Podcasts about New Forest

On today's show, Jake discusses his 10M race at the New Forest last weekend, including his… er interesting technique!?  The guys chat about Martina's (Jake's girlfriend) recent niggle/injury, which could put her Valencia marathon plans in jeopardy.  And we touch on the mental side of training and racing, and how important it is to ensure running firmly remains something that we ENJOY! See the full show notes & resources here: http://runningwithjake.com/plodcast

Listen on Apple - watch or listen on Spotify - watch on YouTube. Recorded just hours after the news was confirmed, Rich, Baz and George sit down to discuss the appointment of Vitor Pereira as the new Head Coach of Nottingham Forest: Where did it all go wrong for Dyche? How accountable should Marinakis and Edu be? What can we expect from the new gaffer? Will Forest stay up? We get insight from seasoned Premier League watcher Neil Atkinson from The Anfield Wrap about the comparisons between the Reds and Spurs; and Talking Wolves' supremo Dave Azzopardi tells us about Pereira's time at Molineux. Subscribe to 1865: The ORIGINAL Nottingham Forest Podcast via your podcast provider, and please leave a review, as it helps other Forest supporters find our content. Join us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 1865: The Nottingham Forest Podcast is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sports Social Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and partnered with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FanHub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Come on you Reds! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Booth family's farm is a place where the humble fruits have remarkable potential, and the food waste is actually a land of opportunity.Sandy Booth heads up New Forest Fruit Snacks, a business with family values at its core, and a whole lot of help from the kin within!Join us this week for a look into an innovative, sustainable family farm growing not just the strawberries in their snacks, but the people within the business too…

How do we grow revenue, enhance experience and think about expansion when guest expectations are rising and operating pressure hasn't eased?In Part 2 of our New Forest Roundtable, recorded live at New Park Manor Hotel as part of the Hospitality Discussions UK Roundtable Roadshow, we move the conversation forward - shifting focus from cost and pressure to opportunity. Together with hotel leaders, operators and industry partners, we explore how hospitality businesses are rethinking revenue generation, guest relationships and long-term growth.Featuring Sharon Cowley from Netaffinity (silver sponsor) Prem Jethwa-Odedra of Biteluxe (Bronze sponsor) and Scot Turner from Auden Hospitality (silver sponsor), Alessandra Leoni of Focus on Hospitality our Platinum sponsor and Paul Wells from Studio Moren (bronze sponsor).This episode digs into the practical realities behind direct bookings, personalisation, technology, AI and physical space and how all of these choices shape not just guest experience, but staff experience and leadership confidence too.What We Explore- Revenue Beyond the Room: How hotels are reducing reliance on OTAs, using data and personas to drive direct bookings, and creating more meaningful upsell and experience-led revenue.- Experience as a System, Not a Moment: Why guest experience starts long before arrival and extends beyond checkout - from digital journeys and pre-arrival communication to staff experience and leadership culture.- Expansion, Design and the Role of AI: How hotels are thinking differently about growth - through better use of space, learning from other sectors, and using AI to remove friction without losing the human touch.As we wrap up this second session, one thing becomes clear: experience is no longer just about the guest. It lives in systems, spaces, data, leadership decisions and how supported teams feel day to day. Growth doesn't come from chasing every opportunity, but from making clearer choices about who we serve, how we serve them, and where we invest next.Hoteliers' Voice is one of FeedSpot's top Hospitality Podcasts and is produced by Urban Podcasts.

Host: Ciaran Urry-Tuttiett Station: Forest FM (92.3 FM, 98.9 FM, DAB+ & Online) Broadcast Region: East Dorset, West Hampshire, and the New Forest, UK Missed the live broadcast? Don't worry! Grab your sequins and settle in as Ciaran Urry-Tuttiett brings you the latest from the world of Eurovision, broadcasting straight from the heart of the New Forest. On This Week's Show: Luxembourg has Decided!

Holidays back in the old days. Fly to Spain or go for a caravan in the New Forest? Lost villages, no school, no police house, no vicar... No village! Bicycles and cars on pavements and more...

How do we run profitable hospitality businesses when costs keep rising, expectations keep shifting, and leadership can feel increasingly lonely?This episode was recorded live at New Park Manor Hotel in the New Forest as part of the Hospitality Discussions UK Roundtable Roadshow. We're joined by hotel leaders, operators and suppliers from across the industry for an open, honest conversation about the realities facing hospitality right now - and why talking about them together matters more than ever.Featuring in this episode includesOur host - Byron Fiddler, Hotel Manager at New Park ManorPlatinum sponsor - Alessandra Leoni, Focus on HospitalitySilver sponsor - Scot Turner, Auden HospitalitySilver sponsor - Prem Jethwa-Odedra, BiteluxeSilver sponsor - Sharon Cowley, NetaffinityAlso, Shannon Rockey from Lime Wood Group, Tom Pyke of Balmer Lawn Hotel and Josie Clare from Stanwell HouseThe discussion brings together voices from across operations, technology, food and beverage, design and people leadership. What emerges isn't a list of easy answers, but something far more valuable - shared perspective, practical insight, and reassurance that many of the pressures we're feeling are widely shared.What We Explore- Cost Pressure Without Compromise: How rising costs are forcing hospitality leaders to rethink value, pricing and experience - not just efficiency.- Technology Overload and Decision Fatigue: Why hotel tech has become increasingly complex, and how leaders are trying to make clearer, more confident choices.- People, Culture and Leadership Loneliness: What it really feels like to lead in hospitality right now and why connection and peer conversation matter more than ever.As we close, one message lands clearly: the challenges facing hospitality are shared - and so are the solutions. Whether we're running independent hotels or larger groups, grappling with cost pressure, tech decisions or people leadership, there is real value in stepping out of isolation and into conversation.This roundtable isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking better questions - together.Hoteliers' Voice is one of FeedSpot's top Hospitality Podcasts and is produced by Urban Podcasts.

In this episode of Hotelier's Voice, I'm in the heart of the New Forest at New Park Manor, part of the Luxury Family Hotels collection. As I walk through the grounds with hotel manager Byron Fiddler, I get a real sense of what it means to create a family-focused luxury experience - one where children, parents, and even dogs are part of the stay in equal measure.Together, we explore the property inside and out: from the spa overlooking roaming deer to the den and cinema room, the family dining experience that adapts to fussy eaters, and the design choices that stand up to the joy (and chaos) of little guests. As Byron and I sit fireside, we dig into the realities behind the scenes - staffing challenges, training and development, keeping families engaged during rainy days, and how sustainability and heritage influence the character of this historic hotel.What We Discover Together- Family Luxury, Without Compromise: How New Park Manor balances design, service and experiences so parents relax, kids explore and dogs feel right at home.- Training People, Not Just Skills: Why Byron prioritises personality-led hiring, strong development programmes, and leadership growth to support a busy, evolving hotel.- Hospitality as a Career of Possibility: We reflect on how diverse backgrounds from reception to carpentry can lead to management roles and exciting opportunities across the world.Being here at New Park Manor reminded me that great family hospitality isn't just about amenities - it's about creating a place where everyone, in every age or shape of family life, feels welcomed, known, and looked after.Hoteliers' Voice is one of FeedSpot's top Hospitality Podcasts and is produced by Urban Podcasts.

Imagine being jailed for opening the worst Christmas park in history. False advertising is no joke in the UK, as we learn in the tragedy of the 2008 Lapland New Forest. Speaking of phonies, ever heard of the Minnesota Iceman? How about Baby Jesus Theft? Turns out Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year for petty criminals and arsonists. - - - DEEP LORE DISCORD: https://discord.com/invite/V7hqXWDg9pINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/deep_lore_boys_podcast/- - - YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@deeploreboys/featured- - -Intro: City Lights — Babasmas [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: https://youtu.be/W9IQfypOkkYFree Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/city-lights- - -Christmas Music provided by heroboard - Music for Creators: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYyPTy6425U&list=PLW6TL5a7EuoQi05JYTB8Z59MKVS9_JI8s 

Send us a textThis week on the Agegroup Multisport Podcast, we're joined by the incredible Jo O'Regan—a world-class runner turned Ironman powerhouse with one of the most refreshingly honest journeys in endurance sport.Jo's story starts on the roads, where she built an elite marathon career: wins at Chester, New Forest, and Edinburgh, podium finishes at Manchester, a top-5 at London, and a blistering 2:40 PB at the 2022 London Marathon. She ran for England and earned an invite to the Kew Gardens Olympic Trials—only for injury to pull the rug out at the peak of her running form.What came next changed everything.Forced to pivot, Jo threw herself into swimming, then cycling, and by late 2021 signed up for her first ever triathlon—Ironman Vitoria-Gasteiz. She didn't just finish… she came 3rd, qualified for Kona, and caught the Ironman bug hard (despite imposter syndrome, no TT bike, and zero triathlon experience).We dive into the mindset shift from pure runner to all-round triathlete, dealing with setbacks and mechanicals (including a heartbreaking DNF at Roth), and leaning into strengths while owning weaknesses. Jo also shares her unique and fearless approach to swimming, racing long-distance triathlons entirely breaststroke—clocking a 1:14 swim at Outlaw and 1:19 non-wetsuit at Kona.This episode is about resilience, reinvention, and rewriting the rules of what “doing it right” in triathlon really means. If you've ever felt like an imposter, struggled with injury, or wondered if it's too late to pivot—this one's for you.Follow Jo on Instagram - @jo_oregan_runsYou Can Follow us  onYouTube - AMP GBInstagram @amp_podcastFacebook : Richard Joseph Conwayfind all our episodes on our websiteWebsite is : https://agegroupmultisportpodcast.buzzsprout.com/email: agegroupmultisportpodcast@gmail.comIf you are an agegroup athlete and would like to come on the pod, get in touch.

