight-lipped the entire book which for us as his partners sometimes can get frustrating.  He always knows more than he says, but he's a medical man and feels compelled to keep people's confidences until this night.  Right after his big win, he is so exhilarated, he blurts out to everyone everything Poirot had told him the previous day about the ring- a specific ring Poirot had kept entirely out of the sight but had revealed only to Dr. Sheppherd now Dr. Shepperd is getting the world's biggest gossips and the news will for sure spread all over town.      And so, where's the theme?  I don't see it.    Well, I'm not English, so I'm going to make a disclaimer that this could be a very American interpretation, but it seems to me that Christie is making a commentary on how society functions best- Mah Jong is a communal game with strict rules- but it is indeed about community- very much like the society she has built for us her readers.  Although Shepperd claims all they do in King's Abbot is gossip, we see through every chapter that that is not true.  There is a very active local pub that everyone goes to.  They garden; they visit.  They have true community.  And yet there are indeed winners and losers, Miss Gannett isn't good at mah jong because she's too independent or impulsive. Shepperd has a bit of good luck, but he also lets  it get to his head and blurts things out at the end that he probably shouldn't have.  At least he regrets it at the beginning of the next chapter.   I don't know, I just think she may be advocating to the rest of us who may find rules stifling, the traditional ways boring, or the conventions cumbersome, that there just might be something of value in the vintage- something comforting and enjoyable in a well-ordered and fair universe.   But like I said, that's just one thought.  And it is most definitely arguable.   Okay- thanks for listening…

English Riviera will represent the McEvoy stable in Saturday's Neds Blue Diamond at Caulfield

What is the ERGG and why is it important? After a summer of Taleblazers Geowalks, Rich, Kev and Victoria talk about the fascinating geology in Torbay and some of their favourite spots.

In this episode, we talk about a fascinating recent project in which we produced a hand-drawn heritage map of our local area. Victoria, Kev and Rich talk about the stories that inspired the project, how the map was put together and what we plan to do with it next. If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a comment on our website, we'd love to hear from you. You can also subscribe and leave reviews through the Apple or Spotify apps.

On our "sweet sixteen" episode we are joined by Logan of the band Gillian Carter to talk about Metronomy - "The English Riviera"

A FIRST! French Rugby CONNECTIONS  episode under 20 mins! Enjoy with Moi, Veronique Landew, and Mike Pearce from the English Riviera, La cote D'azur Anglaise talk about the play-offs, the semi-finals, the access game won by Biarritz and a bit of ....Welsh football. Nearly the end of the season for the TOP 14 and....for the French Rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast. The ONLY Rugby podcast with the French Gallic twist between a French woman and a Welsh Rugby Journalist! 

With Gully away sunning himself on the English Riviera, host Michael Casey is joined in the co-host seat by Bedford Blues Chief Operating Officer, Gareth Alred! Gareth gives a synopsis of the past seasons streaming coverage. Then, ahead of this weekend's Championship Final play off second leg between Saracens and Ealing at The StoneX, the pair are joined by two guys who have seen every club in the league firsthand whilst commentating on the RFU Streams for Saracens, Ealing and Hartpury this season – Jack Zorab and Dave Rogers, as they pick the “Championship Clubs Podcast Team of the Season”.

Charles reports back on his fresh air visit to the new sculptures at The Himalayan Gardens and Graham reminds us of some of the more advanced thinking at the heart of T-Rex's musical culture. Charles reviews Velma Celli's new drag shows at the double in York and Graham celebrates ten years of Metronomy's album, English Riviera. Graham also gives us a look at the Top 20 Most Inspirational Novels of All Time. Charles reveals York's own version of The Masked Singer saga, mulls over this year's biggest Oscar winner, Nomadland and then gets down with the dogs in the 101 Dalmations prequel, Cruella.

Esta semana en Colin Peters presents... viene cargado de novedades de CHVRCHES, Wolf Alice, A Certain Ratio, Furya y La La Love You, mas nuevos remixes de Buffetlibre, We Are Not Djs, Soulwax y Purple Disco Machine, y un homenaje por el 10º aniversario del emblemático álbum de Metronomy, The English Riviera. This week's show on Colin Peters presents... is packed to the gills with new music from CHVRCHES, Wolf ALice, A Certain Ratio and La La Love You, plus remixes from Buffetlibre, We Are Not Djs, Soulwax & Purple Disco Machine, and a 10th anniversary tribute to Metronomy's landmark album, The English Riviera.

durée : 00:04:16 - Tubes N co - par : Rebecca Manzoni - Il y a dix ans paraissait l’album “The English Riviera” du groupe Metronomy. Ce matin, votre Tubes N’Co revient sur l’une des pépites de ce disque. C’est la chanson “The Look”.

durée : 00:55:11 - Popopop - par : Antoine de Caunes - A l'occasion des 10 ans de l'album mythique "The English Riviera" de Metronomy, Antoine de Caunes et Charline Roux reçoivent Joseph Mount pour célébrer cet album que le groupe définissait comme une rencontre entre Daft Punk et The Eagles.

durée : 00:55:11 - Popopop - par : Antoine de Caunes - A l'occasion des 10 ans de l'album mythique "The English Riviera" de Metronomy, Antoine de Caunes et Charline Roux reçoivent Joseph Mount pour célébrer cet album que le groupe définissait comme une rencontre entre Daft Punk et The Eagles.

Prime Time Party Time visits the best hotel on the English Riviera and discusses a staple of television – John Cleese and Connie Booth’s Fawlty Towers. No spa, cocktails or frills, but plenty of talk about the on-screen and off-screen stories brought to life by the original workplace comedy. Enjoy your stay! Listen Live Mondays […]

Esta semana en nuestro podcast de música, revisamos álbumes de aniversario como “Smash” de The Offspring, “The English Riviera” de Metronomy y “Paramore” de Paramore. Nuestro especial de artista de la semana se centra en la carrera de Nirvana, mientras que en discos nuevos conversamos sobre “Dream Weapon” de Genghis Tron, “The Art Of Losing” de The Anchoress y “Chemtrails Over The Country Club” de Lana Del Rey.

Ca y est Confie-nous tout est une matinale avec un horaire décent.  Tous les matins on partira 20min ensemble pour découvrir et redecouvrir de la musique qu'elle soit en bande originale, en compilation, en artiste vivant, morts, sympa (on évite les con·ne·s) connus et pas connus

Author Debbi Mack interviews mystery author Daniella Bernett on the Crime Cafe podcast. To buy the book displayed below, just click on the cover. The interview transcript is below, if you'd like to read it. Or download the PDF copy and read it later. Debbi: Hello everyone. This is the Crime Cafe. Your podcasting source of great crime, suspense and thriller writing. I'm your host, Debbi Mack. It's a real thrill to be back for a fourth season of this podcast and before I get into introducing my guest, I would like to say two things. We have The Crime Cafe publications on sale on my website, debbimack.com under "Crime Cafe". You can find them at any retailer, online and if you happen to catch this podcast during July of 2018, they're going for a special price on Smashwords. I mean a really low price, so check it out. And the second thing I wanted to say is we now have a Patreon page. If you want to support the podcast, there are all sorts of cool perks that go along with being a supporter, like early looks at novels and drafts and free short stories, video chats, that kind of thing. So, there is a lot there for people who support the podcast, including a free copy of the 9 book set if you support at the $10 or above level. So, having said that, let's get to the podcast. Let's get to our guest, our distinguished guest who is back for a second time; a return visit from Daniella Burnett who writes the Emmeline Kirby/Gregory Longdon series, mystery series. Welcome, Daniella. It's great to have you back. Daniella: Thank you very much. I'm glad to be here again. Debbi: It's wonderful to be here for a fourth season and to have you as well. Daniella: Yes, your program is so delightful and you give so many people an opportunity to hear about different authors and their mysteries. Debbi: I do my best [laughs]. Daniella: [laughs] Debbi: Right now you have a third book out. Is that correct? And you're working on the fourth one and getting it published. Daniella: Actually the third book is out. The fourth book, The Checkered Past will be released on September 29th, and I'm actually working on Book Six at the moment. Debbi: Okay, yeah. Of course, we're always working on the book that's way ahead of what's being published [laughs]. Or, you know, yeah. But, so everything always feels a little out of whack timewise [laughs]. Daniella: Yes, it does a little. Debbi: But, in any case, tell us a little bit about Book Three because I noticed that it gets into some dark secrets, as far as Gregory is concerned and Emmeline's relationship with him. Daniella: Okay, well Book Three was, From Beyond The Grave, which took place in Torquay along the English Riviera in Devon. There's a change in dynamic in Emmeline and Gregory's relationship so that's why I decided to take them out of their usual environment, which is in London so that we could focus more on their relationship and the change in dynamic of it and as you mentioned, in that book Gregory has always had secrets but his secrets are taking a different turn and are impacting the dynamic of their relationship. Debbi: Yes! And there's a kind of a love triangle of sorts. Daniella: Yes there is a woman from his past that causes conflicts and a lot of grief for Emmeline in, From Beyond The Grave. Debbi: So that sounds intriguing and it ends up extending to a certain extent into Book Four. Daniella: Yes, it does because I am leaving something hanging at the end there to intrigue my readers and make them want to go to four, which will be coming out in September. Debbi: Yes! Daniella: Certain questions are answered in Book Four, but more questions linger. Debbi: My goodness! One of the things I was wondering, in Book Four you get into the very interesting subject of Nazi-looted art. Daniella: Yes, I do. Book Four focuses on a looted Nazi painting and a former IRA Commander because as I was developing the story line for my book,

Two great authors on today's show. Daniella Bernett and Jeff Gulvin. Daniella Bernett: "From Beyond the Grave, a Kirby/Longdon Mystery": Buried secrets can kill… The seaside resort of Torquay, along the English Riviera in Devon, is the perfect place for a restful holiday. That's what journalist Emmeline Kirby desperately needs after her harrowing escapes from spies and others with nefarious intentions back in London. She also needs distance to sort out her conflicted feelings for jewel thief Gregory Longdon, who once stole her heart. But who should turn up out of the blue? The ever-charming, devastatingly handsome Gregory. That's when secrets from his past—and murder—shatter the serenity of this picturesque haven.

