Podcasts about Lovely

Welcome back to The Lovely Show! Your lovely hosts are back for a spoooktacular Halloween episode. We hear all about the haunted house of Longford and the terrifying prices of poppadoms. Plus- we get our final update on the presidential election. If you enjoyed this episode of The Lovely Show, please ensure to leave us a LOVELY review. Support The Lovely Show to get ad-free listening and bonus episodes at ⁠https://headstuffpodcasts.com/membership/⁠ - listen to your bonus episodes and ad-free feed in your favourite app! This is a HeadStuff podcast produced by Hilary Barry. Artwork by Matt Mahon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Gospel of John

Welcome to episode 273 of the Women's Running podcast. I'm your host Esther Newman and she's your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.Actual running contentHold on to your hats here, cos we're actually talking about running (sorry about that) with a bit of a recap of our recent running, and the stats we're served afterwards, and what it all means.Training adaptabilityWe also talk about how to flex our training when life is getting busy, and also how we're coping with shorter days and darker evenings and mornings. While we get ourselves a bit cross and shouty here, don't be put off and listen right through to the end for the mother of all emails – in terms of fun pod stories, we believe we have a gold medallist.Join usIf you aren't a patron yet do join us on Patreon for just £2 a month, through which you can join Discord, our forum just for you, our gorgeous Pod Squad, to meet up, chat about running, TV, books, menopause, and anything else you like. You also get to come along to our Live Pods! To get access to Discord, all you need to do is head to patreon.com/womensrunning and join us for just £2 a month.Lovely extra bitsSubscribe to Women's Running – and you can save 50%Get tickets to our live event ahead of the Bath Half 2026!Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we've been using it for ages and LOVE ITDo join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, Neil tells us all about the woman who got exactly half of the USA's penicillin supply!Dave tells us about how camels' humps produce more water than if they held water. Which they don't. Which makes no sense. Well, that's this podcast for you!Add into the mix, a man who sued his surgeons and won and the incredible life of General Garibaldi including the biscuits!To listen to Dave on the radio check outhttps://www.todayfm.com/shows/dave-moore-1499732 To see Neil on tour check outhttps://www.neildelamere.com/reinventing-the-neil-tourPresented and Produced by Neil Delamere and Dave MooreEdited by Nicky RyanMusic by Dave MooreArtwork by Ray McDonnell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it Groundhog Day, again? Alex and Chris take the late night shift post Mansfield. Let's face it we could cut and paste the Exeter description here as that is what played out on the pitch…But - things start at the end with a review of some unusual and potentially insightful comments from the Head Coach. Then to the game from a last minute change of line up (to 6 changes, does that make it 5 or 7?) a comedy goal, impotent attacking, a reprieve after some flair players are finally unleashed and - another comedy goal. Despite best efforts to remain level headed the ghost of Cleverly Out is shaking its chains in the background, ready for Halloween.At least it's the FA Cup next. Against the bogey teams of bogey teams. Lovely. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forget everything you thought you knew about aging skin! In this spooky Halloween episode, Dr. Fiona Lovely is joined by Debbi Barber, the inspiring founder of Vitali Skincare, to banish the fear of "scary menopause skin" for good. Debbi shares her incredible personal journey from a 37-year marketing career to becoming a skincare innovator after a life-changing discovery. She opens up about her own experience with crepey skin and fine lines, which led her to the powerful, healing properties of the "blue peptide," GHK-Cu, under the guidance of her mentor, peptide expert Dr. Suzanne Ferree. This is a masterclass in clean, effective skincare for the second half of life. Debbi and Fiona dive deep into why our skin changes so dramatically during menopause, the critical importance of protecting your skin barrier, and the common mistakes we make with exfoliation. They pull back the curtain on the truth about hidden ingredients like "fragrance" and discuss why Debbi is so passionate about creating products free from harmful additives. Discover how Vitali's copper peptide formulas not only help with collagen loss and fine lines but are also remarkable for healing scars, smoothing skin on the body, and even supporting hair and brow growth. Debbi's passion is contagious as she reveals what's next for Vitali and leaves you with one powerful piece of advice she'd give her younger self. Get ready to transform your skin health with this engaging, informative, and empowering conversation. To learn more and save 20% sitewide on Vitali's regenerative skincare, visit vitaliskincare.com and use code LOVELY at checkout. Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

On this today's episode of NEXT GEN , Shama sits down with Lovey!Lovely Lucy is not just a youth combat sport athlete; she's a force of nature! Training fiercely in jiu jitsu, boxing, MMA, and taekwondo, she radiates enthusiasm for competition while showcasing incredible sportsmanship. As she gears up for thrilling superfights and her boxing debut, Lucy dreams of winning the GAMMA Youth Nationals in 2026. Beyond her athletic pursuits, she immerses herself in photography, drawing, gaming, and outdoor adventures—proving that passion fuels success on every front. Lucy inspires all who meet her to chase their dreams with vigor and heart.Learn more about Girls in Gis:Homepage: https://www.girls-in-gis.comEvents: https://www.girls-in-gis.com/events/Shop: http://www.girls-in-gis.com/shop/Donate: http://www.girls-in-gis.com/donate/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GirlsinGisFacebook Official: https://www.facebook.com/GirlsinGisTwitter: @_girls_in_gis_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlsingis/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/girlsingis

From the Newport Recreation Department, PJ Lovely is here as we talk about how busy things have been, wrapping up Fall sports, sign ups for Winter Sports, "America 250" is trademarked, looking for chili cookers for the Chili Walk this December, and more.

On our first regular episode since May, we invite our unofficial correspondent Eric, to discuss various topics. We start with some WTC talk, take some listener questions and wrap it up with upcoming events, including our very own Foodmachine! It was a very LOVELY and fun episode to record. Plus you get to witness my brain start to melt at the end because we recorded pretty late. So please enjoy, and as always, send us your feedback!

Welcome back to The Lovely Show! As the election is coming close, Kevin and Justine are back with their highly acclaimed election coverage. Your lovely hosts chat AI, Marty Morrisey, the history of crisps, bears and match-making. If you enjoyed this episode of The Lovely Show, please ensure to leave us a LOVELY review. Support The Lovely Show to get ad-free listening and bonus episodes at https://headstuffpodcasts.com/membership/ - listen to your bonus episodes and ad-free feed in your favourite app! This is a HeadStuff podcast produced by Hilary Barry. Artwork by Matt Mahon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to episode 272 of the Women's Running podcast. I'm your host Esther Newman and she's your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.Traitors!We're talking about the most important thing on our minds at the moment, and that's obviously Celebrity Traitors. Spoilers are here, if you've been saving it up to watch at another time, so be warned. But then we start talking about the running we're doing and the races we're looking forward to. I fancy taking on a huge race next year – who's with me?Depression and runningThen we're on to a contentious subject that I'd read about: is depression more prevalent in runners who complete multiple marathons? If so, why? It's a headline designed to get us cross, but we have a lot of thoughts about it. Pretty sure you will have too – get in touch at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with your take on it all.Am I Nuts?We also mention the release of Am I Nuts series 2, which we're very excited about, and we get it completely wrong! While yes, the series is out this week, we are NOT talking about strength training, we're talking about protein! Do please go and have a listen to it and tell us what you thinkPatreonIf you aren't a patron yet do join us on Patreon for just £2 a month, through which you can join Discord, our forum just for you, our gorgeous Pod Squad, to meet up, chat about running, TV, books, menopause, and anything else you like. You also get to come along to our Live Pods! To get access to Discord, all you need to do is head to patreon.com/womensrunning and join us for just £2 a month.Lovely extra bitsThe Guardian article that started our conversationSubscribe to Women's Running – and you can save 50%Get tickets to our live event ahead of the Bath Half 2026!Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we've been using it for ages and LOVE ITDo join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The hex over The Geordies at Falmer continued (they still haven't beaten us here in the PL, as a second Danny double of the season fired Albion to 3 much needed points. Russ was joined by a cluster of the usuals pre and post match to marvel at a much improved display (and atmosphere). Also featured was surely THE only Geordie Seagull, Brian. Howay The Albion!!! Stand or fall! UTA! Wele for England…again! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to episode 272 of the Women's Running podcast. I'm your host Esther Newman and she's your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.Traitors!We're talking about the most important thing on our minds at the moment, and that's obviously Celebrity Traitors. Spoilers are here, if you've been saving it up to watch at another time, so be warned. But then we start talking about the running we're doing and the races we're looking forward to. I fancy taking on a huge race next year – who's with me?Depression and runningThen we're on to a contentious subject that I'd read about: is depression more prevalent in runners who complete multiple marathons? If so, why? It's a headline designed to get us cross, but we have a lot of thoughts about it. Pretty sure you will have too – get in touch at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with your take on it all.Am I Nuts?We also mention the release of Am I Nuts series 2, which we're very excited about, and we get it completely wrong! While yes, the series is out this week, we are NOT talking about strength training, we're talking about protein! Do please go and have a listen to it and tell us what you thinkPatreonIf you aren't a patron yet do join us on Patreon for just £2 a month, through which you can join Discord, our forum just for you, our gorgeous Pod Squad, to meet up, chat about running, TV, books, menopause, and anything else you like. You also get to come along to our Live Pods! To get access to Discord, all you need to do is head to patreon.com/womensrunning and join us for just £2 a month.Lovely extra bitsThe Guardian article that started our conversationSubscribe to Women's Running – and you can save 50%Get tickets to our live event ahead of the Bath Half 2026!Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we've been using it for ages and LOVE ITDo join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Not Your Mother's Menopause,  Dr. Fiona Lovely is joined by Dr. Siobhan Matthews, a neuroscientist and Chief Scientific Officer at MitoQ, for a profound discussion on the pivotal role of mitochondria in brain health and aging. Dr. Matthews, whose career was inspired by her grandmother's experience with Alzheimer's, shares her extensive research journey on mitochondrial science, anti-aging the brain and nutritional neuroscience. The conversation illuminates the critical connection between mitochondrial health and the cognitive changes many women experience during perimenopause and menopause. Dr. Matthews explains how the decline in estrogen can directly impact mitochondrial function in the brain, potentially leading to symptoms like brain fog and fatigue. She provides insightful information on how supporting cellular energy production and protecting against oxidative stress can be a powerful strategy for maintaining cognitive vitality. The discussion also explores the broader implications of mitochondrial health for heart function, immune resilience, and overall longevity, offering a fresh perspective on proactive wellness for women navigating midlife and beyond. Find out more about MitoQ at mitoq.com - there is lots to learn!  (code: LOVELY for a discount!) Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

