POPULARITY
Categories
It's time for another Freak Family Favorite, pulled from deep inside The Box of Oddities archives! First, Kat explores the surprisingly widespread history of dwarf mythology and reverence. From ancient Egypt, where people of short stature could hold prestigious positions and dwarf deities were associated with protection, childbirth, and regeneration, to Norse mythology and legends of mysterious underground craftsmen, the connection between dwarves, gods, magic, and folklore stretches across cultures and centuries. Then, Jethro revisits the deeply troubling disappearance of five-year-old Stephen McKernan. In 1988, Stephen vanished from a crowded Scottish holiday park after being out of his family's sight for only seconds. Sixteen days later, his body was discovered six miles away—just beyond the area police had searched. Authorities concluded that Stephen wandered there on his own and died from exposure. But eyewitness reports, the brutal terrain, a six-foot fence, and one particularly strange detail involving Stephen's shoes and socks raise questions that have never entirely gone away. Ancient gods, mysterious dwarves, a baffling disappearance, and a case officially considered solved that somehow still doesn't feel solved. It's another Freak Family Favorite from The Box of Oddities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
INTRO (00:00): Kathleen opens the show drinking a Staghorn Octoberfest seasonal beer from New Glarus Brewing Company. TOUR NEWS: See Kathleen live on her “Flying Cats & Marching Armadillos Tour.” TASTING MENU (1:39): Kathleen samples Limited Edition Deep Fried Oreo cookies, King Bing Minnesota candy, and Limited Edition Coors Light Beer Cheese Cheez-Its. QUEEN NEWS (20:48): Kathleen shares news that Aer Lingus is honoring Dolly Parton with a Nashville flight number, Snoop Dogg hosted the 2026 VMAs, and Taylor Swift became the most-awarded artist in MTV VMAs history, dedicating the award to Dolly. HOLLYWOOD HAPPENINGS (1:20:31): HollyBobby provides the latest news in Hollywood. UPDATE (24:13): Kathleen updates on the latest celebration of the Wizard of Oz at Sphere, Prince Harry's actions put his military service record in question, Elizabeth Holmes is scheduled to be released from prison to a halfway house, and Rod Stewart announces his retirement. WHAT ARE WE WATCHING (31:00): Kathleen advises to watch Amanda Seyfried in the Elizabeth Holmes' drama “The Dropout” on Hulu. FABULOUS LIVING BY AMY (38:30): Kathleen and her sister-in-law Amy discuss how to do a Fall closet reset. Follow Amy on Instagram @ahdliving. HOLY SHIT THEY FOUND IT (55:10): Kathleen reports on a rare ghost lobster trapped in Maine, and the final resting place of Noah's Ark has been confirmed in Turkey. SPORTS NEWS (1:02:49): Kathleen reads about Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza's announcement that he is starting a series called Finance with Fernando to teach GenZ'ers how to handle their finances, and former NCAA football coach and now Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville says the “deranged” Furry culture is a flight safety risk. NEWS (1:01:07): Kathleen reports that Quantas has announced the launch date for an 18 hour flight from Sydney to NYC, a Scottish grandmother sets a Fortnite streaming record, Elton John headlines shows at London's new Apple Music Hall, the last remaining Blockbuster store is located in Oregon, more than 100 people have suffered brain injuries after riding Six Flags' X2 roller coaster, Delta Air Lines employees are named the best airline staff in North America by Skytrax, and 2 giant pandas have been transported from China to the Atlanta Zoo. SPANISH PHRASE OF THE WEEK (1:57:46): The Spanish phrase to learn this week is “puedo tener un abogado” or “can I have a lawyer” in English. PATRON SAINT OF THE WEEK (2:03:32 ): Kathleen reads about St. Pellegia the Pentinent, patron saint of actresses. FEEL GOOD STORY (1:53:48): Kathleen reads about all of the lobsters in the famous Cape May Lobster House escaping during the recent flooding.
How did John Paul Jones capture HMS Serapis when his own ship, Bonhomme Richard, was on fire and took on water? The Battle of Flamborough Head turned disaster into one of the American Revolution's most remarkable naval victories. In this episode of America's Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano tells the story of a Scottish sailor who took the war to Britain's shores. As America marks its 250th anniversary, discover how Jones faced a more powerful Royal Navy warship, changed tactics after his heaviest guns failed, and refused to surrender. What You'll Learn In This Episode: The Scottish sailor: How a gardener's son became an American naval captain and challenged Britain near its own shores. Disaster at Flamborough Head: How two of Bonhomme Richard's heaviest cannons exploded and cost Jones his best chance in a gun duel. The tactical death grip: How Jones turned a collision with HMS Serapis into a close-range fight that reduced Britain's firepower advantage. "I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight": What the accounts reveal about Captain Richard Pearson's surrender demand and Jones's defiance. The lesson for today: Why Jones's resolve still matters when a plan collapses and defeat seems inevitable. Jones lost Bonhomme Richard, but he and his crew captured the warship that nearly destroyed her. His victory reminds us that a failed plan does not have to end the fight. Episode Chapters 00:00 John Paul Jones and the Battle of Flamborough Head 01:01 From Scottish Sailor to American Naval Captain 02:07 John Paul Jones Raids the British Coast 04:00 Bonhomme Richard Battles HMS Serapis 07:27 Jones Lashes Bonhomme Richard to Serapis 08:43 Friendly Fire and the Grenade Attack on Serapis 09:41 HMS Serapis Surrenders and Bonhomme Richard Sinks 11:07 John Paul Jones on Resolve and Leadership 12:22 What John Paul Jones Can Teach America Today ⭐ Help Keep Authentic American History Alive: If you believe the sacrifices that built this nation must never be forgotten, follow The P.A.S. Report Podcast, leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and text a link to this episode to 3 or 4 friends and family members right now.
We're joined by Andy from Andy's Watches, one of the most recognizable voices in the watch-collecting world on TikTok and Instagram. We first met Andy almost by accident at Geneva... The post Scottish Watches Podcast #819 : Andy's Watches Talks About Life, Watches And Following Your Passion appeared first on Scottish Watches.
[@ 2 min] Alright, this week...Louisa Proske goes Inside the Huddle! Her production of Verdi's Scottish opera at the Met will be broadcast in HD later this month, just as she heads to Detroit to direct the shabby little shocker…Tosca. [@ 40 min] Plus, in the 'Two Minute Drill'... musician strikes may have come to an end in Cleveland and San Francisco, but the crisis in Nashville has led to extreme measures. Perhaps it's time for classical music socialism, like in New York! GET YOUR VOICE HEARD Stream new episodes every Saturday at 10 AM CT on amplisoundsradio.com operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social
⛵️ Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code screenrot at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/screenrot Special Offer in the following link for 50% off you first Voy treatment order! - https://go.joinvoy.com/thescreenrotpodcast Go to refundclub.co.uk/screenrot to do your free check now! Tickets for Jacob's Tour are onsale now! Go to: linktr.ee/Jacobhawley for tickets. Subscribe to read monthly stories by Jake: bit.ly/nodeadtime JOIN THE SCREEN ROT PATREON NOW. Oi, get on this - a full extra episode every week. Early access to every episode. Access to the Rotter group chat. Priority access to tickets. Get involved: patreon.com/thescreenrotpod The Screen Rot Podcast is the show where we discuss the weirdest and worst content that's been rotting our screens and our minds. It's Monday Night football for internet rubbish. This week we discuss: Caz Milligan (with Marc Jennings) - the Scottish streamer going viral for his Fife accent. IG Handles: @screenrotpodcast @jacobhawley @j_akefarrell Our theme music is the song “Money” by Jose Junior. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. [refundclub.co.uk/screenrot] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1965 IBM 360/85 FORT MEADECONTENTS OF THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 9-29-2026Navigating Artificial Intelligence And ElectionsGUEST: Liz PeekLiz Peek analyzes the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and the emerging debate over its regulation. While tech figures like Sam Altman and Elon Musk advocate for industry guardrails to mitigate risks like rogue AI agents and safety vulnerabilities, President Trump pushes for rapid advancement to maintain a competitive edge over China. Peek differentiates macro AI safety concerns from local opposition to data centers, which centers on utility costs. Turning to politics, she evaluates the Senate midterms, noting Republicans hold an edge in key tossup states like New Hampshire and Maine, while Democrats face steep challenges running the table nationwide. File 1Middle East Escalations And ConflictGUEST: Jonathan Schanzer Jonathan Schanzer evaluates ongoing conflicts across the Middle East, focusing on Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, and Gaza. Iran seeks to prolong military tensions to deplete American munitions, raise oil prices, and avoid facing severe domestic anger over its collapsing economy. In Yemen, the Iranian aligned Houthi militia pushes to unify the country, threatening Saudi Arabia and regional stability. Meanwhile, Hezbollah capability in Lebanon has been reduced by eighty percent, though political paralysis hinders government control. Schanzer notes that ending the Gaza conflict hinges on disarming Hamas, while withdrawing American troops from Iraq opens dangerous avenues for Iranian influence across the region. File 2European Leftist Populism And AIGUEST: Joseph Sternberg2 Joseph Sternberg highlights the rise of far left populism in Europe, exemplified by Die Linke winning local elections in Berlin. The party, rooted in East German communism, combines classic Marxist economic proposals like housing nationalization with troubling anti-Semitic sentiments emerging from an alliance of radical critical theorists and Islamist voters. Sternberg argues this coalition makes hostility an existential issue for the left compared to right wing parties. He also addresses the economic uncertainties of artificial intelligence, warning that massive infrastructure spending on data centers may fail to yield expected financial returns, creating major risks alongside ongoing American and Chinese competition. File 3Michigan Senate Battleground Midterm AnalysisGUEST: Thaddeus McCotter Thaddeus McCotter provides an extensive analysis of the Michigan Senate race between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El Sayed. McCotter highlights economic anxieties, inflation, and energy costs driven by Middle East conflict as central voter concerns. While Michigan historically leans Democratic in Senate contests, El Sayed's primary victory over center left Haley Stevens and his association with radical figures like Hassan Piker alienate moderate voters. McCotter observes that while Democrats capitalize on economic frustration, El Sayed's far left platform gives Republicans a viable path. Nationwide, McCotter notes that Democrats face an uphill battle to win the Senate this cycle. File 4Global Security And Strategic GeopoliticsGUEST: Gregory Copley Gregory Copley analyzes global geopolitical shifts, focusing on China, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom. He describes the summit between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump as symbolic stability designed to prop up China's fragile domestic economy and internal Communist Party rivalries amid severe water and demographic crises. In Southeast Asia, Copley examines Indonesia acquiring an aircraft carrier under President Prabowo Subianto, signaling strategic modernization to safeguard vital maritime choke points between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Finally, he dismisses the Cardiff Memorandum, a sovereignty effort by Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish leaders, as grandstanding driven by frustration with Westminster government performance. File 5Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure And RegulationGUEST: Jim McTague Jim McTague explores the political and economic friction surrounding artificial intelligence expansion, particularly the development of massive data centers. Reporting from Pennsylvania, McTague notes how local municipalities are establishing zoning regulations and utility constraints to prevent corporate developers from imposing facilities without community input. Alongside cohost Thaddeus McCotter, McTague discusses White House backing for a golden age of artificial intelligence, comparing proposed regulatory approaches to financial market oversight. While tech leaders call for industry guardrails, McTague emphasizes that light touch, goal oriented regulatory models are superior to heavy handed rules, warning that political backlash over energy grid strain impacts elections. File 6Russian Election Control Hybrid WarfareGUEST: Ivana StradnerIvana Stradner details how Vladimir Putin maintained absolute control over Russia's Duma elections, securing three quarters of the seats for United Russia through autocratic manipulation, barring anti war parties like Yabloko, and staging fabricated electoral unity. Stradner explains that these domestic maneuvers serve Putin's broader ambition of restoring imperial dominance and testing NATO resolve. Through hybrid warfare, encompassing political pressure, sabotage, cyber operations, and psychological tactics, Russia aims to exploit western disunity and risk aversion. Stradner warns that Putin seeks to expose NATO Article Five as ineffective, emphasizing that western allies must show unity and escalate deterrence to counter threats. FILE 7Russian Sanctions Arctic Energy ExpansionGUEST: Max Meizlish Max Meizlish analyzes the enforcement of United States economic sanctions on Russia's Arctic LNG Two energy project and the strategic implications of the Polar Silk Road partnership between Moscow and Beijing. Meizlish notes that while previous enforcement turned back critical Chinese power modules, inconsistent application permitted later deliveries. Chinese state owned enterprises buy sanctioned facilities to shield transactions from Western pressure while purchasing discounted Russian liquefied natural gas. Meizlish stresses that Washington must utilize new legislative mandates like the Graham Sanctions Act to penalize non compliant Chinese entities, warning that weak enforcement enables adversaries to build dual use Arctic infrastructure. File 8
Grammy-winning songwriter Ashley McBryde joins us on Nashville Now to talk about her new album Wild, a project that dives deep into her family lineage and her desire to be “fully seen.” The Arkansas native also shares her journey to sobriety and what the word “redemption” means to her — it's not only the name of her mocktail-forward bar on Nashville's Lower Broadway. McBryde also has a gift for a Scottish accent, and once she starts it up, she can't stop. Join us on the podcast for a conversation that gets to the human side of one of Nashville's most important songwriters. Country is Here… Nashville is Now. Check out our Hear Now playlist on Spotify, updated weekly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
When Magda Szubanski discovered what had happened to her mum as a child, two years after she died it helped her see her in an entirely new light (CW: discussion of sexual abuse, please take care when listening)Magda released her first memoir a few years ago, to widespread acclaim.It was the story of how Magda unearthed the life story of her Polish-born father and his role as an assassin during WWII.Magda's now written her second memoir which hinges on the life story of her charming and funny Scottish-born mother, Margaret.Magda had a complicated and deeply loving relationship with her mum, who sometimes lashed out at her daughter in devastating ways.Two years after Margaret died, Magda found out a tragic secret about her life.The revelation explained so much, and Magda later realised she had also suffered a similar trauma in her own childhood.Content warning: this episode of Conversations contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse.I Can't Tell You But I Will is published by Text Publishing.This episode of Conversations was produced by Elizabeth Kulas. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores Australian actors, Australian comedians, Australian television, Australian cinema, Kath and Kim, mothers and daughters, childhood abuse, child on child abuse, sexuality, queerness, queer actors, gay marriage referendum, intergenerational trauma, coming out, famous lesbians, Sharon Strzelecki, Gina Riley, Jane Turner, Babe, Babe: Pig in the City, Happy Feet, Heath Ledger, youngest children, cancer diagnosis, Mantle Cell Lymphoma, Maggie Smith, memoir, writing, books, Australian literature, family origin stories, nervous system, fight, flight, freeze, fawn, Catholic school, George Orwell, mental health, university, shame, pray the gay away, suicidal thoughts, LGBT rights, same-sex marriage, George Miller, domestic violence, violence against women, group think, free bleeding, activism, Madrid, Spain, grief, Catholicism.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.
The Battle of Culloden on 16 April 1746 was the final major battle of the Jacobite Rising of 1745–46 and a decisive defeat for Charles Edward Stuart's army. But while thousands of Jacobite soldiers fought and died on Culloden Moor, only four clan chiefs were killed in the battle itself. In this episode, we look at those chiefs, their clans, and the circumstances that brought them onto the battlefield that day. We also consider Charles MacLean of Drimnin, who served as a proxy leader for his imprisoned chief and led the MacLean contingent at Culloden, earning an honorable mention for his role and sacrifice. The number of Scottish clan chiefs killed at Culloden was relatively small, but the cultural and political consequences of the battle were enormous. The defeat marked a turning point in the history of the Scottish Highlands and had profound consequences for the clan system, Highland society, Gaelic culture, and the relationship between the Scottish Highlands and the British state. By looking specifically at the chiefs who died at Culloden, we can put a human face on one of the most important turning points in Scottish clan history and better understand what was lost on 16 April 1746. Learn more about The Scottish Clans: https://scottishclans.info Support The Scottish Clans on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scottishclans Shop The Scottish Clans: https://stores.inksoft.com/the_scottish_clans/shop/home Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thescottishclans Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-scottish-clans-podcast/id1618351682 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5mdU8b5iY4r7vRk4Hh7T9s Contact: thescottishclans@gmail.com
Hosts Dominic Lawton & Ken B Wild are sharpening their swords, practising their dodgy Scottish accents and preparing to lose their heads as they tackle the 1986 fantasy cult classic — HIGHLANDER! The lads discuss French actor Christopher Lambert playing a Scotsman, Sir Sean Connery playing an Egyptian Spaniard with a Scottish accent, Clancy Brown absolutely devouring every scene as The Kurgan and, of course, Queen providing one of the greatest soundtracks ever attached to a film about immortal blokes chopping each other's heads off! Meanwhile, Dom enjoys the character Fasil and his endless back flipping, whilst Ken gives us a TED Talk about Love and gets to grips with the simple fact that... THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE! We now have PATREON! Join us HERE Visit our website for more episodes & written reviews: WWW.BADMOVIECULT.COM Follow us on TWITTER Follow us on INSTAGRAM Join us on FACEBOOK Dominic Lawton can be found on TWITTER Ken B Wild can be found on TWITTER Got a spare minute? Leave us a rating or review on iTunes!