My Story   Talk 33  Life after Mattersey (3) India Our last trip beyond Europe during the years following our departure from Mattersey was to India in 2010. Like my first trip to Ethiopia in 2005, this came about through Arto Hamalainen, the Overseas Missions Director for the Pentecostal churches in Finland. One of their missionaries had asked him to recommend someone who would come and teach about the Holy Spirit and Arto suggested me. The Finns said that they would cover my airfare and, as Eileen had never visited India, I was happy to pay for her. Our destination was Machilipatnam on the eastern coast of India, stopping briefly to minister at Mumbai before flying home. However, as several of our former Mattersey students were from India, we decided that we'd like to visit them as well, if at all possible. So I contacted Lawrence Arumanayagam in Coimbatore and Victor Palla in Palakonda and they were keen to have us come. So an itinerary was arranged for us to arrive at each place on a Monday and then stay for six days before moving on the following Sunday evening or Monday. I made it clear that it was important for me to abide by the Sabbath principle of resting one day in seven. Apart from that, they could arrange as much ministry as they liked during our stay with them. However, it turned out that they were all so keen to make the most of our visit that they organised ministry for all six days and counted on us travelling on to the next place on the day we were supposed to be resting! So the itinerary turned out as follows: Friday 19th February – travel to London Heathrow Saturday 20th – depart Heathrow Sunday 21st – arrive Mumbai at 1a.m. (local time) – attend church in Mumbai and preach in the evening Monday 22nd – fly to Machilipatnam Tuesday to Sunday – ministry in Machilipatnam Sunday 28th – evening, fly to Hyderabad (staying overnight at the airport) Monday March 1st – travel  on to Palakonda Tuesday to Sunday – ministry in Palakonda Monday 8th – travel to Coimbatore via Chennai and Bangalore Tuesday to Sunday – ministry in Coimbatore Monday 15th – travel on to Mumbai Tuesday-Wednesday – ministry in Mumbai Thursday 18th March – fly home. I have taken space to include this itinerary to show how busy our schedule was and to indicate what was probably the reason for the health challenges I subsequently faced and which I will describe later. But first let me briefly mention some of the highlights of the trip. Machilipatnam Although we were already tired from our long journey to Mumbai we needed to be up by 4.50 on Monday morning to catch the 6.50 flight to Bangalore where we changed planes and flew on to Vijayawada where we were met by Pauli, our Finnish host. We were so grateful for the comfortable taxi he had hired to take us on to Machilipatnam. Pauli and his wife accommodated us throughout our stay in a comfortable room in their home and fed us well. From Tuesday to Friday I was teaching every morning and afternoon and developed a sore throat, partly due, I suspect, to the dry heat. However, on the Saturday there was no meeting until the evening, and we were taken to visit some of the local villages and a vast beach where people were in the sea dressed in their everyday clothes. This was a very poor area which had been badly affected by the Tsunami a few years earlier. We were also interested to visit the Hyny Bible College, named after the first missionary from Finland, 'Mother' Hyny. Once again I am grateful to Eileen's journal which brings back happy memories of the Sunday morning meeting: For the first half of church children from orphanages sit on the floor. They come for Sunday School and then stay for the meeting. They are so still and well behaved. They have Bibles and some take notes. They gave us garlands again… After a quick lunch we were back in a taxi again speeding our way to Vijayawada airport. Our stay had been brief and very busy, but despite our tiredness we were grateful for the opportunity the Lord had given us to visit these wonderful people and to share his word with them. Palakonda Palakonda is also on the east coast of India, but further north. The quickest way to get there was to fly inland to Hyderabad in central India and then northeast to Visakhapatnam. This would require an overnight stop at Hyderabad airport where fortunately a comfortable bedroom was available at a very reasonable price. At Visakhapatnam we were greeted by Victor Palla and one of his associate pastors. Victor was one of our former students having taken both our undergraduate and MA courses. He knew Bob Hyde well as they had both been at Mattersey together and our church in Brixham was supporting Victor and the thirty churches he had planted in the Palakonda area after leaving college. The taxi journey on to Palakonda took a further three hours and we were grateful for the large ensuite airconditioned bedroom Victor and Lydia provided for us throughout our stay. The hospitality was lavish and the food both plentiful and excellent. It's so difficult not to eat too much when people are so generous. There was only one problem. Palakonda is famous for its malaria carrying mosquitos and both of us were bitten while we were there despite Victor's efforts to zap the invaders with an amazing racquet powered by batteries that electrocuted them. However, thanks to prayer and the antimalarial tablets we were taking, neither of us contracted the dreaded disease. During the course of the week we ministered in numerous meetings in Palakonda and the surrounding villages. In one of them we were told how the church had started with a family becoming Christians. The rest of the villagers worshipped a tree. The Christian family wanted to cut it down but were afraid of the people. Then Christians from another village came and after praying cut the tree down. The villagers expected something bad to happen to these Christians, but when nothing of the kind happened, they all became Christians. But the highlight of our visit was undoubtedly the day we left at 10am for a meeting with ten churches in the beautiful hills surrounding Palakonda. We travelled by Jeep on extremely bumpy roads at an average speed of 10mph passing through villages that hadn't changed for centuries. We finally arrived at a village where a large banner with our names on it welcomed us. Leaving the Jeep there we were led up a rocky, dusty path to the church where some 400 people were sitting outside it on the ground under a leafy shelter. We sat on chairs with our backs to the church building and the girls came and washed Eileen's feet and we were both given beautiful garlands to wear. The meeting started with lots of singing followed by prayer, after which I preached. This was followed by a meal where the people sat in rows on the ground and were served with a rice dish on disposable plates made from sown leaves. In her journal Eileen commented:             The whole time was special. Amazing atmosphere. And the same day, after returning to Palakonda for a short rest, we were driven to a village after dark where 200 had gathered for another meeting where, after a firework display, I was asked to preach again. We returned to Palakonda extremely tired, but very happy. It was very much the same the entire week and by the time we moved on to Coimbatore I was beginning to feel the need of a good rest. But what a privilege it had been to have fellowship with Victor and Lydia and to share the word of God with so many wonderful people in the Palakonda area whose way of life is very different from ours but with whom we have so much in common. Coimbatore After a busy week in Palakonda, the following Monday we flew on to Coimbatore via Chennai (formerly Madras) to be greeted by Lawrence and Getzi Arumanayagam and were made very welcome in their lovely modern apartment. On the Tuesday we were straight into teaching sessions both morning and afternoon in their beautiful church. I was pleased to see that the congregation was much larger than it had been when I had visited them in 1986. The teaching sessions continued on the Wednesday. They started well until something happened that I had never experienced before. In the middle of preaching I suddenly began to feel unwell. Eileen, who was sitting on the front row, said afterwards that she thought I was going to have a stroke or a heart attack. I asked if I could sit down for a moment and the people, suspecting that I was suffering from dehydration, kindly brought me some fluids and chocolate. After a few minutes I was feeling a bit better and was able to resume preaching although I remained seated to do so. Looking back on it, I'm sure that it was because of overwork and the extreme heat. I hadn't had a rest day since we left England and India was even hotter than usual that year. But the experience had seriously affected my confidence. The next day, realising that I needed a rest, Lawrence and Getzi decided to take us for an overnight stay in Ooty where the temperature is a few degrees lower because of its altitude. Eileen said it felt almost cold at times, but I was so grateful for it. We had a delightful two days there and I began to feel better. We took the opportunity to visit the Livsey Children's Home built in memory of Helga Mosey.  Helga had come to our youth camp in the New Forest back in the seventies and was one of the passengers on Pan Am flight 103 destroyed by a bomb while flying over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988. Her parents John and Lisa were well known to us, and the home had been built from part of the proceeds of the compensation they had received. The trip to Ooty did us good and I thought that I had got over whatever it was that had caused the problem on Wednesday. However, on Saturday morning I was feeling so unwell that I was unable to attend a graduation service where I was expected to preach. Instead, Lawrence phoned a Christian doctor at the hospital who arranged an immediate appointment for me. They took my blood pressure and gave me an ECG and some tablets for vertigo, but could find nothing wrong with me. Encouraged by the news, on Sunday I was feeling somewhat better and managed to preach three times, at 6.30am in Zion Church where Lawrence's father was the pastor, at 9.30am in Bethel City Cathedral led by Pastor David Prakasam, another of our former students, and again in the afternoon at the students' graduation where Eileen and I presented their certificates. Mumbai On Monday we flew back to Mumbai where the temperature was five degrees hotter than usual. Our hosts were Yukka and Lily, Finnish missionaries who, hearing that I was to visit India, had asked if we could fit in a couple of days of seminars before we returned to England. We were accommodated in a comfortable hotel room, but once again I began to feel unwell and ate very little breakfast. I was beginning to feel I just wanted to get home to England, but the flight wasn't until Thursday. However, when Biju Thampi, another of our former Mattersey students, called me and asked if he and his wife, Secu, could take us to lunch, we were keen to see him and we agreed to go. They arrived at 12 and before lunch took us to see a little of what they were doing for some of the many homeless children of the area. There were dozens of children on a piece of wasteland in the shadow of a viaduct where people regularly dumped their rubbish. Biju's ministry involved sending buses to these children where they provide them with a meal and give them a basic education. He told us moving stories of how they had been able to help these children and of miracles that had happened among them, and we decided to hand over all our remaining rupees to him as a small contribution to this vital work. By contrast, immediately afterwards they took us to a high-class hotel not far from the rubbish dump where we were treated to a delightful lunch. After what we had seen we almost felt guilty eating it. Our time with Biju and Secu had been all too brief, but as I was scheduled to teach in the afternoon, we had to say goodbye. Yukka had hired the Catholic Centre and arranged seminars for us from  3.30 to 5.00, and 5.30-7.00 that day with two further sessions scheduled for the Wednesday starting at 9.30. People had travelled great distances to be there to hear me talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately it was extremely hot and there was no air conditioning in the building and I soon began to feel unwell again. Realising I had a problem, during the break Yukka arranged for me to sit in his car with its air conditioner on and I was able to continue teaching for the first part of the next session. But sadly I had to finish 30 minutes earlier than planned and they rushed me back to the hotel and sent for a doctor who told me that there was nothing seriously wrong with me and that it was all probably due to the heat. Although that was reassuringly good to hear, it did not, of course, solve the immediate problem. The first session was at 9.30 and the temperature was no cooler and I was unable to complete the seminars. I apologised profusely and the people were very understanding despite their disappointment. They promised that if we ever came again they would be sure to hire an air-conditioned building. The next day we flew back to England, disappointed that a wonderful trip had finished as it had but intensely relieved to be going home where, hopefully, I would soon be back to normal. But I was soon to discover that my recovery would take far longer than expected. There would be new challenges to face for both of us. But that will be the subject of our next talk.

