Podcasts about Leamington Spa

In the latest episode of the Root Cause Analysis podcast, Chris Newson is joined by Louise O'Kane, from Westfield Health.In this episode, Louise talks about building a business case for workplace wellbeing and reveals that for every £1 spent on wellbeing organisations get £5 back.If you're reviewing your approach to wellbeing, don't miss it.Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share if you find this episode helpful!Sign up for our newsletter to get early access to episodes and exclusive content - https://landing.makeuk.org/EHSPodcastSignUp/ehspodcastsignuppage.htmlSponsorWoodland Grange - Woodland Grange, in Leamington Spa, is a residential conference venue and hotel, set in 16 acres of beautiful gardens in the heart of the Midlands. It's the ultimate venue to balance both work and relaxation.

Elijah & Elisha - Katy Trayner -14th June 2026 by St Paul's Leamington Spa

In October 2020, a series of brutal murders shocked the Midlands and sparked one of the region's largest manhunts. When Julie Williams reported her son David missing, she could not have known she would become one of Anthony Russell's victims. Within days, Julie and David were dead, and Russell was on the run.As police closed in, he continued a violent trail of robbery, assault and murder across Coventry, Kenilworth and Leamington Spa. His final victim was Nicole McGregor, a 31 year old woman who was eighteen weeks pregnant when she was raped and killed. In this episode of Blood Ties,Geoffrey and Molly Wansell examine the life and crimes of Anthony Russell, the devastating impact on the families left behind, and the police investigation that brought one of Britain's most dangerous killers to justice.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who We Worship? John 4:4-24 14th June 2026 AM by St Paul's Leamington Spa

Prayer, Drought & Rain - James Lawrence 7th June 2026 by St Paul's Leamington Spa

Elijah & Jesus - Andy Ruffhead - 31st May 2026 by St Paul's Leamington Spa

A Tender Heart - 1 Thessalonians 2: 7-12 - Wednesday 27th May 2026 AM - Damares Gomes-Morris by St Paul's Leamington Spa

A Fruitful Visit - 1 Thessalonians 2: 1-6 - Wednesday 20th May 2026 AM - Andy Ruffhead by St Paul's Leamington Spa

Pentecost - Eleanor Jeans by St Paul's Leamington Spa

Send us Fan Mail2026 MTA CONFERENCE SPECIAL In Episode 136, Patrick visits the 2026 MTA Conference, held at Warwick Schools Foundation, in Leamington Spa. He chats to Sir John Rutter about John's own musical education, the power of singing, the compositional process, and what happens to the fragments of his music that don't get published (30:40).Liz Dunbar and Simon Toyne chat about their CPD session, ‘Curriculum Thinking and Curriculum Planning – A Conversation' (5:35).Plus, Patrick chats to various exhibitors at the Trade Fair, including Justin Wagstaff from The Sound Post (1:22), Yvette Cooper from Sparkyard (Out of the Ark) (21:33), and Thomas Reng Thomsen from Speed Admin (26:18).Presented and produced by Patrick Johns. Sir John Rutter: www.instagram.com/johnrutter.composerLiz Dunbar: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/liz-dunbar-4a30702bbSimon Toyne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-toyne/The Sound Post: www.thesoundpost.co.ukSparkyard: www.sparkyard.comSpeed Admin: www.speedadmin.com© Music Teachers' Association www.musicteachers.org 

In the latest episode of the Root Cause Analysis podcast, Chris Newson is joined by Ben Wilson, from The Baton of Hope, the UK's largest suicide prevention charity. This episode aims to support The Baton of Hope in their aim of raising awareness and supporting suicide prevention. To see more about The Baton of Hope visit their website - https://thebatonofhope.org/Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share if you find this episode helpful! Sign up for our newsletter to get early access to episodes and exclusive content - https://landing.makeuk.org/EHSPodcastSignUp/ehspodcastsignuppage.html SponsorWoodland Grange - Woodland Grange, in Leamington Spa, is a residential conference venue and hotel, set in 16 acres of beautiful gardens in the heart of the Midlands. It's the ultimate venue to balance both work and relaxation.

The Helmet of Salvation - Andy Ruffhead - 17th May 2026 by St Paul's Leamington Spa

The Ascension - David Dean by St Paul's Leamington Spa

The Helmet of Salvation by St Paul's Leamington Spa

Episode 193: Swingers Swapping In Leamington Spa Buckle up, vixens! This bank holiday, Mr. & Mrs. N are taking the show on the road, and they aren't traveling alone. They've packed a van with five fellow swingers for a road trip fuelled by caffeine, chemistry, and a very specific destination: a naughty book shop hidden away from the prying eyes of the vanilla world. Expect plenty of naughty giggles, backseat banter, and a look at what happens when half a dozen lifestyle enthusiasts let loose in an aisle full of "educational" literature. (Adult Content: Strictly 18+ Only) You can visit Mr and Mrs N's website V2V.UK It includes full details of the new V2V Club in Nuneaton Warwickshire. Learn how you can meet the naughty couple! You can contact Mr and Mrs N in the following ways :- V2V Club Website :- V2V.UK Fab Swingers :- naughtycp1 V2V CLUB Email :- naughtycp1@yahoo.com Instagram :- V2V_Club Mr and Mrs N's book "Vanilla To Vixen - My Journey from a Vanilla Life to becoming a Hot Wife" is available now from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Click on the following link. https://amzn.eu/d/2jKocJO Join Mr and Mrs N's Discord Chat Server :- This is a safe and discreet place where you can chat to fellow liberated members involved in the swinging lifestyle also known as the naughty hobby.  Please read and respect our chat server rules before joining our Discord Chat Server. This service is completely free, there are many rooms to enjoy with fellow members of the swinging community. You MUST BE OVER 24 YEARS OLD TO JOIN THIS DISCORD SERVER. Our Discord server is for social swingers chat. It is exclusively for people involved in the swinging lifestyle. it is not a "pick up" or dating site. You must NOT private message other members without asking their permission in the general chat room. All rooms within V2V Discord are moderated. The following link is an invite into the Vanilla To Vixen Discord Chat Server. Join our discord chat by visiting V2V.UK

The Resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15 - 3rd May 2026 - Dâmares Gomes-Morris by St Paul's Leamington Spa

Please tell us a bit about yourself, how did you get to your current position.Can you tell us about the current state of the job market?From what you're seeing across the market, what genuinely differentiates organisations that consistently attract the top EHS talent from those that struggle—beyond salary and benefits?Once great people are hired, where do companies most often go wrong in retaining EHS talent in the first 12–24 months?How have candidate expectations changed recently around flexibility, wellbeing, and values—and how should leaders respond without over promising.What advice do you have for EHS professionals looking for a new role – either internally or externally? SponsorWoodland Grange - Woodland Grange, in Leamington Spa, is a residential conference venue and hotel, set in 16 acres of beautiful gardens in the heart of the Midlands. It's the ultimate venue to balance both work and relaxation.

In this Easter message, Benj explores the powerful story of Lazarus in John 11; a moment where Jesus stands at the edge of death and calls His friend back to life. Through this account, we see both the deep compassion of Jesus and His authority over sin and death, as well as the invitation for each of us to step out of the “grave clothes” that bind us. This message reminds us that Jesus still calls people by name today - out of darkness, into freedom, and into new life.

This episode of Gobsmacked features Tony Deas, a very popular fellow indeed and a proper Leamington Spa legend, known for his big personality, big energy and big presence. So much so, a snap of the dear chap himself in a pink hoodie went viral. That's Tony.But what happens in the quieter moments? This conversation gets into loneliness and vulnerability when you're the strong one for everyone else, the cheer-maker, the entertainer, whether that's hospitality, personal training or just everyday life. And then it shifts. Tony talks openly about being floored by a cancer diagnosis, what that does to your head, the fear, the recalibration when life suddenly isn't playing by the same rules. We also get into love, and the courage it takes to stay open to it, to choose vulnerability over safety, which sounds lovely until you actually have to do it.It's a pacey, romping listen that moves between laughter, wisdom and real life, much like the man himself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second of a series of posts about the literary alchemy of J. K. Rowling, a discussion jumpstarted by a post by ‘Iris' at a Strike fan website, an article that championed a Jungian perspective on this subject. The first post in this series, Literary Alchemy – A Primer for Those Interested in J. K. Rowling's Artistry, both explained what the ‘Iris' post asserted and reviewed much of the critical literature that the brevity of the S&E Files article prevented her from discussing. See that post for links to this material. The conversation between Nick Jeffery and John Granger above was recorded in the same spirit as the first post was written, namely, simultaneously a welcome to Strike fans and Rowling readers who have learned about literary alchemy only recently and an introduction to the work of the last twenty five years on this subject. Upcoming posts in the series will include a counter-point discussion in the debate Rowling is fostering about whether a psychological or spiritual perspective is better for understanding art and life and a review of the alchemical signatures that crowd Rowling-Galbraith's Hallmarked Man.This post is largely links to sources for points Nick and John discuss in their naturally enthusiastic and contrarian conversation, question by question. Enjoy!1. Welcome to the Conversation! (Nick) I just sent out an article about literary alchemy, John, in response to an article written by ‘Iris' and posted on the Strike-Ellacott Files website, a piece titled ‘What is Literary Alchemy? Spotting symbols that map Strike and Robin's growth.' What advice or guidance would you give to, say, Cormoran Strike readers who are brand new to the subject? * There are three types of alchemy and it is important to understand the common ground they share and the differences between them;* The first type is alchemy proper, which is to say ‘metallurgical alchemy,' the sacred science of purifying metals and the adept's soul via the creation of a Philosopher's Stone that will transform lead to gold and exude an elixir of life, the drinking of which will bestow immortality;* The second and third types of alchemy derive from interpretations of metallurgical alchemy's aims and the symbolic texts detailing the work in the hermetic laboratory;* Literary alchemy is the use of metallurgical alchemy's language, colors, sequences, and symbols in plays, poetry, and story to foster an edifying and transformative experience in the artist's theater or reading audience;* Psychological alchemy is Carl Jung's use of metallurgical alchemy's texts during and after WWII to illustrate his ideas of the integration of the conscious and unconscious aspects of the human mind;* Metallurgical alchemy was practiced in China, the Levant, India, and Europe within the revealed religious traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity until its degeneration in the late Medieval period and eventual evolution into the strictly materialist chemistry we know today;* Literary alchemy has been a continuous stream in literature from Dante, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and the Metaphysical poets through to Dickens, Yeats, the Inklings, Joyce, Nabokov, and J. K. Rowling;* The academic study of “alchemy in literature” was the province of Baconian and allegorical readings of Shakespeare (cf., Beryl Pogson, Peter Dawkins, Martin Lings) until the late 20th Century and the advent of academic specialists in ‘Hermetic Studies,' e.g., Stanton Linden, Lyndy Abraham, and Charles Nicholl (cf., Cauda Pavonis: A Journal of Hermetic Studies, 1982-2000).* Jung and his followers used their psychological interpretations of metallurgical alchemy as allegories of the soul to interpret mythology (cf., Erich Neumann, Marie-Louise Von Franz, Robert Johnson);* Jungian analysis of story using Jung's ideas of subconscious archetypes within a collective unconscious was popularized by Joseph Campbell in his guides to Joyce's Ulysses and his more well known works on mythology (e.g., The Hero With a Thousand Faces);* ‘Isis' in her S&E Files article, ‘What is Literary Alchemy?,' suggests that Rowling-Galbraith is writing an allegory of soul transformation in the Cormoran Strike series using metallurgical alchemy's symbols and sequences as understood by Carl Jung and his disciples rather than as used by English writers since the 13th Century;* It's a challenging theory, the depth of which is hard to grasp without an appreciation of the types of alchemy, what they have in common, and their differences in approach and subject matter.2. The Lake: (John) What I found most fascinating in your post, Nick, was your best guesses about where Rowling would have learned about literary alchemy. She claimed in 1998 that she'd read a lot of alchemical texts from which she set the “magical parameters” of the Hogwarts Saga; if you had only three chances to name one of those books, what would you choose? * Charles Nicholl's The Chemical Theatre;* Titus Burckhardt's Alchemy: Science of the Cosmos, Science of the Soul (or Mirror of the Intellect: Essays on Traditional Acience and Sacred Art);* Lyndy Abraham Summerhaze's Marvell and Alchemy or her Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery;* Martin Lings' The Secret of Shakespeare3. Carl Jung, Alchemy: (Nick) I see you're chafing at the bit, John, with book titles I haven't mentioned so let me name-drop the author not on my list because, as you pointed out, he wasn't really a literary alchemist so much as a psychologist who discussed alchemy as a means of illustrating his own ideas about the ‘Great Work.' You've written, though, that literary alchemy as with metallurgical alchemy is a subset of soul-allegories or Psychomachia. Don't Jung's ideas jibe with that? * Yes and no!* Jung's ideas of the soul and archetypes (or archetypal forms) are based on late 19th Century Volkischer German ideas, which is to say, modern and materialist (some say ‘vitalist') premises. His hostility to Christianity and Judaism was grounded in his acceptance of Darwinian evolution and derived philosophically from Nietzsche (see Richard Noll's The Jung Cult and The Aryan Christ).* He conflates the spiritual with the psychological, consequently, and embraces integrated individual psychological health as the telos of human existence, none of which is consistent with traditional metallurgical or literary alchemy (see Titus Burckhardt's Mirror of the Intellect, Philip Sherrard's ‘An Introduction to the Religious Thought of C. G. Jung,' and Harry Oldmeadow's ‘C.G. Jung & Mircea Eliade: ‘Priests without Surplices'? Reflections on the Place of Myth, Religion and Science in Their Work.'* Psychological alchemy, insomuch as it is ‘Jungian,' is well removed from the other two types of alchemy. Which is not to say that Rowling is not a Jungian and hence a Jungian psychological alchemist.4. Back into the Lake: (John) You covered in your article, though, Nick, the several reasons to think it possible, even probable that the evidence from Rowling's life suggests she is using Jungian ideas in her literary alchemy. Iris over at S&E Files obviously thinks that is the case. What are the for and against ideas with respect to Rowling being a Jungian? There's Plenty of Evidence That Rowling IS a Jungian Writer:John Granger's discussion in Troubled Blood: A Jungian Reading* Robin's name-dropping Jung in conversation about astrology;* The Jungian notes sounded throughout Strike 5: Archetypes, Synchronicity, Persona;* The connection between Jung's illustrated ‘New Book' and Talbot's ‘True Book;' and* Pointers to Cupid-Psyche myth as understood by Jungians (see below)The Advent of Prudence Dunleavy, Jungian Psychologist, in Ink Black Heart* Hard to imagine a more sympathetic portrait of a Jungian than half-sister Prudence!* She clearly was the genius behind the Rokeby reconciliation in Hallmarked ManThe Cupid and Psyche myth underpinning the Strike series* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus (note the discussion here of the Jungian understanding of this specific myth)* Ink Black Heart: Strike as Zeus to Robin's Leda and as Cupid to Mads' Psyche* ‘Rowling Points to Myth of Cupid and Psyche in order to Console Strike Fans Disappointed with Hallmarked Man‘* The Hallmarked Man‘s Mythological Template (Nick Jeffery, John Granger)Anything Else? Oh, yeah —* Rowling studied mythology in her ‘Classical Studies' program at UExeter and almost certainly encountered Jungian interpretation of myths there (e.g. the work of Neumann, Johnson, Campbell).* Rowling told Val McDermid if she had not become a successful writer she would have sought training and certification as a psychologist. * Her work reflects a broad reading in psychology (cf., Louise Freeman Davis' ‘J. K. Rowling and the Phantoms in the Brain,' ‘Cormoran Strike and the Itch that Cannot Be Scratched') and it is likely that she has read her fair share of Jung and Jungian authors during her studies.* Rowling benefited from psychological therapy and exercises herself when suffering from depression, the experience of and recovery from which she depicted in story via the Azkaban Dementors and Robin Ellacott's treatment for PTSD in Lethal White.And There is Plenty of Evidence That Rowling Is NOT a Jungian Writer:* Rowling has never been asked or revealed how she learned about literary alchemy; this includes, of course, any reference to Carl Jung, whose work was not focused on literary alchemy per se but a psychological interpretation or explanation of metallurgical alchemy's symbolism.* All that Rowling has revealed about her experiences as a patient seeking help with depression are about Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), which treatment modality owes nothing to Jung or to Jung's students.