Debbi Mack interviews mystery author Daniella Bernett on the Crime Cafe podcast. The transcript is below, if you'd like to read it. Or download the PDF copy and read it later. Debbi: Hi everyone. This is the Crime Cafe. Your podcasting source of great crime, suspense and thriller writing. I am your host Debbi Mack. Before we get started, I'd like to mention that you can buy the Crime Cafe Box Set and Anthology, as well as Crime Cafe merchandise on my website. Just go to debbimack.com and click on “Crime Cafe” and look for the buy links. And while you're there, please subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks! Now I'd like to introduce my awesome guest who's just released the third novel in her mystery series. It's Daniella Bernett. Hi Daniella, I'm so glad to have you on today. Daniella: Hi, hi Debbi. I'm glad to be here today too! Debbi: Awesome! Well, let's talk about your series. Even though, strictly speaking it's the Emmeline Kirby/Gregory Longdon Mystery Series, I see Emmeline as a very strong and independent female protagonist. Do you think of her as the primary protagonist of the two? Daniella: Yes, I do. Yeah, she is definitely the primary protagonist. Emmeline is a journalist, so she's inherently curious about many topics. So, of course murder would intrigue her and she would want to see that justice is done and to ensure transparency and she's also a bit reckless, which gets her into trouble a lot of the time. But, I have Gregory there who's a jewel thief. He balances it out. He's on the other side of the law, so who better than the criminal to know how a fellow criminal's mind works. And yet the two of them do have similarities because for Gregory he's a gentleman and murder is not the done thing. So, of course he cannot let a murderer go free. So, in that sense, they are similar and their paths cross and they work together to see that justice is done. Debbi: And of course they're both a little bit attracted to each other; more than a little. Daniella: Oh, yes well they do have a past. They are former lovers, but in my first book, Lead Me Into Danger, they hadn't seen each other in two years and Emmeline literally runs into him in Venice after she witnesses two men tried to murder a fellow colleague of her. And then they become embroiled in a chase for a Russian spy in the British Foreign Office and so on and so on and things take off from there. The first book, Lead Me Into Danger, takes place in Venice and London. Debbi: Those are exotic places. Daniella: Yes. In the second book, Deadly Legacy, which is about a hundred million dollars in stolen diamonds, and murder of course. That one takes place entirely in London. And then my new one, From Beyond the Grave, which just came out, it takes place in Torquay, in Devon which is along the English Riviera. Debbi: Wow! You pick some very interesting spots to set your stories. How do you choose the locations? Daniella: Well, first of all, I've been an Anglophile since I was a little kid, so England, anything about England always attracted me. So when I started writing my stories, of course my characters had to be British, they had to take place in England or in the British Isles. So, that's why they take place in Britain. Debbi: In Britain. And how did you choose Venice or the other place? Daniella: Venice, well Venice is, aside from London, Venice is one of my favorite cities. I adore Venice! I've been there several times and I simply love it and Venice itself has its own history of intrigues; political intrigues and Machiavellian machinations and so forth. So, naturally that fit in quite well with my storyline. Debbi: [agrees] Where do you see Emmeline and Gregory going? Can you give us a hint of where they might be heading in future books? Daniella: Well, to start, let's take it from Beyond the Grave, which is the book that just came out. Emmeline is, you know, she hasn't seen Gregory,

The Trouble With Vacations by Robert Bagnall.  Featuring an afterword by Robert Bagnall.  Read by J.S. Arqun.  #SciFi  #podcast   "He wiped his hand across his forehead and came away with a palmsmear of pinky-red nanomites.  He watched as they coalesced into a single vermillion tear that ran down his pinky and dropped down onto the hard plastic surface of the bed-like layout.  From there they found their way back into one of the sinkholes.  It looked like a self-propelled bloodclot.  He could feel the remaining nanomites crawling off his body and away.  Damn crummy vacation routine.  So shoddy the program didn't even bother getting all the mites back into the layout before it woke him up."   Robert Bagnall is an English writer who has completed four undistinguished marathons, but holds a world record for eating cream teas.  The two may be related. His speculative fiction has appeared in a variety of magazines, websites, and anthologies since the early 1990s.  His words also very occasionally cropped up on radio, in newspapers, and out of the mouths of UK government ministers, for whom he was briefly a speechwriter.  He is currently taking a break from corporate wageslavery to renovate a Victorian villa on the English Riviera. He can find his musings on science fiction and writing at meschera.blogspot.co.uk, and his non-fiction book "127a - Diary of a Self-Builder" on Amazon.  His science fiction novel "2084" will be released by Double Dragon Publications in late 2017.  He doesn't like dogs and is allergic to cats.     Please help us get to 50 reviews on iTunes this month!  Leave a review HERE!   Support The Overcast. Become a Patron today!   Best Vegan SFF of 2016 HERE