In this Christmas bonus episode of Best Book Forward, I'm delighted to welcome back Lucy Steeds, author of The Artist If you missed the previous episode with Claire you can catch up with it here... listen nowWe take a look back at The Artist and some of the special moments that Lucy has enjoyed.Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward would be complete without some irresistible book recommendations to add to your festive reading list. Here's everything we discussed:

In one of the most turbulent moments in the contest's history, this special edition of the Eurovision Showcase unpacks the growing uncertainty surrounding Eurovision 2026 and what it could mean for the future of the competition in Vienna. Host Ciaran Urry-Tuttiett reflects on the current climate surrounding the contest, the reaction from fans across Europe, and whether Eurovision can continue in its current form — while still celebrating its true heart: over 70 years of music, creativity and cultural unity. Also featured in this episode: ♪ JJ – “Haunting Me” (brand new single from the 2025 Eurovision winner of “Wasted Love”) ♪ Rob's Random Request ♪ The Best of the Rest ♪ The Latest ESC Showcase News ♪ Listener requests The Eurovision Showcase is broadcast on Forest FM across East Dorset, West Hampshire and The New Forest, and worldwide online. For more information, episode archives and upcoming shows, visit: www.escshowcase.com

In this Christmas bonus episode of Best Book Forward, I'm delighted to welcome back Virginia Evans author of The Correspondent.Virginia reveals how the incredible success of The Correspondent has felt after so many years of rejection, she shares the moments that will stay with her forever, a little insight into what she's currently working on as well as giving a glimpse into her family life at Christmas.Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward would be complete without some irresistible book recommendations to add to your festive reading list. Here's everything we discussed:

In this Christmas bonus episode of Best Book Forward, I'm delighted to welcome back Clare Leslie Hall. If you missed the previous episode with Claire you can catch up with it here... listen nowWe take a look back at Broken Country at only the incredible awards and achievements but also the heartfelt response it has had from readers. Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward would be complete without some irresistible book recommendations to add to your festive reading list. Here's everything we discussed:

Beaucoup de pays du continent européen sont frappés par l'exode de leur jeunesse. C'est vrai y compris au sein de l'Union européenne, mais la situation est encore plus critique dans les pays voisins. En particulier dans les Balkans. Des jeunes en quête d'une vie meilleure... À Trebinje, petite ville du sud de la Bosnie-Herzégovine, le marasme économique et le clientélisme mafieux ont eu raison de l'espoir de la jeune génération. Lors de l'élection présidentielle de fin novembre 2025, les jeunes de cette commune de Republika serbska, tenue par le parti du nationaliste pro-russe Dodik, ont déserté les bureaux de vote, et ils n'aspirent qu'à quitter le pays. Reportage, Louis Seiller. En Italie, cela fait plus de trente ans que les responsables politiques parlent de «fuite des cerveaux» pour qualifier l'exode des jeunes. Car même dans la troisième économie de l'UE, ils sont très nombreux à partir. Mais l'expression ne rend pas pleinement compte du phénomène, qui touche tous les profils de jeunes, et toutes les régions du pays. Les explications de Cécile Debarge,   ...sur une planète vivable Pour préserver l'environnement, humains et animaux travaillent parfois de concert : c'est le cas au Royaume-Uni, dans la New Forest. Une forêt communale pas vraiment nouvelle : elle a été créée au XIè siècle par Guillaume le Conquérant pour servir de terrain de chasse. Mais ce territoire de plus de 500 km2 est aussi un immense lieu de pâturage pour les fermiers locaux. Appelés les Commoners, ces fermiers doivent adhérer à des traditions très anciennes qui ont des atouts indéniables pour lutter contre la dégradation des écosystèmes. Reportage, Marie Billon. Et les océans ? Des scientifiques ont annoncé récemment la redécouverte d'une baleine parmi les plus rares au monde, jamais observée vivante jusqu'à aujourd'hui. Une excellente nouvelle pour les défenseurs de l'environnement, car les baleines et autres cétacés sont de précieux régulateurs des écosystèmes marins. Pourtant, malgré les risques d'extinction, quelques pays autorisent encore la pêche des cétacés : la Norvège, le Japon et l'Islande. Mais Reykjavik a suspendu cette activité pour la deuxième année consécutive. Les explications de Clémence Pénard, de retour d'Islande.

Beaucoup de pays du continent européen sont frappés par l'exode de leur jeunesse. C'est vrai y compris au sein de l'Union européenne, mais la situation est encore plus critique dans les pays voisins. En particulier dans les Balkans. Des jeunes en quête d'une vie meilleure... À Trebinje, petite ville du sud de la Bosnie-Herzégovine, le marasme économique et le clientélisme mafieux ont eu raison de l'espoir de la jeune génération. Lors de l'élection présidentielle de fin novembre 2025, les jeunes de cette commune de Republika serbska, tenue par le parti du nationaliste pro-russe Dodik, ont déserté les bureaux de vote, et ils n'aspirent qu'à quitter le pays. Reportage, Louis Seiller. En Italie, cela fait plus de trente ans que les responsables politiques parlent de «fuite des cerveaux» pour qualifier l'exode des jeunes. Car même dans la troisième économie de l'UE, ils sont très nombreux à partir. Mais l'expression ne rend pas pleinement compte du phénomène, qui touche tous les profils de jeunes, et toutes les régions du pays. Les explications de Cécile Debarge,   ...sur une planète vivable Pour préserver l'environnement, humains et animaux travaillent parfois de concert : c'est le cas au Royaume-Uni, dans la New Forest. Une forêt communale pas vraiment nouvelle : elle a été créée au XIè siècle par Guillaume le Conquérant pour servir de terrain de chasse. Mais ce territoire de plus de 500 km2 est aussi un immense lieu de pâturage pour les fermiers locaux. Appelés les Commoners, ces fermiers doivent adhérer à des traditions très anciennes qui ont des atouts indéniables pour lutter contre la dégradation des écosystèmes. Reportage, Marie Billon. Et les océans ? Des scientifiques ont annoncé récemment la redécouverte d'une baleine parmi les plus rares au monde, jamais observée vivante jusqu'à aujourd'hui. Une excellente nouvelle pour les défenseurs de l'environnement, car les baleines et autres cétacés sont de précieux régulateurs des écosystèmes marins. Pourtant, malgré les risques d'extinction, quelques pays autorisent encore la pêche des cétacés : la Norvège, le Japon et l'Islande. Mais Reykjavik a suspendu cette activité pour la deuxième année consécutive. Les explications de Clémence Pénard, de retour d'Islande.

Some places are haunted… and some trees are haunted all on their ownIn this week's episode, Yvette Fielding explores seven of the most mysterious and terrifying haunted trees from around the world, each one steeped in legend, tragedy, and inexplicable paranormal activity.From the chilling mystery of “Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?” in Worcestershire, to the ancient might of Sherwood Forest's Major Oak, to the cursed Devil's Tree in New Jersey… what is it about certain trees that draws in spirits, traps energy, and refuses to let go?Yvette explores:

What does it mean to be a woman and what does it mean to be a human person? In an age which seems unable to answer fundamental questions about the nature and identity of the human person, what can Mary teach us about how we can present this fundamental truth of human dignity anew to the modern world?In her lecture, Sr Carino Hodder OP explores what Mary teaches us about the dignity of all human beings, through the thought of St Pope St John Paul II.In her response, renowned British journalist Mary Harrington explores Mary through the joyful mysteries of the rosary, a series of stories that highlight the dignity and mystery of motherhood.Enjoying our content? Please consider supporting our studio on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CTSStudios---- Chapters(0:00) Intro(1:52) Sr Carino's opening remarks(5:27) Mary's Magnificat (7:37) How God reveals Himself in relationships (9:51) Genesis: Created Male & Female(11:46) Human Dignity (14:26) Modern Gender Ideology(16:31) What is the human person for?(19:22) Mary's words to Bernadette(22:41) Discovering your identity(25:50) God's vision of Motherhood(29:49) Modern confusion about gender(32:47) Motherhood, vulnerability & power(36:54) Forming the conscience(43:52) Renovating sanctuaries of human dignity(49:28) Mary Harrington's opening remarks(52:32) What does it mean to be a mum?(54:52) What is in the Mother-shaped blindspot?(57:40) The Annunciation (59:16) The Visitation(1:00:41) The Birth of Jesus (1:02:17) The Presentation in the Temple(1:03:48) The Finding of Jesus in the Temple(1:05:29) Motherhood & dignity ---- Sr Carino Hodder OP is a Dominican Sister of St Joseph based in the New Forest, Portsmouth Diocese, where she assists her community with their apostolate of adult faith formation and catechetical training, Light of Truth. She also writes regularly for publications including The Lamp Magazine and Plough Quarterly, and is the author of 'The Dignity of Women in the Modern World' published by the Catholic Truth Society.The book: https://www.ctsbooks.org/product/the-dignity-of-women-in-the-modern-world/Sr Carino on Substack: https://substack.com/@srcarinoThe Dominican Sisters of St Joseph: https://www.dominicansisters.net/Mary Harrington is a contributing editor at UnHerd and author of Feminism Against Progress. Mary on Substack: https://substack.com/@reactionaryfeministWith thanks to the Rosary Shrine for allowing CTS to film their annual lecture. Discover their ministry here: https://rosaryshrine.co.uk/

After receiving messages from several Scottish football fans, Mike apologises for his comments about their World Cup qualification prospects from last week, before taking us through the story of Mark Bryan from Redbridge, who was interviewed by the UK press after eye surgery left him hallucinating “Baywatch-style” women at all hours of the day. Queenie then reports on an Australian inmate pleading for his right to eat Vegemite in prison, while Emerald covers the strange, pig-related goings-on in the New Forest. We finish with a Missing Words Round featuring ‘quirky' driving habits, blood types and a comment from a celebrity maths-whizz. If you enjoy the podcast, please give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and make sure you subscribe there so you don't miss an episode! For updates on the show, make sure you're following Have I Got News for You on Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly known as twitter) and get in touch with us there using #HIGNFYpod or emailing podcasts@hattrick.com.  Your hosts are Queenie Miller  Emerald Paston  Mike Rayment And Jack Harris, away in the New Forest The Producer is Diggory Waite The Executive Producer is Claire Broughton The Music is by Big George In the News This Week is a Hat Trick Podcast

With the President squaring up to the BBC, veteran Radio 4 broadcaster John Humphrys gives us his views about the crisis at the corporation. Also on the programme, we hear about tourists chasing pigs in the New Forest during pannage season. We have a briefing on briefing from Patrick Maguire, Chief Political Commentator at The Times. And the papers are reviewed by Ulrika Jonsson, Calum Leslie from Radio 1 and Anna Gross of the Financial Times.

The Town Council have appointed Jacob Gibson, 27, as the new Ranger, in partnership with the South Downs National Park Authority, to oversee the plans for the ecology and conservation of the Council’s green open spaces, including the Heath and Pond. He tells Mike Waddington that he brings a lot of experience and says there is much to build on here, and great volunteers and projects. He has worked on a lot of projects in Plymouth, the New Forest and also over seas in Panama and Nicaragua. He has a fondness for bats and had wanted to work in conservation since hearing of global warming in primary school. Many projects are to be launched so keep an eye on the Council's website and Facebook and of course, here at Shine Radio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We dive into a conversation with Paul Hollick, Chairman of the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) and CEO of Lightfoot.   Paul shares his journey from a young, unconfident teenager in the New Forest to a dynamic leader driving the UK fleet industry toward a zero-emission future. He opens up about:   Balancing his dual roles at AFP and Lightfoot   His passion for people, collaboration, and doing good   How driver behaviour and education are at the heart of decarbonising fleets   The importance of training, networking, and creating future-ready fleet apprenticeships   The challenges of EV adoption, including downtime and charging infrastructure   From his candid reflections on leadership and family life to his vision for the fleet industry's apprenticeship programme, Paul's story is packed with wisdom and purpose.   If you're in the fleet, EV, or sustainability space—or just love hearing from people making a real impact—this episode will leave you informed and inspired.   Paul Hollick https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulhollick/ Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) https://www.theafp.co.uk Lightfoot https://www.lightfoot.co.uk

In this episode, navigating the moving target of public land closures during the shutdown at National Parks, Forests, and other federal recreation sites. Plus new RVs from Forest River and  @EmberRecreationalVehicles  and more.  Get a free quote for an extended warranty on your RV at https://wholesalewarranties.com Get your first month of Mile Marker Membership FREE at https://rvmiles.memberful.com/checkout?plan=96363 with code RVMILES.  Subscribe to the RV Miles Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/RVMilesPodcast.  ****************************** Connect with RV Miles:  RV Miles Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rvmiles Shop the RV Miles Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/rvmiles RV Miles Mailing List: https://rvmiles.com/mailinglist Mile Marker Membership: https://rvmiles.com/milemarkers

Ok, when we left off, Rufus threw a big “look at me” celebration… and the prevailing response appears to have been “yeah, man. We see you.” And that wasn't even the worst part of his year. The post 484 – Final Destination: The New Forest first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Twenty tonnes of illegal meat and animal products have been intercepted at Dover in September alone according to Dover's Head of Port Health and Public Protection. Lucy Manzano tells us the amount of illegal meat her staff are seizing is 'escalating'.The way deprivation is measured in the UK means the challenges facing rural areas aren't taken into account. That's the conclusion of "Pretty Poverty", a new report from Plymouth Marjon University. It argues that rural hardship could be "hidden behind scenic views" and that factors like needing to own a car in remote areas with poor public transport aren't taken into consideration.All week we've been looking at livestock markets, we catch up with farmers who say Cockermouth Mart in Cumbria is a vital social hub. We visit a mart on the English Welsh border to find out how the sector's coping with bluetongue restrictions and we speak to Dr Carrie Batten the bluetongue expert at the World Organisation for Animal Health and Head of the National Reference Laboratory for the disease at the Pirbright Institute Every autumn pigs are released into the New Forest for the ancient tradition of "pannage". The pigs gobble up acorns from the thousands of oak trees in the Forest - and it's a bumper crop this year. Good news for fattening pigs, but bad news for ponies and cattle for whom the acorns are toxic.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Every autumn pigs are released into the New Forest - the tradition of Pannage. The pigs gobble up the acorns from the thousands of oak trees in the Forest. Anna Hill hears why it's particularly important this year, to protect ponies and cattle from a bumper crop of potentially toxic acorns. The pigs suffer no ill effects from indulging. The New Forest's Head Agister explains the logistics of releasing the pigs and getting them home again.A new report commissioned by the research body Rural England claims the Government policy on rolling out environmentally friendly home heating is 'heat pumps or nothing'. The report says heat pumps can be expensive and impractical to install in old rural housing, in part due to the insulation needed to make the pumps warm rooms efficiently. It suggests that more should be done to promote alternative renewable fuels, which could be used in existing heating systems.And we're ringside at the Cockermouth Mule Gimmer Lamb Sale to reflect on livestock markets' role as a social hub.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

Danny is back with Bev, Dolly and Nigel once more. There's geneology, accidental absences, first-timer introductions, the parkrun primary initiative, socks, Things, reluctant cancellations and Danny popped down toward the New Forest for Fordingbridge Recreation Ground parkrun and forgot the bridge.

Jealousy. Arson. Murder. When a fire claims the life of young influencer Zara in the New Forest, DI Juliet Stern and DS Gabe Martin face a web of suspects: her cold and distant boyfriend, her jealo... Uitgegeven door SAGA Egmont Spreker: Yasmin Mwanza

The international break is over, but the Premier League did not sleep. Nottingham Forest have sacked their manager. Nuno Espirito Santo was relived of his duties and has been replaced by former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou. With a massive test away to Arsenal this weekend, will there be enough time for Big Ange to install his footballing identity onto Forest? The Manchester Derby is the ultimate game this weekend. The Red Devils will had back into Manchester to face the Citizens. Finally this week, the boys discuss Tottenham sacking CEO and head of football Daniel Levy after twenty five years. Check it all out on this weeks episode of RCR. Join the RCR discord to chat with the boys and set up chess games: https://discord.gg/bKt4eMbjdDJoin the official RCR Fantasy Premier League before the season starts up:https://fantasy.premierleague.com/leagues/auto-join/5ve8c2Connect with us on social media. Follow us on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/RedCard_Radio​​​​Brad: https://twitter.com/KSBradG​​​​Sean: https://twitter.com/WhiteHart_Sean​​​​James: https://twitter.com/JamesTiffany​Follow us on Instagram now toohttps://www.instagram.com/redcard_radioTime Stamps to come#liverpool #epl #arsenal #manchesterunited #manchestercity #chelsea #podcast #vodcast #soccer #football #tottenham #newcastleunited #fifa

OUR FAMILY MUSIC ACADEMY: Affordable and effective online weekly music lessons designed for families. https://www.voetbergmusicacademy.com Back to School Sale - Use coupon code: BACKTOSCHOOL2025 for 20% off your first month's subscription (available for the first 200 students). - Join us on Substack - https://substack.com/@elishaandkatievoetberg This is a newsletter and deeply personal space for us to share family life, homeschooling, and music with you all. We have been writing on Instagram and email for years, but ever since leaving social media behind with our smart phones a few years ago, we have been looking for another space to connect in a meaningful way. Planning My Homeschool Year - https://elishaandkatievoetberg.substack.com/p/planning-my-homeschool-year?r=5siwo8 Mother's Timetable: Explained - https://elishaandkatievoetberg.substack.com/p/mothers-timetable-explained?r=5siwo8 - Homeschool Course: The First Three Years Laying a foundation of joy, confidence, and a love of learning from the start. https://www.nowthatwereafamily.com/homeschool For 15% off the course, use discount code: YTHOMESCHOOL - Curriculum - https://www.memoriapress.comBooks mentioned during podcast: - "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" by Siegfried Engelmann - https://amzn.to/3GM55KZ - “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll - https://amzn.to/46YLf9I - “Socrates' Children” by Peter Kreeft - https://amzn.to/4kWmGgY - “The Heroes” by Charles Kingsley - https://amzn.to/44ZJDdm - “D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths” by Ingri d'Aulaire - https://amzn.to/44QpM1m - “The Children of the New Forest” by Captain Marryat - https://amzn.to/4maPALp - “Marco Polo” by George Makepeace Towle - https://amzn.to/4o56pJl - “This Country of Ours” by H. E. Marshall - https://amzn.to/4nXTGbs - “Parables From Nature” by Mrs Margaret Gatty - https://amzn.to/44NB1HX

There's been a French Diplomatic Incident this week, and the huns are absolutely Le Fuming. We've been usurped by men politicians (The Rest is Politics) who threw us out the studio and so we bring an unhinged energy to this episode. Expect talk of French Hexes, pain au chocolat, a King of Pentacles reality hit and so much more. Will a lecky fire happen? Are we going to get done by the CIA for being actual witches? We also discuss the sexiness of Firemen. What's your verdict? Fit or Not Fit? THIS WEEK is another stunning Creep of the Week speshy!! We love your tales of true hauntings, and they simply must be shared with the world. Stories as follows: 1) Hannah narrates a tale from Amy Dawson about the 'Hanging Tree' in the New Forest... A very strange tale of scratches and paths and sweary ghosts.... 2) Big Suze has a beautiful tale from Izzy - about a traumatic Brain Injury and a near-death experience... sending love to you hun thanks for writing your story! 3) Hannah reads out a story from J - a very unsettling one about firemen in 9/11 and a trapped soul... 4) Finally we travel to Ireland to hear about PHOTO EVIDENCE of an entity by the Liffey... from Adel & Nichole. All round stunning stories and tune in next week to find out if France and the Rest is Politics survived. WE LOVE YOU HUNS xoxox JOIN OUR PATREON! EXTRA bonus episodes AND a monthly ghost hunt for just £4.50!  Or £6 for AD-FREE EPS and weekly AGONY HUNS! We'll solve your problems huns!  Sign up here: www.patreon.com/GhostHuns wanna see our shows?  SEE HANNAH AT EDINBURGH FRINGE HERE 13-24 AUGUST: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/rip-hannah-bitch-cough-ski-wip SEE SUZIE DO MCSHOW HERE THURSDAY 21 AUGUST: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/event-detail/suzie-preece-mcshow-wip-thu-21st-aug-the-bill-murray-london-tickets-202508211830/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My Story Talk 21 The Rocky Road to Mattersey (1972-78) Welcome to Talk 21 in our series where I'm reflecting on God's goodness to me throughout my life. Last time I finished my series of talks on the years we spent I Basingstoke by telling you how in January 1972 God clearly told me that we were going to live at the Bible College. This didn't happen until 1978 when I was appointed principal of the College which by then had moved from Kenley to Mattersey. Today's talk will cover some of difficulties we faced on the way and how the Lord eventually brought us through.   In December 1972, after he had served only two years as the Principal at Kenley, George Jeffreys Williamson suffered a heart attack, probably as a result of over-work combined with an accusation that was made against him by one of the students, and shortly after this the Board of Governors reluctantly accepted his resignation. Meanwhile, as there was no resident tutor at the time due to the departure of John Phillips, the Board asked some of the visiting lecturers, including me, to spend a few days at the college encouraging and taking care of the students.   While I was there, Eric Dando, a member of the AoG Executive Council, asked me confidentially if I had ever thought of becoming the principal. This was not a complete surprise to me because of what the Lord had shown me earlier that year about living at the College, but at that stage I had not thought that I might be the principal. And I had never told anyone except Eileen about it.   So I asked Eric why he was asking that question. He told me that it looked likely that Williamson would sadly be resigning and he felt that I might be a suitable person to take over. Although I felt that at the age of 33 I was possibly too young to be appointed to such a responsible position, I shared with him how the Lord had spoken to me back in January.   The months that followed were something of a rollercoaster as Eileen and I lived with the tension that we all experience in times of uncertainty. We knew that the Lord had called us to the college, but was it his plan that I should be the principal? And was it to happen yet? All we could do was hang on to what God had shown us and rest in the certainty that whatever happens God is always in control.   As it turned out, because a new principal could not be appointed until the General Conference the following May, the Board of Governors asked David Powell, the pastor of the Rotherham Assembly, to take care of the College until then. Meanwhile I was waiting to see if I would be nominated. Apart from Eric Dando, Arnold Shaw from Bracknell and Pastor Appleby from Reading had also expressed their confidence in me, but although individuals could make suggestions, nominations would only be accepted which had the support of at least one official council. And when Pastor Appleby suggested my name in a District Council meeting, the chairman, Billy Richards, said,               In a few years, perhaps,   which was to prove to be prophetic. I was encouraged by this, as Richards was, like Dando, a member of the Executive Council and a man I highly respected, and it was evident that he did see the potential in me but felt that now was not the right time, which confirmed what I had already suspected. It was clear that I would not yet be leaving Basingstoke, but that the Lord would fulfil his purpose for me at the proper time, and I had peace about that.   That is until the unprecedented events that took place in May at the General Conference! Immediately before the vote was to take place to determine which of the men who had been nominated would be the next principal, there was a prophetic word saying that the man God had chosen knew who he was and that he should come forward and declare it! This threw the conference into confusion as it was completely contrary to the normal democratic process practised at conference.   The Chairman had to make a decision. The prophecy had to be judged. He conferred with the Executive Council. The matter was put to the conference, and it was agreed to proceed in line with the prophecy. The man whom God had chosen knew who he was, and he should come forward and declare it. Was I the man? The problem was, I knew I was called to the college, but the Lord had never told me that I would ever be the principal.   But while I was still churning these things over in my mind, David Powell, one of those who had been nominated, walked forward and told conference why he felt he was the man. I need to say, in passing, how unfair this procedure was to the two other nominees, one of whom, Clifford Rees, was not present because he was speaking at a meeting in another part of the conference. He told me afterwards that he would not have accepted nomination if he had not felt that he was the man.   After Powell had made his statement the chairman gave opportunity for people to make comments or to ask questions, and one of those who came forward was my old pastor, Alfred Webb. His way back to his seat went right by me and I decided to ask his advice. A few months previously I had confidentially shared with him how I felt God had called me to the college, and so I quietly asked him if he felt I should share it with the conference. His reply was,   Yes, it could be a B that leads to an A.   So that is how I came to tell the entire conference, explaining that I had not come forward before as I could not claim that God had called me to be the principal, but that I did know that God had told me I would live at the college, and that if Brother Powell were elected, and felt it were appropriate, I would be willing to serve under him.   That day Powell was appointed having received the required two-thirds majority vote of the conference, and a day or so later, when I had heard nothing from him, I approached him and said that I hoped he did not mind what I had said, to which he replied,   My heart is with you I this matter, brother. Wait and see what happens. So I waited, and soon I discovered that he had appointed someone else to work with him. It was weeks later, however, before I received a letter from him saying that he would be happy for me to continue as a visiting lecturer teaching the same subjects as before. In fact, I was the only member of the old faculty who was invited to do so. I decided to accept even though my visits were to be monthly rather than fortnightly due to the fact that the college had now moved to Mattersey, some 200 miles north of Basingstoke, much further from home than Kenley had been.   During the four years that David Powell was the principal, the college was facing considerable difficulties due to the fact that only part of the property at Kenley had been sold and there were insufficient funds to refurbish and develop the property at Mattersey. This was very evident each time I visited the college as a lecturer and, from 1976 onwards, as a member of the Board of Governors. And although these problems were not of Powell's making, it was also very clear to me that there were administrative issues that could easily be rectified without incurring any additional expenditure.   As a result my desire to be more fully involved in the work of the college was increasing steadily, but at the time there seemed little likelihood of this happening soon. But then, quite unexpectedly, in January 1977 Powell informed the Board of Governors that he had decided not to stand for re-election at General Conference. (At that time all heads of department were subject to re-election every two years). So the other members of the Board agreed unanimously to nominate me.   But when the news was out that Powell was not standing for re-election I was not surprised to discover that two others had accepted nomination from different councils. There was of course no guarantee that I would be elected especially bearing in mind the confusion that had arisen at the time of Powell's appointment, but I was nevertheless quietly optimistic that this might be the year when the Lord's word to me would be fulfilled.   However, shortly before the conference we received the staggering news that Powell had changed his mind! He was going to stand for re-election after all. This was, to say the least, administratively inconvenient, and was not a little nerve-racking for me, but I was reassured by the Board of Governors that they would in no way withdraw their support for my nomination.   But that was by no means the end to Powell's vacillating behaviour. On the first day of conference, he announced that he was withdrawing his name from the list of nominees. Once again the entire conference was thrown into confusion. As a result, when the vote was taken, none of the candidates received the required two-thirds majority and the appointment of the principal was placed in the hands of the Board of Governors and the Executive Council.   A few weeks later, at a meeting where I was of course present as a member of the Board, various names, including mine were suggested and voted on by secret ballot, but none of us received the necessary two-thirds majority. So what next? It was finally decided to defer the appointment until the 1978 conference and meanwhile to appoint for the next year a team of three principals each of whom would serve for a term at the college but who would throughout the year be jointly responsible for the college.   This was sometimes referred to later as the year of the three principals and, crazy as it may sound, turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I was appointed to serve for that year along with Alfred Missen and Keith Munday and benefitted greatly from their wisdom and greater experience in ministry as we made decisions together about the curriculum, the members of faculty, the timetable for the year, rules for students, and so on.   I agreed to take the first term and, with the exception of the two weeks I was at camp in the New Forest, was resident in Mattersey from the end of July until Christmas, going home only for occasional weekends to see the family. The other weekends I was away on ministry, often with some of the students promoting the college. It was on one of these occasions that I went with about 50 of our students to Newport in South Wales. There was a big inter-church meeting on the Saturday night and on the Sunday the students went to different churches to sing, testify, and preach. I stayed in Newport to preach in the church there.   After Sunday lunch the pastor, Eric Dando, asked me if I would like to phone Eileen, which of course I was grateful to do. After telling her that the weekend was going well, I asked her how she was and was shocked to hear her reply.             I'm O.K., but I very nearly wasn't!             Oh! What's happened? I replied. She told me that there had been a women's missionary meeting in London and that she and several of the ladies from the church in Basingstoke had gone to it. They had travelled in two cars and on the way home, on the road between Reading and Basingstoke, several horses ran into the road in front of the cars. It seems that they had escaped from a nearby field. One of the horses collided with the car in which Eileen was travelling in the front passenger seat. The impact was so great that the front of the car roof caved in, to within an inch of Eileen's head. The car was a complete write-off and, as the people from the car in front walked back to see exactly what had happened, they feared the worst. At this point it is important to explain that at that time the wearing of seat-belts was not compulsory in the U.K. and the car in which Eileen was travelling didn't have any. Bearing in mind the speed at which the car had been travelling when it collided with the horse, both Eileen and the driver should have been thrown forward through the windscreen. Indeed, the woman seated behind Eileen was thrown forward so violently into the back of Eileen's seat that it was twisted out of position. Yet Eileen was not thrown forward, and none of those travelling in that car was seriously injured. They all walked away relatively unharmed. Eileen told me that throughout the whole incident she was strangely conscious of something – or someone? – holding her to the back of her seat, preventing her from being thrown forward. Was it a coincidence that on that very evening I had been preaching in Newport on a subject I have rarely preached on before or since? My subject was ANGELS. On another such occasion we took a bus-load of about 45 students to Bethshan Tabernacle in Manchester. There were several hundred people in the meeting during which the students sang and testified and I preached. As soon as I had finished preaching , an Irish woman near to the back of the meeting began to speak in tongues. As I was still at the microphone, it seemed right for me to interpret so that everyone present would hear and understand what had been said. So I spoke out in faith trusting that God would give me the right interpretation for what had been said in tongues. When I had finished, we sang a hymn and the pastor  closed the meeting in prayer. As soon as the meeting was over, one of our students, Guetawende Roamba from Burkina Faso, rushed up to me. He was clearly very excited, and when I asked him what was the matter, he told me that the woman who had spoken in tongues  had been speaking his native language. Now in Burkina Faso they speak French, and because I speak French, I knew that she had not been speaking French. So I wondered what language it might be.             What language? I asked. Moré, he replied. It's our native African language. Only the educated people speak French as well. Frankly, at that time I had never heard of Moré – and we found out later that the Irish lady who had spoken in tongues  had never heard of it either! But I was excited that I had been present when speaking in tongues had been recognised as a real language. At the same time, I was not a little concerned because I was the one who had given the interpretation! As I mentioned in an earlier talk, I had been interpreting tongues since 1960 when I was a student at Oxford, but it had always been (as it always must be) ‘by faith ', and I had no certain evidence that the gift was genuine. I had simply trusted the promise of Jesus  that God gives good gifts to those who ask him (Matthew 7:11), but it's easy to imagine how embarrassed I would have been if I had ‘got it wrong' in the presence of one of my Bible  College students! I hardly dared ask the question, but I knew I had to.             And what about the interpretation, Gueta? Was it accurate? And of course, it was. I wouldn't be telling this story if the interpretation had been wrong! What an amazing thing! The Holy Spirit inspired an Irish woman to speak an African language which she had never heard, or even heard of, and then gave the interpretation to an English man who had never heard of it either! So exciting things were happening during the term I spent at Mattersey. The Lord was certainly encouraging us, but in the light of all that had happened at previous conferences I knew there was no guarantee that my position as principal would become permanent. Friends like Paul Newberry and Henry Drabble had told me they thought I would never be appointed as principal. My Oxford MA would count against me! And towards the end of the term there was to be a special conference at Mattersey to debate whether AoG really needed a Bible College! What's more, humanly speaking my financial position was far from secure. Keith Davidson, one of the elders at Basingstoke had given up his secular employment to give himself full-time to the work of the church, but had exhausted his savings, so I had told the church to pay him instead of me as I felt that the Lord might soon be moving me on.   These were the kind of things that were occupying my thinking until, during the New Year Convention in Denton at which I was preaching, I finally came to the conclusion that nothing really mattered except for the fact that Jesus died for me. I gave it all to him. And he did meet all our financial needs that year, although I had no guaranteed income, and in the 1978 conference I was finally appointed as Principal of Mattersey Hall Bible College.  

With rumours continuing to surface regarding another potential Bournemouth departure in Illia Zabarnyi, Sky Sports' Mark McAdam joins Sam and Tom at the New Forest Pantry in Ringwood to mull over the latest goings on at Dean Court... We discuss the prolonged Milos Kerkez deal, the conjecture about Zabs's potential move to PSG, and the concern at having to replace 4 of our 5 back-line - plus we ponder whether Andoni Iraola has the hunger to continually oversee these season-on-season transitions. Visit the New Forest pantry on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/thenewforestpantry/ or visit their website at https://www.thenewforestpantry.com/ - why not pop in for a coffee and sit in their sun-trap of a courtyard. They're located at: 18-20 High St, Ringwood, BH24 1AF. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to all our platforms. If you're enjoying this show, you can help support us by buying us a coffee at ⁠https://www.afcbpodcast.com/coffee⁠ – we really appreciate it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this live interview, I am joined by Dr Christina Oakley Harrington—medieval historian, long-standing practitioner of witchcraft, and founder of the renowned Treadwell's Bookshop in London—for a conversation that traces the intersections of scholarship, community, and contemporary esotericism.We explore the historical development of modern witchcraft, with particular attention to the inclusive dimensions of early Wiccan covens such as the New Forest group. Drawing from Christina's research, the discussion addresses the presence of LGBTQ individuals in the early history of the Craft, challenging homogenised narratives and highlighting the movement's radical potential from its inception.Our dialogue also reflects on the transformation of esoteric communities in London over recent decades. Christina discusses the decline of public gatherings such as the Pub Moots of the 1980s and 1990s, and considers the evolving role of the esoteric bookshop as a site of both knowledge transmission and community formation in the contemporary landscape.The conversation further addresses her personal journey from academic research in medieval studies to the establishment of Treadwell's, offering insights into the ways historical scholarship and spiritual practice can mutually enrich one another. We also touch on her written contributions, including Dreams of Witches and The Treadwell's Book of Plant Magic, which exemplify her ability to synthesise rigorous historical insight with accessible spiritual praxis.ABOUT OUR GUESTChristina Oakley Harrington is an independent scholar of religion who works on twentieth century pagan witchcraft and the history of European herbal magic Trained as a medieval historian (PhD UCL), she was a Lecturer in History for twelve years on the faculty of St Mary's University (Surrey). She is author of Women in a Celtic Church: Ireland 450-1150 (Oxford University Press) and Dreams of Witches (Black Letter Press) as well as articles both scholarly and journalistic. She co-edited Abraxas: International Journal of Esoteric Studies 2010-2015. Her popular work Treadwell's Book of Plant Magic, aimed at a general audience, has sold over 10,000 copies in the five years since its publication. Since 2003 she has run Treadwell's Bookshop in London, a crossroads between researchers and practitioners of Western esoteric traditions. In Spring 2025 she was Scholar in Residence at Harvard University's Center for World Religions. CONNECT & SUPPORT

Geoff and Rory are joined by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and his nephew, Ben Montagu-Scott, for a fascinating episode on the extraordinary and storied history of Beaulieu Palace House in the New Forest, Hampshire.Originally the 13th-century gatehouse to a medieval abbey, Beaulieu Palace House is an unusual example of Scots Baronial architecture in southern England (see our episode on Scots Baronial with Dr Ralph St Clair Wade). Owned by the Montagu family since the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII, this podcast traces the transformation of Beaulieu through centuries of architectural change, royal visits, decline and ultimate resurrection begun under the pioneering stewardship of the current Lord Montagu's father, whose seminal book 'The Gilt and the Gingerbread (or how to live in a stately home and make money)'  gives this podcast episode its title.With lively anecdotes and insights, you will be drawn into a world where medieval roots meet modern comforts, where traditional farming meets cutting edge tourism... and where a public attraction meets a family home.

In North and South (1855), Margaret Hale is uprooted from her sleepy New Forest town and must adapt to life in the industrial north. Through her relationships with mill workers and a slow-burn romance with the self-made capitalist John Thornton, she is forced to reassess her assumptions about justice and propriety. At the heart of the novel are a series of righteous rebels: striking workers, mutinous naval officers and religious dissenters.Dinah Birch joins Clare Bucknell to discuss Gaskell's rich study of obedience and authority. They explore the Unitarian undercurrent in her work, her eye for domestic and industrial detail, and how her subtle handling of perspective serves her great theme: mutual understanding.Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen to the full episode, and all our other Close Readings series, subscribe:Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://lrb.me/applecrnaIn other podcast apps: https://lrb.me/closereadingsnaRead more in the LRB:Dinah Birch: The Unwritten Fiction of Dead Brothershttps://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v19/n19/dinah-birch/the-unwritten-fiction-of-dead-brothersRosemarie Bodenheimer: Secret-keepinghttps://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v29/n16/rosemarie-bodenheimer/secret-keepingJohn Bayley: Mrs Ghttps://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v15/n05/john-bayley/mrs-g Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My Story  Talk 17 Ministry in Basingstoke 1968-78  Part 2 Welcome to Talk 17 in our series where I'm reflecting on God's goodness to me throughout my life. Last time I was talking about the evangelistic missions we organised in Basingstoke, but these tended largely to attract adults, and the children and young people needed to be reached too. So that's our subject for today.   Children's Work At first, the only children we were reaching were those who came to our Sunday School, which was held at 10am before the 11am Communion Service. One of those children was Rosie Wilcox (née Wright), who later became Jonathan's Sunday School teacher. Fifty years later, I still exchange Christmas cards every year with Rosie and her husband Paul.   However, we soon began to reach other children in what was then a more unusual way. To the best of my knowledge, we were the first AoG church in Britain to organise a pre-school playgroup. I had felt for some time that most church buildings were not being used to their full potential. I talked with Bill Mitchell, the church elder, who himself was a businessman, and he wholeheartedly agreed. The church building was standing empty in the daytime for six days a week. And we were on the edge of a new council estate where most of the houses were occupied by young families.   So, we checked out the legal requirements, and discovered that our facilities would accommodate up to 40 children, provided that we had one adult for every eight children present. We obviously needed to invest in the right equipment, and Eileen knew exactly what to get. In fact, with her administrative skills, she was the ideal person to take charge of the whole thing, and before Debbie and Sarah were old enough to go to school, they could be with her while she was at playgroup.   We started by opening for three mornings a week, but the demand for places was such that before long we were open for five. And we had adequate workers to take the full complement of forty, so for five mornings a week, as well as supervising and organising the children in their play, they were able to tell them about Jesus. That was, of course, the most important thing, but another welcome benefit was that, from the small charge we made for each child, we were receiving enough income to pay the mortgage on the building!   And an unexpected result of running that playgroup was the request I received to exorcise a ‘ghost' from one of the nearby houses! It happened like this. It was 12 o'clock and the playgroup session was ending. I happened to be present having a chat with Bill Mitchell, when one of the mums came in and said,   Is one of you the vicar?   And although I don't usually go by that title, I said, Yes, I am.   She then asked if I could help her because, she said, there was a ghost in her house. Could I get rid of it? To which, knowing that in Christ we have authority over the forces of darkness, I replied,             Yes, of course.             How much will it cost? she said.             Nothing, I replied.             Wow! That's good, she said, the spiritualist wanted a fiver.   She gave me her address and, that evening, I went with another brother to visit her. We told her that her greatest security would be to let Jesus into her life and led her in a prayer for salvation.   Of course, the so-called ‘ghost' was actually a demon, because there is no biblical evidence for the existence of what people call ghosts, but the woman did not know that. She said that it usually appeared at the top of the stairs. So I went up after it and, although I could see nothing unusual, I did feel a distinct drop in temperature. So I commanded the thing, whatever it was, to leave in the name of Jesus. At once the woman, who was standing in the hall with the other brother, suddenly shrieked.   There, didn't you see it? It went right past you!   So, although I couldn't see it, I chased it down the stairs, opened the front door, and told it to get out and never come back. The following Sunday she was in church to say thank you and told me that it had gone.   So running a playgroup certainly put us in contact with the people in ways we did not expect, but in Britain's fastest growing town the playgroup and the Sunday School we ran in our church building were by no means sufficient to spread the good news among the children, and we soon decided to launch a second Sunday School in a school on the Oakridge estate. This was only possible thanks to the commitment of our teachers who, having taught in the morning in Cranbourne Lane, were willing to give up their Sunday afternoon to teach the same lessons to the children in Oakridge.   Another children's work was started by Hilda Gibbons, an elderly widow who opened her home every week to some thirty children on the Winklebury estate. And we reached hundreds of children through the holiday clubs we organised. These lasted for a week or so towards the end of the long summer holidays. They were led mainly by Anthea and William Kay assisted by other church workers, SPF students and other Christian teachers all of whom we accommodated throughout their stay.   Notable examples were David Littlewood, later to become an AoG pastor, and Phyllis Parrish (née Sowter) who was baptised in the Spirit while she was with us and later became a student at Mattersey and a missionary to Bangaladesh.     Youth Work Some of the older children who came to the holiday clubs were also attracted to our Friday night Youth Meeting. This was our main means of reaching young people on a regular basis and, for most of the time we were at Basingstoke, was led by me. Our church was situated right next to Cranbourne Lane Comprehensive School, where Debbie and Sarah became pupils and I became a parent governor. We also attracted young people from other parts of the town where some of our members were teachers.   The church minibus, faithfully driven by William Kay, was vitally important for this work, although it wasn't worth much financially. At the time we had no suitable garage for it, so it was parked each night in the road at the back of our house. One night, in the early hours of the morning, we were woken up by the sound of our dog barking and then I realised that someone was banging heavily on our back door. As I went to the window I became quickly aware of another noise – the constant sound of a car horn. It was our minibus, and the neighbour banging on the back door had come to ask us to silence it.   I quickly threw on some clothes and hurried outside to see what I could do. To my surprise the driver's door of the minibus was wide open. I wondered why, as I was sure I had locked it the night before. But my first task was to silence the horn, so I quickly disconnected the battery. Now the horn was silent I could go back to bed, hoping that not too many neighbours had been disturbed.   Next morning, as I was apologising for the noise in the night, another neighbour told us they had seen what had happened. Two men had broken into our minibus, but the moment they opened the door the horn had suddenly started sounding. This apparently had caused the men to panic, and our neighbour had seen them running away. Their attempt to steal our minibus had been thwarted!   Of course, it may be possible to think of a rational explanation for all this, but it's important to mention that the horn on the minibus would not normally sound unless the ignition was switched on, and there was no form of burglar alarm fitted to the minibus. But whether there's a rational explanation or not, as far as I was concerned God had protected our vehicle. He works in natural as well as in supernatural ways, and we will probably never know why that horn sounded just at the right moment – except that God knew that we needed that minibus! In addition to the weekly youth meeting, we also organised at least two week-long missions, one where Warwick Shenton was the evangelist, and another led by Paul and Janice Finn who were the national youth evangelists for Assemblies of God. We were able to get them into several of the secondary schools in the town where they spoke in school assemblies. This way we knew that the vast majority of teenagers in Basingstoke had the opportunity to hear the gospel.   But it was at the regular weekly youth meeting and its associated activities that close personal relationships could be formed with the young people. We organised walks in the countryside, barbecues, and games evenings where we had great opportunities to get to know them better – and for them to get to know us better too. And nowhere was this truer than at our annual youth camp.   New Forest Pentecostal Youth Camp While we were at Colchester I had organised a youth camp on the island of Mersea and, thanks to Eileen's culinary skills and to the things I had learned as a teenager in the Boys' Brigade, this proved highly successful. So towards the beginning of our time in Basingstoke I made enquiries as to what sites might be available for us to do something similar near us, and I discovered that the Hampshire Education Committee had one near Brockenhurst in the New Forest. It was set in beautiful countryside, was within a short driving distance from the coast, and had the advantage of flush toilets and showers!   All the equipment – tents, marquees, tables, benches, cooking utensils etc. – was provided on site, which was managed by a very helpful warden, a Welshman called Eddie Davies. So we decided to give it a go and, as an initial experiment, took a group of about 15 young people for a few days in the school summer holidays. It went so well that we decided to return the following year for a full week and to invite other AoG churches to participate. I put an advert in Redemption Tidings and over the years the numbers increased to some 150 young people each week.   Eileen and I planned the weekly menu which, although it was somewhat restricted by the cooking equipment provided at the site, nevertheless comprised three hot meals a day, prepared by teams of dedicated workers. The only exception to this was that when we all went out for the day – to the Isle of Wight, for example – everyone prepared their own sandwich lunch straight after breakfast with the food we provided for them.   Much of the food we bought came in large cans obtained from the cash and carry store in Basingstoke and transported down to Brockenhurst in the minibus in advance. The rest we bought on a daily basis from the International store in Brockenhurst who, incidentally, issued vast quantities of Green Shield stamps, which, when you had saved enough of them, you could trade in for a variety of items displayed in the Green Shield catalogue. I seem to remember that Eileen and I got our coffee percolator that way!   The daily programme involved breakfast, during which each of the tents was inspected for tidiness and hygiene, followed by a short devotional involving a song, a prayer, and a Bible reading. The daytime was taken up with recreational activities including at least one day trip to either Hengistbury Head or the Isle of Wight, afternoon trips to Milford-on-Sea, or a treasure hunt in the New Forest. As a family we all enjoyed going down to Brockenhurst a week or so in advance to prepare for this, when we would compose a poem giving clues to the route.   But the most important part of the camp programme was without question the meeting we held in the marquee each evening. These involved worship, prayer, testimonies, and preaching followed by an appeal. Every year we saw dozens of young people respond, either for salvation or for a renewed commitment to Christ. And many were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues. I still receive testimonies from people, now in their sixties, of how they met with God in those meetings.   After each meeting there was a break when we opened our tuck shop for half an hour. This was followed by a time of singing in the marquee, or, once a week, around a camp fire. The only exception to this was the long hot summer of 1976 when we were at camp for three weeks and when everywhere was so dry that it was illegal to light fires anywhere in the New Forest. Those weeks spent at camp during the seventies were wonderful times of blessing for all involved and form some of the happiest memories of my life.   But such blessings do not come by accident. They come as the result of prayer, commitment, and teamwork. None of it would have been possible without the dedicated help of Basingstoke church members like Hilda Gibbons, and visiting pastors and their wives who over several years brought their young people to camp and shared in the work and ministry. Of special note among these were Mike and Beryl Godward from Corringham, Brian and Audrey Quar from Crossacres, Manchester, and Colin Blackman from Tonbridge Wells, all of whom became good personal friends.   But these were not the only relationships that were formed or developed at camp. We really got to know our own young people much better too. Some of them came down early to help unload cans of food from the minibus and to assist in the erection of the tents, and I learned that forming relationships with young people, letting them know that you love them rather than just preaching at them, was the way to gain their loyalty and respect. This is essential if we want them to follow our example in following Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).   One example of this was Linda. She, along with her twin sister, Sue, had become regular attenders at our Friday night youth meeting. On one occasion we were having a sausage-sizzle in the church grounds. Linda was standing next to me looking into the fire when she told me she was thinking of leaving us. So, putting my arm round her shoulder, I said to her, Oh don't leave us Linda. We all love you. We'd really miss you. Linda didn't leave us, and her relationship with Eileen and me deepened when she came to babysit for us from time to time. I recently discovered a letter she had written to Eileen in 1974 in which she said, Entering your home is so different… there's such a lovely atmosphere within it...  as soon as I entered the home I felt more confident in myself. Thanks for talking to me, so far since I've spoken to you I've felt up on top of the world… I want to say a big thank you, but I don't think I could ever write or say it the way I feel to a friend like you... Thank you for praying for me.   Later, when her leaving college coincided with my becoming principal at Mattersey, Linda became my secretary, only leaving when she married a student from Switzerland, where she now lives. But in 2012 she made a surprise visit to England when she came to our Golden Wedding anniversary. Of course, Linda was an exceptional case, but her story does illustrate the value of making time to develop relationships with children and young people wherever possible.

Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening life such a worthwhile pursuit, not only is it good for the planet to see the earth greening up, it is also good for the gardeners soul. But there is still lots of hard work to get on with - seeds have to be sown, mulch laid, supports erected and lawns mown. So join Lucy and Saul as they continue their professional gardening lives in the pure heaven that is Spring!Now a fixture on Saul and Lucy's calender - the BBC Gardeners World Spring Fair is somehting the pair look forward to every year, especially as it is a chance to catch up with the wonderful garden team at Beaulieu and see what delights catch our eyes in the Ornamental and Kitchen Gardens. Alice in Wonderland is a definite theme this year - not only does the gardens have some very detailed Topiary Mad Hatters, but also the best of the Beautiful Borders had a Tea Party theme as well - congratulations to Jonathan and Bryony. Instagram link:Lucy lucychamberlaingardensLinkedIn link:Saul WalkerSupport the show

I have to admit my kids have got me fully invested in "Is it Cake?" At some point in England last year, someone begged for us to watch the show while we ate green pesto pasta on the couch after a long day of hiking in the New Forest, and I said sure. It was the beginning of our "Is it Cake?" era. We've gasped, we've squinted, we've cheered. We all love trying to tell which one is a purse and which one is a cake, and we've all exclaimed in SHOCK over those cake-based faux-leather laces. All of which is not really an ad for the show, but just my introduction for today's idea for gamifying the study of thesis statements. Because you guessed it, we're all about to ask ourselves... IS IT A THESIS? Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Grab the free Better Discussions toolkit Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

In this episode of “In Stride,” Sinead is joined by international 4* event rider Lucienne Bellissimo. Lucienne Bellissimo is an international CCI4* event rider, ranked 9th in the 2023 US Eventing Rankings and among the top 50 in the World FEI Eventing Athlete Rankings. Born in The New Forest, Hampshire, UK, she grew up riding and competing both racehorses and event horses. Her training has been influenced by top names, including Oliver Townend, Mark Todd CBE, and Erik Duvander. Alongside her riding career, Lucienne holds a BSc in chiropractic and founded the equestrian startup Horse Scout, later securing backing from Google Campus London and Black Box VC USA. Now based in Florida and South Carolina, she continues to compete at the highest levels while blending her passion for sport and technology. In this episode, Lucienne discusses topics related to the business side of eventing, including: • The sales-driven mindset she developed growing up. • Her journey to founding Horse Scout Eventing, a thriving training and sales business. • The internal struggle of keeping top horses to pursue her dreams versus selling them to sustain her business. • How the emphasis on dedication and training in eventing makes the sport more accessible. • Her strategies for maintaining both mental and physical health. Join Lucienne and Sinead in this exciting conversation on balancing equestrian success with business savvy.

Join me as I wade though water, myth and marshy lands in the New Forest!XXX

Simon LockeCo-OwnerColombia57 Tour, Travel & LogisticsSimon grew up on a dairy farm in the beautiful New Forest, England where he developed a strong love for the countryside and fishing. His adventures in various industries helped him build valuable business skills—starting with Mechanical Engineering at an automotive leader and later launching his own successful startup focused on oak timber frame buildings.During three amazing years of hitchhiking and walking through South America and Asia, Simon discovered his passion for travel. A special moment in Colombia opened his eyes to a fantastic business opportunity. In 2006, he teamed up with co-owners to establish Colombia57. Since then, he has worked hard to develop departments and internal structures while using his creative and friendly communication style to help make the company one of Colombia's top full-service receptive tour operators.summaryIn this episode of the Big World Made Small podcast, Jason Elkins interviews Simon Locke, co-owner of Colombia57, who shares his incredible journey from a farmer's son in Hampshire to a travel entrepreneur in Colombia. Simon discusses his early life, the call to adventure that led him to South America, and the surprising experiences he had in Colombia that changed his perceptions. He reflects on the challenges of running a business in a foreign country, the importance of family support, and the evolution of his company over the years. The conversation highlights the beauty and diversity of Colombia as a travel destination and Simon's passion for sharing it with others.takeawaysSimon Locke's journey began on a farm in Hampshire.He pursued a rock and roll dream before traveling.Traveling was a way to find something different in life.Colombia was a surprising and welcoming destination.Colombia offers a diverse range of experiences.Family support played a crucial role in Simon's journey.The travel industry in Colombia has evolved significantly.Colombia57 focuses on providing tailored travel experiences.Simon emphasizes the importance of personal connections in business.The future of Colombia57 looks promising with ongoing developments. Learn more about Big World Made Small Adventure Travel Marketing and join our private community to get episode updates, special access to our guests, and exclusive adventure travel offers at bigworldmadesmall.com.

Episode Notes Suzy reviews her birding experiences from January 2025, starting with the final week of an epic vacation to Australia! Back in the UK Suzy joined a local RSPB outing and went to the New Forest with the Ladybirder sub-group of the Hampshire Ornithlogical Society (HOS). While in the New Forest Suzy spoke with HOS Chair Keith Betton about his early birding experiences and the success of HOS initiatives to increase the engagement of young people and women birders in the group. Also: news about a new Casual Birder Community! Links Bird lists Take a look at the eBird checklists Suzy made from the locations mentioned: Bruny Island, Tasmania Chook Dam, Tasmania Mount Field National Park, Tasmania Eastrop Park, Basingstoke, Hampshire   Casual Birder Community Find out more about the new Casual Birder Community   Books mentioned in the interview with Keith Betton: Where to Watch Birds in Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: 5th Edition Behind the Binoculars: Interviews with acclaimed birdwatchers Behind More Binoculars: Interviews with acclaimed birdwatchers   Podcast buddies mentioned: Hannah - Women Birders Happy Hour Kirsty - Weekend Birder Harry - Podcast Junkies Lance Anderson's GoFundMe   The Casual Birder Bird Club The Casual Birder Bird Club is an online bird club that meets every month.  If meeting up with a group of friendly people from around the world to talk about the birds you've seen sounds like something you'd like to do, you'd be very welcome to join us. Find out more here: The Casual Birder Bird Club   Your bird stories Tell me about your bird stories - contact me on the casualbirder.com website   Support the show If you would like to help support the show's production, by buying a virtual coffee here    Keep in the Loop Sign up here for email notifications of news, blogs and episodes   The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/ Don't miss an episode - follow the show! My thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net  

Welcome back to the Osos den! And what an Osos den this is... A whole new look! For a whole new year! We told yall we were busy.. and by busy we meant since the JFK documents were released.. we started digging up our own theories about what really happened in Dallas back in the 60s.. The Osos are getting comfortable in the new camp ground they found.. what do you think? Let us know! Don't forget to leave a comment, like and hit that SUB button for new episodes Every Thursday! Listen/Follow us: https://linktr.ee/ososgolosospodcast https://www.instagram.com/osos.golosos.podcast Join Our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/beRy7ZSbVz #oso #goloso #podcast #comedy #comedypodcast #texaspodcast #texas #dfw #fortworth #mexican #817 #jfk #newsetup #trump #president #inauguration #trump2024 #documents #declassifieddocuments #chinaai #crypto

Episode 516 – The Source of Pain   Today we have Hattie. She is 34 years old from South London, UK, and she took her last drink on April 25th, 2021.   Sponsors for this episode include:   Better Help – 10% off your first month   Sober Link - get a promo code for $50 off of the device.   Registration is open for Recovery Elevator's first ever Men's Retreat will be April 5th through the 12th in Costa Rica. We've got space for 12 guys.   Café RE is THE social app for sober people. If you are struggling to meet people who no longer drink alcohol, then this community app is for you. Yes, it is mostly online, but we've got a bunch of in-person meetups on the calendar.   [03:57] Thoughts from Paul:   Ask the Magic 8 Ball “is alcohol the primary source of my pain?” and the responses will be “it is certain” “it is decidedly so” “without a doubt” and “yes, definitely”.   Of course, alcohol is causing the pain. It's the most destructive and addictive substance on the planet and for some strange reason it's still in our face daily with advertising everywhere.   You want to start viewing alcohol similarly to how you would look at a moldy, half-eaten hoagie sandwich on a park bench: you wouldn't touch that sandwich, let alone eat it. The tricky part is that our addiction lies to us in our own voice and do it's best to convince you that alcohol is the source of relief rather than pain. Which it can be at first, but inevitably that doesn't last long.   But your life is not over when you quit drinking. A better chapter is just beginning.   [09:24] Paul introduces Hattie:   Hattie grew up in a place called New Forest where there are wild ponies and pigs. She now lives in London with her husband and two young children. Hattie works in sustainability and also has set up Sober Happy Free on Instagram and TikTok sharing her story around sobriety.   Hattie says she took her first drink at 14. Her alcohol seeking behavior began quickly thereafter. She says alcohol helped her with confidence and feeling comfortable with herself. Drinking was more of a need than a want, she says. She says at this age it was easy to consider the drinking normal but knew that drinking alone or secretly would be a problem.   When Hattie was around 26, she was introduced to cocaine which allowed her to drink more and drink longer. Hattie says she did not have any authentic connections with people at this time. There was not a corner of her life that alcohol didn't touch.   Even once getting pregnant, which she and her husband were trying to do, she looked at the test and wondered “how on earth am I not going to drink?” Hattie made it through the pregnancy but was drinking as soon as she could after and says she was right back where she started.   Seeing a lot of people talking about Dry January online inspired Hattie to give it a try. She continued after the month ended, but never planned to quit entirely and was planning dates that she would allow herself to drink. Hattie got a sobriety coach and ended up not drinking for four months. The day that she decided to have a drink, she found herself on the phone with a friend who was in AA saying she couldn't do it anymore.   Hattie joined AA and found community. She still stays involved in it now at over three years sober. She has a sponsor, and they worked through the 12 steps together. Hattie's advice around AA is to go into it with an open mind.   For Hattie, year one was about changing her lifestyle. Year two was more about discovery as she tried new hobbies and experiences. Hattie says year three has been about giving back to the community by way of chairing meetings and starting her sober social media accounts. She is passionate about breaking the stigma of alcohol abuse.   Hattie's parting piece of guidance:  If alcohol is dominating your life or playing a negative role in it, the best thing you can do is get sober.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down, you've gotta take the stairs back up. We can do this.   RE merch Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes       

Folktales around the fire, gooding & mumping and the terrifying Hooden Horse are just some of England's winter folk traditions from history. In this episode, Dan explores the unlikely and often dark origins of some of our Christmas traditions that can be traced back thousands of years. He's joined by folklore historian Vikki Bramshaw, to discover what midwinter legends were brought over with the Anglo-Saxon invasion, the origins of the Yule log and some of the unusual ways people passed the long nights in rural England (fortune-telling chestnuts).He also explores the New Forest, Hampshire, with local historian Richard Reeves to find out more about how medieval people survived the cold winters in the woods.You can discover more in Vikki's book 'New Forest Folklore, Traditions and Charms'.This is episode 4 of our 'Origins of Christmas' series. This December, Dan explores the history behind our Christmas traditions—from extravagant Tudor feasts and carolling to midwinter Solstice celebrations, the bawdy entertainment of the Georgians, and the family-focused customs of the Victorians.Produced by Mariana Des Forges.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  

Contrary to popular belief, Robin Hood may not have been the merry medieval outlaw of Sherwood Forest. Rather, a look at real historical figures who inspired the legend are narrowed down to the most unlikely suspect: an Anglo-Saxon hitman who may have assassinated the King of England.Today's guest, Peter Staveley, proposes that Robin Hood lived during the time of William II (near the time of the Norman conquest of England in 1066), rather than Richard I and Prince John of the late 1100s. He argues that Robin was responsible for the death of William II, also known as Rufus, in what was long considered a hunting accident in the New Forest in 1100. This act conveniently paved the way for William's brother to ascend the throne as Henry I. Staveley places Robin deep within the geography of South Yorkshire, with strong ties to historic Hallamshire, Loxley, Bradfield, and Ecclesfield, challenging the traditional narrative and the long-held association with Nottingham.We explore how Yorkshire, particularly Sheffield, might reclaim the legacy of Robin Hood from Nottingham and reveal the true, rougher man behind the legend.Staveley is author of “Robin Unhooded, And the Death of a King.”

We don't know much about what happens to the soul after it departs the fleshy vessel that held it upon this Earth, but we know that each and every person leaves behind some magic. They leave behind stories, memories, and loved ones. In honor of ones passing, loved ones will write obituaries that detail the life of the one now gone.  In this episode, we've selected some very witchy obituaries to read. Rest in Peace to some very magical souls, we're grateful to have been touched by your energy and your life, even if it was in death.  Holly McCray Blair (1948- 2020) exploded into Glitter and bats on August 17, 2020. Eva Mondon (1941 - 2023) loved to hand out her card which read, “storytelling - matchmaking, advice sought and unsought, advisor to the lifelorn, word of mouth.” Sybil Leek (1917- 1982) was an “ordinary witch from the New Forest in England,” but she was anything but ordinary and is best known for her book, Diary of a Witch. Raymond Brownley (1931 - 2014), his larger than life persona and trademark stubbornness will not be forgotten, nor will his “life-long ménage a trois with his homemade chili and Gas-X.” Mother Fisher died at nearly 90 years old in 1888 and was known far and wide for her powers. Colin Fry (1962 - 2015) had his first paranormal encounter at a very young age and grew up to become an English television medium and psychic with a powerful spirit guide named Magnus.  Book Mentioned: New York Times Book of the Dead Diary of a Witch - by Sybil Leek Thanks to Tik Tok for some assistance in finding some of these obituaries. Have ghost stories of your own? E-mail them to us at twogirlsoneghostpodcast@gmail.com This episode is sponsored by Honeylove, Nutrafol and Factor. Treat yourself to the best bras and shapewear on the market and save 20% Off at honeylove.com/TGOG. Take the first step to visibly thicker, healthier hair. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners $10 your first month's subscription and free shipping when you go to Nutrafol.com and enter the promo code TGOG Factor's fresh, never frozen meals are dietitian-approved and ready to eat in just 2 minutes–so no matter how busy you are, you'll always have time to enjoy nutritious, great-tasting meals. Head to Factormeals.com/tgog50 and use code tgog50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next month.  If you enjoy our show, please consider joining our Patreon, rating and reviewing on iTunes & Spotify and following us on social media! Youtube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Discord. Edited and produced by Jaimi Ryan, original music by Arms Akimbo! Disclaimer: the use of white sage and smudging is a closed practice. If you're looking to cleanse your space, here are some great alternatives!