This week on Creative Guts, co-hosts Becky Barsi and Laura Harper Lake sit down with siblings Elizabeth and Ben Anderson, a Boston-based Scottish fiddle and cello duo. Blending Scottish tunes with lively rhythms and innovative harmonies, the pair create a sound rooted in tradition, inspired by the contemporary, and completely original. On stage, Elizabeth and Ben captivate audiences with their ability to effortlessly communicate musical nuances as only siblings can. Our conversation dives into how they got started, the welcoming Scottish music and dance community, and surprisingly, even Buffy the Vampire Slayer. www.elizabethandbenanderson.comwww.youtube.com/channel/UCflYt-pX0U2xjB2xbhd2caw www.instagram.com/elizabethandbenanderson/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/4ARWWyU6yNaefI3UlmGSPx?utm_medium=share&utm_source=linktree Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or stream it straight from our website at CreativeGutsPodcast.com. Find us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Discord, and subscribe to our Substack newsletter at creativegutspod.substack.com.Creative Guts runs on a small budget and a lot of heart. If the show means something to you, donations of any size make a real difference, and they're tax-deductible! Learn more and give at CreativeGutsPodcast.com.Thank you to Kennebunk Savings Bank for sponsoring the podcast!Grateful for our friends at Art Up Front Street Studios and Gallery in Exeter, NH and the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts in Rochester, NH for their support of the show.Views and opinions shared by our hosts or guests are their own and don't necessarily reflect the views of Creative Guts.
A few little snippets to discuss before we focus on the headline act for this episode. Scott and Matt discuss the imminent opening of some new holes at Newcastle Golf Club, with the work by Scott Champion and Bob Harrison looking really good.Lovedale Farm comes in for some discussion – specifically the ongoing issue of who is actually at the helm from a design perspective. Read the Planet Golf article addressing this. And most importantly – we discuss Barwon Heads, in all its old school glory. Situated in a gorgeous seaside village, the course is close to the beach and enjoys wonderful terrain. An enjoyable mix of short and long holes, the course is so reminiscent of so much high calibre UK golf. The closest thing to an East Coast English or Scottish links in the southern hemisphere.As promised in the episode – the link to enquire about stay and play packages in the glorious and recently refurbished Barwon Heads clubhouse.Australian Golf Passport is supported by:Currents Golf golf booking softwareAngus and Grace Go Golfing apparelSeed Golf ballsImages related to this episode can be found on our Instagram.Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me-Instrumental / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
As the Premier League's Man City case dominates headlines worldwide, Alan and James ask why the Scottish football media has stayed almost completely silent, and what the parallels with Rangers' 2012 liquidation, the EBT scandal and the obstruction of investigators reveal about football governance, power and accountability. The Huddle Breakdown then turns to Celtic. Alan has rewatched the games from his time away and comes back with a stark verdict on Martin O'Neill's management team drifting from Celtic's possession-based playing model. James brings StatsBomb pace-to-goal and xG-conceded data showing Celtic losing control. They also discuss Cameron Carter-Vickers' honest comments about confusion in the squad, revisit Stephen Welsh's Celtic legacy as he starts for Scotland and Swansea, and take hope from Scotland's cohesive display against Slovenia in the Nations League. Want to support the channel? - https://huddlebreakdown.com Like this video and want more content like it? Subscribe to the channel below and hit the bell to get notified every time a new video goes live. Follow us on Twitter: @huddlebreakdown @Alan_Morrison67 @jucojames Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Go Radio Football Show: September 30th, 2026 with Scottish Gas.PLAY and HIT SUBSCRIBE, and NEVER miss an episode!Scotland's 3-0 defeat to Switzerland dominates the debate as Peter Grant joins Paul Cooney to dissect a frustrating night at Hampden. Despite the scoreline, there's optimism around new manager, with discussion on Scotland's tactical changes, the controversial red card, encouraging signs from the new system, and what comes next against North Macedonia. The conversation then broadens into a passionate debate about the future of Scottish football, youth development, school football, and why fewer youngsters are playing the game. Key HighlightsPeter Grant analyses Jack Hendry's early red card and how it changed the game.Positives from Scotland's new-look system under Rudi Pocognoli.Debate over Angus Gunn's performance and Scotland's goalkeeping options.Were Scotland denied key decisions involving McBurnie and McGinn?Strong reaction to Switzerland's quality and tactical discipline.A passionate discussion on the decline of youth football in Scotland.Why Peter Grant believes school football must return to the heart of player development.Calls for fewer substitutes and more opportunities for young players.Looking ahead to North Macedonia and Scotland's route back to winning ways.The Go Radio Football Show, weeknights from 5pm-7pm across Scotland on DAB, YouTube, Smart Speaker - launch Go Radio - and on the Go Radio App. IOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/go-radio/id1510971202Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.thisisgo.goradio&pcampaignid=web_shareFor more Podcasts from Go Studios, head to: https://thisisgo.co.uk/podcasts/
Children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland return to school this week, with Scottish children already well into the first term of the year.Many parents and carers will have the cost of sending their children to school in mind this week, right as several changes come in on uniforms, free school meals and the continued rollout of free breakfast clubs.Parents could expect to spend more than £15,500 on a child's school years from reception to GCSE, with school clubs accounting for the biggest share of the bill, according to new Nationwide research.Felicity Hannah is joined by Carol Homden, the chief executive of children's charity Coram and Jasmine Birtles, director and co-founder of MoneyMagpie. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Will Harris Production co-ordinator: Catherine Lund Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 2nd September 2026)
Is Andy Burnham's vision for the UK realistic, or is he setting Labour up for a major fall ahead of the upcoming budget? On this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver review Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first speech to the Labour Party Conference. From hints on rejoining the EU and scrapping the pension triple lock to fund a National Care Service, to what this all means for Scotland and John Swinney, we break down the style, substance, and political tactics. Later, Glasgow South West Labour MP Dr. Zubir Ahmed joins us straight from conference to share his take on Burnham's speech. Plus, Scotland 2050 founder Barry Cunning shares his thoughts on Grangemouth and the long-term future of Scottish politics.
Bob Murphy was working on electric vehicles before most of the UK had anywhere to plug one in. Back in 2011, having retrained as a mechanic at Edinburgh College, he fell into a small research project that put four EVs to work as staff pool cars. Nobody knew whether they could make it from Dalkeith to Dunbar and back. There was no public charging network to fall back on. The college ended up installing its own chargers and running a five-acre solar field on site, and some of those early Mitsubishi i-MiEVs and Citroën C-Zeros are still being stripped and rebuilt by trainee technicians today.From there, Bob spent years selling and siting charge points across Scotland, which he counts as one of his proudest bits of work, and it took him to almost every corner of the country. He now works as a technical executive at Scottish Power, advising on charging networks and infrastructure, and he is a familiar face at industry events and in the WhatsApp groups where he answers questions from anyone, silly or not.Paul and John talk with Bob about: Why a lifelong petrolhead who once owned a four-litre Jaguar XJ6 and a pair of modified Ford Kas became a convert, and what a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N ring taxi lap of the Nürburgring taught him about EVs and fun The wider home energy picture: home chargers, solar, batteries and heat pumps, and why an energy company is encouraging customers to use less Hyperfocus, problem solving and the undiagnosed ADHD Bob credits for the way he goes deep on everything from i-MiEV battery cells to Star Trek lore Pressing the reset button after a career or relationship change, leaning on friends, and a 2024 spent travelling solo to a different country every month Pushing for the Scottish Power job when he felt he wasn't good enough, summed up by a Scottish phrase you'll want to remember: shy weans get nae sweeties Plockton, the west coast, and where to point the car when you need to get away Bob's wish with the EV Café magic wand: less ignorance, more empathy Along the way there is a kilt, two West Highland terriers, a shortbread tin, a tour bus full of cameras at Fort Augustus, and the podcast's most contested answer yet to Star Wars or Star Trek.Connect with Bob on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-murphy-300031b0/Find out more about Scottish Power:https://www.scottishpower.co.uk
Greg Gould joins Brett and Tim on JOY Breakfast with a huge announcement: he's teaming up with Scottish singer-songwriter Sandi Thom to re-record her iconic hit I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) for its 20th anniversary. Greg shares the very unexpected way the collaboration came about, how a social media follow turned into voice notes, recording plans and a new friendship, plus the news that Sandi is heading to Australia and Greg will be joining her for a national tour. It's an announcement filled with music, laughs and some questionable Scottish accents. The post Wednesday Breakfast: Greg Gould's Punk Rocker Moment appeared first on JOY Breakfast.
1901 CLAUDE MONETGlobal Security And Strategic GeopoliticsGUEST: Gregory Copley Gregory Copley analyzes global geopolitical shifts, focusing on China, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom. He describes the summit between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump as symbolic stability designed to prop up China's fragile domestic economy and internal Communist Party rivalries amid severe water and demographic crises. In Southeast Asia, Copley examines Indonesia acquiring an aircraft carrier under President Prabowo Subianto, signaling strategic modernization to safeguard vital maritime choke points between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Finally, he dismisses the Cardiff Memorandum, a sovereignty effort by Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish leaders, as grandstanding driven by frustration with Westminster government performance. File 5
Two years after an alleged gang rape on Cornell University campus, prosecutors are reopening the investigation — and the new attention is largely thanks to reporting by student journalists. Former Canadian spies and security officials want Parliamentarians to get to the bottom of what really happened to diplomats plagued with "Havana Syndrome" and whether Ottawa did enough to help them. An American ban on some Canadian imports is now in effect — and the CEO of Moosehead beer says being at loggerheads with the U.S. is bad for lager heads. At the start of the pandemic, the Cargill meat packing plant had one of Canada's worst COVID outbreaks. A new report finds the company and the Alberta government could, and should, have done more to protect workers. A man linked to a notorious gang is suspected of shooting up a local radio station in Surrey. One of its hosts tells us he should be deported. When the NHL season starts up tonight, not a single game will be available on a free Canadian TV network; our guest says that's really dropping the puck. On a rare sunny day on a remote Scottish archipelago, one photographer took a phenomenal photo by waiting underwater for a northern gannet to execute a swan dive. At an international tournament in Japan, Uzbekistan's volleyball team had a uniform emergency, which was solved by a whole bunch of convenience-store socks. As It Happens, the Tuesday edition. Radio that knows even elite athletes have to do a little sole-searching sometimes.
On this week's episode of The Joy of Football Podcast, Martin Tyler and Neil Barnett are joined by former Everton, Rangers, Marseille and England midfielder Trevor Steven for a special extended conversation spanning his remarkable career in football and his work today with mental health charity MindFlow. Trevor takes us inside the great Everton side of the 1980s, recalling life under Howard Kendall, winning the FA Cup, two First Division titles and the European Cup Winners' Cup, and playing alongside the likes of Peter Reid, Kevin Sheedy, Andy Gray and Gary Lineker. He also reflects on the impact of the ban on English clubs competing in Europe and reveals why he eventually decided to leave Goodison Park. That decision left Trevor with a huge choice. He reveals his conversations with Sir Alex Ferguson about joining Manchester United, why a move to Old Trafford ultimately didn't happen, and how Graeme Souness convinced him to join Rangers instead. Trevor remembers arriving at Ibrox during an extraordinary period for Scottish football, before discussing his later move to Marseille and life inside one of Europe's biggest clubs. Trevor also takes Martin and Neil inside his England career under Sir Bobby Robson, from the unexpected phone call that gave him his first international opportunity to representing his country at two World Cups. He relives Mexico 1986, Gary Lineker's goals against Poland and being on the pitch against Diego Maradona during the Hand of God and Goal of the Century, before remembering just how close he came to taking a penalty in England's dramatic 1990 World Cup semi-final against West Germany. Away from the pitch, Trevor explains the work behind MindFlow, bringing football and the construction industry together to tackle the mental health crisis affecting workers across the UK. He discusses the similarities between football dressing rooms and construction sites, the importance of getting men talking, and how former players including Gary Lineker, Stuart Pearce, John Barnes and Viv Anderson are helping to change the conversation. Plus, Trevor gives his thoughts on the modern game, England and the way football has changed since his playing days, before Martin delivers another Letter From The Gantry. From Everton, Rangers and Marseille to Sir Alex Ferguson, Graeme Souness, Bobby Robson, Maradona, England and the World Cup, this is Trevor Steven's story. #TrevorSteven #Everton #EFC #Rangers #RangersFC #England #ThreeLions #Maradona #WorldCup #ManchesterUnited #SirAlexFerguson #BobbyRobson #GraemeSouness #EvertonFC #Football #MartinTyler #NeilBarnett #TheJoyOfFootball #JOF Hosted by The Revive Lounge Ltd UCsdye1hUxP4xhgBx9zvuSjg Subscribe to https://youtube.com/@TheReviveLounge?si=L5ddzrJrtSmErtJ5 Support the Pod https://patreon.com/TheJoysofFootballPodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Read us on Substack https://martintylerandneilbarnett.substack.com/ Follow our Twitter https://x.com/TheJOF Follow our Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@joy_of_football_pod?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Follow our Instagram https://https://www.instagram.com/joy_of_football_pod/ Contact us via: therevivelounge@gmail.com Music by Arron Clague - https://www.instagram.com/arronclague?igsh=aHg1bjQ3OHpmaXIz Intro Sequence by Wellong Sadewo (wells.illustration): https://www.instagram.com/wells.illustration/ A massive thank you to our Patreon Supporters: Nick Parmenter Hillary Abbott Daniel Butigan Tommy Mck Katie Watson Nathan A Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Lesley and Fraser delayed recording this week to digest Andy Burnham's blockbuster Labour Party Conference speech. From grand English policy pitches to Scottish local government reform, Glasgow's equal pay row, and Holyrood drama, here is what's in this week's episode:Burnham's "Prime Ministerial" Pitch: Big announcements on housing, water, energy, and a National Care Service. Impressive delivery, but as Lesley notes, Scotland has already implemented nearly all of it—from ending Right to Buy to free personal care.Local Government Reform: A look at Gerry Hassan's blog on council reorganisations. Do the current plans solve Scotland's democratic deficit, or do we need a Citizens' Assembly to work through a proper plan?Glasgow Equal Pay Row: Why Glasgow City Council suddenly threatened staff with "fire and rehire" over equal pay settlements, and why Unison stood its ground.Humza Yousaf's Book & SNP Conference: Highlights from the Dundee launch of Humza's book Under Fire, plus a new internal independence pressure group forming ahead of the SNP conference in Aberdeen.Holyrood's "Right to Decide": Why Scottish Labour voted for the SNP's self-determination motion, and Patrick Harvie's calm response to a bizarre speech comparing Scottish nationalism to Yugoslavia.Links & Events:Film Screening: Lesley's Finland film is showing at the Moffat Theatre this Saturday at 2:00 PM.Support the Pod: If you enjoy the show, help support us at lesleyriddoch.com/podcast.Gerry Hassan: How Scotland is Governed Matters Just as Much as Who Governs's It ★ Support this podcast ★
We're back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps, Major League Soccer, and Canadian Premier League chat. Vancouver Whitecaps dropped two more points at home on Saturday in a 3-3 draw with D.C. United that was both entertaining and frustrating. Some great attacking play, some poor defensive play, and a team with 10 players out through international duty and injuries. We unpack the highs and lows coming out of the match, look at how the Whitecaps form across MLS is actually better than it might feel these past 10 games, and look at the main talking points from the weekend's action across the league, including the sacking of former Whitecaps head coach Marc Dos Santos at LAFC. We also round-up the action in the CPL, Forge FC Bobby Smyrniotis talks about adding experienced big-name players and how they've made it work within the salary cap, and delve into a very long international break that kicked off with Canada beating Chile in a feisty affair in Toronto. Music-wise, Scottish band Lung Leg wrap up their residency as our Artists of the Month, King of the Slums feature as our C86 era song, and Swedish band Dolkows feature in Wavelength. Here's the rundown for the main segments from the episode: 01.22: Intro - not away with the ferries and Drew Peacock 11.35: Two more home points dropped in draw with D.C. 58.06: Whitecaps' home pitch worries continue but form guide not as bad as it feels 66.30: MLS round-up, the lie of the land, and the sacking of MDS 84.10: CPL round-up after a wild weekend, plus Bobby Smyrniotis talks big additions 124.35: Is this international break too long? 129.30: Did Canada get much out of win over 9-man Chile? 152.30: Wavelength - Dolkows - Football
Andrew Quinn has all the latest from the UK Labour Party conference, while Alistair Grant talks to former SNP MP Stewart McDonald about why Scottish politicians need to pay more attention to defence and security Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A movie about two Scottish weirdos who eat seagulls, fear the ocean, and think an iPhone is witchcraft? Yeah, this might be the best movie I've seen all year.Johnny Spoiler is back with another episode of Binge-Watchers Podcast, and Weird Movie Month is delivering one hell of a surprise.Try MEATZY https://tr.ee/GetMeatzyJohnnyGet JOLT MODERN SODA https://tr.ee/JoltCreamSodaBWThis week, we're reviewing The Incomer (2026), the bizarre Scottish fantasy comedy starring Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, Grant O'Rourke, and John Hannah. Two isolated siblings have spent 30 years living on a remote island, surviving on oysters, seagulls, and their father's number-one rule: NO INCOMERS. Then an awkward government official shows up to relocate them, and all hell breaks loose.We're talking mythical seal-men, seagull ceremonies, a vegan trying to survive on an island full of carnivores, and possibly the greatest use of an iPhone in a fantasy movie. It's weird, it's hilarious, and it has a surprising amount of heart. Johnny doesn't hand out many BINGE NOW ratings, but this one might just deserve it.But first, the Home Video Headlines!John Goblikon, the internet's favorite heavy-metal goblin, has a bloody new horror-comedy web series called No One Survives. Meanwhile, Don't Breathe 3 is in development, with Jane Levy and Stephen Lang set to return. And Jamie Foxx is heading to Amazon Prime Video with Deadlocked, a courthouse hostage thriller that sounds like Die Hard with jury duty.Plus, this week's Fan Service and Staff Picks:A listener wants to know which is better: the original Alien Nation movie with James Caan and Mandy Patinkin or the cult-classic television series. Johnny revisits both, including the alien biology, buddy-cop action, and the surprising differences between the two versions.And for this week's Staff Pick, we're revisiting Seth Rogen's gloriously uncomfortable 2009 dark comedy Observe and Report. Forget Paul Blart. This mall cop has some serious problems.Finally, fall is here, Halloween is creeping closer, and Johnny is getting ready for 9 Nights of Spoilaween, complete with werewolf movies, horror recommendations, and more cinematic weirdness.Subscribe, grab your favorite questionable snack, and join Johnny Spoiler for movie news, cult classics, strange cinema, and the occasional movie that's actually worth watching.BINGE NOW. BINGE LATER. BINGE NEVER.Listen and watch at BWPODCAST.COM.