A lecture given at L'Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts. For more information, visit https://southboroughlabri.org/ by Joshua Chestnut and Esther Dalton The second lecture portion of the Southborough L'Abri Fall 2025 Theme Weekend: "The Glory and Challenge of Ordinary Humanness." Part 1: Lovely, Finite, Connected: Adjectives for Being Human Part 2: Need, Receive, Follow: Verbs for Being Human Concluding Discussion The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. ©Southborough L'Abri 2025

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God." Psalm 84:1–2

I couldn't be more excited to share that we had our very first guest on the Florida Gardener Podcast!Bailey Ancell is head gardener at an 19th century estate in Dorset, England.We got to talking because believe it or not, Bailey is a listener of the Florida Gardener Podcast and he has visited Florida a few times now.My love and appreciation for British gardening runs deep.So, when Bailey was kind of enough to do the podcast, I was beyond elated.Cozy up with a warm cup of tea and enjoy this episode!Connect with Bailey:baileyjwa@gmail.com

Welcome back to The Parallel Universe. On this episode we will be talking with Ms. Ryan Oakley, a brilliant artist.

Welcome back to the lovely show! This week, your lovely hosts are back in studio and are chatting election news, vajazzling, Halloween and more. Plus - Kevin has two new segments!? Introducing Lad and Frog News... Just remember to never swallow a live frog. If you enjoyed this episode of The Lovely Show, please ensure to leave us a LOVELY review. Support The Lovely Show to get ad-free listening and bonus episodes at https://headstuffpodcasts.com/membership/ - listen to your bonus episodes and ad-free feed in your favourite app! This is a HeadStuff podcast produced by Hilary Barry. Artwork by Matt Mahon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to episode 271 of the Women's Running podcast. I'm your host Esther Newman and she's your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.Body HolidayHolly has been on her very exotic travels to the Body Holiday in St Lucia, and she has many tales to tell. Many. Honestly, she only gets off the plane at about 20 minutes in because of all the new friends she's made. We all know what she's like, right? So she's had a jolly old time, training with an Olympian and is giddy with it all. Even unsociable me is desperate to go, especially now it's gone full-on UK winter weather. Shall we all go next year….?Join us!If you aren't a patron yet do join us on Patreon for just £2 a month, through which you can join Discord, our forum just for you, our gorgeous Pod Squad, to meet up, chat about running, TV, books, menopause, and anything else you like. You also get to come along to our Live Pods! To get access to Discord, all you need to do is head to patreon.com/womensrunning and join us for just £2 a month.Lovely extra bits· Holly had an incredible stay at The Body Holiday in St Lucia, training with Julien Alfred· check out Maaree's lovely range of bras, specifically the Empower in a beautiful pink, from which they're donating 10% of the profits to CoppafeelSubscribe to Women's Running – and you can save 50%Get tickets to our live event ahead of the Bath Half 2026!Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we've been using it for ages and LOVE ITDo join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Marden heads to the AVEA conference in front of a LIVE audience to find out why gift shops are such an important part of the attraction mix. Joining him is Jennifer Kennedy, Retail Consultant, JK Consulting and Michael Dolan, MD of Shamrock Gift Company. They discuss why your gift shop is an integral part of your brand and why it needs to be just as good as the experience you have on offer. This coinsides with the launch of our brand new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide To Going Beyond The Gift Shop', where you can find out exactly how to improve your online offering to take your ecommerce to the next level. Download your FREE copy here:  https://pages.crowdconvert.co.uk/skip-the-queue-playbookBut that's not all. Paul walks the conference floor and speaks to:Susanne Reid, CEO of Christchurch Cathedral Dublin, on how they are celebrating their millennium anniversary - 1000 years!Charles Coyle, Managing Director, Emerald Park, on how they are bringing AI integrations to enhance their booking processesRay Dempsey, General Manager of The Old Jamerson Distillery on how they offering more accessible touring optionsIt's a mega episode and one you'll not want to miss. Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on LinkedIn. Show references:  Jennifer Kennedy — Founder, JK Consultinghttps://jkconsultingnyc.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-kennedy-aba75712/Michael Dolan — Managing Director, Shamrock Gift Companyhttps://www.shamrockgiftcompany.com/Catherine Toolan — Managing Director, Guinness Storehouse & Global Head of Brand Homes, Diageohttp://diageo.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinetoolan/Máirín Walsh — Operations Manager, Waterford Museumhttps://www.waterfordtreasures.com/Dean Kelly — Photography & Visitor Experience Specialist https://www.wearephotoexperience.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-kelly-1259a316/Charles Coyle — Managing Director, Emerald Parkhttps://www.emeraldpark.ieSusanne Reid — CEO, Christ Church Cathedral Dublinhttp://www.christchurchcathedral.iehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/susannereid/Ray Dempsey — General Manager, Jameson Distilleryhttps://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/en-ie/visit-our-distilleries/jameson-bow-street-distillery-tour/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-dempsey-37a8665a/ Transcription: Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue, the podcast that tells the stories behind the world's best attractions and the amazing people that work in them. In today's episode, I'm at the AVEA 2025 conference in Waterford, Ireland, and we're talking about gift shop best practices. With Jennifer Kennedy from JK Consulting, a tourism and retail consultancy. And Jennifer led retail at Guinness Storehouse for more years than she would care to mention, I think. And we're also here with Michael Dolan, MD of Shamrock Gift Company, who has brought along the most amazing array of gift shop merchandise, which I'm sure we'll get into talking a little something about later on. And I've also got an amazing live audience. Say hello, everybody.Everyone: Hello.Paul Marden: There we go. So we always start with icebreaker that I don't prepare the two of you. Now this is probably a very unfair question for the pair of you, actually. What's the quirkiest souvenir you've ever bought? I can think of those little, the ones that you get in Spain are the little pooping santas.Jennifer  Kennedy: I have a thing for Christmas decorations when I go on travel, so for me, there always tends to be something around having a little decoration on my tree every year. That if I've had one or two holidays or I've been away, that has some little thing that comes back that ends up on the tree of Christmas. I have a lovely little lemon from Amalfi that's a Christmas decoration, and so you know, so a little kind of quirky things like that.Paul Marden: Michael, what about you? Michael  Dolan: One of our designers who will remain nameless? She has a thing about poo. So everyone brings her back to some poo relation. Paul Marden: Sadly, there's quite a lot of that around at the moment, isn't there? That's a bit disappointing. First question then, what's the point of a gift shop? If I put that in a more eloquent way, why are gift shops such an important part of the attraction mix?Jennifer  Kennedy: Okay, it was from my point of view, the gift shop in an attraction or a destination is the ultimate touch point that the brand has to leave a lasting memory when visitors go away. So for me, they're intrinsically important in the complete 360 of how your brand shows up— as a destination or an attraction. And without a really good gift shop and really good product to take away from it, you're letting your brand down. And it's an integral piece that people can share. From a marketing point of view, every piece of your own product that's been developed, that's taken away to any part of the world can sit in someone's kitchen. It can be in multiple forms. It can be a fridge magnet. It could be a tea towel. It could be anything. But it's a connection to your brand and the home that they visited when they chose to be wherever they're visiting. So for me, I'm very passionate about the fact that your gift shop should be as good as everything else your experience has to offer. So that's my view on it. Michael  Dolan: Sometimes it's neglected when people create a new visitor attraction. They don't put enough time into the retail element. I think that's changing, and a very good example of that would be Game of Thrones in Banbridge. We worked with them for two years developing the range, but also the shop. So the shop reflects the... I actually think the shop is the best part of the whole experience. But the shop reflects the actual whole experience.  Jennifer  Kennedy: The teaming.Michael  Dolan: The teaming. So you have banners throughout the shop, the music, the lighting, it looks like a dungeon. All the display stands have swords in them, reflecting the theme of the entrance.Jennifer  Kennedy: Yeah, it's a good example of how a brand like that has incorporated the full essence and theme of why they exist into their physical retail space.Paul Marden: They definitely loosened a few pounds out of my pocket. Michael  Dolan: Another good example is Titanic Belfast. So they spent 80 million on that visitor attraction, which was opened in 2012, but they forgot about the shop. So the architect who designed the building designed the shop that looked like something out of the Tate Gallery. Yeah, and we went and said, 'This shop is not functional; it won't work for our type of product.' They said, 'We don't have anything in the budget to redevelop the shop.' So we paid a Dublin architect to redesign the shop. So the shop you have today, that design was paid for by Shamrock Gift Company. And if you've been in the shop, it's all brass, wood, ropes. So it's an integral part of the overall experience. But unfortunately... you can miss the shop on the way out.Paul Marden: Yeah, it is very easy to walk out the building and not engage in the shop itself. It's a bit like a dessert for a meal, isn't it? The meal's not complete if you've not had a dessert. And I think the gift shop experience is a little bit like that. The trip to the experience isn't finished.  If you haven't exited through the gate. Michael  Dolan: But it's the lasting memories that people bring back to the office in New York, put the mug on the table to remind people of when they're in Belfast or Dublin to go to. You know, storehouse or Titanic. So those last impressions are indelibly, you know, set.Paul Marden: So we've already said the positioning of the shop then is super important, how it feels, but product is super important, isn't it? What product you fill into the shop is a make or break experience? How do you go about curating the right product? Michael  Dolan: Most important is authenticity. You know, it has to be relevant to the visitor attraction. So it's not a question of just banging out a few key rings and magnets. So I brought you along some samples there. So we're doing two new ranges, one for Titanic and one for the Royal Yacht Britannia, and they're totally different. But reflect the personality of each attraction.Paul Marden: Absolutely.Michael  Dolan: I mean, a good example, we worked together or collaborated together on many, many projects in Guinness. But we also worked in St. Patrick's Cathedral.Jennifer  Kennedy: Yeah.Michael  Dolan: You were the consultant.Jennifer  Kennedy: Yeah, yeah. So I suppose, again, from the product point of view. Yeah, if you can root product in why the experience exists. So in that example, a cathedral is a great example of how you can create really great product by utilising. Well, the main reason people are there is because this amazing building exists and the historic elements of it. So I suppose to make it real, some examples of products that connected with the audience in that environment are things like a little stone coaster. But the stone coaster is a replica of the floor you're standing on. So I suppose the other balance in attractions is realistic price points and realistic products. So there's no point in creating a range of products that's outside the price point of what your visitors are prepared to pay. So it's that fine balance of creating product that connects with them, which is, I'm using the cathedral as an example because you've got architraves, you've got stained glass windows, you've got stunning tiles. So all the elements of the fabric of that building. Can be utilised to create really beautiful products, but castles, you know, cathedrals, all of those sorts of spaces.Jennifer  Kennedy: When we start talking about product, always we go to, 'why are we here?' And also the storytelling elements. There's some beautiful stories that can, I can give you another really great example of a product that was created for another cathedral, which was... So in cathedral spaces, there's all these stunning doors that run the whole way through, like they're spectacular; they're like pieces of art in their own right. And every one of them has a very unique ornate key that unlocks each door. So one of the products that did one of the cathedrals was we wanted to create a ring of brass keys with replicas of all the keys in the cathedral. But as we were progressing, we forgot at the start— it was like we forgot to tell them to scale them down. They weren't the same size as all the keys in the cathedral. So it was a very intrinsically specific gift to this particular cathedral. And it's been used ever since as kind of the special gift they give to people who come to visit from all over the world. They get quite emotional about this particular gift because it's like this is the actual replica of all the keys to all the doors in the cathedral.Jennifer  Kennedy: So it's a product that's completely born. It can never be replicated anywhere else. And it's completely unique to that particular space. And I think that's the power of, for me, that's what authenticity feels and looks like in these environments. It has to be connected to the fabric of why you exist.Paul Marden: Yeah, so I was at Big Pit in Wales six months ago, I think it was. Museums Wales are redeveloping all of their gift shops and they are going through exactly that process that you're talking about, but bringing it back to the place itself because all, I think, it's six of their museums, the gift shops had much the same set of product. They described it as, you know, you were just walking into a generic Welsh gift shop with the dressed lady.Jennifer  Kennedy: And it's hard— like it really takes an awful lot of work— like it doesn't just happen, like you really have to put a lot of thought and planning into what our product should and could look like. And then, when you've aligned on with the team of people managing and running these businesses, that this is the direction you want to take, then it's the operational element of it. It's about sourcing, MOQs, and price, and all of that stuff that comes into it. Minimum order quantities.Michael  Dolan: That's where we come in. So, you know, we met Jennifer in St. Patrick's and we met Liz then, we met the Dean. So we really sat around and talked about what were the most important elements in the cathedral that we wanted to celebrate in product.Michael  Dolan: And St. Patrick obviously was the obvious number one element. Then they have a harp stained glass window. And then they have a shamrock version of that as well. So they were the three elements that we hit on. You know, it took a year to put those three ranges together. So we would have started out with our concept drawings, which we presented to the team in St. Patrick's. They would have approved them. Then we would have talked to them about the size of the range and what products we were looking at. So then we would have done the artwork for those separate ranges, brought them back in to get them approved, go to sampling, bring the samples back in, then sit down and talk about pricing, minimum order quantities, delivery times.Michael  Dolan: So the sample, you know, so that all goes out to order and then it arrives in about four or five months later into our warehouse. So we carry all the risk. We design everything, we source it, make sure that it's safely made, all the tests are confirmed that the products are good. In conformity with all EU legislation. It'll be in our warehouse and then it's called off the weekly basis. So we carry, we do everything.  So one stop shop. Paul Marden: So the traction isn't even sitting on stock that they've invested in. We know what we're doing and we're quite happy to carry the risk. So one of the things we were talking about just before we started the episode was the challenges of sourcing locally. It's really important, isn't it? But it can be challenging to do that.Jennifer  Kennedy: It can. And, you know, but I would say in recent years, there's a lot more creators and makers have come to the fore after COVID. So in kind of more... Specifically, kind of artisan kind of product types. So things like candles are a great example where, you know, now you can find great candle makers all over Ireland with, you know, small minimum quantity requirements. And also they can bespoke or tailor it to your brand. So if you're a museum or if you're a, again, whatever the nature of your brand is, a national store or whatever, you can have a small batch made. Which lets you have something that has provenance. And here it's Irish made, it's Irish owned. And then there's some, you know, it just it gives you an opportunity.Jennifer  Kennedy: Unfortunately, we're never going to be in a position where we can source everything we want in Ireland. It just isn't realistic. And commercially, it's not viable. As much as you can, you should try and connect with the makers and creators that they are available and see if small batches are available. And they're beautiful to have within your gift store, but they also have to be the balance of other commercial products that will have to be sourced outside of Ireland will also have to play a significant role as well.Máirín Walsh: I think there needs to be a good price point as well. Like, you know, we find that in our museum, that, you know, if something is above 20, 25 euro, the customer has to kind of really think about purchasing it, where if it's 20 euro or under, you know, it's...Michael  Dolan: More of an input item, yeah.Máirín Walsh: Yes, exactly, yeah.Paul Marden: And so when it's over that price point, that's when you need to be sourcing locally again. Máirín Walsh: It's a harder sell. You're kind of maybe explaining a bit more to them and trying to get them to purchase it. You know, they have to think about it.Jennifer  Kennedy: But it's also good for the storytelling elements as well because it helps you engage. So I've often found as well that even train the teams and the customer service. It's actually a lovely space to have, to be able to use it as part of storytelling that we have this locally made or it's made in Cork or wherever it's coming from, that it's Irish made.Máirín Walsh: We have, what have we got? We've kind of got scarves and that and we have local— we had candles a few years ago actually. I think they were made or... up the country or whatever. But anyway, it was at Reginald's Tower and there were different kinds of candles of different attractions around and they really connected with your audience.Michael  Dolan: So 20% of our turnover would be food and all that is made in Ireland. Virtually all of that is sourced locally here in Ireland. And that's a very important part of our overall product portfolio and growing as well.Paul Marden: Is it important to serve different audiences with the right product? So I'm thinking... Making sure that there's pocket money items in there for kids, because often when they come to a museum or attraction, it's their first time they ever get to spend their own money on a transaction. Yeah, that would be their first memory of shopping. So giving them what they need, but at the same time having that 25 euro and over price point. To have a real set piece item is?Jennifer  Kennedy: I would say that's very specific to the brand. Paul Marden: Really? Jennifer  Kennedy: Yes, because some brands can't actually sell products or shouldn't be selling products to children. Paul Marden: Really? I'm looking at the Guinness items at the end of the table.Jennifer  Kennedy: So it depends on the brand. So obviously, in many of the destinations around Ireland, some of them are quite heavily family-oriented. And absolutely in those environments where you've got gardens, playgrounds or theme parks. Absolutely. You have to have that range of product that's very much tailored to young families and children. In other environments, not necessarily. But you still need to have a range that appeals to the masses. Because you will have visitors from all walks of life and with all perspectives. So it's more about having something. I'm going to keep bringing it back to it. It's specific to why this brand is here. And if you can create product within a fair price point, and Mairin is absolutely right. The balance of how much your products cost to the consumer will make or break how your retail performs. And in most destinations, what you're actually aiming to do is basket size. You want them to go away with three, four, five products from you, not necessarily one.Jennifer  Kennedy: Because if you think about it, that's more beneficial for the brand. I mean, most people are buying for gifting purposes. They're bringing things back to multiple people. So, if I'm able to pick up a nice candle and it's eight or 10 euros, well, I might buy three of them if it's a beautiful candle in a nice package. Whereas, if I went in and the only option available to me was a 35-euro candle, I probably might buy that, but I'm only buying one product. And I'm only giving that to either myself or one other person. Whereas, if you can create a range that's a good price, but it's also appealing and very connected to why they came to visit you in the first place, then that's a much more powerful, for the brand point of view, that's a much more... Powerful purchasing options are available to have a basket size that's growing.Michael  Dolan: We worked together in the National Stud in Kildare, so we did a great kids range of stationery, which worked really well. We've just done a new range for the GAA museum, all stationery-related, because they get a lot of kids. Again, we would have collaborated on that.Jennifer  Kennedy: And actually, the natural studs are a really nice example as well, because from even a textile point of view, you can lean into equine as the, so you can do beautiful products with ponies and horses. Yeah. You know, so again, some brands make it very, it's easy to see the path that you can take with product. And then others are, you know, you have to think harder. It's a little bit more challenging. So, and particularly for cultural and heritage sites, then that really has to be grounded in what are the collections, what is on offer in these sites, in these museums, in these heritage sites, and really start to unravel the stories that you can turn into product.Paul Marden: But a product isn't enough, is it?Jennifer  Kennedy: Absolutely not.Paul Marden: Set making, merchandising, storytelling, they all engage the customer, don't they?Jennifer  Kennedy: 100%.Paul Marden: Where have you seen that being done well in Ireland?Michael  Dolan: Get a store is the preeminent example, I would think. I mean, it's a stunning shop. Have you met Catherine too? Paul Marden: No, not yet. Lovely to meet you, Catherine.  Michael  Dolan: Catherine is in charge of getting the stories. Paul Marden: Okay. Any other examples that aren't, maybe, sat at the table? Game of Thrones is a really good example and Titanic.Michael  Dolan: Game of Thrones.  I think Titanic's good. The new shop in Trinity College is very strong, I think. So it's a temporary digital exhibition while they're revamping the library. They've done an excellent job in creating a wonderful new shop, even on a temporary basis.Jennifer  Kennedy: I would say Crowe Park as well. The GAA museum there has undergone a full refurbishment and it's very tailored towards their audience. So they're very, it's high volume, very specific to their... And the look and feel is very much in keeping with the nature of the reason why people go to Crowe Park. I would say the Irish National Asteroid as well. And Colmar Abbey, Cliffs of Moher. We've got some really great offers all over the island of Ireland.Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. I was at W5 recently in Belfast and I think that is a brilliant example of what a Science Centre gift shop could be like. Because often there will be the kind of generic stuff that you'll see in any attraction— a notebook with rubber and a pencil— but they also had lots of, there were lots of science-led toys and engineering-led toys, so they had... big Lego section. It was like going into a proper toy shop. It was just a really impressive gift shop that you could imagine engaging a kid.Catherine Toolan: And if I could come in there for an example outside of Ireland, you've got the House of Lego in Billund. I don't know if anybody has been there, but they've got a customised range, which is only available. Really? Yes, and it's so special. They've got a really unique building, so the Lego set is in the shape of the building. They've got their original dock. But the retail store in that space, it's very geared towards children as Lego is, but also imagination play. So they've done a brilliant job on looking at, you know, the texture of their product, the colour of their product. And whilst it's usually geared to children, it's also geared to adult lovers of Lego. So it's beautiful. Huge tech as well. They've incredible RFID wristbands, which you get from your ticket at the beginning of the experience. So all of your photo ops and everything you can download from the RFID wristband. Very cool.Jennifer  Kennedy: Actually, I would say it's probably from a tech point of view, one of the best attractions I've been to in recent years. Like, it's phenomenal. I remember going there the year it opened first because it was fascinating. I have two boys who are absolutely Lego nuts. And I just— we went to the home of LEGO in Billund when it opened that year and I just was blown away. I had never experienced, and I go to experiences everywhere, but I've never, from a tech point of view and a brand engagement perspective, understood the nature, the type of product that they deliver. For me, it's, like I said, I tell everyone to go to Billund. Paul Marden: Really? We've got such amazing jobs, haven't we? However, as you're both talking, I'm thinking you're a bit like me. You don't get to go and enjoy the experience for the experience's own sake because you're looking at what everybody's doing.Jennifer  Kennedy: But can I actually just add to that? There's another one in the Swarovski Crystal in Austria.Paul Marden: Really?Jennifer  Kennedy: That is phenomenal. And in terms of their retail space, it's like, I like a bit of sparkle, so I'm not going to lie. It was like walking into heaven. And their retail offering there is world-class in that store. And the whole brand experience from start to finish, which is what you're always trying to achieve. It's the full 360 of full immersion. You're literally standing inside a giant crystal. It's like being in a dream. Right. A crystal, sparkly dream from start to finish. And then, every year, they partner and collaborate with whoever— designers, musicians, whoever's iconic or, you know, very... present in that year or whatever. And they do these wonderful collaborations and partnerships with artists, designers, you name it.Paul Marden: Sorry, Catherine, there you go.Catherine Toolan: Thank you very much. It's on my list of places to go, but I do know the team there and what they're also doing is looking at the premiumization. So they close their retail store for high net worth individuals to come in and buy unique and special pieces. You know, they use their core experience for the daytime. And we all talk about the challenges. I know, Tom, you talk about this, you know, how do you scale up visitor experience when you're at capacity and still make sure you've a brilliant net promoter score and that the experience of the customer is fantastic. So that is about sweating the acid and you know it's that good, better, best. You know they have something for everybody but they have that halo effect as well.  So it's really cool.Paul Marden: Wow. Thank you. I'm a bit of a geek. I love a bit of technology. What do you think technology is doing to the gift shop experience? Are there new technologies that are coming along that are going to fundamentally change the way the gift shop experience works?Jennifer  Kennedy: I think that's rooted in the overall experience. So I don't think it's a separate piece. I think there's loads of things out there now where you can, you know, virtual mirrors have been around for years and all these other really interesting. The whole gamification piece, if you're in an amazing experience and you're getting prompts and things to move an offer today, but so that's that's been around for quite some time. I'm not sure that it's been fully utilised yet across the board, especially in I would say there's a way to go in how it influences the stores in Ireland in attractions at the moment. There'll be only a handful who I'd say are using technology, mainly digital screens, is what I'm experiencing and seeing generally. And then, if there is a big attraction, some sort of prompts throughout that and how you're communicating digitally through the whole experience to get people back into the retail space. Paul Marden: Yeah, I can imagine using tech to be able to prompt somebody at the quiet times of the gift shop. Michael  Dolan: Yeah, also Guinness now you can order a pint glass with your own message on it in advance. It's ready for you when you finish your tour. You go to a locker and you just open the locker and you walk out with your glass. Catherine Toolan: Could I just say, though, that you just don't open a locker like it's actually lockers? There's a lot of customisation to the lockers because the idea came from the original Parcel Motel. So the locker is actually you key in a code and then when you open the customised locker, there's a Guinness quote inside it and your personalised glass is inside it. And the amount of customers and guests that we get to say, could we lock the door again? We want to actually open it and have that. whole experience so you know that's where I think in you know and one of the questions that would be really interesting to talk about is you know, what about self-scanning and you know, the idea of checkouts that are not having the human connection. Is that a thing that will work when you've got real experiences? I don't know. But we know that the personalisation of the engraved glasses and how we've custom designed the lockers— not to just be set of lockers— has made that difference. So they're very unique, they're colourful, they're very Guinnessified. And of course, the little personal quote that you get when you open the locker from our archives, make that a retail experience that's elevated. Paul Marden: Wow.Jennifer  Kennedy: But I would also say to your point on that, that the actual, the real magic is also in the people, in the destinations, because it's not like gift shops and destinations and experiences. They're not like high street and they shouldn't be. It should be a very different experience that people are having when they've paid to come and participate with you in your destination. So I actually think technology inevitably plays a role and it's a support and it will create lovely quirks and unusual little elements throughout the years.Paul Marden: I think personalisation is great.  Jennifer  Kennedy: And personalisation, absolutely. But the actual, like I would be quite against the idea of automating checkout and payouts in gift shops, in destinations, because for me... That takes away the whole essence of the final touch point is actually whoever's talked to you when you did that transaction and whoever said goodbye or asked how your experience was or did you enjoy yourself? So those you can't you can't replace that with without a human personal touch. So for me, that's intrinsically important, that it has to be retained, that the personal touch is always there for the goodbye.Dean Kelly: I'm very happy that you brought up the human touch. I'm a photo company, I do pictures. And all the time when we're talking to operators, they're like, 'Can we make it self-serve? Can we get rid of the staffing costs?' I'm like, 'I'm a photographer. Photographers take pictures of people. We need each other to engage, react, and put the groups together. No, we don't want the staff costs. But I'm like, it's not about the staff costs. It's about the customer's experience. So all day long, our challenge is, more so in the UK now, because we operate in the UK, and everybody over there is very, we don't want the staff.' And I think, if you lose the staff engagement, especially taking a picture, you lose the memory and you lose the moment. And photographers have a really good job to do, a very interesting job, is where to capture people together. And if you lose that person— touch point of getting the togetherness— You just have people touching the screen, which they might as well be on their phone.Paul Marden: And the photo won't look as good, will it? Anybody could take a photo, but it takes a photographer to make people look like they're engaged and happy and in the moment.Dean Kelly: Yeah, exactly, and a couple of other points that you mentioned— with the brand, personalisation, gamification, all that kind of cool, juicy stuff, all the retail stuff, people going home with the memory, the moment, all that stuff's cool, but nobody mentioned photos until Cashin, you mentioned photos. We've had a long conversation with photos for a long time, and we'll probably be still chatting for another long time as well. But photography is a super, super retail revenue stream. But it's not about the revenue, it's about the moment and the magic. Jennifer  Kennedy: Yeah, you're capturing the magic. Dean Kelly: Capturing it. And fair enough that what you guys do at Shamrock is very interesting because you talk to the operators. You kind of go, 'What gifts are going to work for your visitors?' And you turn that into a product. And that's exactly what we do with all the experiences. We take pictures.Dean Kelly: But what's your demographic saying? What's your price points? What's your brand? What's your message? And let's turn that into a personalised souvenir, put the people in the brand, and let them take it home and engage with it.Paul Marden: So... I think one of the most important things is how you blend the gift shop with the rest of the experience. You were giving a good example of exiting through the gift shop. It's a very important thing, isn't it? But if you put it in the wrong place, you don't get that. How do you blend the gift shop into the experience?Jennifer  Kennedy: Well, I would say I wouldn't call it a blend. For me, the retail element of the brand should be a wow. Like it should be as invaluable, as important as everything else. So my perspective would be get eyes on your retail offering sooner rather than later. Not necessarily that they will participate there and then.Jennifer  Kennedy: The visual and the impact it has on seeing a wow— this looks like an amazing space. This looks like with all these products, but it's also— I was always chasing the wow. I want you to go, wow, this looks amazing. Because, to me, that's when you've engaged someone that they're not leaving until they've gotten in there. It is important that people can potentially move through it at the end. And, you know, it depends on the building. It depends on the structure. You know, a lot of these things are taken out of your hands. You've got to work with what you've got. Jennifer  Kennedy: But you have to work with what you've got, not just to blend it, to make it stand out as exceptional. Because that's actually where the magic really starts. And it doesn't matter what brand that is. The aim should always be that your retail offering is exceptional from every touch point. And it shouldn't be obvious that we've spent millions in creating this wonderful experience. And now you're being shoehorned into the poor relation that was forgotten a little bit and now has ten years later looks a bit ramshackle. And we're trying to figure out why we don't get what we should out of it.Michael  Dolan: And it has to be an integral part of the whole experience.Jennifer  Kennedy: Yeah, and I think for new experiences that are in planning stages, I've seen that more and more in recent years. Now, where I was being called to retrofix or rip out things going, this doesn't work, I'm like, okay, well, we have to retro do this. Now, when people are doing new builds or new investments into new spaces, I'm getting those calls at the planning stages where it's like, we've allocated this amount of space to retail. Do you think that's enough? And I don't think I've ever said yes, ever. At every single turn, I'm like... No, it's not enough. And, you know, what's your anticipated football? Oh, that's the numbers start to play a role in it. But it's not just about that. It's about the future proofing. It's like what happens in five years, 10 years, 15? Because I've been very lucky to work in buildings where it's not easy to figure out where you're going to go next. And particularly heritage sites and cultural heritage. Like I can't go in and knock a hole in the crypt in Christchurch Cathedral. But I need a bigger retail space there.Jennifer  Kennedy: The earlier you start to put retail as a central commercial revenue stream in your business, the more eyes you have on it from the get-go, the more likely it is that it will be successful. Not now, not in five years, not in ten years, but that you're building blocks for this, what can become. Like it should be one of your strongest revenue streams after ticket sales because that's what it can become. But you have to go at it as this is going to be amazing.Catherine Toolan: I think it's important that it's not a hard sell and that's in your face. And, you know, that's where, when you think about the consumer journey, we always think about the behavioural science of the beginning, the middle, and the end. And people remember three things. You know, there's lots of other touch points. But if retail is a really hard sell throughout the experience, I don't think the net promoter score of your overall experience will, you know, come out, especially if you're, you know, and we're not a children's destination. An over 25 adult destination at the Guinness Storehouse and at our alcohol brand homes. But what's really important is that it's authentic, it's really good, and it's highly merchandised, and that it's unique. I think that uniqueness is it— something that you can get that you can't get anywhere else. You know, how do you actually, one of the things that we would have done if we had it again, we would be able to make our retail store available to the domestic audience, to the public without buying a ticket. So, you know, you've got that opportunity if your brand is the right brand that you can have walk-in off the high street, for example.Catherine Toolan: So, you know, there's so many other things that you can think about because that's an extension of your revenue opportunity where you don't have to come in to do the whole experience. And that is a way to connect the domestic audience, which is something I know a lot of the members of the Association, AVEA are trying to do. You know, how do we engage and connect and get repeat visits and and retail is a big opportunity to do that, especially at gifting season.Paul Marden: Yeah, yeah, sustainability is increasingly important to the narrative of the whole retail experience, isn't it? How do you make sure that we're not going about just selling plastic tat that nobody's going to look after?Michael  Dolan: We've made this a core value for Shamrock Gift Company, so we've engaged with a company called Clearstream Solutions, the same company that Guinness Store has. have worked with them. So it's a long-term partnership. So they've measured our carbon footprint from 2019 to 2023. So we've set ourselves the ambitious target of being carbon neutral by 2030.Michael  Dolan: So just some of the elements that we've engaged in. So we put 700 solar panels on our roof as of last summer. All our deliveries in Dublin are done with electric vans, which we've recently purchased. All the lights in the building now are LED. Motion-sensored as well. All the cars are electric or that we've purchased recently, and we've got a gas boiler. So we've also now our shipments from China we're looking at biodiesel. So that's fully sustainable. And we also, where we can't use biodiesel, we're doing carbon offsetting as well.Paul Marden: So a lot of work being done in terms of the cost of CO2 of the transport that you're doing. What about the product itself? How do you make sure that the product itself is inherently something that people are going to treasure and is not a throwaway item?Michael  Dolan: We're using more sustainable materials, so a lot more stone, a lot more wood. Paul Marden: Oh, really? Michael  Dolan: Yeah. Also, it begins with great design. Yeah. So, you know, and obviously working with our retail partners, make sure that the goods are very well designed, very well manufactured. So we're working with some wonderful, well, best in class manufacturers around the world. Absolutely.Jennifer  Kennedy: I think as well, if... you can, and it's becoming easier to do, if you can collaborate with some creators and makers that are actually within your location.Jennifer  Kennedy: Within Ireland, there's a lot more of that happening, which means sourcing is closer to home. But you also have this other economy that's like the underbelly of the craft makers market in Ireland, which is fabulous, which needs to be brought to the fore. So collaborations with brands can also form a very integral part of product development that's close to home and connected to people who are here—people who are actually creating product in Ireland.Paul Marden: This is just instinct, not knowledge at all. But I would imagine that when you're dealing with those local crafters and makers, that they are inherently more sustainable because they're creating things local to you. It's not just the distance that's...Jennifer  Kennedy: Absolutely, but in any instances that I'm aware of that I've been involved with, anyway, even the materials and their mythology, yeah, is all grounded in sustainability and which is fabulous to see. Like, there's more and there's more and more coming all the time.Michael  Dolan: We've got rid of 3 million bags a year. Key rings, mags used to be individually bagged. And now there are 12 key rings in a bag that's biodegradable. That alone is 2 million bags.Paul Marden: It's amazing, isn't it? When you look at something as innocuous as the bag itself that it's packaged in before it's shipped out. You can engineer out of the supply chain quite a lot of unnecessary packaging Michael  Dolan: And likewise, then for the retailer, they don't have to dispose of all that packaging. So it's a lot easier and cleaner to put the product on the shelf. Yes.Paul Marden: Something close to my heart, online retail. Have you seen examples where Irish attractions have extended their gift shop experience online, particularly well?Jennifer  Kennedy: For instance, there are a few examples, but what I was thinking more about on that particular thought was around the nature of the brand again and the product that, in my experience, the brands that can do that successfully tend to have something on offer that's very nostalgic or collectible. Or memorabilia and I think there are some examples in the UK potentially that are where they can be successful online because they have a brand or a product that people are collecting.Paul Marden: Yeah, so one of my clients is Jane Austen House, only about two miles away from where I live. And it blew me away the importance of their online shop to them. They're tiny. I mean, it is a little cottage in the middle of Hampshire, but they have an international audience for their gift shop. And it's because they've got this really, really committed audience of Jane Austen fans who want to buy something from the house. Then everybody talks about the Tank Museum in Dorset.Paul Marden: Who make a fortune selling fluffy tank slippers and all you could possibly imagine memorabilia related to tanks. Because again, it's that collection of highly curated products and this really, really committed audience of people worldwide. Catherine Toolan: The Tank were here last year presenting at the AVEA conference and it was such an incredible story about their success and, you know, how they went from a very small museum with a lot of support from government to COVID to having an incredible retail store, which is now driving their commercial success.Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. Nick has done a load of work. Yeah, that leads me nicely onto a note. So listeners, for a long time, Skip the Queue has been totally focused on the podcast. But today we have launched our first playbook. Which is hopefully the first of many. But the playbook that we're launching today is all about how attractions can focus on best practice for gift shop e-commerce. So we work with partners, Rubber Cheese, Navigate, and Stephen Spencer Associates. So Steve and his team has helped us to contribute to some sections to the guide around, how do you curate your product? How do you identify who the audience is? How do you create that collection? The team at Rubber Cheese talk about the mechanics of how do you put it online and then our friends at Navigate help you to figure out what the best way is to get bums on seats. So it was a crackpot idea of mine six months ago to put it together, and it is now huge.Paul Marden: It's packed full of advice, and that's gone live today. So you can go over to skipthequeue.fm and click on the Playbooks link there to go and download that. Thank you. So, Jennifer, Michael, it has been absolutely wonderful to talk to both of you. Thank you to my audience. You've also been fabulous. Well done. And what a packed episode that was. I get the feeling you two quite enjoy gift shops and retailing. You could talk quite a lot about it.Jennifer  Kennedy: I mean, I love it.  Paul Marden: That didn't come over at all. Jennifer  Kennedy: Well, I just think it's such a lovely way of connecting with people and keeping a connection, particularly from a brand point of view. It should be the icing on the cake, you know?Paul Marden: You're not just a market store salesperson, are you?Jennifer  Kennedy: And I thoroughly believe that the most successful ones are because the experiences that they're a part of sow the seeds. They plant the love, the emotion, the energy. All you're really doing is making sure that that magic stays with people when they go away. The brand experience is the piece that's actually got them there in the first place. Paul Marden: Now let's go over to the conference floor to hear from some Irish operators and suppliers.Charles  Coyle: I'm Charles Coyle. I'm the managing director of Emerald Park. We're Ireland's only theme park and zoo. We opened in November 2010, which shows you how naive and foolish we were that we opened a visitor attraction in the middle of winter. Fortunately, we survived it.Paul Marden: But you wouldn't open a visitor attraction in the middle of summer, so give yourself a little bit of a run-up to it. It's not a bad idea.Charles  Coyle: Well, that's true, actually. You know what? I'll say that from now on, that we had the genius to open in the winter. We're open 15 years now, and we have grown from very small, humble aspirations of maybe getting 150,000 people a year to we welcomed 810,000 last year. And we'll probably be in and around the same this year as well.  Paul Marden: Wowzers, that is really impressive. So we are here on the floor. We've already heard some really interesting talks. We've been talking about AI in the most recent one. What can we expect to happen for you in the season coming in?Charles  Coyle: Well, we are hopefully going to be integrating a lot of AI. There's possibly putting in a new booking system and things like that. A lot of that will have AI dynamic pricing, which has got a bad rap recently, but it has been done for years and years in hotels.Paul Marden: Human nature, if you ask people, should I be punished for travelling during the summer holidays and visiting in a park? No, that sounds terrible. Should I be rewarded for visiting during a quiet period? Oh, yes! Yes, I should definitely. It's all about perspective, isn't it? Very much so. And it is how much you don't want to price gouge people. You've got to be really careful. But I do think dynamic pricing has its place.Charles  Coyle: Oh, absolutely. I mean, a perfect example of it is right now, our top price is not going to go any higher, but it'll just be our lower price will be there more constantly, you know, and we'll... Be encouraging people to come in on the Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as you said, rewarding people for coming in at times in which we're not that busy and they're probably going to have a better day as a result.Susanne Reid: Hi, Suzanne Reid here. I'm the CEO at Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin. What are you here to get out of the conference? First and foremost, the conference is a great opportunity every year to... catch up with people that you may only see once a year from all corners of the country and it's also an opportunity to find out what's new and trending within tourism. We've just come from a really energising session on AI and also a very thought-provoking session on crisis management and the dangers of solar panels.Paul Marden: Yes, absolutely. Yeah, the story of We the Curious is definitely an interesting one. So we've just come off the back of the summer season. So how was that for you?Susanne Reid:Summer season started slower than we would have liked this year in 2025, but the two big American football matches were very strong for us in Dublin. Dublin had a reasonable season, I would say, and we're very pleased so far on the 13th of the month at how October is playing out. So hoping for a very strong finish to the year. So coming up to Christmas at Christchurch, we'll have a number of cathedral events. So typically our carol concerts, they tend to sell out throughout the season. Then we have our normal pattern of services and things as well.Paul Marden: I think it's really important, isn't it? You have to think back to this being a place of worship. Yes, it is a visitor attraction. Yes, that's an aside, isn't it? And the reason it is a place of worship.Susanne Reid: I think that's obviously back to what our earlier speaker was talking about today. That's our charitable purpose, the promotion of religion, Christianity. However, you know, Christchurch is one of the most visited attractions in the city.Susanne Reid: Primarily, people do come because it will be there a thousand years in 2028. So there is, you know, the stones speak really. And, you know, one of the sessions I've really benefited from this morning was around accessible tourism. And certainly that's a journey we're on at the cathedral because, you know, a medieval building never designed for access, really. Paul Marden: No, not hugely. Susanne Reid: Not at all. So that's part of our programming and our thinking and our commitment to the city and to those that come to it from our local communities. But also from further afield, that they can come and enjoy the splendour of this sacred space.Paul Marden: I've been thinking long and hard, and been interviewing people, especially people like We The Curious, where they're coming into their 25th anniversary. They were a Millennium Project. I hadn't even thought about interviewing an attraction that was a thousand years old. A genuine millennium project.Susanne Reid: Yeah, so we're working towards that, Paul. And, you know, obviously there's a committee in-house thinking of how we might celebrate that. One of the things that, you know, I know others may have seen elsewhere, but... We've commissioned a Lego builder to build a Lego model of the cathedral. There will obviously be some beautiful music commissioned to surround the celebration of a thousand years of Christchurch at the heart of the city. There'll be a conference. We're also commissioning a new audio tour called the ACE Tour, Adults, Children and Everyone, which will read the cathedral for people who have no sense of what they're looking at when they maybe see a baptismal font, for example. You know, we're really excited about this and we're hoping the city will be celebratory mood with us in 2028.Paul Marden: Well, maybe you can bring me back and I'll come and do an episode and focus on your thousand year anniversary.Susanne Reid: You'd be so welcome.Paul Marden: Oh, wonderful. Thank you, Suzanne.Paul Marden: I am back on the floor. We have wrapped up day one. And I am here with Ray Dempsey from Jameson Distillery. Ray, what's it been like today?Ray  Dempsey: Paul, it's been a great day. I have to say, I always loved the AVEA conference. It brings in such great insights into our industry and into our sector. And it's hosted here in Waterford, a city that I'm a native of. And, you know, seeing it through the eyes of a tourist is just amazing, actually, because normally I fly through here. And I don't have the chance to kind of stop and think, but the overall development of Waterford and the presentation from the Waterford County Council was really, really good. It's fantastic. They have a plan. A plan that really is driving tourism. Waterford, as a tourist destination, whereas before, you passed through Waterford. It was Waterford Crystal's stop and that was it. But they have put so much into the restoration of buildings, the introduction of lovely artisan products, very complimentary to people coming to here, whether it is for a day, a weekend, or a week. Fantastic.Paul Marden: What is it? We're in the middle of October and it's a bit grey and drizzly out there. But let's be fair, the town has been packed. The town has been packed.With coaches outside, so my hotel this morning full of tourists.Ray  Dempsey: Amazing, yeah it's a great hub, a great hub, and they've done so much with the city to enable that, and you see, as you pass down the keys, you know that new bridge there to enable extra traffic coming straight into the heart of the city, it's fantastic. We're all learning from it, and hopefully, bring it all back to our own hometowns.Paul Marden: I think it's been really interesting. We were talking earlier on, before I got the microphone out, saying how it's been a real mixed bag this year across the island of Ireland, hasn't it? So some people really, really busy, some people rubbish year.Ray  Dempsey: Yeah, I mean, I feel privileged the fact that, you know, we haven't seen that in Dublin. So, you know, there's a it's been a very strong year, a little bit after a little bit of a bumpy start in January, February. But, like, for the rest of the year onwards, it's been fantastic. It's been back to back festivals and lots of things, lots of reasons why people come to Dublin. And, of course, with the introduction of the NFL. That's new to us this year. And hopefully, we'll see it for a number of years to come. But they're great builders for organic growth for our visitor numbers. So I'm happy to say that I'm seeing a growth in both revenue and in visitor numbers in the Jameson Distillery. So I'm happy to see that. Now, naturally, I'm going to have to work harder to make sure it happens next year and the year after. But I'm happy to say that the tourism product in Dublin has definitely improved. And Dublin-based visitor attractions are doing well. Paul Marden: Exciting plans for summer 26? Ray  Dempsey: Yes, every year is exciting, Paul. And every year brings a challenge and everything else. But I'm delighted to say that our focus for 2026 really is on building inclusion. So we're looking at language tours.Ray  Dempsey: We're looking at tours for... you know, margins in society. And I think it's a really interesting way for us to be able to embrace accessibility to our story. And also, we have increased our experience repertoire to engage more high-end experiences, not private experiences. More demand for those. Okay. So we're delighted to say that we have the product in order to be able to do that. So that's exciting for us, you know, to be building into 2026. Great. Paul Marden: Thank you so much for joining us. I am the only thing standing in the way of you and a drink at the cocktail reception later on. So I think we should call it quits. Ray  Dempsey: And for sure. Paul Marden: If you enjoyed today's episode, then please like and comment in your podcast app. It really does help others to find us. Today's episode was written by me, Paul Marden, with help from Emily Burrows from Plaster. It was edited by Steve Folland and produced by Wenalyn Dionaldo. See you next week. The 2025 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsTake the Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report

用英语闲聊时，第一句话该说什么，才会显得不尴尬呢？那一定是天气！今天卡卡老师分享超级实用的关于天气的small talk的句子。快点学起来吧！一、晴好天气场景Lovely day, isn't it?今天天真好，是吗？Beautiful weather we're having.这天气可真是太棒了。The sun is glorious today.今天的阳光可真是太灿烂了。Perfect weather for a picnic.这简直是野餐的完美天气。Great day to be outdoors.今天真是户外活动的好日子。二、炎热天气场景It's boiling hot today.今天热得像蒸笼一样（像被煮了一样）。The sun is really strong today.今天太阳太晒了。（用 strong 修饰太阳）I'm melting in this weather.这种天气里我真的都快融化了。湿热天气场景（南方特有）It's really muggy today.今天真的好闷热。It's so hot and sticky.真的是又热又黏。（sticky 由 “粘住 stick” 加 y 变形容词）三、降雨天气场景It looks like it might rain later.看起来待会可能要下雨。（用 might 表推测）The rain has finally stopped, thank goodness.谢天谢地，雨终于停了。It's pouring with rain. We can't go out right now.雨下得好大，我们现在没法出去。It's a bit drizzly now.现在有点下毛毛细雨。（drizzly 由 “毛毛细雨 drizzle” 去 e 加 y 变形容词）四、寒冷天气场景Is it cold outside? I haven't checked yet.外面冷不冷啊？我还没看呢。It's chilly this morning. You might need a jacket.今天早上有点冷，你可能需要穿件夹克。（chilly 比 cold 程度轻）It's too cold to walk outside.外面太冷了，不适合出去散步。（用 “too...to...” 句型表 “太…… 以至于不能……”）It's freezing outside. Make sure you wrap up warm.外面冻死人了，你一定要穿暖和一点。更多卡卡老师分享公众号：卡卡课堂 卡卡老师微信：kakayingyu001送你一份卡卡老师学习大礼包，帮助你在英文学习路上少走弯路

In this powerful and thought-provoking episode of "Not Your Mother's Menopause," host Dr. Fiona Lovely welcomes back integrative oncologist and breast surgeon Dr. Jenn Simmons for their annual conversation. As we enter Breast Health Awareness Month, Dr. Simmons presents a compelling critique of the current screening paradigm, challenging long-held beliefs about mammograms. She delves into the concerning issue of over-diagnosis, explaining how finding and treating certain conditions, like DCIS, may not correlate with saving lives and can instead lead to unnecessary treatments with significant side effects. The discussion offers a hopeful path forward, focusing on true prevention and empowering women with knowledge. Dr. Simmons introduces innovative, less invasive screening options and emphasizes the foundational principle that breast health is overall health. She also tackles the controversial topic of hormone replacement therapy after a breast cancer diagnosis, sharing her clinical perspective on its safety and importance for quality of life.  This episode is an essential listen for any woman seeking to make truly informed decisions about her health, advocating for a more logical, personalized, and proactive approach to breast care.  You can find out more about Dr Jenn Simmons here. Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

The lads are back from Lisbon and are keen to catch up on the latest LOI talking points from Dundalk's return to the big time to St.Pat's FAI Cup horror show and the launch of gov support for LOI acadmies.  Dundalk Vice Captain Aodh Dervin joins us to reflect on the Lilywhites title success and how he aims to silence the doubters (us included) next season.  Sponsored by QuinnAv.ie

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ON THIS WEEKS SHOW:-HOW TO GET KICKED OUT OF DISNEYLAND, WE DISCUSS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ALIGATORS, ANOTHER EPISODE OF "FUCK MY LIFE" AND LOVELY MARIA TELLS US ALL ABOUT GIRLS NIGHT OUT

Welcome back to The Lovely Show! This week Kevin is going retro, and has picked up a little bitta Covid. But fear not, we've still got a great episode for you all! The guys are chatting House of Guinness, prosthetic lads, Taylor Swift and of course we have the presidential update you've all been waiting for. If you enjoyed this episode of The Lovely Show, please ensure to leave us a LOVELY review. Support The Lovely Show to get ad-free listening and bonus episodes at https://headstuffpodcasts.com/membership/ - listen to your bonus episodes and ad-free feed in your favourite app! This is a HeadStuff podcast produced by Hilary Barry. Artwork by Matt Mahon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A windswept island garden, a storm‑proof polycrub, and a no‑dig mindset that turns soil into a living engine—this conversation with Lovely Greens' Tanya Anderson is a masterclass in practical, organic resilience. We head to the Isle of Man to unpack how climate shapes design, why keeping crops low beats the wind, and how a Shetland‑born polycrub unlocks peppers and aubergines where summer heat rarely arrives. Along the way, we explore wood chip paths that become compost, perennial borders that anchor slopes and shelter life, and the subtle art of knowing when to trust predators and when to step in.Tanya's story begins with a simple blog that grew into a thriving platform for organic gardening, DIY garden projects, and creative plant use. We talk about soil health in plain terms—compost as structure and nutrition, comfrey and nettle teas as slow power, and fungi as partners rather than mysteries. No‑dig gets an honest appraisal: fewer weeds if your margins are tight, more seedlings if you embrace wildflowers, and a real conversation about the cost and sourcing of compost. It's not dogma; it's a flexible system you adapt to your site, your back, and your goals.We also dive into the hard bit: New Zealand flatworm. If you garden in wet, cool climates, this pest can erase your earthworms and tip the food web off balance. Tanya shares how she traps during breeding windows, protects undisturbed, mulched zones for worms, and keeps an eye on alternatives like biochar barriers—all while building an ecosystem that can recover. The joy returns with perennials like Taunton Deane kale, Welsh onions, artichokes, and yacón, plus the creativity of turning calendula and chamomile into gentle soap and skincare. That loop—grow, use, and give back—runs through her book A Woman's Garden and her soap‑making courses.If you're curious about resilient organic gardening, storm‑smart structures, and making more from what you grow, you'll feel right at home here. Subscribe, share this episode with a gardener who loves a challenge, and leave a review to tell us how you're adapting your space this season.You can visit Tanya's website Lovely Greens here:https://lovelygreens.comSupport the showIf there is any topic you would like covered in future episodes, please let me know. Email: info@mastermygarden.com Check out Master My Garden on the following channels Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermygarden/ Instagram @Mastermygarden https://www.instagram.com/mastermygarden/ Until next week Happy gardening John

Yes that's right, it's the first of our twice weekly Celebrity Traitors specials! The series kicked off last night and all the contestants have entered the infamous Traitors castle - including our very own Joe Wilkinson, of course. So from now until the game has reached its dramatic conclusion, David and Joe will be discussing each episode the day after it's broadcast. Tune in each Thursday and Friday to hear all the details and inside gossip that David can think to ask Joe about, plus plenty of the usual Chatabix diversions. Lovely stuff! Warning: these pods will contain spoilers about each specified episode of Celebrity Traitors, but definitely no more than that. So if you're watching the show, please don't listen to them until you've seen the episode in question. FOR ALL THINGS CHATABIX'Y FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE/CONTACT: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chatabixpodcast Insta: https://www.instagram.com/chatabixpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chatabix Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/chatabix Merch: https://chatabixshop.com/ Contact us: chatabix@yahoo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to episode 270 of the Women's Running podcast. I'm your host Esther Newman and she's your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.Poo chatHolly is actually in St Lucia this week, but we pre-recorded so you don't have to worry about missing her lovely voice. We have an update on the whole plumbing situation, which we know you must be very worried about. This leads into some nasty poo chat, so be warned.Cover star LavinaBut the main event in this episode, is our October cover star, Lavina Mehta MBE. We talk to her about her book, The Feel Good Fix, and her mission to encourage everyone to move a little more – in fact, for just 11 minutes a day through something she calls ‘exercise snacking', which we really like the sound of. We talk squats while the kettle boils, calf raises on zoom calls, and perimenopause when you least expect it.RecoveryWe come back afterwards to talk about marathon recovery, specifically about lung function. It has occurred to me that running long distances can really affect my asthmatic lungs, and my spot of google research has underlined this.Join usIf you aren't a patron yet do join us on Patreon for just £2 a month, through which you can join Discord, our forum just for you, our gorgeous Pod Squad, to meet up, chat about running, TV, books, menopause, and anything else you like. You also get to come along to our Live Pods! To get access to Discord, all you need to do is head to patreon.com/womensrunning and join us for just £2 a month.Lovely extra bits· Pick up Lavina's book The Feel Good Fix· Also check out Maaree's lovely range of bras, specifically the Empower in a beautiful pink, from which they're donating 10% of the profits to CoppafeelSubscribe to Women's Running – and you can save 50%Get tickets to our live event ahead of the Bath Half 2026!Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we've been using it for ages and LOVE ITDo join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

别让不会聊天拖后腿！职场必备的small talk句子，快点学起来！日常口语中，我们需要掌握非常实用的small talk技巧。所谓small talk， 指非正式、轻松简短的交流，相对于 Deep Talk 深度交流 或 Formal Discussion 正式讨论 核心目的是打破沉默、建立初步好感或维系轻松关系，而非深入讨论复杂议题或解决具体问题，是社交 尤其是商务场景 中 破冰 和拉近距离的重要方式。今天卡卡老师就来分享一些在职场中超级实用的small talk，快点学起来吧！开场/问候How's your day going?今天过得怎么样？How was your weekend?周末过得如何？How's everything at the office?公司一切都好吗？Lovely weather, isn't it?天气真好，对吧？闲聊：I like your bag, where did you get it?我喜欢你的包，你在哪儿买的呀？Have you seen any good movies recently?你最近有没有看什么好看的电影呀？The traffic was terrible today.今天的交通糟透了。用餐： Have you tried the new downstairs? I heard their salad is great. 您试过楼下的沙拉台？听说他们的沙拉很不错。 What's the best meal you've had lately? I'm always looking for new places to try. 你最近吃过最棒的一顿饭是在哪？我一直在找新的店尝试。 出差：How was your flight? 旅途顺利吗？ Did you have a good trip over? 这趟过来还顺利吧？ Do you travel here often? 您经常来这边出差吗？ What's the secret to beating jet lag? 克服时差有什么秘诀吗？ It's great that you could make it out here. 您能专程过来真是太好了。 开会： Did you get a chance to look over the agenda I sent over yesterday? 你们（你）有时间看我昨天发的会议议程吗？ Are you all set for the meeting?会议都准备好了吗？ 工作细节沟通： A: Did you finish the report for the client? I know it was a tight deadline. 你完成给客户的报告了吗？我知道截止日期很紧张。 B: Just sent it this morning! Now I can finally breathe a little. 今早刚发出去！现在终于能松口气了。 更多卡卡老师分享公众号：卡卡课堂 卡卡老师微信：kakayingyu001送你一份卡卡老师学习大礼包，帮助你在英文学习路上少走弯路

In this episode of Not Your Mother's Menopause, Dr. Fiona Lovely welcomes back gerontologist and podcaster Zora Benhamou for a deeply personal discussion on her recent bilateral hip replacement surgery at just 54 years old. What begins as a conversation about lifestyle and health choices unfolds into an honest exploration of living with chronic pain, the challenges of delaying surgery, and the emotional weight of making such a life-altering decision. Zora shares her years-long effort to manage pain and preserve mobility without surgical intervention, and the turning point that ultimately led her to pursue hip replacement. Together, she and Dr. Lovely discuss the multifaceted contributors to early osteoarthritis, from genetics and lifestyle factors to the potential influence of menopause and shifting hormone levels. They also touch on the vital role of muscle strength in recovery, the importance of choosing healthcare providers you can trust, and the empowerment that comes with advocating for your own well-being. This conversation offers both practical insights and a sense of solidarity for women navigating similar challenges in midlife. If you or someone you know is dealing with joint pain or facing a similar medical decision, this conversation offers valuable perspective, reassurance, and a sense of community. You can find more from Zora Benhamou on her website, hackmyage.com, and listen to her podcast, Hack My Age.   Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

PJ Lovely from the Newport Rec Dept is here as we catch up on fall sports, how things are going at the new Community Center, winter sports sign ups, how summer went, and more.  Sponsor: Sugar River Bank

Mike talks about the best places in Colorado in go see the Fall Colors. Later, he answers text line questions and talks to Justin Larson from larsoninsuranceco.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Late to mic. 

Here is the episode on Galapagos, Ecuador 60 second confidence challenge Check your passport. Do you have at least six months left until it expires? Do you have at least four blank pages? Then your passport is in good shape. You're ready to travel, as long as you check for any Visa entries you may need. If you like today's Confidence Challenge, Chapter 2 of my book dives deeper—link in description.”   See Book A for addressing all of these items like preparing for travel.   Destination Deep‑Dive Today's destination is: Galapagos, Ecuador Galapagos means nature to most people. The sights of wild animals, especially those near the ocean, fill the mind with beauty and a feeling of freshness. One example: my hotel was located near a Flamingo habitat. They were found every day, nearly any time of day. I could go there and just watch them and smile. Sometimes there were 5 or 6 of them, just standing there. Lovely and especially memorable. https://www.galapagos.org/travel/planning-a-trip/#journey How much does it cost to go here? https://www.galapagos.org/about_galapagos/the-islands/isabela-island/ https://travel.usnews.com/Galapagos_Islands_Ecuador/Things_To_Do/ https://www.expeditions.com/destinations/galapagos It's expensive. Between 2 and 10k for most travelers. I spent a lot less, but that was from Quito. Ask me my budget. What about mobility? The islands are not built for wheelchair friendly travelers. Getting on and off boats, walking on sand and gravel and other obstacles make this not a great destination if you have this concern.  Where are you going? Let me know if I helped you travel.  Connect with Dr Travelbest Drmarytravelbest.com Dr. Mary Travelbest Twitter Dr. Mary Travelbest Facebook Page Dr. Mary Travelbest Facebook Group Dr. Mary Travelbest Instagram email: info@drmarytravelbest.com Dr. Mary Travelbest Podcast Dr. Travelbest on TikTok Dr.Travelbest onYouTube I  

Welcome back to the lovely show! This week your lovely hosts are back in studio and are lamenting the ending of season one of the incredible The Traitors Ireland. Kevin and Justine have some interesting suggestions for reopening Irish nightclubs, they discuss the presidential candidates and we discover who Kevin's real father is... And of course, Snail News is back! If you enjoyed this episode of The Lovely Show, please ensure to leave us a LOVELY review. Support The Lovely Show to get ad-free listening and bonus episodes at https://headstuffpodcasts.com/membership/ - listen to your bonus episodes and ad-free feed in your favourite app! This is a HeadStuff podcast produced by Hilary Barry. Artwork by Matt Mahon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to episode 269 of the Women's Running podcast. I'm your host Esther Newman and she's your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.Plumbing issuesApols to all for a slightly scatalogical start to the pod, but I'm a tiny bit traumatised by my plumbing (not a euphemism), so you'll have to bear with.Marathon debriefEventually I get into my race report – I ran the Trail Escape Bristol to Bath marathon at the weekend and I have a LOT of thoughts about it. It was absolutely brilliant!Pod Squad!One thing I fail to mention in my report is a podsquadder I met at the finish line – so a quick shout out to the lovely Rosie, thank you for coming to say hello. She was a total hero who had signed up to the event, had become ill, and decided to volunteer for it instead – the best kind of person.And Holly is off on her travels next week, on a very exciting trip indeed. She talks about training with Olympians and bikini-shopping. We'll find out more in a couple of pods' time.Please vote for us!Before I forget, do please vote for us in the Running Industry Awards – there are lots of categories and lots of brilliant people to vote for, including us, so it's worth hopping on to the site to register your vote for everyone you love (not just us). But if you *did* find yourself there and wanted to vote for us, we would be thrilled, honoured, and would hug you all. (um, that's the Running Industry Awards, link in the show notes, or just a swift google should bring up the page, google fans).Lovely extra bitsPLEASE vote for us in the Running Industry Awards I ran the Trail Escape Bristol to Bath. Sign up for next year!Subscribe to Women's Running – and you can save 50%Get tickets to our live event ahead of the Bath Half 2026!Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we've been using it for ages and LOVE ITDo join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Jarboe introduces us to the Wisconsin Food Hub's Tend and Table -- a new business model to bring income to growers who lost funding through the Local Food Purchase Assistance program. The temperatures will pick back up today at World Dairy Expo, says Stu Muck. Chances of rain develop for Sunday. YODELAYHEEHOO! It's a sound you may have heard at Expo, and a celebration of Swiss heritage. Switzerland is one of the roughly 100 countries represented at the show. Ben Jarboe learns about the yodeling technique from Tony Zgraggen of the New Glarus Yodel Club. Kiley Allan joins Kadence Farms in the barn after their cow, Lovely, was named Grand Champion and Senior Champion of the International Guernsey Show. Lovely is owned by Brittany Taylor and Laylaa Schuler of New Glarus. Katie Burgess from Ever.Ag says cheese prices are rebounding this week, following the year’s pattern of dipping low before climbing again. But European cheese values and weak U.S. demand temper the outlook. Meanwhile, butter continues to face price pressure despite strong demand, and with protein products fetching record highs. Protein is king right now - even Starbucks is launching higher-protein coffees.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NORMAL THINGS THAT ARE CREEPY, BUYING EXPENSIVE SHIT, RAUNCHIEST MOVIE SCENES AND LOVELY MARIA ANSWERS QUESTIONS FROM MEN....

In this episode of Not Your Mother's Menopause Podcast, Dr. Fiona Lovely is joined by Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Founder of Rucking Women, Colleen Flaherty.  For years, Colleen has been a guiding force in women's health, teaching how to cultivate stronger, more mobile bodies for healthier pregnancies, positive body relationships, and optimal recoveries. Now, she brings her extensive expertise to the menopause conversation, focusing on a powerful, simple, and transformative fitness trend: rucking. Discover why rucking—the straightforward act of walking with a weighted backpack or vest—is becoming a solid tactic for women in perimenopause and beyond. Colleen breaks down how this accessible practice is a game-changer for building crucial bone density, enhancing muscle strength, and boosting metabolic health without the strain of high-impact workouts. She and Dr. Lovely delve into why it's time to move away from frantic cardio and embrace strength-based movements that honor our changing hormonal and energetic needs. Learn practical, no-nonsense tips on how to start rucking with items you already have at home, how to safely progress, and why this practice is deeply rooted in our ancestral biology. Colleen also shares profound insights on the critical importance of grip and upper body strength for longevity, and how integrating simple habits like hanging from an overhead bar can combat frailty and promote spinal health. Want the first look at episodes like this and Dr. Lovely's coveted Fiona's Favourites column, exclusive products and personal message? Sign up for Fiona's Friday Favourites newsletter! Tune in for a conversation that goes beyond fitness—it's about reclaiming your strength, finding simplicity in movement, and connecting with a supportive community of women who are rocking their way through midlife and beyond. If you're ready to feel capable, powerful, and deeply grounded in your body, this episode is your invitation to start.  Find out more about Colleen here.  Please listen to her podcast The MotherRuckin' Show here. Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

ON TODAY'S SHOW: Opener Tradie V Lady First Calls Birthday Wheel O News $10,000 Pop Quiz Malaika - Transracial Woman Alfie's Dating Challenge Take It From The Rear Mayo Was Recognised In An Awkward Moment O News Last Calls Follow us on @kyleandjackieo for more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this solo episode of the Not Your Mother's Menopause Podcast, Dr. Fiona Lovely provides a vital and compassionate guide to the Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM). She begins by explaining that the GSM is a spectrum of symptoms affecting the genitourinary tract due to declining estrogen and androgenic hormones (like testosterone and DHEA) during the menopause transition. Dr. Lovely details the common yet often unspoken symptoms, which can include vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, urinary urgency, recurrent bladder infections, and changes in libido and sensation. She emphasizes that these changes are not something to suffer through in silence and offers clear, actionable solutions. We discuss treatment using low-dose vaginal estrogen, a safe and effective option for nearly everyone that directly addresses the root cause of tissue thinning and fragility. Dr. Lovely provides practical application advice and recommends specific formulations. Beyond treatment, she encourages open communication with our sex partners to navigate changing intimacy needs and suggests speaking with employers about necessary accommodations if symptoms affect work.  This episode is an empowering call to seek compassionate care and prioritize quality of life, no matter where you are in the menopause landscape. Thank you to our sponsors for this episode: