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Adam is joined by Guest Hypnotist Jasnon O'Callaghan, a psychologist who became a stage hypnotist for weddings and a hypnotherapists offering a full sensory experience. More Info on Jaoson here: https://jasonocallaghan.com/ Jason O'Callaghan is a trained psychologist. He holds a honours degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Applied Psychology from Trinity College Dublin. Prior to this for over a decade he was a prominent journalist for The Sunday Independent newspaper.For his Masters research he was named in the 2012 Trinity College Roll of Honor after he developed a stress reduction program for cancer patients. He is the only known practicing hypnotherapist in Ireland to hold a Masters in Psychology from Trinity College.He is also one of only three known hypnotists in Ireland to have an Honors degree in Psychology accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland. He is also one of only three hypnotherapists in Ireland trained in America as a Certified Instructor by the world famous National Guild of Hypnotists.He is also qualified in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) receiving his training from The Institute of Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy (IICP).He holds qualifications in Counselling from National University of Ireland in Maynooth and is a certified member of the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH). He also holds a Higher National Diploma in Media and worked for ten years interviewing world leaders, celebrities and international businessmen as part of his role as a journalist for Ireland's biggest newspaper The Sunday Independent.Since 2002 he has performed at over 2,000 events, firstly as the producer and front man of the famed Irish Rat Pack show and since 2014 as a motivational, corporate and event psychologist, specializing in both clinic and stage hypnosis. He has written two books, produced two albums and three kids.He has performed at events from 10 to 1,000 guests and can tailor his performance to suit your needs.His clients range from engaged couples, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Indeed.com, Netwatch, Supermacs, the Radison hotel Bahrain plus many more from Ireland to the UK, from the USA to the middle east.
The Brisbane City Council has a new proposal to harness the Brisbane River for getting around the city. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner joined Peter Fegan on 4BC Breakfast to explain the council's plan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nevena and Macca are joined live on air by Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece, Update on Local Politics. Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece is the portfolio head for Infrastructure and portfolio... LEARN MORE The post Saturday, 6th, September, 2025: Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece, Update on Local Politics appeared first on Saturday Magazine.
Join us at Bradgate Park in Leicester with Jules Acton, author, former podcast guest and Trust ambassador, while our regular host Adam enjoys a summer holiday. We meet senior park ranger Matt who gives us a tour as he explains his role in caring for the site and its amazing trees. We've come to the park to see one in particular: a magnificent 830-year-old oak. It's in the running for Tree of the Year 2025. This year's contest celebrates our cultural connections with trees, shining a light on those that are local landmarks, sources of passion, inspiration and creativity. Find out what makes Bradgate Park's oldest oak special and vote for your favourite by 19 September. Don't forget to rate us and subscribe! Learn more about the Woodland Trust at woodlandtrust.org.uk Transcript You are listening to Woodland Walks, a podcast for the Woodland Trust. We protect and plant trees for people to enjoy, to fight climate change and to help wildlife thrive. Jules: Good morning. I'm Jules Acton. I'm an ambassador for the Woodland Trust. I've been in this job for 10 years this month and it's been a fantastic 10 years. I've loved every day because I get to meet some amazing trees and woods and even more than that, I also get to meet lots of amazing people who love trees and woods and who are inspired by them. So Woodland Trust members, other supporters, staff and volunteers. And I think one of the reasons people love trees so much is not just for the fact they provide all the wonderful services they they store our carbon, they provide fresh air, they can help filter pollution. But they're also absolutely entwined in our culture. And that's been taking place over hundreds and thousands of years. So our, particularly our native tree species tree species are absolutely embedded in our culture, and every old tree has a story to tell. Now, the reason we're here today is that we're going to talk about Tree of the Year and the theme of the Tree of the Year is culture and the way trees are embedded in culture. Ten magnificent trees have been chosen by a panel of experts. Each has a wonderful story to tell, and members of the public can go and vote for their favourite tree on the Woodland Trust website. We are here in Bradgate Park car park. It is a golden morning and we're surrounded by trees. I can see oak trees, hawthorns, birches, hazels. It's absolutely gorgeous with the dappled sunlight falling down on us through the leaves. We're here to meet a particularly special tree. It's Bradgate Park's oldest oak tree, and it's about 20 minutes walk from the car park. So I see my colleague Natasha. She's over there waiting at the edge of the car park, waiting for Matt. Hello Natasha. Natasha: Hello. Ohh hi! Jules: Can you tell us a bit about your role, Natasha and what you do at the Woodland Trust? Natasha: Yeah, I'm a social media officer, so I just help create and schedule all social media content, jump on whenever there's an opportunity like today. Jules: And today you're going to be helping with the recording. Natasha: Yeah, getting a few clips behind the scenes of how we record the podcast so we can share that and a few bits for our website as well and YouTube. Jules: Thanks Natasha. Now I think we have just seen somebody drive up who might well be Matt. He's he's appeared in a very groovy looking buggy. And here we go. I believe this is Matt. Hello. Matt: Good morning, Jules. Jules: Hello, Matt, hi, lovely to meet you. Matt: Nice to meet you. Welcome to Bradgate Park. Jules: Thank you. Can you tell us a little bit about your role, Matt? Matt: So yeah so I've I've worked at Bradgate Park for just over 20 years now and main sort of roles on on the site are woodland management and caring for the ancient trees that we've got that that are of European importance. And I also get quite involved with the drystone walls and repairing them. I lead a a group of volunteers on a Thursday and as we go across the site, I'm sure I can show you some of the work that we've been doing. Jules: Oh brilliant, and you're going to particularly show us a very special tree, I believe. Matt: Yes, I believe we might be able to find that. Yeah, the tree is approximately 830 years old. It predates the Magna Carta and I'd certainly like to take you to the tree and tell you a bit more about it. Jules: All right. We're just getting ready to go and all around us are people enjoying the park, there are some people walking up hills. There are lots of dogs. There's one very cute little brown dog that's having a little dip in, in a little stream, a little brook, really at the edge of the park and it's already quite a warm day, so I think it's having a nice little cool down. We're back en route towards the special tree with the beautiful drystone wall to our right and across to the left are, well there's a tree, there's a plantation, and then there's also a sort of a bit of a wood pasture environment would you call it Matt, with some native trees dotted around in the landscape? Matt: Yeah, very much so. So this is Hallgates Valley. We're looking across to Dale Spinney. The park itself is 830 acres, of which spinneys represent about 10% of the parkland area, so it's quite a large proportion. All the spinneys were planted on the, on the hilltops across the park, that's that's not just by chance. And they were created around about 1830s-40s by the 6th early of Stamford and and now we see the spinneys that we've got here today so you've got quite a mature, mature standard trees. Quite a lot are softwood, but then we've got a mixture of hardwoods in there. We certainly replant hardwoods in the spinneys. Jules: How would you define a spinney as opposed to, you know, other kinds of woods? Matt: Nice easy question *laughs*. I would I would say you've obviously got different names of woodlands and you know we're, we're, we're in Charnwood Forest, but a a forest isn't just trees, it's clearings. And I would say a copse is a small woodland. I would say the spinney is is probably like slightly larger than that and then you go up towards a wood. I could be totally wrong! *both laugh* Jules: I like it though. So Matt you say, you've you've been here 20 years. Matt: Yeah, 22. Jules: 22. So you obviously love it. And what is it that keeps you here? Matt: I was born in Leicester and came here as a young child playing and you know to end up working here as a job, it's certainly a nice place to be coming to and huge, beautiful surroundings, fresh air and and then I've I've just got a real passion for particularly the a lot of the heritage crafts that we keep alive on the estate. So yes, we go down and we manage the woodlands, but we're actually carrying out coppicing operations and that, they go back to the Stone Age and and then other work on the site for instance drystone walling, which we're approaching a gap now that we've been repairing and is obviously another heritage craft, and for me, I I just think it's really important that we're passing on these skills, heritage crafts on to the next sort of generation. Jules: That that's brilliant. And do you do you train sort of volunteers or or is it staff members in in this kind of thing? Matt: I've trained up to Level 2 in walling. That's something I I went up to Derbyshire to do. We've actually got another chap on site now, Leon. He's, he was in the armed forces and and and Leon is doing his levels in walling as well. I believe he's already got Level 1 and 2. He's working towards his 3, we might be able to pop and see him in a bit, but I guess the focus should be trees today *laughs*. Jules: Yeah, well if we have time, that'd be great. See how we go. Matt: This is certainly a large gap of wall that we've been doing on the estate. We've got 17 miles of drystone wall to maintain. The deer park itself goes back to 1241, but it's, the boundaries changed slightly over over the years and the largest extent of the deer park was probably around about 1550 and that would have, certain parts of the boundary are drystone wall and and that's obviously what what we're left with today and we need to maintain that. Not only does it keep the deer inside the park, which is obviously beneficial for a deer park, it's fantastic habitat for various, you know, sort of reptiles to live in and adders, grass snakes, things like that. Jules: Fantastic, so we're looking at at one of the drystone walls and it's I'd say about shoulder height, would you say and it's a grey sort of almost sort of slaty looking stone actually, do you, can you tell us what kind of the stone it is? Matt: Yeah so on on this side of the park, it's it's it's it's a little bit more slaty towards Newtown Linford, that's that's more of a granite, the walling that we do on the, that we we do on the park is is called random coursed walling. So yes, as we build the wall up, you start with the larger stones at the bottom and as the as the wall tapers up, it angles in, that's called the batter of the wall, you can see the frame we've got and that that we're working to, we've got the building lines in. So this one is 80 centimetres at the bottom, tapering up to 40 centimetres at the top. Originally this was actually a lime mortar wall and a lot of walls on the park are lime mortar, but it is possible to rebuild dry, but we do a mix a mixture of both on the estate. Jules: That's great and it's just lovely to see these heritage practices being kept alive and you mentioned the coppicing as well, which is absolutely very much part of woodland culture going back centuries. I believe it goes back to the Vikings, maybe even earlier, I don't know if you know anything about the history of it, Matt? Matt: Yeah, well, certainly the Stone Age coppicing going back, going back to the Stone Age, it's the process of cutting the tree down to ground level. Not all trees will coppice, certainly oak will. That's where Copt Oak gets the name from, coppiced oak. Hazel is the primary tree species that we are coppicing, certainly in Swithland Woods and we've got a management plan in place. We've we've just come to the end of a 10-year management plan that was supported by, there's a lady called Liz Sharkey who comes up with a great plan for us. We're just starting in, in November will be the next 10-year plan and the intention of that is to create the most diverse habitat that Swithland Woods is and it will create a mosaic of habitats, different age stands within the structure of the woodland and and part of that will be coppicing rotation and that will open up and the the the floor of the woodland, let light in and that will benefit bluebells and wood anemone and all the related bird species and invertebrates. Jules: This is all music to our Woodland Trust ears. Thank you, Matt. Shall we continue on our little tour? Matt: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I will turn this very loud... *banging* Jules: *laughs* I'm not actually sure how to get out the car, but ohh, OK, yeah, yeah. Natasha's on it. Thanks Natasha. OK, so we are walking up to not the tree we're here to see, but we couldn't resist this one because it's really special and it's a gnarly oak tree, kind of growing out of what looks like a big craggy load of rocks. Yeah, Matt, could you tell us a bit more about this tree? Matt: Yes, I can. So it's English oak and some of the, it's growing out of granite and some of the rocks on the park are actually some of the oldest rocks, certainly in Britain and and the world, 560-million-year-old rocks that we've got on the park and it's all part part of the designation, actually, of the park, it's a SSSI, geological interest in the park and also the veteran trees are also part of that designation and we have just become a National Nature Reserve as well, Bradgate Park. Jules: Well, congratulations! Could you just explain the SSSI to us just so people understand what the abbreviation means? Matt: It's a Site of Special Scientific Interest, so there's many layers to Bradgate Park, people might just want to come have a nice walk, enjoy the views, and people that might be more interested in the geology of the park, so we get a lot of people that are coming out and looking at the rocks and looking for fossils and they're able to from that age, the rocks on the park and then other designations that we've got are related to the ancient trees and and that all forms a a bigger picture that makes the park so important that it has to be protected. Jules: Fantastic. And one of the things that I've just noticed on both this very old oak tree and also on the rocks are, there's a lot of lichens. They're gorgeous. So they're sort of just splattered with them, some of them just look like, like, little sort of paint splats, don't they? They are different colours, we've got white ones, green ones on the rocks, I'm looking at, sort of greyish ones. Some are crusty, some are very flat, which is I think the nature of lichens. Do you know much about the lichens? Matt: I certainly know that we need to keep the lichens exposed to the sunlight, so we have to clear bracken so they're not getting shaded out. They take a long time to form and I certainly know that they need good clean air. So that is a good sign, if you're seeing lichens, you're in a good place as a human being. Jules: Yeah, absolutely. And and one of the things about oak trees as well is because they, they're long-lived trees, they provide particularly important habitat for lichens, cause some, many lichens are really, really slow growing, so they need a very slow, you know, stable habitat, so whether it be the rocks or or the very old tree and you'll get different species associated with the different environments as well. Matt: Yeah, exactly right. And and you can see as well as the being lichens on the rock, you look up into the oak tree and in to the, up the, into the crown of the tree and we are seeing lichens on on the oak tree. Jules: Yeah. Aed one of the other things about lichens is that they are also embedded in our culture as well, so we use them to to make dyes, some people cook with them, so again, a bit like bit like the oak trees and and other native trees, they're really entwined in our cultural history. This isn't the tree we're here to see, but it's absolutely marvellous! So I, gosh, I hope this becomes, goes on the Tree of the Year shortlist at some point because it deserves it! Matt: Well, it's nice to have more than one entry. Jules: Yeah, that would be good, wouldn't it? Matt: I guess it would in in increase the chances of winning, but seeing as it's the first time you've come to the park, Jules, I thought you may as well see this. Jules: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I love it. It looks quite elephantine from this, elephantine I should say, from this angle with this sort of like this great, long limb sticking out, it's almost like a trunk isn't it and up into the into the blue. Matt: It certainly is, and I think that's certainly going to be the word of the day. I'm not, I'm not certainly going to try and trump that! Jules: OK, yeah, let's, let's, let's try and use it again, in the next stop! *both laugh* OK. We're going back to the car now the the buggy, the T, TVA. No, the, what is it? Matt: The ATV *both laugh* As we go back towards the ATV, we can see a absolutely stunning tower on a hill. It's gorgeous. It's kind of like, well it looks like it's in a fairytale to me. Could you tell us a bit about that? Matt: So Old John Tower was, they started building it 1784 and and it is a folly and it was somewhere that the Greys, the owners, the Earls of Stamford could entertain guests and around the base of the tower, the rear is the remnants of an old racetrack, at the side of the tower, there's an old stable block and the Greys were certainly great horse fanciers and they entered racehorses into various events and along the the the old racetrack there's still remnants of old furlong markers and they were able to entertain the guests, stand up on the the roof of the of the tower and get an idea of of how good the how well the horses were performing. Jules: Brilliant. And and the the Greys being the family of Lady Jane Grey, is that right? Matt: Yes, that's right yeah. Jules: OK. So it's it's absolutely stunning. It looks like the sort of, yeah, if you're drawing a scene in a fairytale, you'd be drawing a little turrety round tower on top of a hill, wouldn't you? And there'd be probably Rapunzel at the top, letting down her hair. On this occasion we've got a, on this occasion we've got a a very fit looking person who's just run a ring around the bottom of the tower and is now running towards us, obviously making use of this wonderful environment to to keep up their fantastic fitness. Right. OK. Now we are going back to the vehicle. And I think is next stop the the tree, our destination? Matt: Yes it certainly is. Jules: OK, OK, brilliant. I think I've actually worked out how to get in this time, which is ohh no, Matt's letting me in, thank you, what a gent, thank you. Right, we are now out of the vehicle and we are walking towards the special tree. And how long, how much of a walk is it from here? Matt: So I can see it already and I'd say we're only about 200 yards away from it. Jules: *laughs* Ohh, I still haven't seen it! Matt: I'm I'm I'm deliberately walking in a way that it's going to appear. Jules: Oh he's hiding it from us. Matt: Yeah. There we go, fallow deer. Jules: Ohh, there's ohh my goodness two fallow deer. The beautiful spotty backs, sort of trotting away. And then they've stopped and have given, they're looking at us. They're not too shy, actually are they? Matt: No, no, they're not. Jules: They look just like double Bambi. They're very beautiful. Matt: You'll you'll you'll notice on all the trees, and there's about a dozen smaller oak trees that we planted, and these are about 30 years old now. Again, you can see how we've we've literally topped the smaller trees and and that's because we don't want to leave these trees just to get huge a. and maidens and straight and tall. So we want these to be stunted and more open grown. And so we've cut the tops off and and thinned them slightly. And then, again, we're hoping that that will make them longer lived. Jules: Yeah, yeah. And of course, the oak trees love a lot of light, don't they? And these have got quite a lot of light and space around them. Matt: Yes. Jules: Ohh, I can see it now. Oh my goodness. What a beast. How fantastic. So it does, so it's the Bradgate Park's oldest oak, isn't it, so does it have a name, another name beyond that? Matt: I think people people give it various names but it's just ‘the oldest tree in the park' *laughs* Jules: Yeah, yeah. Matt: Trying, I suppose for many years we've tried to keep it a bit bit sort of secret. That's probably for the benefit of the tree and certainly, the fact that it's within a spinney, people aren't walking up to it, and that's helped the tree. I feel that it's in a, it's obviously found some good growing conditions and despite the general habitat of the park being poor, upland soil, shallow, it's found some incredible growing conditions here it's been sheltered so that it's not being exposed to too much, too much wind force. And also it's it's nice and open so as the, as you know sort of from midday to right through into the evening, it's gonna get plenty of light as well. So there's I think there's been a number of factors that have certainly helped to prolong the life of the tree. Jules: Yes, absolutely. Wow, it is a stunner. So just to try and describe this tree, it it's immensely tall. It's probably about the size of a, what about the height of a house would you say? Matt: Yeah it's a good, good 45 feet. Jules: Yeah. And it's got a very gnarly bole. I call it a bole rather than a trunk because it's really big, broad, and it's kind of split into two, kind of more than two. And it's got some dead branches coming out the middle. It's got one gorgeous, great, long, twisted limb reaching out. And it's that that's they're they're propped up, but it's kind of snaking, isn't it, ooh, it's elephantine that's what it is! Yeah, let's use our favourite word of the day. Matt: I'd I'd say it's definitely elephantine *both laugh* Jules: Yeah. And you can see kind of, it looks like there's faces everywhere, aren't there? It's like in that they've dead bit of branch there, you can see like a sort of twisted sort of face and a great long nose. And ohh it's, what a beautiful beast. So Matt, could you tell us a bit about its cultural connection to human beings? Matt: Well, it certainly, it it was aged back in 2014 by a tree consultancy called Bosky and we we obtained a grant funding to tag and map many, many trees across the estate of this, being one of them, and it was it was aged at 818 back then, which puts us at around about the 830 mark now. In terms of relations to humans, it predates the Magna Carta and one of the most notable former residents of Bradgate Park obviously being Lady Jane, when she was a child living on the park, the tree would have already been quite a mighty oak of about 300 years. Jules: Gosh, so, so Lady Jane Grey would have known this tree. Matt: Yes, yeah. Jules: She would probably sat underneath it. Matt: Which is somewhat remarkable. Jules: Yeah. Maybe had a little picnic under here. *Matt laughs* That's what I would have done. Fantastic. And it's wonderful that you're protecting it and actually, despite this sort of really craggy bole, it's it's looking in pretty good health, isn't it, it's got loads of leaves all around. Are you feeling sort of confident about its its future given given how it is? Matt: Well, certainly, yeah you you've you've pointed out the props and these props have been in place supporting certainly this this limb. If we walk around the other side of the tree, you can you can get a bit more of an impression as to what the props are actually achieving for the tree and in due course, and I believe we'll we'll probably upgrade these props, which are basically telegraph posts with Land Rover tyres that have been cut, which is certainly an effective way of doing things, but we have evolved the propping techniques that are now, you can see the tree in the distance over there by the compound that's called the Pheasant Garden. And there's a there's an oak tree there that supported by a prop and that is manufactured using metal, sort of steel work and then there's a cup section that's manufactured and then that that's a more sympathetic way of actually supporting that bough. Jules: Yeah, yes. Matt: Regarding, you know the actual cover of the foliage, like you say, totally agree that it's it's still got reasonable foliage cover, certainly certain things that we do have to watch out for is shade. And that is partly why we've cut the tops off the trees around it. But also you can see where we've got a bit of interference here with this Scots pine at the back. Jules: Oh yes, it's actually actually touching I think, almost touching. Matt: So that is something that we would look to keep keep in check. So this Scots pine, as as lovely as it is, that Scots pine is more like 70 years old, and we wouldn't want that to be shading out so that's something we'll we'll probably climb up there and just cut that, cut the limb off off the Scots pine and stop that, because you can see if we just leave that doing what it's doing, it's going to start shading out and it's really important that we keep the living mass of this tree, so there's a balance there between the living mass and the dead mass of the tree, the static mass. And it's that balance as a ratio for the tree, you know, if you, if you look at a younger tree there, you can say that almost almost 100% of of the of the crown of that tree is alive. Whereas you look at this tree and you start thinking maybe 50%. So the closer that ratio between the living mass and the dead mass is, the closer that gets more like to a one to one, then the the tree will will then gradually just just just be going into decline. So you know, the tree will not live forever but I'm pretty confident it's going to outlive us guys *laughs* Jules: Yes. It's an amazing thought, isn't it? And it's obviously very loved and and and I think the importance is is not just about the tree itself, is it? So really ancient oaks like this, they support enormous numbers of species, some of which only live on ancient oaks. So that's why we need to protect this tree as much as we possibly can and also bring on those veteran oaks of the future that you you, you're, you're that you're you're doing just that, aren't you, here in the park. Absolutely vital. Matt: Yeah, very much so, very much so. As we've driven across the park, we've seen various planting that's been supported by the Tree Council. And like you say, that has, that certainly has been planting more oak trees, but then also other nectar bearing species, rowan, blackthorn, hawthorn, gorse. And these are all important, like you say for the deadwood insects that, that, that live within the ancient oak tree and and then as the tree gets older it then develops more veteran features and those crags, holes are very important roosting habitats for, certainly for owls and bats. Jules: Yeah. And so oak trees in the UK collectively support more than 2,300 species, some of which are completely reliant on oak trees. They couldn't survive without oak trees, and one of the things we were talking about earlier as we drove up was the fact that there are, you know, some, some beetles, for example, some longhorn beetles, for example, they spend their lives as larvae living in deadwood. But then the adults, they need nectar when they grow up, so again, it's really important to have those nectar sources nearby isn't it? Matt: Yeah. So very, very much is. Yeah. And that's what we're looking to do on the park we are we are planting those, those supporting plants. Jules: Fantastic. Wonderful. This incredible tree that we're standing in front of is one of the ten contenders in this year's Tree of the Year competition and the theme of this year's competition is culture and the the the the history and culture associated with trees in our world. Ancient oaks are absolutely threaded in our culture. I'm particularly interested in them, I wrote a book about about oak trees called Oaklore, and one of the things that I talked about was the way that the oak tree intertwines with our lives with with lots of different species, but also with human lives and with our culture. There were so many stories associated with the oak tree. One of my favourites is the story of Charles II and the Boscobel Oak. So before Charles II was, became king he was fighting the parliamentarians and he took a terrible drubbing at a battle. And he needed to escape. And he escaped to Boscobel House. And he was with this soldier called Colonel Careless, and this soldier suggested that they hide in the oak tree overnight rather than the house. And they did. And even though the parliamentarian troops were were wandering nearby, they didn't find the king and his soldiers, and they escaped. And eventually they returned and that led to the restoration of the monarchy. The thing I like about this story is the cultural links then go on and on. Because at that point, a day of national celebration was declared throughout the land, and that was 29 May and that became Oak Apple Day and everybody would party and if the best people at the party, the coolest people at the party, they waved oak branches and wore oak leaves and and if you were super cool, you had lots of oak apples on your, so little galls on your oak branches. And if you didn't have little symbols of oaks, then others were apparently within their rights to take a bunch of nettles and and and attacked you with nettles, which wasn't so nice. So it was also called Nettle Day. It was also known as Pinch Bum Day and Maids Ruin Day. The story goes on, but the other sort of fun cultural connection to that is it also came, it also brought about lots of pubs called the Royal Oak, and the last time I looked there were about 400 oak trees, 400 sorry pubs called the Royal Oak throughout the land, so the cultural tales just go on and on. And that's just the oak tree. But all of our native trees have some fantastic stories associated with them in. In fact every old tree has a story to tell. It's like us, like every older person, we've all got a story, a history to tell. Yeah. OK. Matt: So yeah, we're just walking back from the oldest tree now, and we're just sort of musing over just that connection that human, humans have got to trees. I think it's the fact that an oak tree can sort of live centuries and really, that puts our lifetimes somewhat in perspective. And the fact that an oak tree can just go from the tiniest of acorns to a huge mass of of timber and that is just really fantastic, how you could you could cut open a tree and see all those different tree rings, those years of growth and then just sort of put that in context, what was happening was, was it Dick Whittington that was the Lord Mayor of London for the last time, was it was it the Battle of Agincourt, was it the Magna Carta? And and it's for people like you that actually write books about it, Jules, that can say it a lot better than me *both laugh* Jules: No that was brilliant and we're not gonna cut this one in half though are we, Matt? Matt: No, we're certainly not. And the fact that it's hollow, we just can't see those rings anymore. Jules: No. Thank you. Brilliant. Right. This is our final leg on our walk and we're now in a polytunnel and it's really warm because the sun's beating down outside and it smells gorgeous and and we are surrounded by lots of little trees. Matt, can you tell us a little bit about these? Matt: So the polytunnel was funded by the Tree Council and it's just very important that we're growing on oaks for the future from acorns that have been collected on site. So they've got the genetic continuity of the long-lived oak trees and hopefully they'll grow and carry on into long into the future. Jules: And are they, is it a a mix of acorns from all different trees in in here or is it, or is, are you, are you taking them from specific trees? Matt: It's yeah, it's a bit of a mix. Sometimes, you know, where where we can and where they're viable, if we if we get to the acorns from a veteran tree before the deer, then that's certainly something that we we're looking to grow on. So generally that's what we're that's that's where we'll try and harvest them from that, we've put a frame down before with a bit of a grill, so we can collect the acorns, but then they don't get eaten and that's certainly quite a good technique. And and then we we we grow on from the old trees where we can, yes. Jules: They're really lovely. So we've got really tiny little trees with, some of them have got like, you know, about 5 or 6 leaves. And then they go up to sort of above our just above our heads. And I think what always strikes me is the, the the diversity in in leaf shape and colour that you that you see all around you. So even the same place within within oak trees, it's incredible, the different shapes and sizes you get, isn't it? Matt: Yeah, it really is. And you know, look, looking some of the some of the oaks have been collected from Swithland Woods as well. And and where you've got a stalked leaf, that is a sessile oak. Jules: Ah yes. Matt: And and where you've got a a leaf that's coming off that isn't stalked, that is an English oak, but but that will have a stalked acorn. Jules: Yes. So that's the the key way to tell the difference isn't. Yeah, brilliant. Thank you. I love it. The Bradgate Park oak is one of ten iconic trees across the UK in the running for the Tree of the Year competition. Other examples include the Tree of Peace and Unity in County Antrim. That's an iconic lime tree, I say a lime tree, it's actually two lime trees which are fused together so that the trunk has become bound as one and it's, they've become inseparable and as such they've become a symbol of harmony and hope. So newly married couples sit beneath that tree for a blessing and it became a particular symbol of peace and reconciliation when Tony Blair, David Trimble and John Hume met here in 1998 at the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Another example is the Argyle Street Ash in Glasgow. This tree is growing right next to some historic flats and it's seen as a symbol of local resilience. It has survived all kinds of things, including Victorian industry, the Clydeside Blitz, recent development and so far, ash dieback. One of its cultural connections is that it was featured in a 1935 book by James Cowan. The book was called From Glasgow's Treasure Chest and in it he describes the tree as ‘quite the most graceful ash I have seen'. Well, that's enough of me. Meanwhile, thank you so much to Matt and Natasha. It's been great fun talking trees with you. Thank you for listening to the Woodland Trust Woodland Walks. Don't forget to subscribe to the series on iTunes or wherever you're listening to us and do give us a review and a rating. And why not send us a recording of your favourite woodland walk to be included in a future podcast? Keep it to a maximum of five minutes and please tell us what makes your woodland walk special or send us an e-mail with details of your favourite walk and what makes it special to you. Send any audio files to podcast@woodlandtrust.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.
Tom Elliott has called out numerous "ridiculous" political junkets that've recently been announced, with key figures including lord mayor Nicholas Reece and Premier Jacinta Allan heading overseas at taxpayers' expense.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Brisbane's Lord Mayor has a bold plan to permanently implement a controversial traffic light rule.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On 1st September 1599, Dorcas Martin — translator, bookseller, Puritan, and wife of Sir Richard Martin, twice Lord Mayor of London — was laid to rest at All Hallows, Tottenham. Though she lived much of her life in her husband's shadow, Dorcas carved out a place of her own in Elizabethan London. She acted as a bookseller during the fierce “pulpit wars” between Puritan preacher Thomas Cartwright and John Whitgift, and her translations of prayers and psalms appeared in "The Monument of Matrones" (1582) — the very first anthology of women's writing published in England. In this podcast, I explore the life of Dorcas Martin: - Her family and marriage to Sir Richard Martin, Master of the Mint and Lord Mayor. - Her bold role in circulating controversial Puritan texts. - Her translations and inclusion among the first printed voices of English women. - Her enduring legacy, remembered in epitaphs and dedications. Dorcas may not have been a queen or martyr, but her voice shaped Elizabethan religious culture. It's time to remember her. If you enjoy stories of overlooked Tudor women, don't forget to subscribe and hit the so you don't miss future episodes. And thank you to my channel members for supporting my work — you make podcasts like this possible! #TudorHistory #Elizabethan #WomensHistory #Puritans #OnThisDay
PJ chats to Lord Mayor Fergal Dennehy about the Culture Night events happening in Cork City in just 3 weeks time. See also here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Chas. and Mouch revisit our frustrating opening day draw with Palace and look for the positives therein, as well as running the rule over our next opponents, the 'appy 'Ammers. chelseapodcast.net @chelseapodcast Produced by Paul Myers and Mike Leigh A Playback Media Production playbackmedia.co.uk Copyright 2025 Playback Media Ltd - playbackmedia.co.uk/copyright Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has filed a motion to block protestors from taking over the Story Bridge this Sunday. The Lord Mayor joined Peter Fegan on 4BC Breakfast to explain his decision and what could happen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Lord Mayor of the city of Melbourne Nicholas Reece has shared some proposals to help traffic on the city's footpaths flow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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FULL SHOW : Mick Molloy takes on the Melbourne Lord Mayor over a few local issues; We have a few WTFs; and there is a Hembrow-Smith update. Tomorrow: Max Gawn and Glenn Robbins Catch Mick in the Morning LIVE from 6-9am weekdays on 105.1 Triple M. To watch your favourite new Breakfast Radio crew in action, follow @molloy and @triplemmelb on InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen to the full interview with Nick Reece.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
pWotD Episode 3023: Berners Street hoax Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 88,264 views on Monday, 11 August 2025 our article of the day is Berners Street hoax.The Berners Street hoax was perpetrated by the writer Theodore Hook in Westminster (now part of London) in 1810. After several weeks of preparation he made an apparently spontaneous bet with a friend that he could transform any property into the most talked-about address in London. Hook spent six weeks sending between a thousand and four thousand letters to tradespeople and businesses ordering deliveries of their goods and services to 54 Berners Street, Westminster, at various times on 27 November 1810. Several well-known people were also invited to call on the address, including the chairmen of the Bank of England and the East India Company, the Duke of Gloucester and the Lord Mayor of London.Hook and his friends rented rooms in the house opposite number 54 to view proceedings. Chimney sweeps began arriving at the address at 5:00 am on the day, followed by hundreds of representatives of several trades and businesses, including auctioneers, undertakers, grocers, butchers, bakers, pastry chefs and dancing masters; goods deliveries included organs, furniture, coal, wedding cakes, food, drink and a coffin. The police were called to try and manage the crowd but they were not able to clear the street until after the final influx of visitors at 5:00 pm: domestic servants who thought they were to be interviewed for a job.Hook was unidentified at the time, but admitted his involvement in a semi-autobiographical novel published twenty-five years after the event. The hoax was repeated across Britain and Paris, and was retold on stage, in song and by cartoonists.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:38 UTC on Tuesday, 12 August 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Berners Street hoax on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Justin.
fWotD Episode 3020: Berners Street hoax Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Monday, 11 August 2025, is Berners Street hoax.The Berners Street hoax was perpetrated by the writer Theodore Hook in London in 1810. After several weeks of preparation he made an apparently spontaneous bet with a friend that he could transform any property into the most talked-about address in London. Hook spent six weeks sending between a thousand and four thousand letters to tradespeople and businesses ordering deliveries of their goods and services to 54 Berners Street, London, at various times on 27 November 1810. Several well-known people were also invited to call on the address, including the chairmen of the Bank of England and the East India Company, the Duke of Gloucester and the Lord Mayor of London.Hook and his friends rented rooms in the house opposite number 54 to view proceedings. Chimney sweeps began arriving at the address at 5:00 am on the day, followed by hundreds of representatives of several trades and businesses, including auctioneers, undertakers, grocers, butchers, bakers, pastry chefs and dancing masters; goods deliveries included organs, furniture, coal, wedding cakes, food, drink and a coffin. The police were called to try and manage the crowd but they were not able to clear the street until after the final influx of visitors at 5:00 pm: domestic servants who thought they were to be interviewed for a job.Hook was unidentified at the time, but admitted his involvement in a semi-autobiographical novel published twenty-five years after the event. The hoax was repeated across Britain and Paris, and was retold on stage, in song and by cartoonists.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:55 UTC on Monday, 11 August 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Berners Street hoax on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Danielle.
Cuán Ó Flatharta, presenter of NewsTalk's Splanc, and former Lord Mayor and Fine Gael councillor Emma Blain join Anna to review Saturday morning's front pages.From the race to the Áras and the horrifying scenes from Gaza, get all the biggest stories here.
Hannah Tyrrell, two time All-Ireland winning Dublin footballer and Ray McAdam, Lord Mayor of Dublin look ahead to tonight's homecoming for the seven-time champions.
Lord mayor of Melbourne Nicholas Reece is backing an idea to make Victoria the 'most optimistic city' following on from the Melbourne 2050 Summit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In August 2024, we produced an all day event Middleton's Endgame: A Game at Chess LIVE! a pop up Middleton festival at The White Bear in Kennington, featuring a live performance of A Game at Chess, discussions of the play, a look at Middleton's last public work, the 1626 Lord Mayor's show, and other selections of writing from across his life. The whole event, as ever, was recorded, and we're releasing these over the next few months. This is episode 1, beginning at the top of the show. The show started with Setting up the Board, which delivered an overview of Thomas Middleton in the 1620's, and the theatrical context for the play. With readings of some of the sources, letters, and gossip behind the political theatre of the time. The hosts were Robert Crighton and Liza Graham Also featuring the voices of Keith Hill, Simon Nader, Daniel Yabut, Gillian Horgan, Kit McGuire, Sojourner Hazelwood-Connell, Connor Robert-Brown, Valentina Vinci. YouTube playlist of readings of the play. Podcast playlist on the play. Patreon box set of this show. The Legacy of Thomas Middleton discussing episode. Our patrons received a rough mix of this episode in September 2024 - over 11 months in advance. The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is supported by its patrons – become a patron and you get to choose the plays we work on next. Go to www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at admin@beyondshakespeare.org, follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.
Has the demise of London's leading financial services been "greatly exaggerated", and does the underlying evidence tell a very different story? In this interview, held at Mansion House in the historic City of London financial district, the Right Honourable Alastair King (696th Lord Mayor of the City of London) explains his view that the UK enjoys an unrivalled position, untouched by other European capitals. He explains London and the wider UK “moat”, and why it exhibits persistency and resilience. Perhaps the most unexpected statistic is the significant growth in employment numbers in the City since Brexit. He discusses the importance of the Mansion House Reforms and the £75bn of investment by 2030, headed into private assets. He discusses why we must recognise that we need to take more risk, judiciously but emphatically (and this is directed at both public and private markets). Lord Alastair then touches on the lessons we can learn from Canada and Australia and his current priorities. Finally, he explains why we need to get on planes/trains in order to trumpet the UK and drive new business opportunities. The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG. Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube
Enforcement will be an issue Mick Finn, former Lord Mayor of Cork and now Youth Services Manager Cork Education and Training Board tells Paul Byrne Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dublin City Council is calling on Dubliners to 'Be Sound This Summer' with a public awareness campaign, renewing its call for everyone to be respectful and to prioritise safety when walking, cycling, or driving on the city's streets during the busy summer months. As part of the launch, activations are taking place around the city this morning. Pedestrians and cyclists are being rewarded by "Soundness Detectors" for positive behaviour, thanking those who look out for others and prioritise safety. Commuters will be rewarded for their "sound" behaviour with an 'I'm Sound' badge that they can wear proudly! Following on from the successful original 'Be Sound' campaign launched in January, this summer campaign features a series of short, snappy social media videos featuring the Lane Hog, the Dangerous Dasher and the Light Breaker. These will be rolled out across Dublin City Council's social media channels, highlighting everyday ways to be sound. Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam, speaking about the campaign, said, "As a city, we're working to make travel safer, cleaner, and more connected - not just through infrastructure, but through how we treat one another. 'Be Sound This Summer' is about recognising and celebrating those small, everyday actions that make our streets safer and more respectful for everyone. By adding a bit of fun and positivity to the message, we're encouraging all road users to look out for each other. Whatever way you travel, being sound goes a long way." Recent findings from Dublin City Council's 'Your Dublin Your Voice' survey show that active travel plays a central role in how people get around the city. On average, people split their weekly transport time almost evenly between walking or wheeling (41%) and driving (40%), with a further 19% spent cycling. Dublin City Council continues to roll out dedicated infrastructure across the city, with three vital active travel schemes being completed within the next four weeks: the Ranelagh Village interim scheme, Beatty's Avenue to Herbert Park (part of the Dodder Greenway) scheme, and the Royal Canal Phase 3 scheme. With the summer months bringing more people out walking, cycling and driving, particularly around holidays and city events, Dublin City Council is reminding everyone to be alert and considerate on the streets so people can feel safer opting for more sustainable modes of transport. Active travel doesn't just support safer roads; it also delivers wide-reaching health and economic benefits. According to the most recent 'Walking and Cycling Index', walking and cycling in Dublin removes up to 530,000 cars from the roads each day and generates an annual benefit of €2.39 billion for individuals and the wider city. It also prevents 3,655 serious long-term health conditions each year and saves the health service approximately €64.5?million, equivalent to over 1.17?million GP appointments. Christopher K Manzira, (Acting) Director for the Active Travel Programme Office, Dublin City Council, at the launch said, "With more people choosing to travel actively across the city, we all have a shared responsibility to look out for one another. 'Be Sound' is a reminder that safety and respect are essential on our streets. Whether you're walking to the shop, wheeling to work, or driving through town, a little soundness can make a big difference. The data shows that active travel benefits us all, from reducing emissions to easing congestion as well as the additional health benefits. We want everyone to feel confident and safe doing so." The 'Be Sound this Summer' campaign will be visible across social media, digital channels, and on-street activity. The first video, which looks at the 'Lane Hog', can be accessed here: For more information about Dublin City Council's Active Travel Network, visit dublincity.ie or follow @DubCityCouncil on Instagram, Facebook and X. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Irel...
Asset Management can be explained as a systematic process of planning, operating, maintaining, upgrading and replacing assets cost-effectively with minimum risk and at the expected levels of service over the assets' life cycle. One sector where effective asset management can make a huge difference is public transportation, with organisations having to keep track of an exhaustive list of costly vehicles and infrastructure. Long time listeners may recall a previous episode where we interviewed the train operator, Greater Anglia, after they successfully achieved ISO 55001, the best practice standard for asset management. Now 3 years on, they've been recently recertified and have learned a lot since their initial certification. In this episode, Andrew Barnes, Head of Asset Management at Greater Anglia, joins Ian Battersby to discuss how they currently manage their ISO 55001 certification, what they've learned in the past 3 years since certification and the benefits of effective asset management. You'll learn · Who is Andrew Barnes? · Who are Greater Anglia? · How do Greater Anglia manage their ISO 55001 certification? · What lessons have been learned since their initial certification? · What are the main benefits of ISO 55001? · Andrew's top tip for ISO Implementation Resources · Isologyhub · Greater Anglia · ISO Support Plan In this episode, we talk about: [02:05] Episode Summary – Ian Battersby is joined by Andrew Barnes, Head of Asset Management at Greater Anglia, to discuss their experience with being certified to ISO 55001 for the past 3 years, explaining the lessons learned and benefits gained. [03:25] Who is Andrew Barnes? Andy is currently the Head of Asset Management at Greater Anglia. A fun fact that not many people know about him is that he was part of the Lord Mayor's Show in the 80's, though he had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction that ended with him getting a stern talking to! Andy has been working in the railways since 1985, starting as an apprentice with British Rail. [05:15] Who are Greater Anglia? Greater Anglia are a train operator who took over from National Express, East Anglia back in 2012. They serve the Anglia region from Liverpool Street Station, and are unusual among railway companies in that they are under a full repairing and insuring lease. This differs from most who have station access conditions, where the responsibility for maintenance and repair is split between Network Rail and the train operator. They currently operate 134 stations, with 2 more under construction which are Burley Park (due to open in October 2025) and Cambridge South (opening in early 2026). In addition to the stations, they also own 7 depots for train stabling and maintenance. So in short, a lot of assets to keep track of! [07:40] Extra asset requirements – They are also now challenged on cleanliness at train stations. This involves mystery shoppers visiting stations and marking them against certain criteria to give a score, which Greater Anglia tend to score quite highly. They also have to inspect all of their assets on a conditioned surveying scheme, the scores of which need to be communicated to Network Rail. [09:00] Andy's role as Head of Asset Management – Andy is relatively new to this role, becoming the Head of Asset Management in April 2025. He has a team of asset inspectors that conduct the condition surveys internally. He's also responsible for the Engineer Insurance Team, part of their role is to determine the technical aspects of large schemes that require focused designs. [10:05] How do Greater Anglia manage their ISO certifications? – In addition to ISO 55001, Greater Anglia also hold ISO 9001 and a number of standards specific to engineering. They have benefitted from 3rd party support in the form of utilising Blackmores consultancy to help gain certification and aid with on-going support for internal audits. Their processes and procedures are all managed by their Project Management Team, who conduct regular reviews against ISO requirements to ensure they stay relevant and in alignment with best practice. They also have a strategic asset management plan, risk register and continuous improvement plans in place to address various elements of both asset management and general quality management. Like with most ISO Standards, there's a lot of crossover in the requirements, so elements of each certification can easily be integrated and used to bolster an existing management system. [11:15] The benefit of a maturing management system – Andy is quite keen on learning from their maturing management system. Through effective implementation, you can look back and see what's working well and where improvements can be made. Having a certain level of management system maturity enables you to make more informed continual improvement decisions. [13:20] A structured approach – Prior to ISO 55001 certification, they were still doing everything that was required of them to maintain assets simply because that was the right thing to do. What they lacked was the structured processes and procedures to support that hard work. It wasn't as planned and more of a reactionary approach to asset management. Andy appreciates the clearly defined lines, processes and ability to learn from their mistakes as a result of ISO 55001 implementation. It simply helped provide a more consistent and collaborative base for effective asset management. [14:25] Other benefits from ISO 55001 certification:- Improved efficiency: New and improved processes helped to manage both their time and internal resource. They eliminated unnecessary meetings, and consolidated key discussion points for their regular meet-ups to ensure important updates were prioritised. Risk Mitigation: They now have a structured approach to learning from past mistakes. This is managed via a Lessons Learned Database, which collates the answers to specific questions that get asked after project completion. They make sure to include contractor input so all parties involved feel the benefits. Recently, they've also been granted access to Network Rail's Lesson's Learned database, so they will benefit from an even wider knowledge base for future projects. Consistent approach: Their current management system ensures that everyone is following the same policies, processes and procedures. People know what their responsibilities are, who to communicate what to and how they can help contribute to improvement efforts. Continual Improvement culture shift: The management system doesn't require everyone to know everything from the get-go. It encourages a culture of learning with the goal of continual improvement, so people aren't afraid of suggesting actions for innovation. [19:45] Lessons learned: Not just from mistakes – Ultimately, from an asset management point of view, Greater Anglia want to maintain or renew an asset as functional and preserve it for as long as possible. They need to intervene as quickly and as efficiently as possible to minimise the impact to people using it. Minimising the time on site with things like modular construction and hauling large equipment are things we've done due to lessons learned from other projects. These were positive changes that we've taken on not due to mistakes but simply from trying different things. A lesson learned doesn't have to result from a mistake. It's about learning from both risks and opportunities. [21:20] Top ISO Implementation tips from Andy – Do your homework: Have a good understanding of your Management System and take your time to weave it into your day-to-day activities. A helping hand: Make use of an ISO champion, whether that's someone internal with ISO knowledge or a 3rd party dedicated ISO consultancy (such as Blackmores) to help you break down an ISO Standard into something you can understand and apply to your way of working. Recording evidence: Don't just talk the talk, walk the walk! Once a process or procedure is documented, follow it, and record evidence of this. Same goes for any actions for improvement that are raised, don't just let it sit there, action it. [23:45] Andy's take away from ISO 55001 management – Andy is surprised by how attuned their business is to the Standard. The Standard speak may seem obtuse or vague, but its adaptability is it's greatest strength. You have the flexibility to apply it in a way that works for your business. [25:15] Andy's book recommendations – 1984 by George Orwell and Adolf Hitler: My part in his downfall by Spike Milligan. [26:35] Andy's favorite quote – ‘By Failing to prepare, you're preparing to fail' – Benjamin Franklin If you'd like to learn more about Greater Anglia, check out their Website and Linkedin. If you'd like any assistance with ISO 55001 Asset Management, feel free to get in touch with us, we'd be happy to help. We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: ● Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ● Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List
Lord Mayor of Melbourne said that recent figures show that the City of Melbourne is going through a "retail renaissance". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark Levy has condemned Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore for backing a pro-Palestine march across the Harbour Bridge, particularly her claim it would be a "powerful symbol".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Ray McAdam has invited former US President Barack Obama to formally accept the Freedom of Dublin during their visit to the city in September. However, the Irish Anti War Movement is now considering a protest against the honour. Jim Roche PRO of the Irish Anti-War Movement and Scott Lucas Professor of US and International Politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin joined us on Newstalk Breakfast to discuss.
Former US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle have been invited to accept the Freedom of the City of Dublin when they visit the capital in September.The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ray McAdam, said the couple had received the city's highest civic honor in February 2017 by Dublin City Council, however they have not yet had the opportunity to formally accept it.Is now the right time to receive this award? And should they get it at all?Joining guest host Mandy Johnston to discuss this and more is Eddie Punch from the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association and Law Lecturer from the University of Galway & Columnist with The Journal, Larry Donnelly.
Who was William Beckford, and why does his name still spark debate today? Born in Jamaica in 1709, Beckford became one of the wealthiest men in Britain through sugar plantations powered by enslaved labour. Twice elected Lord Mayor of London, he was a towering political figure in Georgian society—renowned for his opulent lifestyle and his bold speech to King George III in 1770.In this episode of the London History Podcast, we uncover the life and legacy of William Beckford, exploring his rise to power, his deep ties to the transatlantic slave economy, and the impact of colonial wealth on the City of London. We ask: how did Beckford shape London's political and cultural life, and why does his story matter today?Join us as we examine the complicated history behind one of the most influential—and controversial—figures of 18th-century London.
He told 3AW's Tom Elliott the trip is about "promoting business connections" and "connections which help drive Melbourne and make us more prosperous".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Trevor from The Score on Cork's 96FM gets around! PJ hears he also spoke to Ger Nash and Fergal Dennehy ahead of the Cork Super Cup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The City of Melbourne in their recent budget abandoned proposals to cut funding from its bike infrastructure program, they this week instead put $6 million back into the program, with proposals of a permit for commercial e-bike users.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fine Gael's Ray McAdam has been elected as the new Lord Mayor of Dublin. His term will focus on ‘celebrating Dubin' in which he hopes to champion the city's people and potential. Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Ray McAdam spoke with Anton earlier to address his plans for the capital.Listen here.
In a city increasingly defined by data, design, and digital connectivity, a new pilot project is giving some of its youngest residents a powerful tool for change - Minecraft. As part of the Smart Docklands Pilot Call 2024 projects, Craft My Street addresses the topic of community development by delivering workshops to schools in Dublin. A total of 139 students participated and 54 ideas were designed in Minecraft. This initiative was created by researchers from University College Dublin that uses gaming to amplify youth voices in city-making. Blending open-source geospatial data with interactive multiplayer crowd mapping, this project enables young people to propose real-world urban interventions, all while building their ideas block by block in a virtual version of Dublin's Docklands. The initiative is part of a broader effort by Smart Docklands, an innovation programme established by Dublin City Council and CONNECT, the Research Ireland Centre headquartered at Trinity College Dublin. In 2024, the programme launched a €50,000 open call to fund pilots across four urgent themes identified through public engagement: environmental monitoring; urban greening; antisocial behaviour/safety; and community development. Craft My Street was selected for its focus on the latter and its potential to reimagine what participation looks like in the digital age. "Craft My Street shows what happens when researchers meet young people where they are - in games, in classrooms, in their communities - and hand them the tools to shape the future. It's not just about Minecraft; it's about empowering the next generation to imagine and build a better city," said Trinity's Prof. Dan Kilper, Director of the CONNECT Centre. "Young people are rarely included in decisions that affect the communities they live in," said Ítalo Sousa de Sena, Assistant Professor in Digital Landscape Design at UCD and the project's lead. "The Smart Docklands Pilot Programme was a great opportunity to further develop the Craft My Street project and validate its impacts. The network of participation and expertise in engagement from the Smart Docklands team was essential to achieve the goals of the project. The funding was crucial to guarantee that all students could have the same experience with the project, by securing devices and the game for all participants, as well as to continue promoting the playful crowd mapping of Dublin in Minecraft!" Through Mapathons, classroom-based workshops, and access to a public Minecraft server, participating students imagined new public spaces, proposed green solutions, and mapped safety and accessibility issues. The virtual environments reflected real data and spatial realities - but the creativity was all theirs. Reflecting on the programme's impact, Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emma Blain, said: "Young people are an important part of shaping the future of the city, and it's essential to involve them in the conversation. The Craft My Street project as part of the Smart Docklands Pilot Call 2024 projects is a fantastic example of how technology can make youth participation in decision-making more engaging and inclusive." "By reshaping their surroundings in a virtual Dublin through Minecraft, students created solutions in a fun and meaningful way. I'm delighted to support this initiative and to see the creativity and vision of young people come to life. I was particularly flattered to see my own avatar be brought to life." Karolina Anielska, Programme Manager at Smart Docklands, said: "Craft My Street proved that serious topics like city planning can be fun and engaging, especially when young people lead the way. Through Minecraft, they shared creative ideas for Dublin's future and reminded us that play can be powerful. Their energy doesn't just shape the city - it encourages adults to get involved too. This is just the beginning." While the outcomes are playful, the project is underpinned by serious intent. It supports the National Framework for Chi...
Dublin's outgoing Lord Mayor has revived the tradition of honouring those who have reached the age of 100. Our reporter Gavin O'Callaghan has been speaking to some of them. .
Thomas Gould, Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, and Cllr. Joe Kavanagh, former Lord Mayor of Cork, join The Hard Shoulder to respond to growing anger over Cork's road conditions.According to figures released to NewsTalk, Cork ranks the highest in number of pothole related complaints to local council.Listen here for all the latest.
PJ talks to Fergal Dennehy, Cork's new Lord Mayor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
PREVIEW: Colleague Gregory Copley reports that the magic of kingship starts to transform the Lord Mayor of London. More. 1840
When you have a good story to tell, why not invite the world?For our Lost In Belfast series finale, we convene in the Titanic Hotel's grand vaulted hall, where the ill-fated ship was designed. Hundreds have gathered from across local communities and from around the globe for the Belfast International Homecoming—civic leaders, elected officials, business executives, investors, entrepreneurs, culture makers…and two peripatetic podcasters.Co-host and a Belfast Homecoming Ambassador himself, John Lee spoke with the event's creator Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, a former Lord Mayor, long-time publisher, and Irish Stew alum and Connla McCann, who organizes this and many other high-profile events on both sides of the Atlantic as co-founder and director of Aisling Events.We glean their insights on the purpose, evolution, outcomes, and future of this much anticipated annual event (returning Sept. 25, 2025), and grab soundbites from Dan Dennehy--VP Council for American Ireland Relations, Bryan O'Dwyer, a New York lawyer dedicated to advancing Ireland's cause in the United States, and Smuggling Nun Poitín's Maura Clare, another past Irish Stew guest and a 2024 Belfast Homecoming Ambassador.We also heard about the Homecoming's sister event, the New York New Belfast Luncheon Conference, coming to the stately New York Athletic Club on Thurs., June 12. See the link below for last-minute tickets!So, we are lost no more—we found our way home to Belfast.We thank Tourism Ireland for all their support and Máirtín and Connla for inviting us to the Belfast Homecoming!Links2025 New York New Belfast Conference - Thu, Jun 122025 Belfast International Homecoming - Thu, Sep 25Aisling EventsMáirtín Ó MuilleoirLinkedInTwitter/XFacebookEarlier Irish Stew episodeConnla McCannLinkedInFacebookEpisode Details: Season 7, Episode 21; Total Episode Count: 124
After the Lord Mayor's show. Manchester United returned to earth with a bump on Sunday as in-form Wolves won at Old Trafford.Ruben Amorim blooded Tyler Fredicson; he and Harry Amass acquitted themselves well, but it was another tough afternoon for Rasmus Hojlund.Still, we'll always have Thursday night. To cheer ourselves up, we went back through the email inbox for more memories of that remarkable comeback against Lyon.Send us your favourite MUFC European away days: devilspod@theathletic.com (put EXTRA in the subject line). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.