The Limited Edition continues its phenomenal advocacy for independent watchmakers with the first edition of Days Of The Independents, a private fair held last week in London, following the incredible... The post Scottish Watches Podcast #818 : Day Of The Independents 2026 – With Rikki, Dave and Pietro appeared first on Scottish Watches.
Brian Skutle of Sonic-Cinema joins Ryan Pak to talk about the soundtrack to the 2006 Darren Aronofsky film, The Fountain. The soundtrack is scored by frequent Aronofsky collaborator, Clint Mansell, who is joined by The Kronos Quartet and Scottish post-rock band, Mogwai, to create a score that links 3 different timelines in the film. Mansell also utilizes a choir on the score, which feels both maximalist and minimalist. For More Information About Brian Skutle / Sonic-Cinema: Website Instagram Threads Bandcamp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome back to The Traitors: New Blood and welcome back to She's Got the Chat!In this episode, reality TV experts Ari and Maura recap episodes 3 and 4 from the Scottish castle. They discuss the immediate consequences of Xavier's traitor-on-traitor crime, a castle full of players who are very much not students of the game, and Joe winning the hearts of the Faithfuls (and us).Does being a physician automatically make you smart? Does Jay's chaos strategy have legs? And will you believe the reason Ari gave herself most toxic of the week??Tune in every Monday and let's find out together.SOCIALShttps://www.instagram.com/shesgotthechat/https://www.tiktok.com/@shesgotthechathttps://youtube.com/@shesgotthechat?si=Y6XzieeKeSeMO8bJ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with Jack Cochrane and Callum Wilson from Scottish indie four-piece The Snuts. They burst onto the music scene as the first Scottish band in over a decade to top the UK album charts. After years on the road and living in Glasgow, the band decided to move back to their home region of West Lothian. The return to their roots inspired the creation of their fourth album "Joy in Short Moments", a bittersweet record about success, failure, parenthood and loss.
From Highland Games, to lifting rocks, to the ba, there is plenty of sportsmanship in Scottish folklore! Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Check out our socials to keep in the loop! facebook.com/FolkloreScotland twitter.com/FolkloreScot instagram.com/folklorescotland Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at info@folklorescotland.com SOURCES https://ntsusa.org/highland-games/ https://www.eftours.com/travel-blog/places-perspectives/highland-games https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_games https://www.scotland.org/events/highland-games/about-highland-games https://www.northlandsbandb.com/whats-on/the-history-of-highland-games-and-gatherings/ https://www.absoluteescapes.com/blog/our-guide-to-scottish-highland-games/ https://www.dunsehistorysociety.co.uk/the-ba-game https://electricscotland.com/history/sport/pastimes8.htm https://www.scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk/football-for-all/scotlands-football-origins/ https://blog.washingtonpost.com/why-we-compete/2007/12/tradition.html https://orcadian.co.uk/uppies-revenge-as-both-new-year-bas-hit-the-wall/ https://www.orkney.com/about/culture/the-ba https://www.scotland.org.uk/features/kirkwall-ba-orkney https://www.lyonandturnbull.com/stories/the-kirkwall-ba https://sheilafleet.com/blogs/news/orkney-traditions-the-kirkwall-ba https://www.scottishbanner.com/2021/12/20/the-kirkwall-ba-orkneys-alternative-festive-tradition/ https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/orkney-blog/beginners-guide-to-the-ba/
Oliver speaks to Cath Bowie, a 78-year-old Scottish grandmother has been named the world's oldest female Fortnite streamer by Guinness World Records!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From 6 October 2026, private and social landlords across Scotland must follow strict new timescales when damp or mould is reported: investigate within 10 working days, provide written findings within three working days and begin any required repairs within five working days of the investigation.Paul Newing of PRN Water Services joins Nick and Steven to explain Scotland's implementation of Awaab's Law and what landlords and letting agents need to do to prepare. They discuss when the clock starts, who can carry out an investigation, what evidence should be retained and why landlords can no longer dismiss a complaint as “tenant lifestyle” without investigating it properly.They also examine condensation, penetrating damp and rising damp; ventilation and extractor-fan problems; four-week humidity monitoring; treating mould correctly; repeat complaints; and the complications caused by communal repairs and property factors.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS• The new duties affecting private and social landlords from 6 October 2026• The tragedy behind Awaab's Law and why Scotland introduced its own regulations• The 10-working-day deadline for investigating reported damp and mould• Providing a written summary within three working days• Beginning required repairs within five working days of the investigation• Why landlords cannot immediately blame a tenant's lifestyle• How normal living, cooking and drying clothes increase indoor moisture• Condensation versus penetrating damp and rising damp• What landlords should check with windows, vents and extractor fans• Using four weeks of humidity and dew-point data to establish the cause• Why photographs, emails, reports and a clear paper trail are essential• What “commencing repairs” means when parts or contractors are unavailable• How to clean, treat and redecorate mould-affected areas properly• When recurring problems may not require a complete new investigation• How communal roofs, gutters and factors complicate landlord complianceCONNECT WITH PAULPaul Newing — Managing Director, PRN Water ServicesWebsite: https://www.prnwaterservices.com/OFFICIAL GUIDANCEScottish Government: https://www.gov.scot/policies/private-renting/housing-standards/NETWORKING EVENTSFirst Wednesday of every month
Send us Fan MailWhat do consumers really understand about Scottish red meat and what does that mean for the industry?In this episode, Emma Heath, Marketing Director at Quality Meat Scotland, explores how consumer understanding of quality assurance, provenance and Scottish meat influences marketing strategies and purchasing behaviour. She discusses the importance of authentic storytelling, brand recognition and seasonal trends in connecting consumers with Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Scottish pork.We're also joined by Ian McDonald for a market outlook across the beef, sheep and pork sectors. Ian looks at recent market trends, the influence of seasonal factors and what the latest picture could mean for producers, traders and the wider supply chain.From understanding the consumer to understanding the market, this episode offers insights into both sides of the Scottish red meat sector.Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast
In 1933, a Scottish botanist watched a seemingly abandoned steamship drift past the Alaskan coast on an ice floe. It appeared upside down in a strange mirage, with no crew and no one at the wheel. This ship was the Baychimo, which was abandoned two years earlier, but refused to disappear. Having repeatedly resurfaced across the Arctic, it earning a reputation as one of history's great ghost ships.In this episode, we explore the strange history of ghost ships from the the Baychimo, to the frozen Octavius, and the Ourang Medan, whose crew was reportedly found mysteriously dead shortly before the ship itself exploded and sank. Three ships, three enduring legends, and at least one vessel whose final resting place remains unknown.Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.
What if Christmas had no lyrics? Just fiddles, whistles, pipes, and dulcimers dancing through your speakers? That's episode 92. And it is spectacular. It's Celtic Christmas Music #92 The Fire, The Rogues, The Jig is Up!, Cedar Dobson, The Lilies of the Midwest, Ashley MacIsaac, Maggie Sansone, Irish Christmas in America, Gaelynn Lea 0:07 - The Fire "The Jingle Bells Suite" from The Fire's Very Scottish Christmas 4:12 - WELCOME TO CELTIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC I am Marc Gunn. I am Celtic musician and podcaster. We are promoting Celtic culture through Christmas cheer. We want to bring a little magic and joy into your holiday season. If you hear music you love, please support the artists. You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes as well as how to support this podcast at CelticChristmasPodcast.com Here's a fun bit of Celtic Christmas history for you. In Ireland and Scotland, the Christmas season has always been as much about music as it is about food and family. Long before recorded sound, communities gathered in homes for what the Irish called a ceili and the Scots called a ceilidh. These weren't formal concerts. They were impromptu house parties. A fiddle came out. A whistle joined in. A bodhrán kept time. People danced, told stories, and played tune after tune deep into the night. The music was instrumental, informal, and joyful. In Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, that tradition carried on through the Scottish diaspora. Christmas gatherings there still often feature fiddle players trading tunes by the fireplace. Episode 92 is a love letter to that tradition. No lyrics required. Just the music doing what it's always done. Bringing people together. 5:34 - The Rogues "Hellbound Sleigh" from Hellbound Sleigh 10:08 - The Jig is Up! "The Four Kings" from A Penny for the Wren 14:27 - Cedar Dobson "We Wish You a Merry Christmas / Trepak (The Nutcracker) / Jingle Bells / Auld Lang Syne" from A Whistle Wonderland: Christmas Melodies in a Celtic Style 18:46 - THANK YOU FOR SPREADING CHRISTMAS CHEER! There's something truly special about music that needs no words. Celtic Christmas Music episode 92 is proof of that. Every fiddle run, every pipe melody, every whistle phrase says something words can't. Thank you for listening. You make this show worth making. And a massive thank you to the Patrons who keep Celtic Christmas Music alive year after year. You are the reason this podcast exists. If you want to support the show and help us bring even more incredible Celtic music to the world. Here's your three-step plan: Go to patreon.com/celticchristmas Choose your pledge: $12, $8, $25, or $100 a month, for as long as you'd like to support the show Keep listening to Celtic Christmas Music and know that you are the reason this magic exists 20:03 - The Lilies of the Midwest "Siobhan's Snowy Wedding" from Cats' Ceili 23:53 - Ashley MacIsaac "Fiddle Medley: March of the Cameron Men / The Glencoe March / Laddie With the Paddle Strathspey / Jenny Dang the Weaver Reel / Irish Reel" from A Cape Breton Christmas 33:16 - Maggie Sansone "Here We Come A-Wassailing / Bottom of the Punch Bowl" from A Scottish Christmas 36:48 - Irish Christmas in America "Mazurkas - Christmas in Spiddal, Twelve to a Bar" from A Long Way From Home 39:44 - CLOSING 40:24 - Gaelynn Lea "Wexford Carol / O Christmas Tree" from Deepest Darkness, Brightest Dawn 42:49 - CREDITS Celtic Christmas Music was produced by Marc Gunn and our Christmas Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to subscribe to the podcast. You'll find links to all of the artists played in this episode. Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you'll get 7 weekly news items about what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage. Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Here's something to think about this holiday season. Every time you buy a locally made product, support a small business, or choose a clean energy provider, you are casting a vote. Not at a ballot box. With your wallet. Big corporations spend billions buying political influence because they know consumer power works. Prove them right. Choose solar. Choose local. Choose companies that put people and the planet before profit. Your spending decisions shape the world more than you think. This Christmas, be intentional about where your money goes. Make it count. Find clean energy options in your area and switch today. Promote Celtic culture through Christmas music at CelticChristmasPodcast.com. Nollaig Shona Daoibh! #celticchristmas #celticchristmasmusic
For 20% off your carVertical report, and 50% off a bundle, use code DOBBS and you can click the link here: https://www.carvertical.com/gb/landin... __________________ You can check out all of our Libertatia gear including The Lost Biker Stories, here (thank you so much for your support): www.thelibertatia.com/ Please do leave a comment and share your thoughts. If you've got a story, insight or pictures to share, you can also email hi@tuesdayatdobbs.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/@tuesday_at_dobbs My other YouTube channel: @FreddieDobbs __________________ Time Stamps: 00:00: intro 00:30: Isle of Man TT Road Trip on four Zündapp motorcycles 09:20: A Scottish road trip on a Triumph Bonneville T120 and Triumph Speed 400 11:30: carVertical 13:55: Elephant rally (Elefantentreffen) 15:50: A barn find BMW R80 18:36: A new petrol head spot in Essex (Mill Race Moto) 20:00: The Dragon Rally, Wales 23:00: Bike of the week: Honda CBR1000F
Amidst all the talk of an AI bubble, bonds are back in the news. The world's two leading business newspapers, The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times, both feature stories this weekend warning about bond ructions and surging yields. While these warnings might only interfere with the sleep of bond geeks, they are a good reminder of the centrality of the bond market to our prosperity. For all their financial geekiness, Robin Wigglesworth knows that bonds matter. He edits Alphaville, the Financial Times' splendidly geekish markets blog, and he's the author of A Fabulous Debt, a new book that tells the “epic” story of how bonds built the modern world. The bond market matters, Wigglesworth reminds us, because when it breaks — as in 1873, 2008 and very nearly in 2020 — then the whole world suffers. So what, exactly, is a bond? Wigglesworth explains that it's a tradable loan which the Venetians accidentally invented in 1171 to pay for a war with Constantinople. In Venice, it became a forced levy on every citizen, sweetened by its annual 5% interest payments and by the right to sell its paper on the Rialto. From there it runs through Amsterdam with the Dutch East India Company to modern America, where Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase was financed by bonds sold by the London merchant bank Baring Brothers — remarkably, while Britain was at war with the France it was paying, and earning Barings what may have been the largest banking fee in history. Then there's the deliciously named Scottish adventurer Gregor MacGregor, a bond bad boy who invented an entire country, Poyais, and successfully sold its bonds in London. In spite of the shady MacGregor, the moral of the bond story, Wigglesworth reassures us, is that transparency pays. Britain could borrow more cheaply than its rivals because parliament controlled the purse and published its accounts. Europe's greatest banker, the London-based Nathan Mayer Rothschild, who brought Prussia, Spain, Russia and the new Latin American republics to the London market after Waterloo, thus cajoled other governments into opening their books to get the same rates. Accountability was, literally, cheaper. And so the modern world — with its leviathan state and the financial muscle to conduct global wars — was born. Does Wigglesworth lose sleep about today's bond ructions and surging yields? Not exactly. But he is a tad nervous about the fact that tech giants have issued over $500 billion of bonds this year to build data centers. So rather than the feared AI stock market bust, Wigglesworth does raise the more apocalyptic specter of a bond bust. Not an imminent fabulous crisis, he reassures. Not yet, anyway. Five Takeaways • Stock Bubbles Don't Matter. Bond Bubbles Do. Wigglesworth's opening move reverses the usual hierarchy. Stock market bubbles are mostly inconsequential and sometimes even welcome — we occasionally need people to dream rather than be careful, and to throw money at the hot new thing, because that is when big leaps happen. The dot-com bust is his proof: the American stock market lost half its value from peak to trough, and the recession that followed was among the shortest and shallowest in US history. Credit is the dangerous part. When the bond market breaks bad — 1873, 2008, and very nearly 2020 — it tends to be very painful for the world. The structural reason is asymmetry: a shareholder's upside is unlimited and the downside is zero, so the stock market is the natural home of wild speculation; a bondholder's best case is simply being repaid. That is why bonds work best when they are safe, or at least seen as safe — and why the rare occasions when bond speculation does run out of control have proved more destructive than tulips, the South Sea, or the dot-com boom.• Venice, 1171. Credit is ancient — Mesopotamian clay tablets recorded loans four thousand years ago, some made out not to a named person but simply to a merchant, which suggests they were traded. But the bond in its proper form was invented by accident in Venice in 1171, to finance a war with Constantinople. The city was rich, but not rich enough to borrow from the bankers at their tables in the Rialto, so the government compelled every citizen to lend in proportion to their wealth — an involuntary war tax, softened two ways: 5% a year until victory, and a receipt you could sell. The Venetians hated it at first, and then discovered it was collateral, and de facto paper money before paper money existed in Europe. Milan, Pisa, Genoa and Rome copied it; it spread to France, Germany, Spain and finally the Netherlands, where the Dutch turned a handful of loans into an actual market — cities, states and the water boards that paid for the dykes — and, Wigglesworth argues, invented modern capitalism. The Dutch East India Company sold stock once. It financed its ships, armies and expeditions with bonds.• The Man Who Invented a Country. The book's great set piece. Gregor MacGregor, a Scottish mercenary who had fought beside Bolívar and married his cousin, returned to London as cacique of Poyais — a verdant land on the Honduran coast, he said, with gold, honey, fertile plains and a capital called Saint Joseph. He had songs written about it. He sold its bonds on the London Stock Exchange, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds, and persuaded Scottish families to sell up and sail. Poyais did not exist. It was a swampy hellhole with no capital and no settlement; some who arrived took their own lives, many died of famine and malaria, and only a handful got home. Why bonds rather than stock? Because that is where the money was: Britain had financed the Napoleonic wars with an enormous issue of consols, those who held them made fortunes when Britain won, and Nathan Mayer Rothschild was busy bringing Prussia, Spain, Russia and the new Latin American republics to the London market. In the middle of what we would now call an emerging market bond bubble, an invented country did not sound so outlandish.• Transparency Pays. The argument with the widest reach. Britain's advantage in the nineteenth century was not only naval: its bonds were issued by a parliament that controlled the purse and published financial numbers, rather than by a fickle royal family, and Dutch, German and French investors preferred them for exactly that reason. Cheaper borrowing made Britain stronger, and Rothschild then went round cajoling other governments to open their books and issue through their estates rather than their kings, because that is what British money now expected. Accountability, in other words, had a price advantage — a quiet feedback loop pushing governments towards openness. America's version is Hamilton, who assumed the states' defaulted war debts and turned them into federal bonds that circulated as money in a country desperately short of coin — a financial enema, as the musical has it. The Louisiana Purchase was financed entirely by bonds, arranged by the British bank Baring Brothers while Britain was at war with France. Wigglesworth calls it a win-win-win; Andrew notes the indigenou...
A rapid new test for brain tumours is taking diagnosis time from weeks to hours. It means patients are spared weeks of uncertainty and can start treatment sooner. The Happy Pod speaks to the doctors behind this breakthrough, who say it's a "privilege" to be developing something that can help people. Also, a baby has been born on one of the most remote and northernly Scottish islands for the first time since 1992. An entrepreneur in Ghana has worked out a way to turn plastic packaging waste into school desks. Plus, a woman in Wales has received a life saving kidney transplant, after her plea on social media found a donor match and, the six year old breaking records in China with a Rubik's Cube.Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson
3.7 kilometres. 236 minutes. Solo. Scott RG returns to Speaking Sidemount to share the story of his Keld Head return dive—from the resurgence to West Kingsdale Master Cave and all the way back, using his KISS Sidewinder rebreather and DPV.Reaching West Kingsdale was only halfway. With nearly two kilometres still to travel, Scott had to stay focused through restrictions, complex navigation and the return through Dead Man's Handshake.I'm Steve Davis, and in this episode we explore the experience and preparation behind that dive: Scottish mine diving, longer cave dives in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and an earlier attempt where Scott turned around just 300 metres short of his destination.We discuss bailout planning, scooter use, cold-water equipment, solo cave diving and “mission blindness”—the temptation to keep going when it's time to turn. We also reflect on the pioneers featured in The Underground Eiger, John Cordingley's return dive, and Scott's ambitions for a longer journey towards King Pot.Later, Scott shares how a garage fire destroyed around £35,000 of diving equipment, what he chose to replace, and how friends and the diving community helped him get back underwater.A conversation about cave diving, sidemount rebreathers, preparation and the judgement needed to come home.FOLLOW SCOTT RG
Matt McArthur is a talented piper and an excellent standup comedian (among other things).Tune into this episode to hear some of Matt's fun, serendipitous story.Here's Matt's Instagram handle: @mattmcsomethinhttps://www.instagram.com/mattmcsomethin/-We're on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DroningOnPodcastAnd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/droning.on.podcast/-You can write-in to the show with comments, ideas, requests, etc. at TheDroningOnPodcast@gmail.com-Support the show via Patreon (patreon.com/DroningOnPodcast), or by buying cool stuff at BagpipeSwag.com - - - And now, some keywords: Bagpipes, bagpipe, bag, pipe, pipes, pipe, band, pipeband, Scottish, small, drone, droning, chanter, highland, comedy
Adam and Josh welcome Filmspotting SVU co-host Matt Singer for the Top 5 Comedy Boom Movies. Singer’s new book, “Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever” documents the Frat Pack era of studio comedies that dominated the box office from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s—and gave a generation a lifetime’s worth of movie quotes. Plus, reviews of Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil and the new Scottish indie The Incomer. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off. (Timecodes will not be precise with ads.) Intro (00:00:00-00:02:17) Top 5 Comedy Boom Movies (00:02:18-1:01:58) Filmspotting Family (1:01:59-01:05:34) Top 5, cont. (01:05:35-01:38:31) Polls (01:38:32-01:52:09) Resident Evil (01:52:10-02:23:50) The Incomer (02:23:51-02:27:36) Credits / New Releases (02:27:37-02:32:25) Notes: Matt Singer’s “Funny Business" https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/ Feedback: -Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net -Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus shows, archive access, and more. http://filmspottingfamily.com -Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more. https://www.filmspotting.net/shop Follow: -Watch Filmspotting on YouTube: https://youtube.com/filmspotting -Adam/Filmspotting Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky -Josh/LarsenOnFilm Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | BlueskySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Live from FinCon, Joe sits down with historian and bestselling author Joseph Moore, Paula Pant, and Jesse Cramer to talk about what's actually keeping people up at night: AI concentration in the stock market, inflation anxiety that won't fully fade, interest rates that feel "stuck," and a housing market that seems rigged against newcomers. The twist is that almost none of it is new. From a Scottish con man's fake country bonds to the 1830s stock that was over 30% of the entire market, to a refrigerator boom that happened during the Great Depression, this conversation uses 300 years of financial history to put today's anxieties in real perspective.What You'll Walk Away WithWhy "this time is different" has been true in every single era of financial history, and why that's actually reassuring, not alarmingThe real reason today's AI-heavy stock market concentration isn't as extreme as people fear, compared to genuine historical outliersWhy equal-weighted index funds tend to underperform market-weighted ones, and what that reveals about betting against your own winnersA fascinating historical parallel between AI infrastructure spending today and the railroad boom of the 1800s, and where that comparison breaks downWhy the fastest way to build real wealth during a technological boom is often working in the industry, not investing in itHow the "golden handcuffs" of low mortgage rates are quietly fueling a broader sense of economic pessimism, even during a strong economyWhy increasing your income is one of the few truly controllable levers in your financial life, and why it usually takes longer than people expectWhy This Matters NowEvery generation convinces itself that its economic moment is uniquely unprecedented, uniquely uncertain, uniquely dangerous. History suggests otherwise: markets concentrate around a handful of winners, technology booms take decades to actually change daily life, and financial anxiety tends to track personal experience more than actual data. None of that means today's concerns aren't real. It means the emotional weight of "this has never happened before" is usually misplaced, and understanding that can be the difference between panicking through a normal cycle and staying invested through one.Resources MentionedHow to Get Rich in American History by Joseph Moore — Joseph's USA Today bestselling book on 300 years of financial advice, what worked and what didn'tAfford Anything podcast — Paula Pant's showPersonal Finance for Long-Term Investors podcast — Jesse Cramer's showMen Go To Mars — sponsor mentioned in the episodeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week, we flash back to the strange story of June Field, a Scottish spiritual medium who claims she's spent years privately advising royal clients, exchanging messages with them, and even helping them connect with loved ones who have died. So how does someone become a psychic to royalty - and what happens when you almost reveal too much?SHOW NOTESOriginally aired on Patreon: 11/12/25Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scared-all-the-time--7084296/support.Get the latest episodes of our bonus show NEW FEAR UNLOCKED -- and a whole lot more! -- by supporting the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ScaredAllTheTime
In this episode, Stephanie Hansen chats with Emily Vikre, owner of Vikre Distillery and author of the new book Cabin Cocktails. Emily shares insights into her journey as a cookbook writer and distiller.The Art of Cocktail CreationEmily's fourth book, Cabin Cocktails, features 70 seasonal cocktails, including mocktails, that celebrate the beauty of outdoor experiences. She reflects on how intuitive cooking differs from the precision required in cocktail making:“I do find cooking recipes hard to write down for me. Especially because as a cook, I'm very intuitive... I go by those sensory inputs.”Emily emphasizes that while cooking can be forgiving, cocktails require strict adherence to measurements for the best results. “Cocktails can be very unforgiving if you don't have a good recipe and if you don't follow it,” she explains.Sense of PlaceThe conversation moves into the heart of what makes Vikre Distillery unique: the water sourced from Lake Superior. Emily discusses how this element influences the flavor and character of her spirits on this week's “Dishing With Stephanie's Dish” Podcast.Stephanie Hansen (00:01.038)Hello everybody and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish, the podcast where we talk to people in the food space. And today I am here with Emily Vikre. And she is the owner of Vikre Distillery up in Duluth and also makes a whole host of beautiful, beautiful spirits. I'm a big fan. But Emily also is a cookbook writer. And in her case, she has written this is your fourth book, isn't it?Stephanie Hansen's @StephaniesDish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Emily (00:31.574)Yes, it is. Yeah.Stephanie Hansen (00:33.814)Okay, four books and four cookbooks in particular is pretty amazing. This last book is called Cabin Cocktails, and it has 70 seasonal cocktails for year-round drinks, and there's mocktails too, I want to point out, because a lot of people are looking for mocktail options. I'm curious, you've had so many books. So you I'm just gonna kind of go through your canon here. You have Camp Cocktails, which was a great book and isEmily (00:47.984)Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.Emily (00:59.738)Yeah. Mm-hmm.Stephanie Hansen (01:04.03)still sold all over. It's usually a lot of places where the True North Cabin cookbook is. We're right next to each other, which yeah, I love. And then Cabin Cocktails, which is the new book. Then you have On the Trail, which was a new camp cookbook about easy-to-pack meals, kind of more about like taking your family actually camping and how to orchestrate that. And that book was great. And then you have another book called Fireside Warmers that had drinks.Emily (01:09.166)Yes, right. All those outdoorsy places.Emily (01:24.988)Mm. Yeah.Stephanie Hansen (01:33.354)Sweets. So you've done both cocktails, and you've done food books. Is one easier for you than the other?Emily (01:38.811)Yes. Ooh, that's a great question. both things are things that I think cut like kind of come naturally to me to talk about, to storytell about, to develop recipes for. So in that way, one isn't necessarily harder than the other. But I will say I do find like cooking recipes hard to write down for me.Especially because as a cook, I'm very like intuitive in my cooking. And when I'm cooking for myself or my family, I don't measure anything, I don't time anything. I go by those like sensory inputs. And so it's hard then when you're writing a cookbook to really slow yourself down and say, okay, how much did I use here? Check my time, how long did that go for? Give it to other people to test it. and because myCookbooks right now have really been more about outdoor cooking and camping cooking, which isn't even like the bulk of the cooking I do, but it is something that I enjoy. There is a whole part where you have to give that sensory feedback anyway, because everybody's fires fires a little bit wild. So you have to learn to work with it. and then conversely for cocktails, I treat it much more like baking, where very precise. I'm measuring everything and so what those ones I have like the recipes kind of already dialed and written in a format that works for a cookbook already more easily. and this most recent book, yeah, just flowed.Stephanie Hansen (03:11.414)It's funny that your your description of this whole thing is the exact reason why I have a hard time writing cocktails. Cause I feel like it's so much easier to write a recipe than and you get like, you know, different flavor profiles and you knowEmily (03:20.228)Mm-hmm, interesting.Stephanie Hansen (03:32.042)salt to taste, like okay. But like with cocktails, the level of sweet, the level of acid, the level of sour, the level of bitter feels so much more precise, just like baking to me.Emily (03:43.109)Yes, right. Cocktails can be very unforgiving if you don't have if you haven't developed a good recipe and if you don't follow the recipe for sure. And you know, when people ask like, why didn't my cocktail turn out? I'm like, well, first question, did you measure? Did you actually shake it when it's had to shake it? you know, can you can wiggle and you can riff, but but it is. It's like because cocktail ingredients often are complex.And very multifaceted in and of themselves already. And those are the ingredients I love to work with, but they they are the ones where a little change can make a big difference. I tell people it's like trying to combine a curry, a stew, and a salad instead of trying to combine a meat, a vegetable, and a spice.Stephanie Hansen (04:27.904)Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And also, I mean, you are, I think, for sure, from a Minnesota standpoint, I think your gins are world class. And I'm a big fan of all of your profile of gins in the Minnesota realm. But also I think your gins stand up to a lot of gins made in America, but also in Europe.And you're welcome. I I really I'm a big fan. But when you mix different gins, there's also different flavor profiles. So if you're gonna make a gin and tonic with, you know, any number of gins, it's gonna be so different.Emily (04:57.948)Mm-hmm. Yeah. And that is a hard thing to think about when you're writing a cocktail book for sure. And where you just kind of have to accept that there will be some variability if somebody's gonna use Tankere or Hendrix or Vikra or The Botanist or Grey Whale, it's going to be a little bit different. And like our Vikra gins are creative djinns, but I made all of them with the idea and the goal of being a true djinn at theirSo they can work in any recipe that calls for gin and it will go with the other flavors and the proportions there, which can't be said for all creative gins for sure. but yeah, it is, it is a thing to take into consideration. And in this book, Cavan Cocktails, where it was very much pulling from you know, European cocktail traditions and opera ski and aperitivo hour and things like that.There's a lot of liqueurs and pairitifs and amari that have very distinct flavor profiles. And so some of these recipes call very specifically for this type of amara or that type of liqueur. And then other ones I say, like you can use any herbal liqueur amongst these, because they all, you know, they're all unique, but they all play the same violin. Maybe they have the same moves on the dance floor, even though they have their individual style.Stephanie Hansen (06:34.959)That's a cool way to say that. one of the things I liked about this book, well, all of your books I think really have a sense of place to them, which I really like in a cookbook. It is, I think, what makes your books really appeal to me. But also the way that you position this book is more about.like what the experience is, where you are, what you might be doing, what you might be feeling. And that really does speak to, I think, how you drink and consume alcohol, like what that setting is.Emily (07:15.951)Yeah, right. I think that is you know, h having started a distillery but coming from health, I'm always thinking about like what are the potential unhealthy parts of the culture and then what are the really healthy, beautiful parts of drinking culture that have existed, you know, since humans lived together, and how can we really elevate and highlight those? And so much of that is togetherness andactivities with other people and celebratory rituals and that kind of ritualized thoughtful side of it. And so yeah, this book is very much based around that. Like you're yeah, you just were skiing all day and you're coming in to toast to a day on the slopes or you have been out paddling all day and you're coming back to sit on your dock together. What is the right cocktail for that moment?Stephanie Hansen (08:07.245)I think too when you drink with people that are very much interested in cocktail culture, and I I want to make the distinction between drinking culture and cocktail culture because I think l cocktail friends of mine, and I would put you in that circle, all are thinking about cocktails in the way that a chef is thinking about his meal at his restaurant. You're thinking about how they're gonna approach it.when it's going to be served, what the equipment that are you know, it's so different than drinking culture, which is just like here, let me hand you something to drink.Emily (08:46.781)Mm-hmm. Yeah, right. It's kind of yeah, it's exactly like that, a chef thinking about it. And I think about it sometimes too, about like that difference between going and eating an entire box of like Chips Ahoy cookies for your sugar versus like eating one beautifully, you know, naturally leavened salted butter croissant that somebody spent, you know, 48 hours working on. it it's yeah.It's just different.Stephanie Hansen (09:18.071)As someone that owns a distillery and has seen the we'll call it the sort of rise and then leveling off of alcohol consumption and producing products in the state of Minnesota in that vein. Are you feeling like we've kind of gotten to a level that maybe is where we're gonna be for a while? Because everybody was really excited about all the Minnesota make made distillery products.There was a lot. Now we're sort of losing some breweries. We're losing some distillers. And it seems to be settling in. Is that good for you for business?Emily (09:56.338)That's a great question. I was literally thinking about this in the car today when I was going and picking my kids up from school. Because yeah, I think as in a lot of industries, when like the laws changed and it allowed the industry to open up, there was a big rush into it. you know, anything that becomes trendy is of course gonna see a spike and then a decrease. And I do think generally that's healthy and has allowed those of us whowent into it from a perspective of like, I'm really here for the creativity, for the quality of the product. I'm not doing it just because it's local, but also because we want to make something really world class and that really adds to the conversation and people's experience. you know, it those are the players that continue and stand out versus people who are chasing a trend or but it is also really hard because it does favor people like businessThat were started up really well capitalized from outside investors versus the small players, you know, those of us who are operating really independently, it becomes much harder. and there's also so many things going on, like on a national scale with regards to imports and exports, with regards to consolidation in distribution changes in different states that privilege certain states over others.That are maybe even bigger players in what's happening in Minnesota than just how crowded it got. I think that part's really hard because it negatively impacts Minnesota businesses in ways that people can't necessarily see if they're not in the industry. and so that's challenging. But I do think, you know, there's comp competition isn't a bad thing. It's important. But then also there are like unfair unfair parts of it too. And so it's important for people to keep.Supporting the small businesses, but it's also true, like nobody should be required to buy something just because it's local. You wanna enjoy it too.Stephanie Hansen (11:58.85)Yeah. Is being from Duluth a help or a hindrance for you in how the products come to market?Emily (12:07.741)Well, that's a deep question, Stephanie. because I would say both. Both because you know, Duluth has a reputation as a great place. It is a unique, beautiful, amazing place and has amazing resources. It's why we wanted to be here. and it it has these like good associations for people that in some ways make our marketing easier and make the selling easier, makes it easier to stand out.At the same time, we are kind of out state. We're outside of the more metropolitan hubs where a lot of the resources are or where the distribution is, where you know, it's hard to get down to like sell into the restaurants and things like that as often. So that is hard. And yeah, so it kind of it kind of goes both ways.Stephanie Hansen (13:00.385)You when when we were together last, I think something you said that has just stuck with me that I never really thought about. But you know, Duluth is on, you know, gorgeous Lake Superior, right? And we don't think about water probably as often as we should, and maybe we're thinking about water more now. But you made a comment about the terroir of Lake Superior water and how that impacts your product. AndEmily (13:28.283)Yeah, I think it's critical.Stephanie Hansen (13:30.507)It was such a cool way to think about it. Can you just talk to me a little bit and help the reader understand and the listener understand why that's important to you and why that sense of place?Emily (13:43.29)Mm-hmm. this is another thing that's very multifaceted, right? Because this the sense of place to me is important on a spiritual level because Lake Superior is such a massive presence that orients all of life around it when you're in Duluth. So there's that. It is like such a massive source of inspiration, but it also is a critical ingredient. We use it in our fermentation process, and that is why so many breweries inCropped up in Duluth, the water is really great for fermenting. But then when we are distilling, ironically, we're removing all of that water and creating a distilled spear. When you distill, even for something that winds up being 35-45 proof, you're distilling it up to, you know, 96% to 98% alcohol, potentially. So then when you are bringing it back to the proof that you want it for the bottle, you are adding water.into it and that water can add a huge amount of character to your spirits. And so you know, some places use reverse osmosis to get the most like completely empty for lack of a better word, water they can. Other places like us just use filtration to try to keep more of the character of the water. And that adds the water that you use adds a lot of the flavor and texture to the final product.And kind of gives it, yeah, some core essence. And there was a really interesting study done. Did I tell you about this? With whiskey from some Scotch whiskey and some Japanese whiskey. They decided to try to study the impacts of the proofing water by having the Scotch distillery send their distillate to Japan, to the Japanese distillery, and the Japanese distillery sent their whiskey distillate to Scotland, and they used each other's water to proof it down.And suddenly this Japanese whiskey really tasted like it came from Scotland and the Scottish whiskey really tasted like it came from Japan because the water gave it that tear water.Stephanie Hansen (15:46.896)I think about that when I buy your product because I think about you and like your family, and obviously I want to support Minnesota makers, but I also think about like this beautiful resource and this unique place that only can be gotten by the water from Lake Superior. And I never thought about that before. I thought about that with wine. And you know, you talk a lot about terroir with wine, you talk about it with whiskey.It really I hadn't really thought about it much as it pertained to gin in particular, ‘cause I like gin. So I think about that a lot now and I'm really glad that you shared that. So I wanted people to hear that ‘cause I think it really just is a connection to the place of where the products are made.Emily (16:19.484)Mm-hmm.Emily (16:33.007)Yeah, right. And that is such a goal of ours is connecting people, whether or not they can come visit to this place that is so unique and so beautiful and special and wild and quirky.Stephanie Hansen (16:43.403)You have a business with your husband, obviously. You have the distillery, you have a spirits business. W how do you have time for cookbooks and why are you still doing cookbooks? Is it lucrative for you or is it more of a creative outlet?Emily (16:47.932)that's a great question too. It's more of a creative outlet. before starting the distillery, and when I was in graduate school doing my PhD in food policy and nutrition, I was also doing recipe development and food writing. And I did that for a couple of different places, including Fi Food 52. And so, and I was a food blogger for a number of years. And so that was kind of my creative outlet during graduate school. And so thenwith having the distillery and having recipe development in a different way become such a big part of what I did. I was missing that sort of story. Well, I mean, you do storytelling in the marketing for a business for sure, but I was missing that kind of slowed down, bigger picture, not just brand focused outlet. And yeah, so I was super excited to have the opportunity to work on cookbooks. It's funny, it's actually like some of my veryearliest memories as a very, very tiny child were of looking through picture cookbooks, like looking at the photos, trying to read the recipes and just imagining what it would be like to be able to cook them and dream thinking the greatest thing in the world would someday to be able be to write a cookbook. Like that would be the coolest thing. And then telling myself like no, you will never be able to do that. Right. And soYeah, the I surely had massive imposter syndrome the first ti first cookbook I wrote, but it also was just like such a joy to get to do something that I'd literally dreamed of since I was a toddler.Stephanie Hansen (18:33.401)That's so cool. That's so cool. I think the first cookbook I looked at was the Boys and Girls Cookbook. And there was like a clown cupcake where you like cut out part of the middle of the cupcake to make like the hat for the clown. And you had ice cream. And I just remember thinking like, wow, people can make these things and kids and kids can make them.Emily (19:00.987)Yeah, exactly. I think