* It is possible that Rowling encountered esoteric metallurgical alchemy, the precursor to literary alchemy, in her study of astrology, the complementary traditional sacred science to alchemy, a skill-set with which we know she was accomplished. That route to alchemy would have led her to Perennialist interpretations of alchemy, most notably Titus Burckhardt‘s Alchemy, Science of the Cosmos, Science of the Soul; the paperback cover of the Penguin Metaphysical Library edition of that book (1974) features an androgynous giant named REBIS standing on a dragon and a winged golden sphere (i.e., Rubeus, Norbert, Snitch).* As mentioned above, it is more likely that she encountered literary alchemy in her study of Shakespeare. The year she was studying for her A Levels, she traveled to see a production of King Lear which has prompted the idea that it was on her list of texts to prepare for her tests. The most challenging interpretation of Lear then in print was Charles Nicholl's The Chemical Theatre (1980), a book that explains almost every scene in perhaps Shakespeare's greatest tragedy as a parallel step in the Great Work of alchemy. If the budding astrologer was fascinated by this allegorical interpretation of the Bard, the most popular work in print at that time that championed reading Shakespeare as the author of soul allegories was Perennialist Martin Lings‘ The Secret of Shakespeare (1984).* Literary Alchemy is a tool set employed not only by Shakespeare but by a host of Rowling favorite authors to include Dickens, Nabokov, Lewis, and Tolkien. This view of alchemy, that is, as an allegorical depiction of the soul's transformation that affects that same cathartic experience in its theater or reading audiences, is the one found in Rowling's work, which is well removed from psychological alchemy, an analytic art which, though it springs from metallurgical alchemical texts, does not aim at the transformation at work in the sacred art or the science of traditional alchemy. * Rowling's use of chiastic structures and psychomachian allegory, tools that complement literary alchemy in spiritual perspective and aim, make a Jungian rather than a literary and Perennialist view of alchemy seem unlikely.* Alchemy: Jung, Burckhardt, or Maclean? John Granger, April 2007* Rowling's Soul Triptych Psychomachia: Is It From Shakespeare's ‘Macbeth'? John Granger, September 20245. The Debate at King's Cross: (Nick) So, John, you've mentioned Jung quite a few times in your posts about the Mythological framework of the Strike series and even written about the Jungian ideas of animus and anima with respect to Cormoran and Robin's relationship. You seem fairly confident, though, that Rowling is writing from the traditional esoteric ideas of alchemy a la Shakespeare rather than Jung's. Why is that? * Everything you just said!* As noted, Jung's ideas are modern and psychological while the stream of literary alchemy in English Literature is almost exclusively more Medieval and pointedly spiritual;* The Most Notable Exception: Angela Carter's The Passion of the New Eve (1977), that reads like a Jungian ‘Red Book' slide-show (think Bombyx Mori) or a transgender Odyssey written for feminists. Rowling has never mentioned her to my knowledge but it would be surprising if she hadn't read this book more than once. What Alana Bolton Cooke wrote about Carter's Passion could be said about Rowling's literary alchemy if she is a Jungian writer (or about Galbraith's fictional Elizabeth Tassel?):Angela Carter in The Passion of New Eve (1977) uses the exoteric phases of alchemy and Carl G. Jung's theory of esoteric alchemy as a means of demonstrating allegorically the idea ofrebirth and renewal. The purpose of this allegorical method is to produce an 'alchemical' change of thought in the reader about sexuality and gender associated with women's repression and liberation. In the novel Carter develops themes and ideas explored in her essay, The Sadeian Woman: An Exercise in Cultural History (1979), an analysis of the Marquis de Sade's pornography and its affect on the roles of men and women in society. The clash of opposites involved in combining alchemical symbolism, feminism and pornography within the fiction can be seen as representative of the state of chaos present in alchemy before the beginning of change. The circular narrative and alchemical structure of the fiction creates a literary version of the alchemical process as it brings together opposites involved in chaos, represented by events and characterisation that the protagonist, Evelyn/Eve, experiences, until, in the manner of alchemy, harmony is reached. The harmony created represents women's empowerment. Carter uses Evelyn's individuation process to encourage growth within the reader by altering patterns of thought to bring about change through self-confrontation and self-knowledge. The structure of Carter's fiction, thus, corresponds to the process of esoteric alchemy contained within the structure, imagery and symbolism of exoteric alchemy. The fiction is designed to stimulate the unconscious of the reader and make conscious hitherto unknown and repressed thoughts about gender and sexuality to bring about change in the lives of men and women.* I think what Rowling said she was trying to do with Harry Potter's meeting with Dumbledore at the dream-like King's Cross strongly suggests she is aware of the two approaches and wants readers to discuss them – but that she has made her own choice, however conflicted she may be.* In her 2008 interview with Adeel Amini, Rowling said that her hope for Harry's post-mortem conversation with Dumbledore at King's Cross was to stimulate “a debate” among readers about whether it was a psychological moment, that is, a fantasy in which Harry understands what he's been missing all along, or a spiritual event in which he is actually speaking with the late Headmaster:Enough Potter-plot, I think. Moving on to a slightly more contentious issue, Rowling has categorically said that she does believe in a higher power, a statement reinforced by her childhood church-going (“Till I was 17,” she clarifies). It must be difficult to reconcile her religious beliefs with those that denounce Harry Potter as anti-Christian, I wonder aloud. Rowling's expression does not change a fraction. “There was a Christian commentator who said, which I thought was very interesting, that Harry Potter had been the Christian church's biggest missed opportunity. And I thought, there's someone who actually has their eyes open.“I think he said it before the publication of the seventh book, and with the publication of the seventh book I think that clarified a lot of people's view on where I was standing. But I should emphasise that I am not pushing a specifically Christian agenda, and indeed till the very last moment in book seven, one can interpret what happens to Harry after he presents himself with death as him going into an unconscious state in which his subconscious reveals to him what he already knew.” I hum in faux-comprehension of what she's referring to; luckily my clued-in companion is nodding wildly. Proceed. “Any re-reading of Chapter 35 will show you that there's nothing that the Dumbledore he sees tells him that he couldn't have guessed for himself or already realised, and of course there's a key piece of information that Dumbledore doesn't articulate that Harry has realised. So you can deliberately interpret it that way, or you can say that he did go into a state of limbo beyond which there was another life, and that idea was expressed repeatedly, and most explicitly at the end of book five, Order of the Phoenix, where Harry understands that there is an ‘on', that you do go on. “I wanted there to be a debate there, so of my three main characters - when they come into the room which examines death at the Ministry of Magic - Hermione, the ultimate sceptic and a hyperrational person, hears nothing behind the veil and is scared of it. Ron is just uneasy; Ron is someone who does not grapple with anything deeper than beer, if he can avoid it. Harry's drawn to it, and therein lies Harry's slightly reckless, almost morbid streak, because Harry does have a hint of that dangerous adolescent trait which is the attraction to death.” Heavy. Obviously with this ambiguity, you do get a fair degree of misinterpretation as well; there is a certain section that does dislike Harry Potter intensely. “Oh, vehemently,” says Rowling, before muttering under her breath “…and they send death threats.”* I think that “debate” she's trying to foster is between the psychological, call it ‘Jungian' “just inside your head” subconscious perspective, and the authentically spiritual view of her work (well, of art and human existence, too, of course). And that this debate is one she has had for most of her life. Check out her comments about the “greatest missed opportunity” and explain to me how that doesn't line up with her preferring the spiritual, albeit “not explicitly Christian,” to the psychological and humanist. 7. Jungian Readings of Rowling's Work: (Nick) John, you're familiar with what has been written by Potter Pundits because of your PhD critical literature surveys; what are the better ones about Rowling and Jungian psychology and what do they emphasize? Here are seven off the top of my head (and Thesis ‘Works Cited' drafts):* Grynbaum, G.A. (2000). The Secrets of Harry Potter. The San Francisco Jung Institute Library Journal: Reviews From a Jungian Perspective of Books, Films and Culture, [online] 19 (4) pp. 17-48* Patrick, Christopher and Sarah (2007), ‘Exploring the Dark Side: Harry Potter and the Psychology of Evil,' in Mulholland (ed.), The Psychology of Harry Potter, BenBella Books, pp 221-232* Gerhold, C. (2011). The Hero's Journey Through Adolescence: A Jungian Archetypal Analysis of “Harry Potter.” PsyD. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. * Rectenwald, Bob (2019). ‘Carl Jung's Impact on the Work of J. K. Rowling' * Skipper, Alicia and Kate Fulton (2021) ‘Out from the Shadows into the Light: Persona and Shadow in Harry Potter‘ in Anne Mamary (ed.) The Alchemical Harry Potter: Essays on Transfiguration in J. K. Rowling's Novels, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2021, pp 79-96* The Unfolding Journey, Jung's Shadow Self in Harry Potter: Confronting the Darkness Within (YouTube video)* My own Troubled Blood: A Jungian ReadingBob Rectenwald's piece is the best of the six I didn't write but it shares the several faults all the Jungian pieces make:* the first failing of even the best Jungian readers is the assumption that Rowling is a Jungian, which is an open question;* the next is that Jung's ideas (and Joseph Campbell's) are indisputably true; and* the last is, when alchemy is mentioned, the critics do not clarify either the commonalities of or the differences between literary alchemy, psychological alchemy, and Jungian analytic psychology. * Note, though, that Rowling, while aware of such Jungian tropes as the Hero's Journey, tweeks it shamelessly, adding a symbol of Christ and resurrection scene in every Potter story (cf., How Harry Cast His Spell, ‘The Harry's Journey,' pp 21-28).* Read her brief PotterMore piece on alchemy and note that it is written in such a way that it can be read as confirmation of either a psychological or spiritual perspective on alchemy and art:One interpretation of the ‘instructions' left by the alchemists is that they are symbolic of a spiritual journey, leading the alchemist from ignorance (base metal) to enlightenment (gold). There seems to have been a mystical element to the work the alchemist was engaged upon, which set it apart from chemistry (of which it was undoubtedly both an offshoot and forerunner).This “original writing” by Rowling, especially the words “spiritual” and “mystical,” suggests that she is a Perennialist rather than a Jungian, at least with respect to her understanding of alchemy. But the debate is still possible with Jungians who read those words as cyphers for the subsconscious contact they hold we have with archetypes.8. Back to the Alchemy: (John) I think the real question of whether Rowling's literary alchemy is predominantly literary and spiritual or psychological in orientation comes down to the postmodern confusion about the immaterial aspects of the human person, which is to say, the soul (or mind, psyche) and the spirit. Rowling's recent work may seem prosaic or secular to a casual reader who compares it to the relatively otherworldly and “obviously” symbolic Potter books, but she loads each Strike book with Shakespearean romance of soul and spirit, i.e., alchemical dramas, and hermetic tropes. I'm writing a piece now about the lions, dogs, incest, and the red man and white woman in Hallmarked Man, each of which are touchstones of alchemy. I think, though, that your work with Rowling's favorite books and her epigraph sources, Nick, point to a strong spiritual rather than psychological foundation in Rowling's work —* Louisa May Alcott, Little Women* Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle* The Victorian Women Poets in Running Grave* Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh* Robert Browning, The Ring and the Book* The Jungian love of the I Ching, Running Grave's epigraph source9. Jung in Running Grave: (Nick) Rowling's favorite writers, from Shakespeare and Nabokov to C. S. Lewis and Victorian Women poets, all clearly believe in a world-transcending spiritual realm. Given the quantity of the Jungian scholarship in Rowling Studies that Iris referred to and you've mentioned, it's curious -- if Rowling is aware of it and is resistant to it -- that she doesn't push back against it explicitly in her work. Can you think of a character that seems something like Jung in the books, someone as bad as Prudence Dunleavey is good? I can think of three:* United Humanitarian Church's guru Jonathan Wace in Running Grave: his “psychologizing of religion,” the comparative religion avenue to denial of any true faith, the psychological critical analysis of a patient using mythological tropes (”Artemis”), the cult leader, and the abuser of women and children -- he's a ringer for Jung! * Paul Satchwell, one-eyed serpent with a one-track mind, in Leamington Spa, a true Jungian artist working psycho-sexual motifs graphically on canvas:Naked figures twisted and cavorted in scenes from Greek mythology. Persephone struggled in the arms of Hades as he carried her down into the underworld; Andromeda strained against chains binding her to rock as a dragonish creature rose from the waves to devour her; Leda lay supine in bulrushes as Zeus, in the form of a swan, impregnated her.Two lines of Joni Mitchell floated back to Robin as she looked at the paintings: “When I first saw your gallery, I liked the ones of ladies…”Except that Robin wasn't sure she liked the paintings. The female figures were all black-haired, olive-skinned, heavy-breasted and partially or entirely naked. The paintings were accomplished, but Robin found them slightly lascivious. Each of the women wore a similar expression of vacant abandon, and Satchwell seemed to have a definite preference for those myths that featured bondage, rape or abduction. (Troubled Blood, 542)* And then there are the Masons, kind of an old school Jungian cult in Hallmarked Man. Like the UHC and “harmless” fraternal and charitable group with Christian touches but which doesn't change a man or human nature per Hardacre (and which harbors the rich and powerful like Lord Branfoot). * Coupled with Prudence, the Front of Jungian Beliefs, we get the front and back of Jung in Rowling's work, a characteristic touch of Rowling nuance as she did with Islam in Hallmarked Man.10. Conclusion: (John) I'm obviously not a Jung fan and I don't think Rowling is writing Jungian psychomachia in alchemical symbols a la Angela Carter, but I see how people would come to a contrary conclusion; Rowling's ‘spiritual not religious' public statements and political positions with respect to Same Sex Attraction and abortion line up much more easily with New Age and Jungian types than with any kind of orthodox Christianity. The great thing about essays like Isis' at S&E Files is that it brings more people into the conversation of what literary alchemy is and the various approaches to it. You've been reading about literary alchemy for several years now, Nick; what do you think the person whose first encounter with the subject was the S&E Files article do to hone their alchemy detection skills? * “Read your books and online talks, John!”* How Metallurgical Alchemy Worked and How it Became Literary Alchemy (from Deathly Hallows Lectures, Chapter 1):Alchemy, in a nutshell, was the science for the perfection or sanctification of the alchemist's soul. This heroic venture I need to say straight off is all but impossible today because the way we look at reality, at ‘things' per se makes the Great Work itself almost an absurdity. Unlike the medieval alchemists, we moderns and postmoderns see things with a clear subject/object distinction, that is, we believe that you and I and that table are entirely different things and between them is there is no connection or relation. The knowing subject is one thing and the observed object is completely ‘other.'To the alchemist that is not the case. His efforts in changing lead to gold are based on the premise that he as the subject will go through the same types of changes and purifications as the materials he is working with. In sympathy with these metallurgical transitions and resolutions of contraries, his soul will be purified in correspondence as long as he is working in a prayerful state within the Mysteries (sacraments) of his revealed tradition.Now, historically there was an Arabic alchemy, a Chinese alchemy, a Kabbalistic, as well as a Christian alchemy; each differs superficially with respect to their spiritual traditions but in every one, the alchemist was working with a sacred natural science or physics to advance his spiritual purification. This was only possible because he looked at the metal he was working with as something with which he was not ‘other' but with which he was in relationship, artifex and artifact in sacred art imitating and accelerating the work of the Creator creating a bridge, so that, as lead changes to gold or material perfection, his soul was going through similar transformations and purifications.The common ground is the logos in every created thing, to include persons (cf. John 1:9), which are all continuous with the Logos fabric of reality. As much as the alchemist identifies with this metaphysical ground, purifying himself of the ‘old man' or ego-driven individual and identifying himself with the spiritual Heart or light within him, that light will become his dominant quality, hence his “illumination” or “enlightenment”. And lead or solid darkness turning into gold, hard light.How does this edifying magic become the scaffolding for Harry's adventures? Largely through the genius of William Shakespeare. Hermetic wisdom and alchemical efforts were such commonplaces in Elizabethan England that Shakespeare and his contemporaries recognized, I think. that the magic of staged drama is essentially alchemical. If we groundlings are all watching what's going on up on the stage and everything is working the way it's supposed to, the subject-object distinction dissolves inasmuch as we identify with the characters and their agonies through our logos-imaginations. As they go through their changes, like the metals in a crucible, we identify with them and pass through the same cathartic moment.As the great dramatists of that period realized, “if what we're doing is alchemical, why don't we use alchemical imagery and language, too?” And, voila, literary alchemy is born. This stream of English literature in which narrator or characters and the reader or audience in correspondence pass through the stages of the alchemical work, the black the white and the red (basically dissolution, purification, and then perfection) runs through the next five centuries of poetry, stage work, stories and novels. You may not have recognized it, but its a big part of things you have read.* Literary Alchemy: Sacred Science, Sacred Art, and ‘The Alembic of Story':A Perennialist Explanation of J. K. Rowling's Signature Hermetic Symbolism This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we're joined by experts from the British Standards Institution (BSI) to explore a number of voluntary workplace standards designed to help organisations buildsafer, healthier and more inclusive working environments. We discuss three important standards that address key people-focused challenges: BS 30480:2025 - Suicide and the workplace BS 30416:2023 - Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace BS 30417:2025 - Provision of inclusive personal protective equipment (PPE) Listen in to hear: ~ Why these particular workplace issues are gaining attention ~ How organisations can use these standards to improve policies, culture and support for employees ~ Practical steps businesses can take to start implementing them Some of these topics are not always easy to talk about in the workplace but addressing them openly is essential if organisations want to create environments where people feel supported, included and able to thrive. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share if you find this episode helpful! Sign up for our newsletter to get early access to episodes and exclusive content- https://landing.makeuk.org/EHSPodcastSignUp/ehspodcastsignuppage.htmlSponsorWoodland Grange, in Leamington Spa, is a residential conference venue and hotel, set in 16 acres of beautiful gardens in the heart of the Midlands. It's the ultimate venue to balance both work and relaxation.

Holy Spirit and Holy Scripture - 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 - Sunday 11th January 2026 PM - Andy Ruffhead by St Paul's Leamington Spa

Public anger over crime linked to asylum hotels is boiling over, with protests this summer from Essex to Scotland.In light of the rape of a schoolgirl by two Afghan asylum seekers in Leamington Spa, Camilla and Tim ask what's really driving this surge in migrant crime, and whether Britain's broken asylum system is now fuelling a security crisis.Plus, senior reporter Steve Bird has the inside story from the lawless migrant camps in Calais and Dunkirk: how ruthless people-smuggling gangs are coercing vulnerable female migrants into sexual exploitation, and recruiting others as drug mules.Read: People smugglers demand sex for Channel crossingsChannel migrants smuggling heroin for gangsWe want to hear from you! Email us at thedailyt@telegraph.co.uk or find @dailytpodcast on TikTok, Instagram and X► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorProducers: Georgia Coan and Lilian FawcettSenior Producer: David LeveneExecutive Producer: Louisa WellsVideo Producers: Will WaltersStudio Operator: Meghan SearleSocial Producer: Nada AggourEditor: Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.theflyingfrisby.comBefore we come to the main thrust of today's piece, there is something I need to flag. We are just coming into North American tax loss selling season, and a number of you have asked if I will be putting together a portfolio of tax loss trades this year.The answer is, “maybe”.I'm not sure how well it will work this year for reasons you are about to find out, but it's something I am still considering, and I will I try to have a list of options for next week's missive. By my reckoning the dates when you'll find the biggest bargains this year will be Friday December 19, Monday December 22 and Tuesday December 23, though the window stretches from next week all the way to New Year's Eve.What am I talking about?At the end of the year in the US and Canada, investors (both retail and institutions) sell their worst performing stocks in order to realise losses to offset against gains elsewhere in order to reduce their tax bill.This selling tends to climax in the last two or three days of trading before Christmas and it means badly performing stocks, particularly illiquid ones, get way oversold only to experience something of a rally in the first few weeks of the following year as the selling dissipates.So the trade is simple: buy as the selling climaxes and then flip sometime in February (my Canadian broker says March and last year this proved very true).Nothing is guaranteed in this cruel world (except the further debasement of your national currency), but it is a trade with a remarkably successful hit rate, and a clear timescale. It also becomes apparent pretty quickly if it isn't working, enabling you to exit any losers early.If you live in a Third World Country such as the UK, I urge you to own gold or silver. The pound is going to be further devalued. The bullion dealer I recommend is The Pure Gold Company. Pricing is competitive, quality of service is high. They deliver to the UK, the US, Canada and Europe or you can store your gold with them. More here.By all means go back and audit me, but last year I believe 8 of the 9 ideas worked.Some picks work better than others. Some years work better than others, but gains of 20-50%, even doubles sometimes, are not uncommon. The trade works particularly well in smallcap Canadian resource stocks, as, when they are bad, they are really bad, and can get hugely oversold. However, this year Canadian resource stocks, particularly gold and silver miners, have had a bonanza year, so there won't be much tax selling there. In fact, markets more generally have been strong, so there is not the normal flood of dogs to be sold. However, I have some ideas. Crypto Treasury Companies, for example, could be big winners because of the huge losses they have generated. So keep an eye out and I will try and have something for you this time next week. Be ready to move quickly, as well, so have some cash to play with.Right. Changing the subject. Why both legal and illegal immigration is set to increase I can't go online now without seeing something about uncontrolled immigration. Yesterday saw the sentencing of two Afghan 17 year olds for raping a 15-year-old girl in Leamington Spa. (Spoiler: they weren't 17. They've lied about their age, on that I'll bet the house. Not that anyone in authority will have noticed). And it's not just online, it's in the world around me. I live in south London, so I see it all the time. I travel a lot around the country doing gigs and the changing demographics of the UK are everywhere, even in the remotest parts of the country. I think a little bit of immigration is a good thing, but this is happening too fast and on too big a scale.When a business messes up badly, it goes bust and another, better run business comes along and does the job better. When a state body messes up badly, a load more money gets spent on an inquiry - in the case of the rape gangs £65 million - usually headed by a Blob insider (in this case Starmer appointed peer Baroness Anne Longfield). The mess gets whitewashed as much by time as anything, and the state body continues as before, dysfunctional as ever, if not more so.Unlike those operating in a free market, the state as it currently functions, is incapable of reacting to the new realities of the world around us. There are more people than ever before in the world, and more of them than ever are on the move. Thanks to better planes, trains, boats and cars, they are able to move further and faster than ever before. Thanks to smart phones, which over 90% of the world's adult population now has, better information about how and where to go gets spread. Smart phones also create FOMO - you gaze at the life you could have - so there is more desire to move than ever before. And the fact that 3 billion people earn less than $40/day means there is a greater urge to move than ever. This is the reality of the world in which we live. It is patently obvious mass migration of people is going to increase. And yet the British government, nor most Western governments, have no plan in place to deal with it all. They can't even deal with current levels of migration, let alone illegal migration or future migration. There has been no debate or agreement on what the right levels of migration should actually be. With no clarity, policy is, inevitably, both incoherent and inadequate. Promises by every government since Cameron's coalition have been broken. The courts and legal system were designed for a different people in a different age and are no longer fit for purpose. This all assumes, of course, government could actually lower migration levels if it wanted, which I don't believe it actually can because of sheer weight of numbers. Thanks to the ECHR and a general unwillingness within the Blob to address this, there is not even the ability to properly tackle this issue anyway. State institutions and infrastructure - from roads to health to education to welfare - cannot cope with the increased numbers and are crumbling. Wealth creators are leaving to be replaced by net takers, resulting in an increased tax burden and eventual likely bankruptcy of the country. Trust has gone and we are accelerating along the road to ruin.Such repeated failure by a business over many years would result in the extinction of that business. But the state operates by a different set of rules, and the only thing that can end it is the destruction of the currency itself. Hence why I say own gold.So that's where we are. Exploiting the end of Britain: blood money and crony capitalism You can rant and rail and make a noise. But I don't see what you or anyone can actually do about it. A Reform majority at the next election is what many are pinning their hopes on, but a hung parliament looks more likely. Would even a runaway win for Reform at the next election change much? I doubt it, myself. There's too much opposition within the system. Liz Truss only tried to slash government spending by 2.5% and look what happened there. As investors our job is not to pass moral judgement on the rights and wrongs of all this. Many think it's a good thing the West gets destroyed! Our job is to navigate the waters as best we can. As you know I urge readers to own non- government currencies, money they can't debase - gold and bitcoin. But having just said our job is not to pass moral judgement, I do pass moral judgement when I invest. I shouldn't, but I do. I don't buy government bonds, especially gilts, for example, because in doing so you enable government, when government is the problem. Starve the monster is my take. I'm also not participating in the trade I am about to outline here, because it would make me feel dirty. But the more ruthless of you will be fine with it, and you'll get no flack from me. I hate getting ripped off at airports and train stations, so I have a bit of WH Smith in my portfolio as an offset. This is a little bit like that.There are companies making an absolute fortune from illegal migration. And while this situation continues, they are going to continue making money. Why shouldn't you as well?Their customer, the government, is a bureaucrat spending somebody else's money so will pay pretty much whatever. Demand for their services is only going to increase as migration increases. There is no competitive marketplace - you're not having to compete with other hotels, for example. These companies are all paid by the government - you in other words - to provide facilities for asylum seekers. The contracts are juicy, and those bureaucrat fingers are fat with taxpayer cash. Here's how to profit from illegal migration in the UK.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.theflyingfrisby.comBefore we come to the main thrust of today's piece, there is something I need to flag. We are just coming into North American tax loss selling season, and a number of you have asked if I will be putting together a portfolio of tax loss trades this year.The answer is, “maybe”.I'm not sure how well it will work this year for reasons you are about to find out, but it's something I am still considering, and I will I try to have a list of options for next week's missive. By my reckoning the dates when you'll find the biggest bargains this year will be Friday December 19, Monday December 22 and Tuesday December 23, though the window stretches from next week all the way to New Year's Eve.What am I talking about?At the end of the year in the US and Canada, investors (both retail and institutions) sell their worst performing stocks in order to realise losses to offset against gains elsewhere in order to reduce their tax bill.This selling tends to climax in the last two or three days of trading before Christmas and it means badly performing stocks, particularly illiquid ones, get way oversold only to experience something of a rally in the first few weeks of the following year as the selling dissipates.So the trade is simple: buy as the selling climaxes and then flip sometime in February (my Canadian broker says March and last year this proved very true).Nothing is guaranteed in this cruel world (except the further debasement of your national currency), but it is a trade with a remarkably successful hit rate, and a clear timescale. It also becomes apparent pretty quickly if it isn't working, enabling you to exit any losers early.If you live in a Third World Country such as the UK, I urge you to own gold or silver. The pound is going to be further devalued. The bullion dealer I recommend is The Pure Gold Company. Pricing is competitive, quality of service is high. They deliver to the UK, the US, Canada and Europe or you can store your gold with them. More here.By all means go back and audit me, but last year I believe 8 of the 9 ideas worked.Some picks work better than others. Some years work better than others, but gains of 20-50%, even doubles sometimes, are not uncommon. The trade works particularly well in smallcap Canadian resource stocks, as, when they are bad, they are really bad, and can get hugely oversold. However, this year Canadian resource stocks, particularly gold and silver miners, have had a bonanza year, so there won't be much tax selling there. In fact, markets more generally have been strong, so there is not the normal flood of dogs to be sold. However, I have some ideas. Crypto Treasury Companies, for example, could be big winners because of the huge losses they have generated. So keep an eye out and I will try and have something for you this time next week. Be ready to move quickly, as well, so have some cash to play with.Right. Changing the subject. Why both legal and illegal immigration is set to increase I can't go online now without seeing something about uncontrolled immigration. Yesterday saw the sentencing of two Afghan 17 year olds for raping a 15-year-old girl in Leamington Spa. (Spoiler: they weren't 17. They've lied about their age, on that I'll bet the house. Not that anyone in authority will have noticed). And it's not just online, it's in the world around me. I live in south London, so I see it all the time. I travel a lot around the country doing gigs and the changing demographics of the UK are everywhere, even in the remotest parts of the country. I think a little bit of immigration is a good thing, but this is happening too fast and on too big a scale.When a business messes up badly, it goes bust and another, better run business comes along and does the job better. When a state body messes up badly, a load more money gets spent on an inquiry - in the case of the rape gangs £65 million - usually headed by a Blob insider (in this case Starmer appointed peer Baroness Anne Longfield). The mess gets whitewashed as much by time as anything, and the state body continues as before, dysfunctional as ever, if not more so.Unlike those operating in a free market, the state as it currently functions, is incapable of reacting to the new realities of the world around us. There are more people than ever before in the world, and more of them than ever are on the move. Thanks to better planes, trains, boats and cars, they are able to move further and faster than ever before. Thanks to smart phones, which over 90% of the world's adult population now has, better information about how and where to go gets spread. Smart phones also create FOMO - you gaze at the life you could have - so there is more desire to move than ever before. And the fact that 3 billion people earn less than $40/day means there is a greater urge to move than ever. This is the reality of the world in which we live. It is patently obvious mass migration of people is going to increase. And yet the British government, nor most Western governments, have no plan in place to deal with it all. They can't even deal with current levels of migration, let alone illegal migration or future migration. There has been no debate or agreement on what the right levels of migration should actually be. With no clarity, policy is, inevitably, both incoherent and inadequate. Promises by every government since Cameron's coalition have been broken. The courts and legal system were designed for a different people in a different age and are no longer fit for purpose. This all assumes, of course, government could actually lower migration levels if it wanted, which I don't believe it actually can because of sheer weight of numbers. Thanks to the ECHR and a general unwillingness within the Blob to address this, there is not even the ability to properly tackle this issue anyway. State institutions and infrastructure - from roads to health to education to welfare - cannot cope with the increased numbers and are crumbling. Wealth creators are leaving to be replaced by net takers, resulting in an increased tax burden and eventual likely bankruptcy of the country. Trust has gone and we are accelerating along the road to ruin.Such repeated failure by a business over many years would result in the extinction of that business. But the state operates by a different set of rules, and the only thing that can end it is the destruction of the currency itself. Hence why I say own gold.So that's where we are. Exploiting the end of Britain: blood money and crony capitalism You can rant and rail and make a noise. But I don't see what you or anyone can actually do about it. A Reform majority at the next election is what many are pinning their hopes on, but a hung parliament looks more likely. Would even a runaway win for Reform at the next election change much? I doubt it, myself. There's too much opposition within the system. Liz Truss only tried to slash government spending by 2.5% and look what happened there. As investors our job is not to pass moral judgement on the rights and wrongs of all this. Many think it's a good thing the West gets destroyed! Our job is to navigate the waters as best we can. As you know I urge readers to own non- government currencies, money they can't debase - gold and bitcoin. But having just said our job is not to pass moral judgement, I do pass moral judgement when I invest. I shouldn't, but I do. I don't buy government bonds, especially gilts, for example, because in doing so you enable government, when government is the problem. Starve the monster is my take. I'm also not participating in the trade I am about to outline here, because it would make me feel dirty. But the more ruthless of you will be fine with it, and you'll get no flack from me. I hate getting ripped off at airports and train stations, so I have a bit of WH Smith in my portfolio as an offset. This is a little bit like that.There are companies making an absolute fortune from illegal migration. And while this situation continues, they are going to continue making money. Why shouldn't you as well?Their customer, the government, is a bureaucrat spending somebody else's money so will pay pretty much whatever. Demand for their services is only going to increase as migration increases. There is no competitive marketplace - you're not having to compete with other hotels, for example. These companies are all paid by the government - you in other words - to provide facilities for asylum seekers. The contracts are juicy, and those bureaucrat fingers are fat with taxpayer cash. Here's how to profit from illegal migration in the UK.

In our Christmas message from Leamington Spa, The Miracle of Christmas, Benj explores why Christmas is a season that awakens our longing for miracles - and shows us the greatest miracle of all. Through stories, and Scripture from Luke 1, he reflects on everyday miracles, the wonder of childbirth, and the astonishing births of both John the Baptist and Jesus. Benj highlights the angel Gabriel's declaration that “nothing…is impossible with God,” revealing that beyond snow-day coincidences or heart-warming movie moments, the true miracle of Christmas is that Jesus (God with us) came so we could be born again into new life.

Two 17-year-old Afghan asylum seekers are jailed for abducting and raping a 15-year-old girl in Leamington Spa. Distressing phone footage captured the attack, with lawyers warning public release could spark disorder. Jahanzeb gets 10 years and Niazal gets 9 years. The judge says they robbed her of her childhood and recommends deportation. Reporting restrictions on their identities are lifted. Julia Hartley-Brewer chat to editor of Spiked Online, Tom Slater. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Looking for gentle and meaningful ways to bond with your baby? In this episode of The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast, Dr Marianne Trent and Jo Wilson founder of Aqua Sensory and Bath Babies, explore how bath time, baby swimming, and water play can strengthen parent-baby bonding and early attachment.You'll learn how simple baby bath routines, skin-to-skin moments, sensory play, and warm water can support emotional connection, co-regulation, brain development, and confidence. We discuss reading baby cues, creating calming rituals, and using water to reduce stress for both babies and parents.Whether you're a new parent, expectant parent, baby group practitioner, perinatal professional, or anyone supporting early childhood development, this episode offers practical baby bonding ideas, attachment-building activities, and sensory play tips you can start using straight away.Perfect for those interested in early attachment, responsive parenting, infant mental health, baby swimming, and supporting secure, confident babies through everyday routines like bath time.⏱️ Highlights & Timestamps00:00 – Why water is such a powerful bonding medium01:00 – “100% attention, not divided attention” — presence in the water02:30 – Eye contact, attunement & following baby's cues04:00 – The raw emotions of early parenthood & building confidence05:25 – When bath time soothes — and when babies need less stimulation06:59 – Making bath time fun: voice, movement, simple toys & attunement07:59 – Stacking cups, sensory joy & reminding ourselves to play08:52 – Supporting parents who fear water or aren't swimmers10:01 – Sleep schedules, real life & why outings matter for parental wellbeing11:17 – Water as community, postnatal support & early social development12:17 – “Blue Mind” theory: why water boosts mood and calm13:47 – Rituals, relaxation & water as a tool for mental health15:13 – Amniotic beginnings & the instinctive comfort of water16:34 – Shifting bath time from “task” to connected activity17:34 – Jo's story: redundancy, finding purpose & building Aqua Sensory19:01 – Child-led water confidence vs old-school dunking21:11 – Baby swim costs, accessibility & long-term developmental benefits22:45 – Bath Babies: a gentle fourth-trimester approach to water connection25:02 – Training others to support parent-infant bonding through water26:34 – Why this matters for clinicians in perinatal and parent-infant work27:01 – Where to find Bath Babies & Jo's book27:48 – Dr Marianne's reflections & another book recommendationLinks:

Vices & Virtues Sloth Diligence Kate Wallis by St Paul's Leamington Spa

Vices & Virtues - Wrath : Patience - Steve Kelly 19th October 2025 by St Paul's Leamington Spa

Coming together - Eleanor Jeans 1 Peter 2-4-10 by St Paul's Leamington Spa

1 Peter Loving each other by St Paul's Leamington Spa

Seven Vices & Virtues - Pride - Eleanor Jeans by St Paul's Leamington Spa

Is leopard print the new Breton top? What should you wear if you want to avoid "Mum Bum"? And what is the one thing you should always bring to a festival? Answering these questions is the amazing Zoe de Pass, aka Dress Like a Mum! We interviewed Zoe live on stage at this year's Big Feastival. As she's a style icon we chatted about fashion, of course, and invited her to pass judgment on some of our favourite outfits past and present. We also talked about the brilliant ski trips Zoe runs and shared some amazing stories involving incontinence, nudity, and infidelity. And that's before we even got to the Scummy Mummy Confessions - tune in to hear some of the terrible tales our audience revealed at our Feastival show, and a few of our own. Follow Zoe @dresslikeamum. Her excellent sunglasses are available from zoedepass.com. This January's Women Who Ski is open for bookings and March will be launching in December - head to kalumaski.com for more info.Big thanks to Peter Lee from redheadav.com for recording the podcast for us. **TOUR TIME!** Yes we are hitting the road again this month with our new for 2025 show, HOT MESS! This week it's Exeter, Redruth, Basingstoke, and Bishop's Stortford. In October we're coming to Tenbury Wells, Leamington Spa, Maidenhead, Potters Bar, Tonbridge, Tewkesbury, Canterbury, Wimborne... Then it's our huge homecoming gig in Catford on 14 November, plus lots of other shows all round the country. For dates and tickets go to scummymummies.comPS Sorry to mention the C word, but tickets for our Christmas shows are on sale too... Maidenhead, Chelmsford, Chipping Norton, Guildford and Norwich... They're selling fast so get your tickets now if you fancy a festive mums' night out! *WE HAVE A SHOP!* Visit scummymummiesshop.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, washbags, sweatshirts and beach towels. FREE UK DELIVERY! We're on X, Instagram, and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this episode is the awesome author Julia Raeside. She tells us about her brilliant and very funny book about women taking on toxic men in comedy, Don't Make Me Laugh.We discuss why so many comedians turn out to be dreadful, and how working together is the key to effecting change. Julia talks about the reactions her book has had so far and why it seems to be resonating with so many people. There's also a bit of chat about the writing process - why is it so difficult? What should you do when you feel like packing it in? And which is harder, writing a book or running a marathon? Julia helps us try to answer these questions, and shares her top tip for getting your first draft finished. We round off with some classic Scummy Mummy Confessions involving McDonald's, cat diarrhoea, and lying to children about sex.Julia's book is out now in paperback and you can follow her on Instagram @juliaraesidewriter.**AUTUMN TOUR TIME!** Yes we are hitting the road again this month with our new for 2025 show, HOT MESS! September is Loughborough, Tonbridge, Exeter, Redruth, Basingstoke, and Bishop's Stortford. In October we're coming to Tenbury Wells, Leamington Spa, Maidenhead, Potters Bar, Tonbridge yes again, Tewkesbury, Canterbury, Wimborne... Then it's our huge homecoming gig in Catford on 14 November, plus lots of other shows all round the country. For dates and tickets go to scummymummies.com*WE HAVE A SHOP!* Visit scummymummiesshop.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, washbags, sweatshirts and beach towels. FREE UK DELIVERY! We're on X, Instagram, and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode comes to you live from a Premier Inn room in Stevenage. That's showbusiness! Our guest is Steve Hill, sports writer, roadie, and miserable but funny man. We talk about his last decade driving for the Scummy Mummies, and how he's managed to finagle his way onto the stage. Listen in to discover what we fight about in the van, which curry Steve always orders, and how Ellie finds such nice pubs for lunch. Plus there's some incredibly lowbrow toilet humour and a debate about whether we'd have it off with Keir Starmer. So all in all it's a bit of a silly summer episode as we take a break for the holidays. But we'll be back in autumn with new guests, and of course more shows - come and see us LIVE in Loughborough, Tonbridge, Exeter, Redruth, Bishop's Stortford, Tenbury Wells, Leamington Spa, Maidenhead, Potters Bar, Tewkesbury, Canterbury, Wimborne... For loads more dates and tickets, go to scummymummies.com. *WE HAVE A SHOP!* Visit scummymummiesshop.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, washbags, sweatshirts and beach towels. FREE UK DELIVERY! We're on X, Instagram, and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing YardWise – A New Event for Yard ProfessionalsIn this special episode of the Animalweb podcast, Helen Stock is joined by Amanda Watson (Equestrian Index) and Cheryl Johns (LiveryList) to introduce YardWise, a brand-new event tailored specifically for livery yard and riding school professionals. The event, taking place on 19 November 2025 at Warwick Trident College, Leamington Spa, is designed to be practical, collaborative, and solution-focused, offering attendees a rare chance to access top industry experts in one place.Helen, Amanda, and Cheryl share the story behind YardWise, a collaborative effort driven by a shared passion for supporting yard owners and addressing the real-world challenges they face. From welfare and insurance to biosecurity, legal guidance, employment, sustainability, and communication skills, YardWise will tackle the everyday issues that affect yard businesses, with expert-led roundtables and tailored support.

Alex Kealy is one of the country's most exciting up-and-coming stand-ups, currently touring throughout the UK with "The Fear". He's also the host of Gig Pigs with Ivo Graham, and has featured on BBC Radio 4's The Now Show as well as writing for Mock The Week and The News Quiz.In this episode, we discuss the comedian's fear of the comedian, weaponising vulnerability, the secret superpower of audience eye contact, the emotional fallout of privilege, the split identities of performing vs writing and is Alex Kealy happy….Join the Insiders Club at patreon.com/comcompod where you can WATCH the full episode and get access to 35 minutes of exclusive extras including making hypocrisy funny, knowing when it's not your joke to tell and we delve deep into structural formats.Support the Podcast from only £3/month at Patreon.com/ComComPod✅ Exclusive access to full video and ad-free audio episodes✅ 35 minutes of exclusive extra content with Alex✅ Early access to new episodes (where possible!)✅ Exclusive membership offerings including a monthly “Stu&A”PLUS you'll get access to the full back catalogue of extras you can find nowhere else!Catch Up with Alex:Don't miss the last few dates of Alex's UK tour in Cambridge, London, Canterbury and Leeds. Find all the details at alexkealy.com.You can also keep up to date on Instagram, @alexkealy.Everything Stu's up to:Come and help me figure out some NEW STUFF…Find all the dates and more at stuartgoldsmith.com/comedy.Leamington Spa: 2nd June, 2025: Work In Progress @ The Royal PugGreen Phoenix Festival: 6th July, 2025: Work In ProgressCheltenham Playhouse: 23rd July, 2025: Work In ProgressEdinburgh Fringe: 11th-17th August, 2025: "An Inconvenient Time" (11.05am, WIP) ​Discover Stu's comedy about the climate crisis, for everyone from activists to CEOs, at stuartgoldsmith.com/climate.Find everything else at stuartgoldsmith.com.See Stuart live on tour - www.stuartgoldsmith.com/comedy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott Aukerman is best known as the host of Comedy Bang Bang - the hit comedy radio show which blends interviews with real guests and off-the-wall improvised characters, as well as being the co-creator and director of Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, the Emmy-winning Funny or Die series!In this episode, we discuss Scott's editorial instinct and shaping of Comedy Bang Bang, the gentle dance of improvisation, all things Between Two Ferns and Scott's allure of a talk show career.Join the Insiders Club at patreon.com/comcompod where you can WATCH the full episode and get access to 20 minutes of exclusive extras including the guest booking strategy on Comedy Bang Bang, saying goodbye to the TV version and writing Spider-Man!Support the Podcast from only £3/month at Patreon.com/ComComPod✅ Exclusive access to full video and ad-free audio episodes✅ 20 minutes of exclusive extra content with Scott✅ Early access to new episodes (where possible!)✅ Exclusive membership offerings including a monthly “Stu&A”PLUS you'll get access to the full back catalogue of extras you can find nowhere else!Catch Up with Scott:You can keep up-to-date with Scott on Instagram, @scottaukerman and all things Comedy Bang Bang at comedybangbangworld.com.Everything Stu's up to:Come and help me figure out some NEW STUFF…Find all the dates and more at stuartgoldsmith.com/comedy.Leamington Spa: 2nd June, 2025: Work In Progress @ The Royal PugGreen Phoenix Festival: 6th July, 2025: Work In ProgressOxford Comedy Festival: 15th July, 2025: Work In ProgressEdinburgh Fringe: 11th-17th August, 2025: "An Inconvenient Time" (11.05am, WIP) ​Discover Stu's comedy about the climate crisis, for everyone from activists to CEOs, at stuartgoldsmith.com/climate.Find everything else at stuartgoldsmith.com.See Stuart live on tour - www.stuartgoldsmith.com/comedy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chloe Radcliffe is a stand-up comic, actor, and writer from Midwest USA, recently named one of Deadline's 15 Comedians Ready to Break Out in 2025. Following a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, her hit show CHEAT is now being developed for TV.In this episode, we discuss the impact of childhood experiences on identity and performance, the differences of scale between the US and UK, shooting Bradley Cooper's new film based on John Bishop's life starring Will Arnett and Laura Dern (!!!) and the cost of authenticity.Join the Insiders Club at patreon.com/comcompod where you can WATCH the full episode and get access to 15 minutes of exclusive extras including the emotional limbo of writing screen projects and Chloe's secret life in executive coaching.Support the Podcast from only £3/month at Patreon.com/ComComPod✅ Exclusive access to full video and ad-free audio episodes✅ 15 minutes of exclusive extra content with Chloe✅ Early access to new episodes (where possible!)✅ Exclusive membership offerings including a monthly “Stu&A”PLUS you'll get access to the full back catalogue of extras you can find nowhere else!Catch Up with Chloe:Chloe Radcliffe is at the Soho Theatre, London with CHEAT from the 15 - 17th May. Tickets are available at chloeradcliffe.com.Everything Stu's up to:Come and help me figure out some NEW STUFF…Find all the dates and more at stuartgoldsmith.com/comedy.Leamington Spa: 2nd June, 2025: Work In Progress @ The Royal PugExeter Comedy Festival: 5th June, 2025: Work In Progress​Green Phoenix Festival: 6th July, 2025: Work In ProgressOxford Comedy Festival: 15th July, 2025: Work In ProgressEdinburgh Fringe: 11th-17th August, 2025: "An Inconvenient Time" (11.05am, WIP) ​Discover Stu's comedy about the climate crisis, for everyone from activists to CEOs, at stuartgoldsmith.com/climate.Find everything else at stuartgoldsmith.com.See Stuart live on tour - www.stuartgoldsmith.com/comedy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Endurance Guy, Sean Conway, tells of his athletic accomplishments on his UK tour, Endurance, from Saturday 1st February in Leamington Spa until Friday 28th Feb in Radlett.Join Chris, Vassos and the team every morning from 6.30am for laughs with the listeners and the greatest guests. Listen on your smart speaker, just say: "Play Virgin Radio." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr David Marlin took the opportunity to catch up with his old friend and colleague, farrier Ben Benson, at the annual Acpat seminar at Leamington Spa in October 2024.Ben Benson AWCF Farrier presented at the conference 'The Farrier's role in influencing equine posture and injury prevention'.They discuss the role of the farrier and how they can work with other professionals to determine the best course of action for any horse - given their unique perspective. How can a horse owner/rider get all these experts working together.Why is the farrier industry in decline, and what are the problems, causes and concerns for the industry? And what are the price differences between shoeing a horse in the UK and abroad? Farriers are being forced to shoe high numbers in the UK, and this is having a detrimental effect on their bodies, and they are struggling to make ends meet. They even discuss barefoot and why this topic is so divisive, and really it should be about welfare and what is best for the horse at that point in their life given; breed, age, condition, care, sport and whether it actually benefits them or not!You'll be able to watch the interview video here on Animalweb or listen to the podcast. -----------------------------------------To find out more about becoming a member >>> AskAnimalweb.comNot a Member? Join for as little as £6 a month or £8 on a month-by-month basis to access all the test results and have a say in what we test and investigate next. For this, you also get access to all past and future webinars, videos, podcasts, and articles, the opportunity to take part in testing and research and SOOOO much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Locals head to the park in Leamington Spa on a hot summer's day.Catherine Carr stops strangers to ask them “Where Are You Going?” and uncovers unexpected stories about people's lives.---Named 'Podcast of the Year' by Radio Times and picked as 'Best Podcasts of the Year 2023' by the Financial Times, Observer, Pod Bible and The Week. ---The conversations that follow are always unpredictable: sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking, silly, romantic or occasionally downright ‘stop-you-in-your-tracks' surprising. Catherine's been travelling and recording since 2014. Be transported to places around the world and into the lives of others: You just never know what story is coming next…We're actively seeking brand partners and sponsors and would love to talk to you. Please email us at whereareyougoing@loftusmedia.co.uk---Presented by Catherine CarrProduced by the team at Loftus MediaMusic by Edwin PearsonFollow whereareyougoing on InstagramCheck out our site: whereareyougoing.co.ukSend us an email: whereareyougoing@loftusmedia.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Catherine's in a park in sunny Leamington Spa surrounded by honking geese.Catherine Carr stops strangers to ask them “Where Are You Going?” and uncovers unexpected stories about people's lives.---Named 'Podcast of the Year' by Radio Times and picked as 'Best Podcasts of the Year 2023' by the Financial Times, Observer, Pod Bible and The Week. ---The conversations that follow are always unpredictable: sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking, silly, romantic or occasionally downright ‘stop-you-in-your-tracks' surprising. Catherine's been travelling and recording since 2014. Be transported to places around the world and into the lives of others: You just never know what story is coming next…We're actively seeking brand partners and sponsors and would love to talk to you. Please email us at whereareyougoing@loftusmedia.co.uk---Presented by Catherine CarrProduced by the team at Loftus MediaMusic by Edwin PearsonFollow whereareyougoing on InstagramCheck out our site: whereareyougoing.co.ukSend us an email: whereareyougoing@loftusmedia.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Waffle Shop!In this episode, Taylor waffles about his recent experience in a floatation tank, flirting in bookshops, and finding himself!If you're reading or even listening to this and thinking what on earth is a float tank, make sure you check out Spa Float in Leamington Spa for all your answers! They have so many mental health benefits and really help clear the mind, especially when things get a little bit chaotic!This week Taylor also found himself in a bookshop and shared a moment with another book lover that made him feel like they had a connection.....or at least he thinks he didIf you enjoy the episode don't forget to hit the subscribe button and get in touch to share your Weekly Waffles! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What should you say to a friend who has cancer? If you're the one with the diagnosis, how do you tell your kids? And is it really possible to futureproof your body against illness? Answering all these questions is the brilliant Rosamund Dean. She tells us about her journey from finding a lump in her boob to being cancer free, and what she wishes she'd known at the beginning. We discuss clipboard people versus duvet people, and whether early menopause is more like pick'n'mix or a Glastonbury toilet. Rosamund explains how having cancer has affected her perspective, and reveals the biggest change she's made to her lifestyle. Yes, it's a serious subject, but we still manage to have some laughs along the way. And of course we finish with some Scummy Mummy Confessions - this time involving Baileys, sweat, glitter, and lying to children. Rosamund's book is a great read whether you have cancer, you're supporting someone through treatment, or you're interested in looking after your health. Reconstruction is out now. We are also huge fans of her book about reducing your alcohol intake, Mindful Drinking. And do check out her substack, Well Well Well. Rosamund is on Instagram @rosamunddean.**WE ARE ON TOUR!** Come and see our live comedy show in 2023! We are on our way to Leamington Spa, Corby, Harrogate, Middlesborough, Chelmsford, Cambridge, Banbury, Poole, Worthing, Barnsley, Stroud, Trowbridge, Henley-on-Thames, Leatherhead, Bristol, Brighton, Bath... And new dates are being added all the time! Keep an eye on scummymummies.com for announcements and tickets. **WE HAVE A SHOP!** Visit scummymummiesshop.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, washbags, sweatshirts and beach towels. FREE UK DELIVERY! We're on Twitter (@scummymummies), Instagram, and Facebook. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.