the one I was looking at, yeah, had like a cake that used MMs to decorate it to look like like a garden and like a little bird singing in the garden. And I was like, that's genius.Stephanie Hansen (19:09.825)Yeah. It's so funny. Are there cookbooks that inspire you today? Like do you have ones that you always go back to or ones that you just look at because they're beautiful?Emily (19:22.021)Ooh, I love Alice and Roman's cookbooks. I think they're beautiful. I love how approachable they are in her whole style of cooking, and her writing style. So definitely those. I love my gosh, I'm blinking. I mean I use the America's Test Kitchen cookbook all the time just because I enjoy like their methodical approach to recipe development. I likeStephanie Hansen (19:43.086)Yep.Emily (19:51.42)The I I'm like blanking on people's names, but Otto the Autolengi cookbooks, really beautiful, really great recipes. And then Nigel Slater. I just have always loved his food writing. So I turn to that when I'm looking for like writing inspiration.Stephanie Hansen (20:07.307)Yeah, ratios is a good one for that if you're interested in sort of the technology science recipe piece. Alison Roman was just interviewed by Ina Garten on a podcast, and she said something I thought that was really interesting that I think feels kind of like something you will be able to relate to, in thatEmily (20:14.353)Mm-hmm.Stephanie Hansen (20:29.975)We're in this sort of period of fast cooking, weeknight cooking, five ingredients or less, like high protein, low energy dinners, you know, just it's we're in this feeling of sort of frenzy about cooking sometimes, I think, and a lot. And what she talked about is her methodology that feels really interesting to I think think about is to slow down.Like let's not why are we rushing? Why do we have to rush this thing that feels yeah, and and if we value like the ingredients, the food, the time with our family, the community we're creating, whatever that is, maybe we don't need to rush, maybe we need to just slow down or also like understand when it's not a weeknight meal, like you know, we don't have a kid going to soccer today, so maybe we're gonna slow down and take the time and spend the time.Emily (21:01.987)Mm-hmm. Where are where are yes. Like where do we think we're headed?Stephanie Hansen (21:30.037)As someone who's a younger cook and kind of in the zeitgeist of mm the next group of cooks I think coming along, I was impressed to hear that from her because I think sometimes we're just feeling so frenzied about cooking all the time.Emily (21:47.484)Right. There's such a push, yeah, to do it fast to get it done. It's very like utilitarian. how can and also like it has gotten shoved into the whole like optimization culture too, where everything has to be optimized, everything's and like if there was one thing I came out of of doing a PhD in nutrition with, it was like you can't boil things down to their nutrients, right? Like you don't need to optimize your protein and optimize your fat because it is an evolving science. There'sPeople like science is so important, but we also, you know, are limited by what we decide to look at in that moment. And that's just part of the process. And there's so much wisdom in the cultures that have been built for thousands of years around food production and food sharing and drink production and drink sharing that are gonna withstand any of the latest fads and that it doesn't it's more optimal to likehave some really enjoyable food and drink that you take your time with and that you share than to like optimize every part of your diet. And I also think yeah, there this there's like there is kind of people certainly are busy, but I think there's a certain amount of like manufactured rushed feeling as well. Like you have to hurry this up, you have to hurry that up, you want to get it done fast. Yes, sometimes because you have to get your kids to soccer, but a lot of the time it's likeThey're telling you this so that you can get back to scrolling and you can get back to shopping or whatever. And like, how much more of your life are you gonna experience if you do slow down, look at your ingredients, take the time to chop, take the time to smell, take the time to shake, take the time to sit down. you're gonna feel like you're living your life, you're pulled into the moment instead of pulled out of the moment. And I think that is a beautiful thing to gift ourselves with.Stephanie Hansen (23:41.508)I felt that when I read this book, when I looked at the pages and I felt the scenery and I experienced what you were trying to identify with the drinks in particular, the cranberry thyme ginger cosmopolitan. though I love a cosmopolitan, I always say I'm bringing the 90s back, but that you know, thyme and ginger is like, yeah, that's a natural component with cranberry.Emily (23:57.158)Mm-hmm.Stephanie Hansen (24:10.887)And that one stuck out to me. And also, you had a blueberry sherry cobbler. Sherries are very underrated and people don't know what to do with sherries. So that drink appealed to me. How did you think of that one?Emily (24:26.243)I I agree with you about Sherry. I love Sherry. It k it's certainly an acquired taste, I think. Like the first time you taste Sherry, you might be like, What the heck went wrong with this? but as you get into it, you discover so much like nuance and so much interest to it. And so I really enjoy Sherry, knew that I wanted to integrate it into at least a few of our cocktails. And being a little bit of like a cocktail history nerd too, I just like the history of the cocktail the sherry cobbler and you know thewhole history of ice and this invention of the straw, which was to drink your sherry cobblers. and so I thought, yeah, it was, I mean, I'm not gonna be able to remember it accurately. So I'm not gonna try too hard, but like I want to say it was like the early 1800s, ice became easier to import. And so it was just like the sign of being with the times to use ice and everything. So people started to use make icier drinks and the one of the most popular ones was the sherry cobbler, which isStephanie Hansen (25:01.933)I don't know anything about that.Stephanie Hansen (25:07.694)Sure.Emily (25:25.245)sweeten sherry and citrus over a lot of crushed ice, but then that is hard to drink. And so kind of the straw was developed from actual straw to be able to stick it through all that crushed ice to be able to suck up your sherry cobbler.Stephanie Hansen (25:37.68)Crazy. Yeah. That's crazy. I love that story. That's awesome. as you think about what your next steps are, do you anticipate that you'll stay in this space? And I mean, you just wrote a book, so it takes usually they say one or two years before you get around to even thinking about the next one. Is that sort of your cycle?Emily (25:43.365)Yeah.Emily (26:00.284)Yeah, right. Yes, for sure. I definitely, it's like having kids too, right? You like need enough time to like recover from the process and forget exactly what happened before you're like, I could do that again, right? and let ideas marinate. And it's one of the things I like about writing books again in this fast-based culture is they are still slow. It's a slow process to write it, it's a slow, thoughtful process to photograph it, it's a slow process to edit, publish, print. I love that. I love how much intentionality is put behind it.Stephanie Hansen (26:05.09)Yes.Emily (26:29.829)And so yeah, it'll be at least another couple of years, I think, before anything else comes out. But I have joked that, you know, because I have camp cocktails and now I've, you know, upgraded to cabin cocktails, maybe next I have to do chateau cocktails.Stephanie Hansen (26:44.269)I like that. Or like there I the idea of I always think that you know, I don't know why, but I tend to drink more and I'm traveling. So like the idea of a travel travel cocktails or you could certainly you could branch out into R V life. I can see that being a real a real fit, yeah.There you go. Well van little van life. Yeah. yeah, I also have been really enjoying doing more like dinner parties and gatherings around themes. And so maybe exploring that idea, just continuing to play on the gathering side of it. Yeah.Stephanie Hansen (27:16.121)There's so much of that right now on Instagram in particular. And I'm like lurking on all these people that are having these very cool parties. Tomatoes are really like a big theme right now because we're just coming out of tomato season. And you have a a t is it tomato and gin cocktail in the book.There's yes, there is a tomato, basil gin and tonic.Stephanie Hansen (27:40.245)Yes. So tell me about that one and how that got inspired because tomato was not on my ginantonic portfolio.Emily (27:48.242)Yeah, it was a friend of mine who made a tomato gin and tonic for me. And she was like, You have to try this, it's crazy. And I was like, I love this. I'm super into this because yeah, I've never been a big bloody mirrory person. It's just like a little too tomato-y for me, but I do love tomatoes, so it was really fun to start seeing tomatoes integrated into drinks in other ways and yeah, kind of took the the tomato idea and decided toTurn it into a shrub and give it that sort of play up its tangy and sweet notes and then add it into the gin tonic. It's very refreshing and summery and fun.Stephanie Hansen (28:24.855)Yeah, it looks really wonderful. Yeah, I can't wait to make it. Well, it's been great chatting with you. I hope I'll see you again in Duluth here before too long and we'll be coming up actually I I have a book signing coming up there in at the end of November. So we'll make sure we get by the distillery and and say hi.Emily (28:33.085)Same.Emily (28:38.202)Awesome.Stephanie Hansen (28:44.919)All right, thanks for everything and we can I'll put a link to all your books. Is there places that you like people or prefer people to follow you on social or?Emily (28:55.457)I mean on Instagram is a great place to follow us and it's just at Beaker Distillery.Stephanie Hansen (28:59.343)Okay. All right. I will include that. It is Emily Abikra. Thank you for being my guest today. I'll put links to all the books and we'll talk soon. Okay. All right. Bye.Emily (29:06.439)Thanks for having me.Sounds good. Have a great day. Bye.Stephanie Hansen's Jenn Lueke Stephanie Hansen's @StephaniesDish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe
Pipes, fiddles, and a touch of rebellion collide as Aaron Dolan's uilleann pipes open the show, leading into Scottish fire from Blazin' Fiddles and the timeless ache of Niamh Parsons' balladry. It's the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #776. - - Subscribe now at CelticMusicPodcast.com! Aaron Dolan, Blazin' Fiddles, Niamh Parsons, Flynn Cohen, The Sternwheelers, McFloosey, Téada with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Clay Babies, Adagio Trio, Moor of Dundee, The Crazy Rogues, Celtic Cross, First Highland Watch, Gaelic Mishap, Dallahan GET CELTIC MUSIC NEWS IN YOUR INBOX The Celtic Music Magazine is a quick and easy way to plug yourself into more great Celtic culture. Enjoy seven weekly news items with what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Subscribe now and get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2026 This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. You can vote for as many songs and tunes that inspire you in each episode. Your vote helps me create this year's Best Celtic music episode. You have just three weeks to vote this year. Vote Now! THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC 0:02 - Intro: Gaelic Mishap 0:09 - Aaron Dolan – "Farewell to Tir na nÓg" from Farewell to Tir Na nÓg 1:38 - WELCOME 3:32 - Blazin' Fiddles – "Sids" from Incendo 8:12 - Niamh Parsons – "Done with Bonaparte" from Heart's Desire 11:28 - Flynn Cohen – "Farrell O'Gara / Good Morning To Your Nightcap" from Dead String Rhythm 14:43 - The Sternwheelers – "Madam I'm A Darling" 20:00 - FEEDBACK 25:30 - McFloosey – "Sally Brown" from Balscadden Bay 28:11 - Téada with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra conducted by Karen Ní Bhroin – "Planxty Crilly | Micho Russell's | Patsy Geary's" (planxty/polka/slide) from Orchestrating 25 Pronunciation guide: Téada is "TAY - da." Hear it here. 33:17 - Clay Babies – "Irish Border Collie" from In Other Words 35:47 - Adagio Trio – "Kelvin Grove" from Celtic Heart 37:46 - Moor of Dundee – "Loch Lomond" (feat. Dr. Mike Bogle) from Celtic Jazz from the Moor of Dundee Featuring Dr. Mike Bogle - EP 42:43 - THANKS 44:14 - The Crazy Rogues – "Empire of Sand" from Advanced Roguery 47:16 - Celtic Cross – "Right Now" 49:42 - First Highland Watch – "Godzilla" from Drunken Piper 53:42 - Gaelic Mishap – "Crew of the Damned and Dead" from From the Edge 58:05 - CLOSING 59:03 - Dallahan – "Beaton's" from Speak of the Devil 1:03:32 - CREDITS Support for this program comes from Cascadia Cross Border Law Group, Creating Transparent Borders for more than twenty five years, serving Alaska and the world. Find out more at www.CascadiaLawAlaska.com Support for this program comes from Dr. Annie Lorkowski of Centennial Animal Hospital in Corona, California. Support for this program comes from Hank Woodward. Support for this program comes from International speaker, Joseph Dumond, teaching the ancient roots of the Gaelic people. Learn more about their origins at Sightedmoon.com Support for this program comes from John Sharkey White, II. The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen of Cyanwoode with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to follow the show. You'll find links to all of the artists played in this episode. Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you'll get 7 weekly news items about what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage. Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Clean energy keeps getting cheaper, and that shift is showing up close to home, not just in headlines. Solar and wind installations are creating local jobs, and towns that invest early tend to see lower long - term energy costs for residents. The best part is you don't need to wait on Washington. Local decisions, town halls, utility co - ops, all of it adds up. If you want a way to help without changing your whole life, show up to one local meeting this year and ask what your community's energy plan looks like. Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/. WELCOME THE IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST * Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic musician and also host of Pub Songs & Stories. Every song has a story, every episode is a toast to Celtic and folk songwriters. This podcast is for fans of all kinds of Celtic music. We are here to build a diverse Celtic community and help the incredible artists who so generously share their music with you. If you hear music you love, please email the artists to let them know you heard them on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. Because we are more than just a radio show. We are a community. A community of Celtic music and culture lovers. We support small and local artists. We spend money on things that truly matter. The personal and heart felt. You can do that with each of the artists on today's show OR your favorite artists. Buy a CD, Album Pin, Shirt, Digital Download, or join their community on Patreon. You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes, along with show times, when you visit our website at celticmusicpodcast.com. CELTIC PODFEST AND ARTS MARKET The Kickstarter for the 2027 Celtic PodFest and Arts Market is now live. I need your help funding this festival. Your generosity will ensure not only that the festival happens, but that each of the artists at the festival get paid. The event is currently scheduled for the last Sunday of February 2027, but it greatly depends on whether we can raise the money to fund it. And if you do decide to fund the festival, there are a bunch of great rewards including a flashback to one of my favorite shirt designs. Head on over to our Kickstarter for the Second Celtic PodFest. You'll find a link in the shownotes. ALBUM PINS ARE CHANGING THE WAY WE HEAR CELTIC MUSIC Looking for a fresh way to support the music you love? Meet the Album Pin. Album Pins are lapel pins themed to a specific album — and each one comes with a digital download. Wear your music. All of my latest pins are wood - burned and locally produced, which means a smaller footprint and a one - of - a - kind feel you won't find anywhere else. Pick yours up at magerecords.com THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST! Every episode takes more than good tunes. It takes an audio engineer smoothing out the rough edges, a graphic designer making the show look as good as it sounds, and enough server space to keep 700 - plus episodes online and playable. That's what your support covers. Thank you to every patron who makes this possible. Beyond keeping the show running, patrons get early access to new episodes, a private community of fellow Celtic music lovers, and first dibs on Celtic Invasion Vacations announcements. It's a genuinely good crew to be part of. Raise a glass to our latest patrons of the podcast: Mark Huffman, Jammon, Maureen P Devine HERE IS YOUR THREE STEP PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST Go to our Patreon page. Decide how much you want to pledge every month, $4, $12, $30. Keep listening to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast to celebrate Celtic culture through music. You can become a generous Patron of the Podcast on Patreon at SongHenge.com. TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos. I am now accepting applications for people to join the Celtic Invasion of Isle of Skye hiking trip in 2027 at http://celticinvasion.com/ #celticmusic #irishmusic #celticmusicpodcast I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? Send me a photo. If you're in a Celtic band, send me an audio recording of you performing live. Just audio. I'll use it in a podcast episode later this year. Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic. Sarah Shorter emailed: "Hi Mark I use podcast addict. A couple of weeks ago episodes 678ish to current dropped off the feed. I'm still getting new ones and I'm downloading the protest songs now. But I thought it might need bringing to your attention." Patrick Rieger sent St Patrick's Day Feedback from 2026: "Hi Marc, My family and I marched in Pittsburgh's Saint Patrick's Day Parade again but this time for one of our other activities, representing the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh. We were joined by three other members of the club. As far as I know, this is the first time in its 97 year history the club was represented in the parade, which itself started in 1869. The parade celebrates Saint Patrick and the Irish, but also Pittsburgh and its people, and the club is part of that. The parade started at 10AM but since we were near the back, we didn't start moving until 11:30, so we had time to talk with other participants.. I love the variety of groups in the parade, One of our members brought a small telescope with a Sun filter so we could safely show people the Sun while we waited. The Saturday Light Brigade radio program likes to hear from people at the parade so I gave them a call. Here are some photos. Yes, that is someone dressed as a pierogi on a scooter, pierogies are big in Pittsburgh. My wife and I carried the banner. It was a joy to be in the parade again, and I hope the club is willing for us to do it again next year. We didn't go to any celebrations, they would be too crowded and too crazy. We went to one of our observatories where people brought games and snacked on pizza instead. I'll get back to the pub after the holiday." John L Pearson emailed about the Celtic Protest Songs episode: "Marc, I've been listening forever and have written you a couple other times over the years. I had to write and thank you for this great and necessary episode. Not only a necessary idea and thing to do in our current moment, but beautifully done. Great selection of songs, and I love the history and commentary you wove into the episode. I'm sure you'll get some feedback complaining that you shouldn't get political, but right now it is necessary. And really, it's hardly even political; it's just talking about the reality of the moment. Thanks as always for your great work and especially this inspirational episode. I do a little daily substack trying to stay engaged with all that is going on without letting it overwhelm me. I wrote tomorrow's post while listening to this episode! Slainte"
We're kicking off today's proceedings with a jaunt down a very Scottish memory lane, as Luke and Pete reflect on Dundee's greatest export: the comics of DC Thomson. Those poor Broons were always getting taken advantage of, bless them.Plus, Pete's recent stay in Bath prompts a discussion concerning publishing, audiobooks and, naturally, Elon Musk's big ol' chest.Finally, and most importantly, Luke is a big reader. He reads a lot. Just so we're absolutely clear about that.Send us your latest stories, questions and comments here: hello@lukeandpeteshow.com.The Luke and Pete Show is the sometimes ridiculous, always funny podcast with Luke Moore and Pete Donaldson: two men who have time on their hands and a good idea of how to waste it. Subscribe to get your comedy podcast fix every Monday and Thursday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast is flabbergasted by EuroSki. Donate to my brain transplant fund to make me more smarter:WhoIain Martin, founder and host of UK-based The Ski Podcast. YouTube here. This is Iain's second appearance on The Storm:Interview dateSeptember 24, 2026Why I interviewed himIf, like me, you're a U.S. American SnoSportSkier, you may find European skiing more than a little baffling. More than 4,000 ski areas spread over dozens of countries with their dozens of languages. Trams and gondolas pop skyward from every other corner in Switzerland or the Pyrenees or Slovenia, as numerous as the strip-mall vape shops and Jesus-Knows-You're-Watching-Porn billboards defecating all over America's roads. The trail markings in Europe are all different colors. Why is no one skiing off the groomers? Who stole all the trees? Why is every ski lift either a tram that looks CGI'd to transport Storm Troopers to a fictional Star Wars Cloud City or a T-bar that looks as though it was hammered together by Yohan in between sheep shearings? Why is the food good and the alcohol cheap? Why do lift tickets not cost more than a semester's tuition at Cornell? And, most baffling of all as we contemplate the growing presence of EuroSki on U.S.-based multimountain passes, why is every ski resort actually 10 or 15 or 100 different ski areas stapled together as the Valley of Grand Domaine de Les Skis?I wish I could be more helpful in answering these questions. So far, I have not been very helpful. I felt like I could get away with just pointing and laughing as Vail and Alterra added a handful of big-time European ski resorts to their rosters, but the numbers have rapidly spiraled: check out the number of Euro ski areas that have joined Epic, Ikon, and Indy since 2018:At first I tried to keep up, but I just sort of surrendered after 2025. I did manage write-ups of Epic Pass additions in Austria, and new Ikon partners in Italy and France, but I never got past more than cursory acknowledgements of Indy's massive haul of Euro partners from Turkey up through the Alps core to Scotland. And I thought, “OK how many gigantic resorts can they have over there it's gotta stop soon right?” But they just kept coming like kaijū in Pacific Rim. The pass-by-pass totals headed into winter 2026-27 are shocking:Here's a country-by-country breakdown that's a bit easier to read:And here's the detailed roster - not all the lifts are filled in because shoot me:This chart is the European equivalent of American college football rankings. It makes no sense, but it must be fun because so many people do it, right?I tried to make a map but it sorta sucks so I'm going to keep trying. I did use the map as a visual aide in the podcast, which is also and always available in audio-only. But if you want to watch above or on YouTube, our conversation will make marginally more sense as I scroll around beneath Iain's narrative.TranscriptsThere are two transcripts. Both are generated by robots. Both are helpful and defective in their own unique ways. I do not proofread either of them.Transcript 1: Click the “transcript” button at the top of this article. You can only see this transcript on a computer. Because I don't know why exactly but everything is getting better and dumber all at once it seems. Anyway, this is the transcript that the robots create when I upload the podcast to the internet. The cool thing about it is that you can click on any block of text and the audio will teleport there instantly. The uncool thing about this transcript is that it does not indicate who is talking at any given moment. Transcript 2: You can read this below. This is the transcript that Zoom creates as we record the podcast. The cool thing about this transcript is that it indicates who is talking at any given moment. The uncool thing about this transcript is that the timestamps do not match the audio. Also, you cannot click on this text to move to the associated point in the audio.ZoomStuart Winchester: My guest today is the founder and host of The Ski Podcast, a UK-based show that just published its 327th episode.00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:56.000Stuart Winchester: He's also a freelance journalist writing for national and specialized press and the owner of a digital marketing consultancy for snow sports. Ian Martin is my guest. He is a good friend of the storm. He has been on the show before and he is here today to help us make sense of Europe. Ian, how you doing today?00:07:57.000 --> 00:08:02.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: I am really well, Stuart. It's really nice to see you, and thank you for inviting me onto the show.00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:07.000Stuart Winchester: Before we get started, what do you got lined up for this winter? When do you start skiing?00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:23.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: My personal first trip will be out to Les Des Alpes ski resort in France, which I'll be doing in early December. But I will actually be skiing not next weekend, but the one after in one of our indoor snow slopes.00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:24.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:28.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: in the UK. I'll be skiing in the snowy center, Manchester, so I'll get to get my skis on.00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:28.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, cool.00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:40.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, that'll be a lot of fun. Yeah, we have the one right over in New Jersey. I was supposed to go a couple of… a couple weeks ago, but I… something came up, and I wasn't able to make it. Alright, so Ian, let me set this up for the listeners.00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:42.000Stuart Winchester: And, and…00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:54.000Stuart Winchester: as a baseline for what we're dealing with here. So, US-based passes, meaning Epic, Icon, and Indy. There's also one on Mountain Collective, but it overlaps with… there's two on Mountain Collective that overlap with Icon, so I'.00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:59.000Stuart Winchester: So they have added a total of 61 destinations.00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:00.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Mm-hmm.00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:02.000Stuart Winchester: in 14 European countries.00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:04.000Stuart Winchester: 13 of those are on Epic.00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:06.000Stuart Winchester: Nine are on icon.00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:18.000Stuart Winchester: 39 are on Indy. Uh, so… some of those are unlimited on Epic, some you get 5 days, some you get 7. Icon's a pretty standard 7 days, or 5 days, even with the base pass. Indy is 2 days at each.00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:22.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, 20 of those destinations are in Austria.00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:31.000Stuart Winchester: 12 are in Switzerland. Uh, 8 are in France, and they're all over the place, but those are the countries with the most. So let me… I wanna actually…00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:33.000Stuart Winchester: Share on my screen.00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:38.000Stuart Winchester: a map that I made that could help us as a little guide, although it's not a…00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:42.000Stuart Winchester: It's not a great map, but I will…00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:46.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, okay. Can you, can you see the map?00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:51.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: I… can see the map, yes.00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:52.000Stuart Winchester: Okay, yeah, I couldn't figure out how to make the…00:09:52.000 --> 00:10:04.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, let me just explain this at a high level. So, I couldn't figure out how to make the text smaller, it's very much a work in progress, but, uh, blue is, uh, the names of the ski areas are by country.00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:19.000Stuart Winchester: And the names of the icons are bypassed. So when you zoom down to Austria, it's Epic, Epic, Indy. Uh, Indy's red, Icon's yellow, uh, Epic is blue. This is one where it really helps to watch the video. If not, we'll explain it, and you don't have to.00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:34.000Stuart Winchester: be watching to understand everything. So, uh, looking at this, Ian, and putting aside my, uh, crappy map design skills, and looking at the full of Europe, from above, from space, as we can do in the future here, uh, where do you even start?00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:53.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Well, firstly, I've got to congratulate you on your data. It's just amazing. When you read out all of the different resorts, and the number of countries, and the number of resorts in each country, I've got one of your spreadsheets printed out here, and it's already changed since then. So, staying up to date the whole time is really quite incredible.00:10:53.000 --> 00:11:06.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: how you manage… how you manage to do that. Um, it is, uh, amazing. In… in respect of the map, there's obviously a lot of ski areas on there, and probably this is going to be better for someone as a research tool.00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:55.000Stuart Winchester: Yep.00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:15.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Now, you mentioned that there are 61 countries in total, 61 ski areas in total that are covered on those different passes.00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:12.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:18.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And I was thinking about…00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:34.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: what is the best way to kind of go into getting a sense for maybe which ones you should visit? Obviously, it's going to be different for everybody, depending on what kind of pass they have, and I know some people have more than one pass, but I thought that maybe a useful way to do it might be to think of.00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:37.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Let's say the hero trip.00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:38.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:41.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Then maybe somewhere you might go.00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:56.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: for a week, and then somewhere that you might visit if you were… if you were touring, or possibly if you're over for work, and you happen to be roughly in that area to give people a sense of, you know, where it might be worth doing a little side trip to while they were doing that.00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:56.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:03.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: So if you are happy with that structure, I could work from that. Okay, cool.00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:01.000Stuart Winchester: I love it.00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:03.000Stuart Winchester: Full speed ahead. Let's do it.00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:06.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Okay, cool. So, I think…00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:26.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: We've seen more Americans coming over to Europe over the last few years, and that is to do with these. That is to do with the passes. No, it's a pleasure. I mean, I talk to everybody when I'm on a chairlift or in a gondola, and if I hear someone who's from the States or maybe from Canada, I'm always interested to know, you know, why they've come over, and predominantly it's because.00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:12.000Stuart Winchester: Sorry.00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:22.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:26.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:46.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: they've got the passes. And, you know, I spent a lot of time in Chamonix last winter, and evidently you get a lot of people in Chamonix. Chamonix is one of the ones on the Icon Pass, I believe, as is Zermatt. Now, Chamonix and Zermatt are two amazing destinations. They really are fantastic. You can see them, actually, on the map that you've got in the video now.00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:32.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:38.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:46.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:54.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: They're quite close to each other. They're probably about two and a half hours by car apart. You could fly into Geneva for both of them.00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:51.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm, okay.00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:55.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:12:54.000 --> 00:13:01.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: They are fantastic resorts, fantastic destinations. They're my two favorites in Europe.00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:01.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:02.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:20.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: But they're not necessarily going to be suitable for everyone. And the reason I say that is Chamonix is incredible. It's in the middle of a very dramatic valley. You have Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, at 4,800 meters on one side. You can take the Aguille de Midi.00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:21.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:35.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Which is the lift that goes up to 3,800 roughly meters. And ski the Valley Blanche from there. Lots of people will have, you know, heard of that very famous off-piste run. It's incredible just to go up to the Aguirre de Midi.00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:26.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:31.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:49.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: But in terms of the ski areas itself, they're very disparate. They're not connected, uh, in the same way as we might come onto the Three Valleys, uh, you know, shortly. So…00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:42.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:44.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:48.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:13:49.000 --> 00:14:00.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: you've got to put in a bit of legwork if you're going to go to Chamonix. The connections between them generally involve getting a bus, and even if you're staying right in the center of town, you've got to get a bus.00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:52.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:07.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: or maybe a train from one end of the valley to ski the five different areas that you have in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. And I think…00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:03.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:11.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And I'm not 100%, I'm not the expert on the icon passes, but…00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:11.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, thank you.00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:26.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: The Icon Pass only covers the lifts that are in that area. There's also a couple of areas which are included on your map there, actually, Megeve and Les Contamines. You can get a lift ticket in Chamonix when I stay there that covers all of those.00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:21.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:29.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And you can ski over there as well.00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:48.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, so Mijeve, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Mijeve has been added to the Icon Pass, but it took me so long to sort out even what that meant when they said Mijeve, and even Icon Pass themselves didn't seem to know. We'll get to that mess in a little bit, but Mijeve is on the Icon Pass, uh, you know, along with Shamani, and those are separate buckets of days.00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:31.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Uh so.00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:32.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yep.00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:52.000Stuart Winchester: Then, like in Tammany, which is part of Mijav, is also on Indy.00:14:52.000 --> 00:15:07.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, exactly. Megeve isn't really part of Chamonix, but it is covered on that very big pass that you can buy. My point being really that Chamonix is fantastic. It's an amazing town. It has an incredible history.00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:01.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:06.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:21.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: It's where the first Winter Olympic Games are in 1924. You can get really close to, uh, Mont Blanc. You could ski the Vallee Blanche. There are lots and lots of options for, uh, high mountain skiing, but for a more recreational skier.00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:27.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: it's perhaps not as good. If we look at Zermatt, another one, yes, yep.00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:39.000Stuart Winchester: Okay, so let me pause one moment on Chamonix first. So, I want to point out, the Icon Pass, for whatever reason, does not cover the Algo de Midi, or whatever, I'm sure I pronounced it wrong, the big tram. How important is it to just pony up, buy that tram ride anyway?00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:35.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yes, okay.00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:47.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, I mean, we had… we stayed out there for 2 months last winter, and we had lots of friends come to visit us, and with all of them.00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:44.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:47.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:56.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: we recommended that you go up there. It really is something quite special, being so high, so close to.00:15:56.000 --> 00:16:14.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Mont Blanc itself, but also just for the type of visitors we had, who weren't really expert skiers, to get an insight into the high mountain, because you do see skiers who are heading off down the Valley Blanche, and the Valley Blanche is a relatively accessible off-piste run with a guide.00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:07.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:31.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: but other skiers who are doing much more hardcore stuff, or climbers who are up there, who are practicing their mountaineering skills. And if you go up the Aguirre de Midi, you get an insight to all of that. I mean, I met some of your American friends who were over, who were.00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:20.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:46.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Really going for it, going down the Cosmic. When I met them, going up with some friends to the Aguirre-Midi, they were on their second ascent of the day. They'd already gone up, done the Valley Blanche, come back up, and then they were on their way down Cosmic to stay in a refuge for the night.00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:36.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:41.000Stuart Winchester: Yes.00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:48.000Stuart Winchester: Of course, yeah.00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:51.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: I really would recommend it. And yes, it is expensive.00:16:51.000 --> 00:17:03.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: it could even be worth just buying that Montblanc Unlimited ticket in advance, because it's dynamic pricing. It's one of those things where if you buy it in advance, it's less expensive than buying it on the day.00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:57.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:09.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm. And Mont Blanc, just for my listeners, is, I believe, the tallest mountain in Europe.00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:14.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, highest mountain in Western Europe. I think it's 4,810 meters.00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:12.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, okay.00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:17.000Stuart Winchester: All right, so over to Zermatt.00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:33.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Zermatt, I worked a season there as well. Absolutely beautiful place. Zermatt Matterhorn, as it's known. The Matterhorn is the standout attraction. It is just an incredible looking mountain.00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:27.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:43.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: The village itself, in my opinion, very pretty. Lots of traditional chalets, traditional buildings.00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:39.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:55.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: they have controlled development of it. It's not full of skyscrapers. Without going into the details, there was a proposal to build, you know, one recently that really got it dampened down pretty quickly.00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:49.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:17:55.000 --> 00:18:02.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: You can only get there by train. It's a car-free resort, which adds to the charm as well.00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:02.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:12.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: really, I would say, if… the only negatives are that it's quite expensive. It is one of the most expensive destinations in Europe.00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:28.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: There are a lot of, uh, visitors, a bit like Chamonix, who go there not necessarily to ski, but because they want to go and see the Matterhorn, in the same way that you could go up the Agua de Midi in Chamonix. There's a Gornergrat, uh, cog railway.00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:17.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:20.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:27.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:46.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: which will take you up, uh, to a fantastic view looking over, uh, the Matterhorn. So, I guess you're competing a little bit with the non-skiers. The ski area itself is better connected than Chamonix. It goes up high. You've also got lifts of skiing up to 3,800 meters.00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:43.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:49.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: at the Klein Matterhorn area.00:18:49.000 --> 00:19:03.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: typically they have summer skiing there as well. It's actually closed this summer for a little while because of the weather, but, you know, it's so high, and because of the glacier, they can offer skiing all year round. So, I really do love Zermatt.00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:56.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:05.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: The only negative would be…00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:16.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: it's expensive, you know, you just gotta face up to that fact if you want to go there, but it has a cachet and a feel to it that I just, uh, love.00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:11.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:34.000Stuart Winchester: And one thing this map doesn't show is it does interconnect with Turbinia, which is now on Icon Pass, but separate days. So once you cross, if you use the day of Zermatt, even if it's the same day, you cross into Turbinia, you're using another Icon Pass day. It doesn't really matter for most Americans who are visiting anyway.00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:39.000Stuart Winchester: But what do you think about Slovenia? Is it worth it to pop over there?00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:47.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, well, interesting you should mention that. So I picked Chamonix and Zermatt as the first two because they are the most well-known.00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:44.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:48.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:19:47.000 --> 00:20:02.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: But it's not strictly necessary to go to those two places and base yourself there. And you mentioned that, uh, you know, Cervinia is on… did you… did you say Cervinia is on… sorry, which pass again?00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:55.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:05.000Stuart Winchester: So, it's on ICON, and the reason I didn't have it…00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:06.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah. Okay.00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:12.000Stuart Winchester: called out. It's under Valle de Oesta, Italy, so that includes, uh, Pila, it includes, uh…00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:09.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yep.00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:10.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yep.00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:19.000Stuart Winchester: Slovenia, it includes Cormier, it includes some other ones, but I made the map fast.00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:17.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yep.00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:35.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, Stuart, you are… you are very well, uh, informed. You're right. I mean, you can see it on the map that we're looking at below us. You can get from Chamonix to Courmayeur very easily through the Mont Blanc tunnel. It's actually a 22 kilometer tunnel, and we skied over in Courmayeur while we were there. Lots of.00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:24.000Stuart Winchester: Yep.00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:25.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:29.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:30.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:33.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, wow.00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:36.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:50.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Chamonix, people who are based in Chamonix do go over there, because, uh, although the ski area is limited, there are more trees over there, you know, on a bad weather day, it's a really good place to ski, and it's included on the Mont Blanc Unlimited Pass. And Courmayeur is right at the top.00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:39.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:44.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:49.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:59.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: of the Aosta Valley. So where that little yellow, uh, icon is, underneath where it says Val de Aosta, is Courmayeur.00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:53.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:20:57.000 --> 00:20:58.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:00.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:09.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: But the Cormier… if I understand it correctly, then, all of the Aosta Valley resorts are included on the Icon Pass. So, as you say, Cormier… Cormier…00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:07.000Stuart Winchester: Correct.00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:26.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: It's quite a shishi kind of resort. You'll find lots of Milanese and Turinese will go up there for the weekend. There are lots of very smart shops in the little high street there. There's some very, very good restaurants up there.00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:43.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: The ski area is not as big, probably, you know, 50km, two, three days for a, you know, a good advanced skier would be sufficient to ski a lot of it. But you can get access up to the Vallee Blanche from the Italian side as well.00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:30.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:35.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:44.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:59.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And that lift was upgraded a few years ago. And it's very, very impressive. It's much more modern than the Aguirre de Midi. And it has, you know, museums at the mid station and at the top station, which explore the history of mountaineering in the area.00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:49.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:52.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:05.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: So, I would actually say that if someone's, you know, looking to stay.00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:07.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: For a week.00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:19.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: and they have an Icon Pass, that the Ossa Valley could be a really good choice. If you had a car as well, because you can then explore Courmayeur, and then you mentioned Chavinha.00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:13.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:18.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:20.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:34.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: So, uh, slightly further down the valley, uh, and then up the hill, you mentioned that Shavinia links with Zermatt, and Shavinia is a really good resort. It's high, uh, it has.00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:23.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:29.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:31.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, thank you.00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:45.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Quite wide pistes, quite flattering type of skiing. It has Italian cuisine, as all of the Aosta Valley does. Much.00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:37.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:55.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: more affordable than Zermatt, but you could ski over to Zermatt for the day and ski the Zermatt area, uh, as well.00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:49.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:50.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:22:55.000 --> 00:23:02.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: So, Chavinha, you know, is great. There's also a smaller resort called La Tuile, uh, in the Aosta Valley as well, which…00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:00.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:09.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: it is worth a day or two. That actually links over to a French resort called La Rozier. I doubt.00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:21.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: that would be included, and I don't see it on your list. Uh, and what I do see included a bit further down, we're moving around the map quite a lot, there is an area called Monterosa.00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:22.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:28.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: which is on the Aosta Valley as well. Uh, and there's two areas there called Gressenet.00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:25.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:41.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: uh, and Alanya, and the skiing in both of those, I believe, is included, uh, within that. And, uh, you know, in Gressenet, uh, and Alanya, there's some quite advanced skiing there, up in Monterosa.00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:41.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:53.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: um, some really good, you know, off-piste, uh, challenging skiing, and in fact, you can do heli-skiing out of those areas. Heli-skiing is banned in France, but it's legal in Italy, so you can ski, and it'.00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:48.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, wow.00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:51.000Stuart Winchester: Oh.00:23:53.000 --> 00:24:04.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: legal in Switzerland as well, but you can ski out of Alanya, and heliski up to the mountain called Monterosa, and, uh, you know, access some amazing off-piste from there.00:23:57.000 --> 00:23:58.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:22.000Stuart Winchester: That's incredible. I, you know, for a while, Google Maps took that. I'm looking at the map here and I changed the settings so that the lifts show up. And for a while, Google Maps had taken them off and now they've added them back on. And so you can just really get to see the scale of what's going on in Europe. And I know what Americans are going to want to do.00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:29.000Stuart Winchester: when they look at Chamonix. They're going to want to take the Algomenidae up, and they're going to try to ski down into Italy. Is.00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:50.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Uh, I mean, it is possible. Quite literally, if you did that to the Aguirre de Midi, you could ski, you'd have to ski tour up slightly, and then you could ski down. I wouldn't suggest doing that without a guide. You know, it is feasible to do it, and when last time I went up the, uh, the lift from the Courmayeur side, I saw tracks below.00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:32.000Stuart Winchester: Yes.00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:34.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:39.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:41.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:46.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:24:50.000 --> 00:25:04.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: but it's not a straightforward route. Cormier's 1,200 meters, you know, you can get snow all the way to the bottom, but yeah, it's possible, but definitely, you know, take a guide, I would suggest.00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:57.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:11.000Stuart Winchester: Right. All right, so let's continue with the hero trip here. Where next, Ian?00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:25.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, well, again, if you're thinking about, you know, some of the great resorts in Europe, I'm actually going to pick St. Anton in Austria next, because that is listed on the spreadsheet I'm looking at as Skjalberg.00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:16.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:20.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:25.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:27.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:28.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: On the epic, on the epic pass.00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:34.000Stuart Winchester: Right. Yeah. Everything has 10 names there. That's another, that's another reason I, we needed you on here. Um.00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:33.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah. Well…00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:41.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, Ski… Ski Aalberg is… so, let's just have a look at where you are. It's gonna be slightly to the, uh, west.00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:39.000Stuart Winchester: There it is. There it is. I found it.00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:59.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, there you go, Ski Aalberg. So, Ski Aalberg… Aalberg is, like, a region of Austria that sits within Tyrol, one of the, uh, the cantons, and in fact, that is quite good, the level that you've got it at right there. You can see, just on the video that I'm looking at, uh, at the moment.00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:44.000Stuart Winchester: Okay, there we go.00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:48.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:51.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:25:53.000 --> 00:25:55.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:25:59.000 --> 00:26:13.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: That you've got St. Anton is sitting almost underneath where it says Ski Aalberg. It's pretty easy to get to.00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:11.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:25.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: you can get there… you can fly into either Innsbruck, or you can fly into Zurich. For, you know, I typically travel by train, but, you know, from both of those, it's about an hour and a half or so by train.00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:20.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:26.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:33.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Uh, roughly, uh, transfer time. A really good train station in St. Anton. And St. Anton…00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:40.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: is an amazing destination. I was lucky enough to learn to ski there, you know, when I was a kid.00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:37.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:50.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And I think what… it ticks a lot of boxes. It does have, uh, maybe contrary to some people's impressions, amazing food.00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:51.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:26:50.000 --> 00:27:01.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: There's, like, a Michelin-star restaurant at the mid-station, just above a resort, which is, you know, well worth checking out. But lots of resorts, lots of restaurants in the town as well.00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:54.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:26:57.000 --> 00:26:59.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:03.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Has legendary apres ski.00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:04.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:12.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: There are two bars located opposite each other, which some listeners may have heard of, called the Crazy Kangaroo.00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:09.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:12.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:14.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And the moose avert.00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:15.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:29.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And these are, like, legendary at the end of the day. Skiers will go there, they'll be dancing on the tables, they'll be, uh, you know, knocking back whatever they can, and then skiing down very, very carefully.00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:18.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:26.000Stuart Winchester: Yes.00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:44.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Uh, to the resort, the remaining, kind of, 500 meters or so. They do actually encourage people to get a bus back, uh, now, uh, if you can, because there is a little bit of a history of… of accidents, but those two, you know, have amazing apres ski.00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:34.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:37.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:42.000Stuart Winchester: Yes.00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:45.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:27:44.000 --> 00:28:00.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Really good restaurants, but the ski area is fantastic. Ski Aalberg covers all of the resorts in that area. On the level of maps on at the moment, you can see over to the left, there's an area called St. Christoph. You can link over to St. Christoph.00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:08.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: you can link over to Steuben, quite easy to ski over there, and then just to the north of the map, as we're looking at it at the moment, will be Lech.00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:09.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:17.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: which is also part of Ski Aalberg. You know, you can stay in Lech. I tend to favor St. Anton, there's a lot more going on. Lech is a bit…00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:12.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:17.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:33.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: how can I put it? Posher, quite frankly. You know, frequented by the Dutch royal family and, uh, and others. You know, the British royal family historically used to go there as well. You can actually ski on Ski Arburg all the way up to that town called.00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:21.000Stuart Winchester: Okay, okay.00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:31.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:43.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Vaath, or Vaath, which is right at the top of the map. That is a very long day, and the connections to there are quite difficult. But it is a…00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:35.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, gosh.00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:38.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:44.000Stuart Winchester: You can ski from there to…00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:59.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, you could ski between there and St. Anton and back in a single day. You can get a certificate if you follow the whole route and do it. But it is a very large ski area. But St. Anton itself, really brilliant place to base yourself.00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:46.000Stuart Winchester: You're saying, wow.00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:48.000Stuart Winchester: Jeez.00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:52.000Stuart Winchester: Unbelievable.00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:53.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:00.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:06.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: you know, lift connections are really good, the resort is really good, and, you know, that would be one of the reasons I would suggest that.00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:14.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And just another kind of equivalent destination for the hero trip. Oh, sorry. Go on. Go on. Yes.00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:18.000Stuart Winchester: Let me just pause and ask you one question about Ahlberg. So, you know, again, Americans are…00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:34.000Stuart Winchester: And that's, I don't want to mean to speak for the whole nation, but they tend to fall into the checklist trap where they're just trying to get to everything. Would you recommend trying to ski from here to there, or would you recommend settling in, kind of enjoying a day at each, or maybe just.00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:27.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Hmm.00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:38.000Stuart Winchester: Seeing where the day takes you, not worrying about all the lifts.00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:53.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: I mean, I would only do that for a long way to go. I mean, it's quite a long way to go to Lech and back for the day. And there is a lot of really good skiing in St. Anton. I actually tend to favor the St. Christoph Steuben.00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:44.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:50.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:29:53.000 --> 00:30:09.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: area, because it doesn't get skied as much as some of the other areas, and there's a lot to ski there, so you can have peace to yourself, whereas it might be much busier closer to St. Anton. There's actually another area you can see with the lifts that you've got there going slightly south.00:29:57.000 --> 00:29:58.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:30:09.000 --> 00:30:10.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:30:09.000 --> 00:30:24.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: from St. Anton, that goes to an area called Rendle, which is part of the Ski Arburg area. And, you know, Rendle is another really good ski area that's often underskied. I mean, you could spend a day skiing over there on its own.00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:16.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:30.000Stuart Winchester: Is… is that… is that part of Ski Aalberg? On the Epic Pass? It is? Okay. Okay.00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:31.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's part of Schiberg as well, yeah.00:30:31.000 --> 00:30:37.000Stuart Winchester: Okay, great. All right. Anwar, you were gonna tell us about another, I think, Austrian destination.00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:39.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, I was gonna go the other… the other very obvious, I would say.00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:39.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:30:39.000 --> 00:30:40.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Um…00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:44.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Big destination is Verbier.00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:47.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Which I believe is also on the Epic Pass.00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:48.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:58.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Uh, so Verbier's in Switzerland, quite close to Chamonix. You can drive between Chamonix and Verbier in an hour and a quarter. Again, you'd fly into Geneva.00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:50.000Stuart Winchester: Ah, yeah, let's…00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:53.000Stuart Winchester: Okay. Oh, there it is.00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:55.000Stuart Winchester: Yep.00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:56.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:30:58.000 --> 00:30:59.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:30:58.000 --> 00:31:14.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: really easy to get to from Geneva. You can actually get the train all the way from Geneva Airport direct to the town at the bottom of Verbier, which is called Le Chapelle, and then they have a gondola, which, uh… which you guys call a tram, I think, or, uh…00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:07.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, wow.00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:09.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:14.000Stuart Winchester: There.00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:25.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: it's a bubble lift, however you want to term it, that goes directly from the valley floor, connects directly out of the railway station and up into Verbier.00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:17.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:26.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:28.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And, you know, Verbier…00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:43.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Brilliant resort. Such an amazing ski area. It's actually listed on there as a Catra Valley, the Four Valleys, and that's because it also includes several other resorts as well, which are called, I think, Lazu… you can just about see them. Lazuma, Nonda.00:31:29.000 --> 00:31:30.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, okay.00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:37.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:48.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: and Vaesuna, which are just slightly to the north there.00:31:48.000 --> 00:32:00.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Uh, so they're all included in that area. It's a big ski area, but Verbier has a lot going on. Uh, again, you know, good apres ski, really good, uh, restaurants, uh, but.00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:52.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:55.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:07.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Particularly for the more advanced skiers, there's some incredible off-piste there. You know, you can…00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:12.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: um… go off… off the back from the top of Mon4.00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:13.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:28.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: with a guide, just again, and there's a huge area that can open up there. You can also do heli skiing out of Verbier to access some of the other peaks around there, but you can stay in the inbounds area and still ski a lot of really good off-piste.00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:34.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: It's high as well, you know, the resort itself is 1600 meters, and I think it goes up to.00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:45.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: 3… 2… I'm not 100% sure about that, but certainly high. So, you know, you have regular snow. I mean, I skied there in the last week of…00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:47.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: April last year.00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:48.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:32:47.000 --> 00:33:02.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: and there was still plenty of snow. Um, it's, you know, it's expensive. It's not quite as expensive as, uh, Zermatt. It doesn't have the view of the Matterhorn, but it is one of the world's best ski resorts, for sure.00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:56.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:14.000Stuart Winchester: So that's on Epic Pass, and it's, you know, Vail has purchased a couple of ski areas at Kranz, Montana, and Andermatt-Suderun, and it's also… the Epic Pass is unlimited on DeSantis, which is right.00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:23.000Stuart Winchester: contiguous with the Entermeister Druun. If you have the Epic Pass, is it worth trying to do a trip with all of those, or is Verbier enough?00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:32.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And Verbier's definitely enough for a whole week. If you had a car, Cro-Montana isn't very far away, it would probably only take you…00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:28.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:45.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: you know, an hour and a bit… I'm gonna say an hour and a quarter, perhaps, to, uh, get there. Cremontana's a big area in itself. It's, um… you know, I've skied there on many occasions, and I really like it. It's not… I've been there…00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:36.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:40.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:47.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: On a family holiday.00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:48.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Whereas…00:33:48.000 --> 00:34:05.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: I would go to Verbier because I like to ski kind of, uh, steep and off-piste, uh, you know, with a guide. And probably it's too expensive to take a family to. Cromontana is, uh, you know, a bit more, uh, affordable. I mean, it's still a very smart, uh, resort.00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:54.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:06.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:13.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: But if you wanted to explore, you could go there. Amount is a bit more of a stretch in terms of distance.00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:14.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:18.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: You know, if you were on a tour, and you're an Epic Pass holder, you could take it in.00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:33.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Now, I'm also a fan of Andermatt. I've been there several times, uh, as well. Again, probably go to Zurich for Andermatt. You can get the train from Zurich in about an hour and a half, something like that. And it's a really interesting story, uh, Andermatt. You know, it used to be…00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:26.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:34:33.000 --> 00:34:43.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Its location is strategically significant in the middle of several valleys. So at once upon a time, it used to be an army base.00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:55.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And then, when the army, uh, withdrew, it kind of went into decline for a long time. And it was bought by, uh, the area was brought by a property developer.00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:50.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:34:55.000 --> 00:35:08.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And ultimately, he built it up, and more recently, Vale Resorts have taken that over. And so there's a lot of new accommodations, some incredibly nice restaurants. Again, more Michelin stars there. I've got a feeling…00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:14.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: It might have the highest number of Michelin stars per capita for any.00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:16.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: town in the world.00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:26.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Uh, and the skiing itself, you know, again, I've been there with a guide, there's some excellent off-piste skiing, but there's, you know, a good amount of on-piste skiing as well.00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:29.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: It's a really, it's really appealing area.00:35:29.000 --> 00:35:35.000Stuart Winchester: So you mentioned having a guide many times, and I think that's, you know, in…00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:33.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Heh.00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:45.000Stuart Winchester: in North America, we generally only hire guides when we're going outside of the resort, and a lot of folks don't even do it then, if they're confident in their own avalanche.00:35:45.000 --> 00:36:00.000Stuart Winchester: capabilities. In general, everything within resort boundaries in North America is considered to be patrolled and controlled, meaning they'll do avalanche work, and if it's open, you can go in it without a guide. There's a few exceptions where you need transceivers, etc.00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:13.000Stuart Winchester: That's not really the case in Europe, so just from a mentality standpoint, how should skiers approach this when they're going to some of these hero resorts you're talking about, as far as.00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:18.000Stuart Winchester: Considering a guide in essential versus a luxury.00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:36.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Okay, I wouldn't want to mislead you there. I mean, guides are just on my mind, because I like a lot of backcountry skiing, and therefore, I often, you know, go with them. In bounds, you don't need a guide, absolutely not. You know, you can download the app, or get yourself a peace map, and you can.00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:23.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:27.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:58.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: go around the place as much as you want, and, uh, you know, it is fully secured, you've got ski patrol, uh, etc, so you don't need to be concerned about that. It just happens that a lot of the places that I've mentioned so far, you know, do have some of those more interesting off-piste options, and I guess it depends a bit on the listener and, you know, what they're, uh, looking for, but you… you don't…00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:06.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: need to have a guide to show you around resorts. I mean, potentially, some of these ski areas are.00:37:03.000 --> 00:37:04.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:13.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: significantly larger than they might come across in North America, and therefore.00:37:11.000 --> 00:37:12.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:37:13.000 --> 00:37:29.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: it could be a good investment to rent someone or to hire someone to show you around. I mean, back in the day, in the 90s, when I was working in the Alps, I worked for British tour operators, and part of my job was showing guests around the mountains and helping them orientate themselves.00:37:29.000 --> 00:37:38.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And that actually is pertinent, because the next resort I wanted, or area I wanted to mention, was Le Trois Vallees, Le Three Valleys.00:37:36.000 --> 00:37:38.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:40.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Which…00:37:39.000 --> 00:37:41.000Stuart Winchester: Also on Epic Pass.00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:45.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: also is on Epic Pass. Now, the three valleys…00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:53.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: probably has a pretty good awareness amongst the North American market. I mean, it is the world's largest ski area.00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:51.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:37:53.000 --> 00:37:54.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:37:53.000 --> 00:38:01.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: There's 600 kilometers apiece there, and I work four seasons in the three valleys, three in Meribel and one in Courchevel.00:37:56.000 --> 00:37:57.000Stuart Winchester: Peace.00:37:58.000 --> 00:37:59.000Stuart Winchester: Wow.00:38:01.000 --> 00:38:03.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And it is.00:38:03.000 --> 00:38:14.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: magnificent in terms of scale. There is so much skiing you can do there, and, you know, I worked four winters there. Did I ski every single run, you know, during that time? I doubt it.00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:24.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Uh, because you tend to go back and forth across a lot of them. Uh, you know, there is so much that it's gonna take you well more than a week if you wanted to, uh.00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:19.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:38:24.000 --> 00:38:29.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: ski them all, but you could certainly explore the three valleys.00:38:29.000 --> 00:38:39.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: You know, I… it's hard to know exactly which of those destinations to recommend, because it depends on the individuals to…00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:46.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: put it in context, you have three valleys, literally, over, if we were looking on the map, the left-hand side, you would have Courchevel.00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:43.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:47.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:49.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: The middle, Maribel.00:38:49.000 --> 00:39:07.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Uh, and the right-hand side, Val Torrens. I think as we look at the map at the moment, it's the opposite way round. So we can see on the left, you've got Val Torrens at the top. That's the highest ski resort in Europe. It's 2,300 meters itself, the resort. Not high by, like, Colorado standards or something like that, but high by European standards.00:38:51.000 --> 00:38:53.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:55.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:39:04.000 --> 00:39:06.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:08.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:19.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: It's above the tree line, uh, you know, it's changed a lot in recent years, but there's a lot of apartment accommodation there, there's a lot of nice four- and five-star hotels up there, uh, as well, but it doesn't have.00:39:13.000 --> 00:39:15.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:28.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Like, if you were coming to Europe for the first time, it doesn't have the kind of character, the charisma.00:39:21.000 --> 00:39:22.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:39:27.000 --> 00:39:28.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:43.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: that some other resorts, let's say, like Verbier, or Zermatt, or St. Anton have, because it's modern, you know, it was built in the 1970s, so it's a purpose-built, uh, resort. Also, in that valley slightly lower down, you have Leymanduia, more.00:39:33.000 --> 00:39:35.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:39:43.000 --> 00:39:47.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Prettier, you know, at the bottom, you've got a place called San Martin.00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:48.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:39:47.000 --> 00:39:49.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: The middle valley, Meribel.00:39:49.000 --> 00:40:04.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: that is lots of pretty chocolate box chalets. Uh, you know, I worked 3 years there. It's brilliantly connected. Uh, the resort itself is between 1,400 and 1,800 meters, so it's pretty high.00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:53.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:39:58.000 --> 00:39:59.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:40:05.000 --> 00:40:07.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And, you know, it's a good…00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:19.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: base, I'd still, if you were thinking about that, I'd still, you know, without wishing to offend any of my friends in Mirabal, and I have very many of them, I'd probably say if you think about a week and you wanted to base yourself somewhere.00:40:19.000 --> 00:40:21.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Maybe Verbier or Saint Anton.00:40:21.000 --> 00:40:33.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: would be a better choice for that. They both have, you know, still big ski areas, and just a little bit more accessibility, uh, you know, overall.00:40:23.000 --> 00:40:25.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:28.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:34.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:39.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Courchevel, again, a resort I love that I worked in for a season.00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:41.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: There's several different…00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:46.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: um, what the French call station, different levels within Courchevel.00:40:43.000 --> 00:40:44.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:46.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:40:46.000 --> 00:41:01.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Courchevel 1850, most people will have heard of. It's a top station. It's at 1850 meters. It is very shishy. Five and six star hotels, 13 Michelin stars.00:40:49.000 --> 00:40:51.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:40:56.000 --> 00:40:58.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:40:58.000 --> 00:41:00.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:41:01.000 --> 00:41:13.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: you know, across the resort, it… you can't find… well, I have stayed there in a couple of budget accommodations, but there's not really budget accommodation. You know, if you want to go and…00:41:14.000 --> 00:41:31.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: to a resort where you may well end up, you know, sharing a hotel with, I don't know, Leo DiCaprio, or, you know, you might find a member of the British Royals there, or David Beckham, then that's the kind of place to go.00:41:31.000 --> 00:41:32.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:41:31.000 --> 00:41:36.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: But you're going to have to pay to go along with that. And it has fantastic skiing.00:41:34.000 --> 00:41:35.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:41:36.000 --> 00:41:37.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:41:36.000 --> 00:41:38.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: But again.00:41:38.000 --> 00:41:45.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: if you're only coming for a shorter period of time, I'd be inclined to mention a couple of the other resorts I mentioned, plus…00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:54.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: I want to mention Valdezare as well, but I don't think Valdezare is on any of the collective passes, is it?00:41:53.000 --> 00:41:58.000Stuart Winchester: Hmm. Uh, is it part of one of these bigger…00:41:58.000 --> 00:41:59.000Stuart Winchester: Domains or.00:41:58.000 --> 00:42:05.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: No, it is not. I mean, there is a, uh… so it's not going to come up on your map.00:42:05.000 --> 00:42:07.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: But Valdisera is a brilliant…00:42:07.000 --> 00:42:24.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: uh, resort, which does give you traditional skiing, a pretty village, a huge, uh, ski area that links up to Teen, where they have a glacier, so you can kind of guarantee that you're going to be able to get skiing. Skiing goes up to 3,500 meters there.00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:10.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:25.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:41.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And I met Americans there, so Americans certainly know about it. I met a family from, you know, Florida who were in the Folly Deuce, who were enjoying themselves in the VIP area and very kindly, you know, offered us some of their champagne.00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:29.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:42:41.000 --> 00:42:53.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: uh, at the time. You know, Founders Area is a brilliant resort, not covered on any of those passes. That doesn't mean that it's not necessarily going to be, you know, a good option, uh, for you. You know, lift tickets.00:42:42.000 --> 00:42:43.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:42:53.000 --> 00:43:07.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: are going to be, you know, dirt cheap compared to the States, but maybe still, like, 80 euros a day, or something like that, you know, overall, but a really good ski area. So those are all… I think we've covered all of the, kind of, the bigger.00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:00.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:43:03.000 --> 00:43:04.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:43:06.000 --> 00:43:08.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:43:07.000 --> 00:43:18.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: kind of places there, unless you've got any other questions in relation to any of them. Oh, no, hold on! We've missed one! We've missed one! Dolomitiski!00:43:12.000 --> 00:43:15.000Stuart Winchester: No. Yeah.00:43:15.000 --> 00:43:16.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:19.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:43:18.000 --> 00:43:21.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: That's on Icon, isn't it?00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:35.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, well, Dolomiti Super Ski is on Icon, Skirama Dolomiti is on Epic. They each have, like, 100 ski areas, it seems like, so… yeah, this is how they're pitched to us. I don't know how you want to make sense to them on the ground… of them on the ground.00:43:29.000 --> 00:43:31.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah.00:43:33.000 --> 00:43:34.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah.00:43:35.000 --> 00:43:51.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, okay, let's talk Dolomiti superskis. That's where the Winter Olympics were last year. Milan Cortina. Cortina is in the Dolomites. And it is a huge superski area, you know, depending how you do the definitions, it's larger.00:43:37.000 --> 00:43:39.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:43:39.000 --> 00:43:40.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:43:42.000 --> 00:43:43.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:43:44.000 --> 00:43:45.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:43:48.000 --> 00:43:50.000Stuart Winchester: Yes.00:43:51.000 --> 00:43:54.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: than L'Etoile Vallee.00:43:53.000 --> 00:43:54.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:43:54.000 --> 00:43:56.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Uh, but…00:43:56.000 --> 00:44:01.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Sometimes that means getting a bus in between. Uh, it is…00:43:58.000 --> 00:44:00.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:44:01.000 --> 00:44:13.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: It is great. You could fly into Innsbruck, you could fly into Venice, you can combine that with a trip to Venice, or maybe Verona, or Milan. They're all about equidistance from the Dolomiti Sufski.00:44:02.000 --> 00:44:04.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:44:13.000 --> 00:44:16.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: It's visually accurate.00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:31.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Absolutely stunning. The Dolomites are just an amazing mountain range. I found myself when I was skiing in Val Gardena, which we'll come to right in the middle of your map at the moment, just being distracted.00:44:17.000 --> 00:44:18.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:44:21.000 --> 00:44:23.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:44:28.000 --> 00:44:29.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:44:31.000 --> 00:44:43.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: I'm looking at the mountains, because they're just so gorgeous. I'm skiing down this piste. You know, looking at this mountain, thinking, oh my god, this is just amazing. And then on top of that, you know, you have.00:44:35.000 --> 00:44:36.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:41.000Stuart Winchester: Yah.00:44:43.000 --> 00:44:58.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Italian cuisine, Italian prices, you know, yeah, Cortina's the most expensive. Again, quite a lot of, uh, you know, Milanese would go up there for the weekend, but, you know, overall, Selva, again, roughly around the middle of your, uh, map at the moment. Yeah, really…00:44:57.000 --> 00:44:58.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:06.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Really good value, you know, considering it's a really good access point for a fantastic ski area.00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:01.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:45:05.000 --> 00:45:06.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:45:06.000 --> 00:45:09.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And it has…00:45:09.000 --> 00:45:16.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: The Superski is not a misnomer. It is a very large ski area.00:45:12.000 --> 00:45:13.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:45:16.000 --> 00:45:27.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: And there's some amazing circuits that you can do there. So I would probably recommend, if you were thinking about it, Cortina or Silva Val Gardena would be the two best places to locate yourself.00:45:24.000 --> 00:45:26.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:45:27.000 --> 00:45:37.000Stuart Winchester: And do you like Superski over Vail's Skirama Dolomiti group? And again, I've dug in a little bit, but I didn't include on this map what that…00:45:37.000 --> 00:45:42.000Stuart Winchester: contains, and I dropped the pin here on, uh, Campo Carlomagno, but…00:45:42.000 --> 00:45:46.000Stuart Winchester: It includes a lot of things in, you know, almost equal.00:45:44.000 --> 00:45:58.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah, I'm gonna have to put my hand up and say I don't know that area as well. I haven't actually skied there myself. It is, to my mind, and I can check your stats because I've got it in front of me, you're saying it's roughly the same skiable area.00:45:48.000 --> 00:45:49.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:45:58.000 --> 00:46:01.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Right. Was that the vertical drop?00:45:59.000 --> 00:46:01.000Stuart Winchester: That's the stats that…00:46:01.000 --> 00:46:04.000Stuart Winchester: or on the Epic Pass website.00:46:03.000 --> 00:46:04.000Iain - The Ski Podcast: Yeah.00:46:04.000 --> 00:46:06.000Stuart Winchester
In April 2025, the bond market did something the stock market couldn't: it made a sitting president reverse course within days. Financial Times journalist Robin Wigglesworth, author of the new book A Fabulous Debt, joins Joe and OG to explain why bonds, dismissed for centuries as the dull corner of finance, are actually the bedrock everything else sits on. From a murdered medieval ruler in Venice to a Scottish con man who sold bonds for a country that didn't exist to the hedge fund collapse that nearly took down the global financial system, this is 900 years of history explaining exactly why the "boring" market is the one that actually moves empires.What You'll Walk Away WithWhy the bond market, not the stock market, is what actually forced a change of course during 2025's "Liberation Day" tariff chaosThe surprisingly wild origin story of the very first government bond, issued in 1171 Venice, and how it got its ruler killedHow the Dutch turned Venice's basic invention into a true market, and used it to fund their independence from a much larger empireThe incredible true story of a con man who sold real bonds for a fictional country and lured hundreds of settlers to their deathsWhy Long-Term Capital Management, staffed with Nobel laureates and legendary traders, collapsed almost overnight in 1998The biggest misconception most Americans have about U.S. government debt, and why the reality is more nuanced than the doom headlines suggestWhy the oldest investing mistake in 900 years of financial history is still the simplest one: borrowing too muchWhy This Matters NowMost people never think about bonds until something breaks, a rate spike, a market scare, a headline about the national debt, and by then it can feel too complicated to catch up on. But bonds quietly determine mortgage rates, corporate borrowing costs, and government policy in ways that touch daily life far more than most people realize. Understanding even the basics of how this market works, and how consistently it has shaped history, turns a vague sense of unease about "the economy" into something you can actually follow and make sense of.From the BasementA Bond-adjacent trivia detour (the James Bond kind, not the financial kind) reveals that Ian Fleming borrowed his spy's name from a real-life ornithologist, proof that even a show about medieval Venetian debt can't resist a pun. Plus, a Wall Street Journal headline on why the job market has quietly flipped in favor of workers without a college degree.Resources MentionedA Fabulous Debt by Robin Wigglesworth — Robin's new book on the 900-year history of bondsTrillions by Robin Wigglesworth — Robin's earlier book on the history of index fundsStacking Benjamins Field Kit — the all-in-one budgeting and net worth tracking toolSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Our latest mix of the week's best new songs swings from the shoegaze rock of rising LA band untitled (halo) to Bach's “Air on the G String” performed by pianist Víkingur Ólafsson. We've also got singer Lizzy McAlpine's breathtaking ode to her late father, the laid-back grooves of polymath Sen Morimoto, the extraordinary voice of Scottish singer Beth Taylor and more.NPR Music's Tom Huizenga joins host Robin Hilton.Tell us what you think with a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.orgFeatured artists and songs:(00:00) Intro(02:05) Sen Morimoto: “Chewing Gum”(09:27) Víkingur Ólafsson: “Air on the G String” (Johann Sebastian Bach)(16:56) Lizzy McAlpine: “The crowd”(25:51) Beth Taylor: “My Lagan Love”(33:49) untitled (halo): “easy rider”(41:58) inti figgis-vizueta: “Samara (maple seed) mvmt. III - find roots”Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show's perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy