Podcasts about West Wales

Chris is West Wales and Maggie in Worthing get the show on the road..with more quzzing!

For professional footballers and for fans it's inevitable that they will have to cope with occasional losses. As the FIFA World Cup gets underway in the Americas, the buzz of competition will lure many viewers into the spectacle, but there's only room for one overall winner. How do we prepare for that, and how do we cope with success? Rosa Hunt chairs a discussion with a panel of guests with different interests. Graham Daniels is currently chair of Cambridge United Football Club, and is also Managing Director of Christians in Sport. Sian Elin Thomas is a Baptist Minister in West Wales with a keen interest in sport, and in the intensely competitive world of the Eisteddfod. Sandra Birdsall is an Anglican vicar and a former geneticist. Iwan Russell is an award-winning film-maker, broadcaster, theologian and avid sports fan.

In this edition explore the Safe System in practice with Chief Officer Craig Flannery and Head of Community Safety Aled Griffiths from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. They discuss how fire and rescue services contribute far beyond emergency response, from prevention and education to partnership working across agencies. Hear how their on-the-ground experience is shaping safer roads, reducing harm and supporting a more integrated approach to road safety across Wales and beyond.

Bear Love is an internationally respected gong practitioner, educator, instrument innovator, and the founder of B Love Sacred Sound. Based in the mountains of West Wales, he is best known for developing the B Love Flumies®, innovative friction mallets that have expanded the sonic possibilities of the gong by revealing rich harmonic textures, sustained tones, and previously unexplored sonic landscapes. Rooted in years of exploration and deep listening, Bear's work invites people beyond simply hearing sound and into an immersive relationship with vibration itself. His approach emphasizes presence, sensitivity, and the subtle interplay between sound and silence, encouraging practitioners to cultivate not only technical skill but a profound quality of awareness and discernment. In this episode, we explore Bear's journey into sound and the experiences that shaped his understanding of vibration and spirit, his enduring relationship with the gong, and the inspiration behind the development of the B Love Flumies®. We also discuss the distinction between listening to sound and entering into sound, the inner landscape that can emerge during immersive sound journeys, the role of silence in practice and teaching, and what he believes is essential for practitioners to embody as the field of sound work continues to evolve. Whether you're a sound practitioner, musician, gong player, or simply curious about the transformative potential of immersive sound, this conversation offers thoughtful insights into the art of deep listening and the ever-unfolding possibilities of vibration. https://www.blovesacredsound.co.uk/ Natalie Brown, host of Sounds Heal Podcast, founder of Sounds Heal Studio, Sound Healing Academy Lead Teacher for North America: http://www.soundshealstudio.com http://www.facebook.com/soundshealstudio http://www.instagram.com/nataliebrownsoundsheal http://www.youtube.com/soundshealstudio Email: soundshealstudio@gmail.com Music by Natalie Brown, Hope & Heart http://www.youtu.be/hZPx6zJX6yA This episode of Sounds Heal Podcast is sponsored by Crystal Tones, creators of the original Alchemy Crystal Singing Bowls®. For many people in the sound world, Crystal Tones bowls are more than instruments. They're companions in practice, meditation, ceremony, and deep listening. Each bowl is handcrafted in the United States from ultra-pure quartz crystal and infused with precious metals, gemstones, and rare minerals through their proprietary alchemical process. Crystal Tones has helped shape the evolution of modern sound culture, with their bowls being used in meditation spaces, healing practices, concert settings, and sound journeys around the world. You can explore their instruments and learn more at crystalsingingbowls.com.

Thomas had a great conversation with Marc Williams, a Welsh-speaking psychologist from Cardiff University, and one of few psychologists who, like Thomas, blends clinical and environmental psychology. Marc talked about his formative experiences growing up in West Wales and his recent research on environmental identity and evidence-based therapy for climate distress.

Another fine selection of music from the bowels of West Wales, where the daffodils are celebrating wildly. Join them and groove to two hours of incredible progressive music!

Busy bee Liz in Bournemouth and cat fan Toni in West Wales give it their best shot!

The crew discuss another losing bonus point, another close game and what it takes to get over the line! Bandy around a bit of the community game in West Wales and a chat about PRA25 and we have ourselves a show! #Scarlets #URCgo #Rugby #Welshrugby Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GB2RS News Sunday, the 26th of April 2026 The news headlines: The RSGB Board holds its first post-AGM meeting RSGB 2026 Convention announcement Celebrate World Morse Day with the RSGB Following the RSGB 2026 AGM on Saturday, the 18th of April, the new Board met and co-opted Dr Stewart Bryant, G3YSX, onto the Board under Article 37. The Board then elected Dr Bryant as Board Chair. The purpose of these decisions is to allow newly elected Directors to learn more about the Society and the Board, with the intention that a new Board Chair will be elected from within the new Board in due course. The RSGB Board would like to record its thanks to Stewart for being willing to extend his role in this way. Board Directors also appointed Will Richardson, 2E0WYA, to the volunteer role of Executive Director of Strategic Oversight to help drive forward work on Board effectiveness. As announced previously, Stephen Purser, GW4SHF and Stephen Ramsden, M0CCA, swapped roles after the AGM, so Stephen Ramsden is now Company Secretary and Stephen Purser is Deputy Company Secretary. The Board congratulated John Moss, G0KTW and Ben Lloyd, GW4BML, on their election as Directors and Patrick Wood, 2E0IFB and Graham Smith, G4NMD, on their endorsement as Nominated Directors. The Board Liaison roles are being discussed and will be announced in due course. If you were unable to join the event live, you can catch up with all the AGM proceedings at rsgb.org/agm  Tickets for the RSGB 2026 Convention go on sale on Friday, the 1st of May, and ahead of this, the Society has made some exciting announcements. Not only has it released the first round of speakers, including one on a highly anticipated DXpedition, but it has also shared details of two new workshops that will be taking place. Will you choose NanoVNA Essentials or AI – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly? For those looking to extend the weekend's activities, the RSGB has confirmed that it has partnered with The National Museum of Computing to offer Convention attendees the opportunity to visit on Friday, the 9th of October. The RSGB is delighted that this fantastic annual event is being sponsored by Martin Lynch & Sons and that AMSAT-UK will once again be holding its Colloquium during the Convention this year. The RSGB 2026 Convention is taking place between the 9th and 11th of October at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. Find out more by going to rsgb.org/convention Tomorrow, Monday the 27th, is World Morse Day. The day honours the birthday of the inventor of Morse code, Samuel Morse, who was born on this day in 1791. The RSGB is continuing its annual celebrations of this day by releasing a video with a question in Morse code for you to answer, which this year is sent by the RSGB CW Champion, Laura Robertson, MM7BFL. Once you have used your Morse skills to decipher the question, get involved by leaving your answer in the comments section under the post. You could even share a video of you sending your answer in Morse! You can view the video tomorrow on the RSGB YouTube channel, or via the RSGB's Facebook, Instagram or X pages.  RSGB members, if you are planning a trip this spring, why not include a visit to one of the Society's partner museums? Whether you're heading to West Wales, Cornwall, Suffolk, Dorset, West Sussex or Milton Keynes, you will be able to save between 20% and 50% on standard admission prices. Visit rsgb.org/partner-museums for your personalised discount voucher. RSGB members also receive free entry to Bletchley Park, which includes the RSGB National Radio Centre. Time is running out to apply and be part of the RSGB team that will be going to Austria for this year's Youngsters on the Air summer camp. This fantastic opportunity is for radio amateurs aged between 16 and 30. The programme will include activities such as experimenting with underground propagation, Summits on the Air, Caves on the Air, as well as having the chance to ascend a 2,000m summit in a cable car and make a long-distance VHF/UHF QSO with your handheld. All in the incredible surroundings of the Austrian Alps. The deadline to apply for this exciting opportunity is Friday, the 1st of May. Get involved by going to rsgb.org/yota-camp and selecting ‘YOTA Austria 2026' from the right-hand menu. UKBOTA's Historic Counties event will be running throughout May for both activators and hunters. Stations will be on the air to celebrate the unique historic structure of the UK. More details can be found at ukbota.net/HC26 Did you know that the weekly RSGB News can be viewed on air and via the web as a television stream? Join Alison, G8ROG, each Sunday at 9 am UK time for a live broadcast of the GB2RS News. Kindly hosted by the British Amateur Television Club, go to batc.org.uk/live/gb2rs to watch the show. Alongside Alison's live presentation, you can view additional text and pictures relating to each news item. The transmission is also relayed via GB3HV in Hampshire using Digital ATV. If you enjoy watching GB2RS as well as listening, there is a live Digital ATV broadcast from Clive, G3GJA, via the Hull 23cm repeater GB3EY at 10 am UK time. If you are not in range of the repeater itself, you can still watch the broadcast, again courtesy of the BATC website, by going to batc.org.uk/live/gb3ey And now for details of rallies and events The EMC & Compliance International Exhibition will be held at the Holiday Inn in Oxford from the 29th of April to the 1st of May 2026. The exhibition is open to all interested parties and is concerned with all aspects of EMC. For more information, including registration details, visit emcandci.com The Broadcast Engineering Museum has an open day on Sunday, the 3rd of May, from 11 am. The museum is located at 41 Capper Avenue, Hemswell Cliff, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5XS. Visitors will be treated to one of the largest collections of historic broadcasting equipment in the world. For more information, visit becg.org.uk/events Thorpe Camp Hamfest is taking place on Sunday, the 3rd of May at Thorpe Camp Visitor Centre, Tattershall Thorpe, LN4 4PL. Traders can arrive from 7 am, and visitors are welcome from 9 am. The entry fee is £5 per person. For more information, visit thorpecamp.org On Monday, the 4th of May, Dartmoor Spring Radio Rally will take place at the Yelverton War Memorial Hall, Meavy Lane, Yelverton, Devon, PL20 6AL. There will be the usual bring and buy, trader stands, refreshments, free parking and available. The doors will be open from 10 am to 1 pm, and admission costs £3. More details are available at dartmoorradioclub.uk Now the Special Event news Special event stations OL900CO, OL900JAR and OL900LT are active until December to celebrate the town of Jaromer in the Czech Republic. For more information, including details of awards that are available for working the stations, visit hamawards.eu On Saturday, the 2nd of May, between 9 am and 5 pm, Dundee Amateur Radio Club will be operating from Broughty Ferry Lifeboat Station using the callsign GB1BFL. The station will be active in support of SOS Radio Week. For updates on frequencies and modes in use, visit the Club's Facebook page. More details are available via dundee-amateur-radio.co.uk Now the DX news Using the callsign GB9IOW, a team of Belgian operators will be active from the Isle of Wight, EU-120, from Tuesday, the 28th of April until Tuesday, the 5th of May. Listen for activity on the HF bands, via the QO-100 satellite and on 23cm EME.  For more information, visit QRZ.com Paul, VP9KF, is active from Bermuda, NA-005, until Thursday, the 30th of April. He is operating using CW only on the HF bands. The station was spotted recently on the 17 and 20m bands. You can find more details at vp9kf.com  Now the contest news Today, Sunday the 26th, the UK Microwave Group EHF Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 76 to 241GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The SP DX RTTY Contest started at 1200UTC yesterday, the 25th, and runs until 1200UTC today, Sunday, the 26th of April. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Polish stations also send their province code. Also, today, the 26th, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint 25 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using 75 baud RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your six-character locator. The UK and Ireland Contest Club DX CW Contest started at 1200UTC yesterday, the 25th, and ends at 1200UTC today, Sunday, the 26th of April. Using CW on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.  Full rules, including UK and EI area codes, are available via tinyurl.com/ukeiccrules Tomorrow, the 27th, the RSGB FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report. On Tuesday the 28th, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 29th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. On Thursday the 30th, the RSGB 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Saturday, the 2nd of May, the RSGB 432MHz Trophy Contest runs from 1400 to 2000UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RSGB 432 to 245GHz Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday, the 2nd of May and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday, the 3rd of May. Using all modes on 432 to 245GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The UK Six Metre Group Summer Marathon starts at 0000UTC on Saturday, the 2nd of May and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday, the 2nd of August. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is your four-character locator. The ARI International DX Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday, the 2nd of May and ends at 1159UTC on Sunday, the 3rd of May. Using CW, RTTY and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Italian stations also give their province code. On Sunday, the 3rd of May, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 0900 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on 1.3 to 3.4GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Sunday, the 3rd of May, the Worked All Britain 7MHz Phone Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using SSB only on the 40m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 23rd of April Last week's HF propagation was dominated by the effects of a high-speed stream from a large coronal hole on the Sun. This pushed the Kp index up to 4 and 5 at times, with the result that maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, were lowered. The ionosphere struggled, and often the MUF over a 3,000km path was below 21MHz. Yes, there were some openings up to 10m, but they were generally weak. Checks showed that paths opened up to Brazil, Kenya and Chile on the 10m band using FT8, but the signals were well down in the noise and barely workable. Get used to this, as it could be the norm for the next few years! Meanwhile, the solar flux index increased to 116 by Thursday, the 16th of April, no doubt aided by active sunspot group 4420. Next week, NOAA forecasts that the solar flux index could rise to 125. It also predicts that the Kp index may remain low due to a lack of coronal hole activity. Fingers crossed that we don't have any coronal mass ejections over the next week. If this pans out as predicted, we could have some decent HF conditions over the next seven days. Yes, the MUFs may be lower, but 14, 18 and perhaps 21MHz could be usable, with very occasional openings on 24 and 28MHz. DX to be worked this week includes TX9W from the Marquesas Islands; VP9KF in Bermuda; 7P8WR from Lesotho; C5B, C5C and C5D in The Gambia; D60DX in Comoros; and JD1BMH operating from Ogasawara And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The strong region of high pressure will remain with us for the next two weeks. So tropo should be considered a first-choice mode for a while. The main criteria for the quality of any resulting tropo is moisture. This is because moisture is a component in the calculation of the refractive index of the air. High pressure usually produces dry air above any temperature inversion, but we may not always get the moisture below the inversion. The end of last week was good with reports of beacons in Norway and Sweden into JO02 on 1.3GHz because of moisture present below the inversion. However, if the dry easterly wind returns, it may not go so well. Meteor scatter should continue to be uplifted by the declining Lyrids meteor stream, which peaked last week, and rain scatter is off the menu since the charts are dominated by high-pressure systems. Aurora is showing as occasional weak alerts, but apart from the odd fluttery signals on the LF bands, nothing too interesting at the moment. As usual, watch for the Kp index going up to 5. Keeping the best until last, we are approaching the period when Sporadic-E usually becomes a mode of interest. Work is well underway on a rewrite of the Propquest website, which should be ready soon. This will be the go-to place for the daily updates during the 2026 Sporadic-E season. EME now, and the Moon is moving into a lower noise position. Declination is high, but falling, and path losses will increase as we move away from the Moon's perigee, its closest point to Earth, which occurred on Friday, the 17th of April. Apogee, the Moon's furthest point from Earth and the point of highest path losses, occurs on Sunday, the 17th of May. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Rebecca Wynn Kelly works at the intersection of sculpture, ecology, and myth as a "species architect" exploring how we might reimagine our relationship with the land. Rooted in West Wales, her work blends habitat creation with storytelling and folklore to ask who—and what—we build the landscape for. Benny's Insect of the Week: The Batman Overfly Please support our sponsors - roastinghouse.co.uk. get 25% extra free if you mention Roots and All or the insect of the week in the comments box at checkout.  Links Rebecca Wynn Kelly – Artist Instagram – Rebecca Wynn Kelly Please support the podcast on Patreon And follow Roots and All: On Instagram @rootsandallpod On Facebook @rootsandalluk On LinkedIn @rootsandall If you liked this week's episode with Rebecca Wynn Kelly, you might also enjoy this episode from the archives: Episode 53: Garden Design for Every Species In this episode, John Little explores how gardens can be designed with wildlife at the centre, creating layered habitats that support a wide range of species. It's a natural companion to today's conversation about building for more than just human needs and thinking like a "species architect." Episode 301: The Wheel of the Year In this episode, Rebecca Beattie discusses seasonal cycles, folklore and ritual, and how reconnecting with the rhythms of the year can deepen our relationship with the land. It offers a thoughtful extension of today's themes around story, place and ecological connection.

On this weeks Scarlets fancast, Huw and Martyn discuss the finer details of the Aviva fridge, another spirited performance and a journey home with nothing to show for it. They take a look at community rugby in West Wales and ponder what to do next week. #Scarlets #Welshrugby #WestWalesrugby #CommunityRugby Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What keeps a classic car honest isn't a fresh coat of paint—it's the quiet, careful work that makes it start, steer, and stop like it should. We sit down with Tim Winton, founder of Cambrian Classics in West Wales, to unpack the craft of mechanical stewardship: how a small, dedicated team brings MGs, Triumphs, Austin‑Healeys, Alfas, and air‑cooled VWs back from the shed to the street. Tim shares the overlooked checks that transform the driving experience—like why an MGB's steering rack must be oil‑filled—and how correct tire pressures, proper lubrication, and smart carb and ignition tuning often beat expensive “upgrades.”Tim's journey from the modern motor trade to a thriving classic workshop reveals what really builds trust: consistent results and a feel for how these machines were meant to behave. We talk MG identity in 2026, the difference between bodywork makeovers and true recommissioning, and why variety—from a TR5 to a rare Humber Hawk—keeps the craft sharp. You'll hear how long‑stored cars return to life step‑by‑step, and why experience across “a hundred variations on a theme” helps diagnose issues by sound and feel alone.We broaden the lens with two practical segments for everyday drivers and road‑trippers. First, a clear look at parking space design—30°, 45°, 60°, and 90° layouts—how aisle widths and one‑way flow affect access, safety, and door clearance, and why perpendicular slots can be the worst for usability. Then we map five spring break road trips across the United States: the Grand Canyon loop from Flagstaff, California's Pacific Coast Highway, the Great Smoky Mountains, Utah's Mighty Five, and the timeless pull of Route 66. Whether you drive a well‑loved MG or a modern SUV, you'll leave with actionable tips and fresh ideas for the next journey.If this mix of hands‑on wisdom and road inspiration hit the mark, follow the show, share it with a car‑loving friend, and leave a quick review so more enthusiasts can find us.Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!The Lupe' Tortilla RestaurantsLupe Tortilla in Katy, Texas Gulf Coast Auto ShieldPaint protection, tint, and more!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.---- ----- Want more In Wheel Time car talk any time? In Wheel Time is now available on Audacy! Just go to Audacy.com/InWheelTime where ever you are.----- -----Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast provider for the next episode of In Wheel Time Podcast and check out our live multiplatform broadcast every Saturday, 10a - 12nCT simulcasting on Audacy, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and InWheelTime.com.In Wheel Time Podcast can be heard on you mobile device from providers such as:Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music Podcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Podcast, iHeartRadio podcast, TuneIn + Alexa, Podcast Addict, Castro, Castbox, YouTube Podcast and more on your mobile device.Follow InWheelTime.com for the latest updates!Twitter: https://twitter.com/InWheelTimeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inwheeltime/https://www.youtube.com/inwheeltimehttps://www.Facebook.com/InWheelTimeFor more information about In Wheel Time Podcast, email us at info@inwheeltime.com

What if the biggest gains in calf health happen after the first feed? We explore the overlooked power of transition milk — the nutrient- and antibody-rich milkings from days two to four — and how feeding it for 10 days can tilt the odds toward healthier, faster-growing calves. With veterinary surgeon Dr Ryan Davies, we follow a spring block-calving herd in West Wales from a farmer's observation to a structured study, complete with daily passive immunity testing and twice-daily Brix checks on pooled, pasteurised fresh cow milk.We start with the fundamentals: dialling in colostrum quality, quantity, timing, cleanliness, and stress to hit excellent passive transfer. Then we move beyond day one. Ryan breaks down how calving density drives pool quality, why Brix can fluctuate from bulk-tank levels to true transition milk, and the practical choice every farm faces — maintain quality for the youngest calves or dilute to stretch days. The data make the case: calves receiving higher-quality transition milk grew faster to weaning, and those with low serum IgG at 24–48 hours saw a reduced mortality risk when the quality was strong. It's a clear demonstration of local gut protection from antibodies and the extra lift from proteins, fats, growth factors, lactoferrin, and prebiotics.We also address the risks and realities: pooling can spread pathogens, pasteurisation has limits for Johne's and TB, and over-heating destroys the very bioactives we need. The solution is disciplined herd health plans, careful cow selection for the pool, and routine measurement. Expect straight talk on Brix targets, when to prioritise younger calves, and why prevention beats treatment when disease pressure climbs later in the block. The early signals are promising for beef finishing times and future heifer performance, with full productivity and longevity data to come.If you're aiming to reduce antibiotics, protect staff morale, and improve sustainability without adding complexity, this is a practical blueprint: test, pool, pasteurise, protect quality, and feed transition milk for 10 days. Subscribe, share with a fellow calf rearer, and leave a review to help more producers find these insights.This was recorded in January 2026, and all information was correct at the time of recording.Send us a textFor more information about our podcast visit www.chewinthecud.com/podcast or follow us on Instagram @chewinthecudpodcast. ChewintheCud Ltd is also on Facebook & LinkedIn. You can email us directly at podcast@chewinthecud.com

Big M and New Jon discuss names in a way none of us were expecting before Huw brings some order and the boys get down to discussing what could actually be seen on the Benneton game, all the goings on in the community game in West Wales and then a look ahead at how many Scarlets we can expect in the Wales team. Order your free beer at www.beer53/WRRAP #Scarlets #URC #Sixnations #FreeBeer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We head back to the 1950's, and to rural West Wales this time around on The True Crime Enthusiast Podcast, where I bring you an account of a couple who mysteriously disappeared one Friday October evening. Throw in details such as buzzards, traps involving black cotton, conflicting ink, and ever conflicting stories that just didn't add up no matter what, and you have the tale this time around…The episode contains details and descriptions of crimes and events, including descriptions of injury detail, that some listeners may find disturbing or distressing, so discretion is advised whilst listening in. Music used in this episode: "The Descent" by Kevin Macleod. All music used is sourced from https://filmmusic.io/ and used under an Attribution Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Lime Garden – Maybe Not TonightLe Tigre – Hot Topic The True Crime Enthusiast's Fundraiser For Macmillan Cancer Support References - Available upon request. Follow/Contact/Support The True Crime Enthusiast PodcastFacebookFacebook Discussion GroupTwitterInstagramYoutubeWebsiteTTCE MerchandisePatreon Page Remembering John and Phoebe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SORRY - for some unspecified reason the sound quality isn't as crisp us usual but there isn't much I can do about it

Few presenters feel as instantly familiar as Alex Jones. For over 15 years, she has been the heart of The One Show and her warmth, wit and natural connection with people shines through. In real life, she's an even brighter star, lighting up every room she enters.What stands out about Alex is her disarming honesty. Despite decades in the spotlight, she speaks so openly about self-doubt and what it truly takes to stay grounded in an industry that's always moving.In our conversation, she shares some of the parts of her life rarely seen on camera. From growing up in West Wales with a ‘small town big dreams' mentality to building a long-lasting career and supporting her husband through his mental health struggles.We cover:The importance of making mistakes to succeedSitting her university finals on the set of a reality TV showHow she broke into the TV industryHow Alex's view on mental health changed after supporting her husband through his mental health battlesHer thoughts on Jermaine Jenas getting axed from The One ShowAlex reminded me that success isn't just about talent it's about consistency, empathy and courage. Alex Jones is Great Company.You can listen to the Rylan episode of the show HERETHE CREDITS Exec Producer: Jemima Rathbone Producer: Helen BurkeVideo: Jake Ji & Josh BennettAudio: Rafi Amsili Social Media: Laura Coughlan Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 67, we're joined by Carwyn Thomas and Tom Kerton from Aberystwyth's Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service for an inspiring and eye-opening conversation.

Mark Griffiths brings you a wet and windy afternoon on the West Wales coast.

This week on The Attacking Scrum, Ged is joined by top Welsh rugby writer Seimon Williams to break down the end of the WRU's consultation period and the headline decision that one of Wales's professional regions will be cut. Is it really a shootout between the Scarlets and the Ospreys, or is there more going on behind the scenes? Ged and Seimon dig into what the decision means for the regional game, the national team, and the long-term sustainability of Welsh rugby. They also explore the development pathway crisis: will a centralised national academy nurture elite talent and bridge the gap between school, semi-pro, and regional rugby? With funding pressures mounting and squads thinning, can the WRU find a model that actually develops players rather than losing them abroad? From the future of West Wales rugby to the wider vision for player development in Wales, this episode asks whether cutting a region will really fix anything — or just make the challenges even greater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if motherhood isn't just a role we step into — but a rite of passage that invites us to heal, transform, and reconnect with the cycles of life?In this rich and nourishing conversation, Naomi Glass shares her journey from disconnection to deep embodiment, from inner patriarchy to cyclical living. Together, we explore the sacred messiness of motherhood, the healing power of nature, and the quiet revolution that begins when we learn to listen — to the earth, to our bodies, and to the wisdom passed down through generations.Naomi Glass is a conception, birth, baby loss, and postpartum doula, as well as a Matrescence Coach and Birth Story Specialist. Through her practice and space Embracing the Waves, she supports people in navigating the deep rite of passage into parenthood - helping them feel heard, anchored, and empowered.She offers one-to-one sessions, circles, and workshops (both online and in-person), and is also co-Director of the Real Health Collective CIC, a community project focused on holistic wellbeing for families. Based in West Wales, Naomi is a home-educating parent, smallholder, and writer, committed to healing ancestral legacies and reconnecting with the earthIn this conversation we explore:

Tomos Parry—chef of London landmarks Brat and Mountain—joins us on location at fforest in Pembrokeshire for a special Brat × Mountain residency episode. We dive into his fire-led cooking and the thrill (and chaos) of bringing 30 team members to West Wales to cook with the producers who shape his food: think lobster caldereta cooked a stone's throw from the boats, raw-milk fresh cheese that only exists for a week, and vegetables lifted straight from the farm. Tomos traces the sparks that forged his style—The Ledbury's edge-of-service creativity, River Café's seasonal discipline, a formative summer at Noma—and how he builds rounded chefs who understand sauces, fire, P&L and life after the pass. We talk the rise of British terroir restaurants, why Basque cheesecake became a London icon, the cult of dairy cow steak, and the nerve-jangling night he nearly smoked out the Royal Academy. Quick fires take us from Soho's tiny Jugemu to blowout plates at Ikoyi, Galicia as the dream weekend, corn ribs as a hard no, and a play-out salute to Super Furry Animals.Recorded at fforest, West Wales.Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Blinq—POS made simple: £69/month, unlimited devices, 24/7 UK support, no contracts or hidden fees. Use code GOTOBLINQ for a free month. Got a true kitchen nightmare? Send it in—Ben's favourite wins a year of Blinq. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jon Foreman is a Land Artist. He creates work in natural spaces using natural materials like stones, sand, leaves and driftwood. Known for his mesmerising sculptures that harmonise with nature, Jon's work has captured the imagination of art enthusiasts worldwide. His artwork may last as little as ten minutes before the sea washes it away, but his sculptures are not meant to last; his art is a testament to the beauty found in the ephemeral moment. Jon's work is not defined by meticulous planning, and he rarely has a fully formed idea in his head before he reaches the beach. He allows the environment on the day to guide his creative instincts. From the ancient tools he uses to create his sculptures to the modern technology he employs to capture it; we follow Jon's creative process as he takes us to his favourite location to work - the pristine beach of Lindsway Bay on the Pembrokeshire coast, West Wales. Jon considers his work to be a collaboration with nature. However, it is nature itself which threatens to erase his work before it is even complete. With the tide fast approaching and mere minutes before the artwork is swept away, will he manage to complete the work in time? We listen to the artists race against natures clock. Presented by Dualtagh Herr.

In this deeply moving and inspiring episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we're joined by Sophie Pierce, a 32-year-old social worker from Pembrokeshire, West Wales, who made history in March 2025 as the first person with Cystic Fibrosis to row an ocean. Diagnosed at just 3 months old, Sophie has lived with the challenges of a genetic condition that affects her lungs and digestive system and once carried a life expectancy of under 30 years. But Sophie's story is not defined by limitation—it's a bold testament to resilience, courage, and the power of hope. From working in fostering services to hiking the Welsh coast with her dogs, swimming in cold water, and sleeping in her campervan—Sophie has never shied away from living life on her terms.  In this episode, she opens up about the life-changing impact of the Kaftrio drug trial, how she overcame mental health struggles, and what it truly meant to embrace life beyond the horizon by rowing across the Atlantic. She shares the highs and lows of the row: the months of preparation, team dynamics, magical moments at sea, and how it feels to return to "normal life" after an extraordinary adventure. Sophie's message is powerful and universal—you are capable of so much more than you think. If you're looking for inspiration, perspective, and an honest exploration of living—and thriving—with a life-limiting condition, this episode is not to be missed.  New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.  Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.  Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x Show notes Who is Sophie 32 years old Living in Pembrokeshire, West Wales  Working as a social worker in fostering service Living with a genetic health condition - Cystic Fibrosis (CF) March 2025 - becoming the first person with CF to row an ocean What is CF Being born with it and getting diagnosed at 3 months old   Having a shorter lifespan  How CF affects her lungs and digestive system  Living with reduced lung function  Her younger years and how she was treated  Why exercise and being out in the fresh air is actively encouraged Not liking exercise as a child Growing up knowing she had CF and why it was normal Being empowered with CF and how her parents encouraged her Her mum reminding her to stay as well as she could for as long as she could, so she could benefit from treatments in the future.  Learning about her shorter life expectancy and managing those feelings  Adopting a positive attitude - being determined to live her life and not letting CF hold her back  Wanting to make the most of her time  Understanding that time is precious  Not needing a pension, savings or need to put down roots  The help and support available to help manage the mental and emotional challenges Experiencing panic attacks while her health was declining  Working with a psychologist  Using tools from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Feeling frightened of letting the big feelings of sadness in Feeling so sad about living with CF   The drug trial - 5 years ago  Taking the Kaftrio drug  The challenges of winter for CF patients  ‘The Purge' - coughing for 24 hrs How her life and lungs has changed  Trustee for CF Trust  Being asked to row an ocean  Forming a crew of 4 Stumbling blocks and being told no - by the World's Toughest Row Atlantic Dash  Securing the finances and managing the stress of getting to the start line Her biggest fear and worrying about staying well enough to do the row  Getting out on to the ocean. Having electrical issues with the boat  Name of the boat - The Spirit of Bluestone  Magical moments on the Atlantic Ocean  Day 46 coming to the end of the row  Rowing schedule and needing to get extra sleep during the night  The challenges of team dynamics Finding their roles within the group Being the social secretary and bringing fun to the boat The biggest lesson from rowing the ocean You can do so much more than you think you can  Being supported by the right people around you Dealing with the adventure blues How life in weird after rowing an ocean Being in a really exciting place Future challenges?! Words of advice from the CF perspective  Learning to life with CF How to connect with Sophie You are capable of so much more than you think you are Learn to reframe the negative voices in your head   Social Media Instagram @sophiefpierce  @cruisingfree2025   

Craft Festival Wales Special I met Cathryn Gwynn at her home studio in Cilgerran, a village near Cardigan in West Wales.  Her early life in Cardiff led her to a career in writing, editing and finally teaching at Preseli School. She later began an access course in art, leading to a degree in Textiles from Carmarthen School of Art in 2020. Text, texture and textile: three words which reflect sher practice as a mixed-media artist. She is drawn to thread, pen, ink and paper and work somewhere on the cusp of these materials. Cathryn Wynn will be giving an illustrated talk about her work at The Capital of Craft at Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle.  Her work is part of an exhibition of 8 important Welsh makers at Canfas Gallery in Cardigan. Woven, curated by Suzi Park from Cambrian Wool, runs from September 5-October 5th.  Craft Festival Wales September 5-7, 2025 www.craftfestival.co.uk/wales 

In this episode of The Attacking Scrum, host Ged is joined by author and rugby writer Seimon Williams to tackle the WRU's controversial proposal to cut the number of professional teams in Wales down to just two. Will this bold restructure strengthen the men's national team or gamble away the game's future? We explore whether Dave Redding is betting it all on this plan, the potential impact of Super Rygbi Cymru, and what the changes could mean for the women's game in Wales. Essential listening for anyone who cares about the future of Welsh rugby. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 6 of The Capital of Craft, Welsh Special. To celebrate the return of Craft Festival Wales, I chat with Head of the National Wool Museum, Ann Whittall.  We spoke about the historic importance of wool to West Wales and new projects at the Musuem.  Ann is spearheading training new apprentices who are learning to work with the looms at the impressive Weave Shed in Drefach Felindre. We also discussed Musuem's work in the decolonisation of the Collection and working with visual artist, Lucille Junkere.  The National Museum is supporting Craft Festival Wales and will be running free workshops for children throughout the weekend. You can meet Ann at Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle from September 5-7, 2025 www.craftfestival.co.uk

I love nothing more than an old Welsh folktale from the age of Saints and this is one of my Favourites . From the depths of West Wales comes an incredible old tale based around the standing Stone of Maen Pumsaint in the village of Pumsaint . The tale tells of the miracle that happened when five saints came together and prayed. I really hope you enjoy it.Time between Times returns with a new season on September 19th .Please do not listen while driving or operating machinery .www.welshstoryteller.com@theowenstaton- Xwww.ko-fi.com/owenstatonwww.patreon.com/owenstaton7 My Substack blog https://owenstaton.substack.comTake care and enjoy the TaleOwen x

Mass Movement Meets…In The Welsh Wind  In which Tim hangs out and chats to Joe Lewis from convention-defying, up-and-coming distillery In The Welsh Wind about the intricacies of distillation, whisky, the delicate differences between spirits, and how a small distillery from West Wales is on the verge of changing the way the world thinks about and enjoys whisky forever. You don't want to listen to this episode, you NEED to.  Tune in, turn it up, pour a dram, and geek out.  This one's a doozy.Drop whatever it is you're doing, and mash this link to find out more about In The Welsh Wind.

We all know the future rests upon us building heart-grounded, spirit-led communities that link humanity to the Web of Life. We know that the key to this is building reciprocal relationships with our food and the land from which it comes.  Doing this is…harder.  So this week, we're speaking with Abel Pearson of Glasbren.  Abel is a friend of the podcast - we last spoke in the depths of the pandemic when he was farming 3 acres and beginning to feed the local community in ways that helped the people in a ten mile radius really to connect with the spirit of the land on which their food was grown.  Now, Abel and the team are farming 138 acres of National Trust property, and still producing food for people in the local area - but so much more than that, they are building communities of place, passion and purpose, centred on the land and the cycles of the seasons and the ways we can build authentic relationship, full of reverence for the many, many layers of life in, on and under it the soil.  He says that everything he does now is for his young son and the children to come, in the hope that they might yet enjoy abundant foodscapes, clean rivers and regenerative cultures.Glasbren https://www.glasbren.org.uk/Support the Farm https://www.glasbren.org.uk/farm-supporterGlasbren courses https://www.glasbren.org.uk/coursesEpisode #25 with Abel https://accidentalgods.life/nurturing-our-bodies-and-souls/If you'd like to join us at Accidental Gods, this is the membership. If you'd like to join our next Gathering (you don't have to be a member) it's on 6th July - details are here.And if you'd like to train more deeply in the contemporary shamanic work, you'll find us here. 

To Peter Hitchens, the idea of capital punishment (at least at home here in the UK) could make for a country that is less vengeful and, he goes so far as to suggest, even more gentle. Having experienced two executions while working in the US, he knows the power of that final switch and the deterrent it might bring. But is he right, would the shadow cast by capital punishment be enough quell violent crime and those who commit it?  Plus, on a much lighter though no less graphic note, we look at holidays and Sarah's memories of her dad driving the family home from Rome to West Wales, steering with only his knees, a cigar in one hand, a beer in the other, and music blaring to the point where it made both children travel sick. Childhood holidays, it's not all sandcastles and ice cream. On our reading and watch list this week: ·      Great Expectations – Charles Dickens ·      12 Angry Men·      The Kraken Wakes – John WyndhamTo get in touch, email: alas@mailonline.co.uk, you can leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on Whatsapp – on 07796 657512, start your message with the word ‘alas'. Take our show survey at:https://ex-plorsurvey.com/survey/selfserve/550/g517/250305?list=9 Presenters: Sarah Vine & Peter HitchensProducer: Philip WildingEditor: Chelsey MooreProduction Manager: Vittoria CecchiniExecutive Producer: Jamie East A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Buckland Wood is no ordinary wood. This is magical temperate rainforest, a rare habitat not just in the UK but in the world. Cloaked in lush lichens and mosses, dotted with stone walls and bridges and with a beautiful river rambling through, it already looks and feels like a special place. But the Trust has big plans for its future. Join us to explore with rainforest guru Sam, who tells us about the bid to restore this globally important site and its huge potential to connect people with nature, store carbon and boost biodiversity. Hear why temperate rainforests are so special, along with pine marten reintroductions, backpacks on beetles and much more! Don't forget to rate us and subscribe! Learn more about the Woodland Trust at woodlandtrust.org.uk Transcript You are listening to Woodland Walks, a podcast for the Woodland Trust presented by Adam Shaw. We protect and plant trees for people to enjoy, to fight climate change and to help wildlife thrive.  Adam: For today's woodland walk, we are heading into the rainforest, but I am not going very far. Well, I'm going quite far, but not to the Amazon, or South America. I'm going to to the temperate rainforest, which isn't as well known, but is actually even rarer than the tropical rainforest. It's also known as Atlantic or Celtic rainforest. And as I said, exceptionally rare. You do find it on the West Coast of Scotland, North and West Wales, Devon, Cornwall, Cumbria, parts of Northern Ireland, which sounds like a long list, but it really isn't. And what's wonderful actually is that Britain is really the place in the world to find these things. We have a very high proportion of the global area of temperate rainforest. I'm heading to Devon to see some temperate rainforests. Anyway, enough from me. Let's go talk to an expert about Devon's temperate and exciting rainforest.  Sam: So I'm Sam Manning. I'm the project officer for the Woodland Trust Rainforest Recovery Project. We are here in Buckland Wood, which is a new Woodland Trust acquisition on Dartmoor in the Dart Valley.  Adam: Fantastic. And it's it's super new because the place we came down didn't seem to have a sign on it or anything. So when did the Trust acquire this?  Sam: So we've literally just acquired this this month and it's an extension really of two other sites that we own in the Dart Valley, Ausewell Wood, which we bought about five years ago and Grey Park Wood, which we've owned for a couple of decades.  Adam: Right. And and what are we gonna do? Where are you taking me today?  Sam: So we're going to have a walk around the wood and I'm going to show you some of the aspects of the restoration work that we have planned here, we're going to go down to the Dart River, which is a really special river. It's 26 miles long. Very, very ecologically biodiverse, very important for, in terms of temperate rainforest, and look at how we can restore that through various different natural flood management methods.  Adam: Right. Lead on, Sir. So you already mentioned the keyword temperate rainforest. Is that what this is?  Sam: Yeah. So this is sort of prime what we call hyper-oceanic temperate rainforest.  Adam: You just have to say that slowly. Hypo what?  Sam: Hyper-oceanic.   Adam: Hyper-oceanic, OK.  Sam: Yes. So there's there's two different kinds of temperate rainforest broadly. There's southern oceanic, which is any rainforest woodland that receives over 1.5 metres of rainfall a year.  Adam: Right.  Sam: Or hyper-oceanic and that is 1.8 metres of rainfall and above, so slightly techy and scientific. But what it means is is that you get two distinctly different communities of lichens or lower plants, which is what makes these woodlands particularly special.  Adam: Sorry, I've already forgotten. Are we in the rain type of temperate rainforest that gets more rain or less rain?  Sam: More rain.  Adam: More rain.   Sam: Yeah it rains a lot here.   Adam: So that's the the non-oceanic one gets more rain.  Sam: The hyper-oceanic gets a lot of rain, yeah.  Adam: Hyper-oceanic. OK, so you can see I'm a poor student. OK. So, but luckily extraordinary, I mean, it's a bit there's a chill, but it's it has been lovely weather and it's definitely dry today.  Sam: Hmm yeah, this is this is quite strange for Dartmoor really, I think this is sort of the driest March in 60 years or something. So we are we are beginning to experience much, much drier springs and summers, but one of the functions of these rainforests is they are very, very good at producing their own rain and and in 2020, during the COVID lockdown, there was a real blue sky dry sort of drought level day in that March-April period. And I remember walking through this valley in the middle of the day and there was a thunderstorm and that was occurring nowhere else even in Devon or the wider country. And that's because they're effectively these sponges that accumulate a lot of rain in winter, store them, and then produce them more in summer.  Adam: Wow. And and I mean also we we think of rainforests as basically Brazil I suppose. But but we have temperate rainforests in the UK and my understanding is, I mean, they're extraordinarily rare on a, not just the UK, a global level. Just give us a sense of how special and unusual these environments are.  Sam: Yeah, that's right. So they're they're found only on 1% of the earth's land surface. So they are rarer by area than tropical rainforest.  Adam: Right. Do you happen to know? Sorry, are we going down there?   Sam: Down there yeah.   Adam: OK, so 1% temperate rainforests. Do you know what tropical rainforests are to give us a sense of proportion?  Sam: I actually don't know that, but I suspect it's probably around somewhere between 10-15%.  Adam: OK, well, I'm not gonna hold you to that *both laugh* but but that gives us a sort of sense of just how rare these are and tropical rainforests are fairly rare anyway, but OK. So these are very, very unusual environments. And what are you trying to do here then?  Sam: Well, a lot of these temperate rainforests are ancient woodlands, but they are plantations on ancient woodlands, so they are woodlands that have existed in perpetuity for as long as records go back. But a lot of them, as you can see here, have been coniferised, so they would have been cleared of their native tree species like oak, to be replaced by non-native timber crops from places like the Pacific Northwest, which which that's also ironically a temperate rainforest landscape, but those species are not co-adapted to the species we have here. So you you get these plantations that are very, very unbiodiverse, very dark, very shading and really don't work in tandem with a lot of the light-demanding rainforest species that we have, like rowans, hawthorns, oaks, that kind of thing. Of those sites I've talked about, almost half of it is conifer.  Adam: So your your first job, ironically, is to take trees out?  Sam: Well there'll be a sort of two-pronged approach really of using natural processes to diversify the forest, make it more structured, diverse. But we will need to intervene at certain times, particularly if we have really, really rare species. So in Ausewell for example, there's a species of lichen called bacidia subturgidula, so it's got a mad Latin name,   Adam: Wow, OK I'm definitely not saying that *laughs*  Sam: *laughs* But that species, for example, we have a quarter of the entire world's population of that species of lichen in Ausewell.  Adam: Right in Ausewell, which is quite a small place.  Sam: Yeah, exactly. That's about 100 hectares, so...  Adam: And that's a quarter of the global population of this lichen is in that...  Sam: Of that species, yeah. So when it comes to that, it's really about almost surgically intervening.  Adam: That's interesting. Let's let's carry on, you you better lead on, I've no idea where I'm going. So but that's interesting because I I can see planting trees, I've never heard of people actually planting like them, I didn't think that was even possible.  Sam: Yeah. So we call it translocation and and that's really only a last a last sort of nuclear option really when it comes to lichen conservation, if we have a tree where they have a really, really rare form of, a rare population of a species, then moving that to another tree may be the difference between that going extinct or not. But here now we've had this happen, what we're going to be doing is seeding it with those rainforest tree species to start to get that regeneration and there's loads over here.  Adam: What I'm still not clear about is why is the rainforest so special? It might be, oh it gets a lot of rain, who cares? A place gets a lot of rain, so does Wales, so does a lot of bits of London. It's clearly something special, it's not the trees, so what, why is having a temperate rainforest actually a good thing, what makes it special?  Sam: Well, there's there's there's a few different things. One of them is, and this is the real key one we focus on, is the biodiversity value. So the real bad, Britain in general is quite a wildlife poor place. We have quite a low species diversity, but these rainforests are absolute wells of biodiversity globally. The key ones are these epiphytes, so we're talking about lichens, bryophytes, so those are the mosses, liverworts and hornworts. Britain has over 2,000 species of lichen, it's one of the most biodiverse places on Earth in terms of lichen species, so we're really punching above our weight in terms of biodiversity in that sense, and they're only really found in these temperate rainforest habitats.  Adam: And lichen, I love lichen, and it's a real sign of air purity and everything, they're beautiful. How much do they support, like wildlife? I'm not aware of animals feeding off lichen very much, I don't think it has much nutrients in it?  Sam: Not too much at a macro level, but if you were to delve into that microscopic world, they are absolute keystone species in terms of forming the bedrock for so many invertebrates for so much sort of microbes. But they're also functionally, and this is something I'm I'm really passionate about, is looking at these forests in terms of what they can give to us functionally and the environment functionally, they are really good at fixing nitrogen. They're very, very good at fixing carbon, but but so in terms, that's what that's what makes temperate rainforest really good in terms of climate change mitigation is they hold that water, but they also are incredible carbon stores far more carbon is stored in these forests than traditional forests in the UK.  Adam: And that's lichens playing a big role in this?  Sam: A huge part, yeah, because of the pure, like the biomass of those lichens and mosses.  Adam: Ohh interesting. OK, so where are we going?  Sam: So I would quite like to go down to that river.  Adam: I'd love to go down to the river! Can I just ask, we're not going that way, are we??  Sam: No, I think we're gonna, that's one we may drive down, I think.  Adam: Drive down there?? No no we're not going to drive down there, that's not possible! *both laugh*  Sam: Yeah, we might have to go to a scenic detour around.   Adam: OK, well, there let's go down to the river. You have to lead. You look like...  Sam: So I think if we head up back to the car, shoot down, yeah.  Adam: OK. Ohh I see. OK, OK. But we're not driving down this this hill.  Sam: No, no, I think let's go down to the main Dart actually and then you can...  Adam: OK. And then get and get back, OK. Brilliant. We have come down to the river, remind me what the river is called?   Sam: This is the Webburn.   Adam: The Webburn, which leads into the Dart. We are on proper Hobbit territory now. A moss-covered stone bridge over the Webburn. We passed a little a beautiful little cottage, actually there's a number of beautiful cottages here. So explain a bit about where we are.  Sam: So we're stood on the Webburn, the Webburn watercourse and just behind us is the confluence of where it enters the Dart River and this kind of where it feeds into our aspirations for the restoration of the site. It's what many people would consider to be quite a natural looking river or natural looking watercourse. But this really as you can see it's very straight, it's very cut down into into the ground. So we call that incision and that's a product of centuries of draining and of artificial domestication of this watercourse to allow the land around it to be drier, which makes it more kind of productive for forestry.  Adam: So that's not natural?   Sam: No.  Adam: Are you gonna do anything about that? I feel like a teacher, ‘are you going to do anything about that?'!  Sam: *laughs* That that is the plan.  Adam: How how do you change, I mean, the river has cut, therefore quite a a deep edge into the land. What would you be able to do to to change that then?  Sam: Yeah. So a couple of years ago I went out to the Pacific Northwest, Canada, Vancouver Island to see their temperate rainforest and have a look at how old growth sort of ancient temperate rainforests function, but also how they restore them. And they, I asked them to take me to a river that was their best example of a really healthy rainforest river with really good salmon populations with great biodiversity that would have been unaffected by humans. And they took me to a place called Lost Shoe Creek. And and from the bottom of the watercourse where it entered the sea to the head waters, it was, you couldn't see the water. It was absolutely covered in wood, so huge trees that had fallen in, trees bank to bank, pinned against the bank. And what that does is it creates a much more dynamic river system that doesn't go in a straight line, but also holds back a lot of the gravel with the sediment and the silt that in this kind of river is making its way to the ocean. And causing a lot of damage.  Adam: So it's allowing or maybe placing actual dead trees into into the water and we can see one tree's already there, presumably that just naturally fell in.  Sam: That's right. Yeah. So if we left this for 1,000 years, it would fill, it would be effectively be a giant log jam, and we'd start to get a lot of that naturalised process happening. And then you get much more biodiversity because there's more invertebrates in the river, there's more shelter for fish and birds, there's more habitat. But what we're effectively planning on doing is is doing something what people call stage zero restoration, so taking,  accelerating that that thousand-year process and taking it back to a more naturalised river.  Adam: It's such a a spot. I think it's time for a bit of social media video, so I'll film that and you can see that on the Woodland Trust and my sites, and then we'll crack on. Sorry, I know this is really important, but this is an amazing fallen tree over a drystone wall covered in moss, I mean, I just had to stop for a moment. Look, you talked about lichen. I know, I ask you a question then stop you answering it *both laugh*. I love this lichen, it's all on this tree. It is really, really beautiful.  Sam: So this is called seastorm lichen which is one of the few lichens that has actually a romantic sort of English name that isn't Latin.  Adam: Wow. Well, very cool. Whilst you're talking, I'm gonna take a photo. OK. Yeah, go on, seastorm lichen.   Sam: Yeah, and and so a lot of the lichens will, as you can see, grow on the branches where the light is greater. So there's almost a canopy world of biodiversity up there, and what we're doing by increasing the light levels is, is drawing these lichens down to the forest floor by increasing the light levels. But this is a really, really good example of the kind of levels of deadwood we actually want to aspire to. So in, as you can see, in most of the forest, it's completely denuded of deadwood. So we'd be lucky if we get sort of 5 cubic metres of wood per hectare. In the forest of, the temperate rainforests of Canada, they have sort of 600 cubic metres a hectare of deadwood. So you you could barely even move through their forest.  Adam: And that's super, because often people want the deadwood cleared cause you go, ‘oh well it's untidy', but that's a sort of oasis of of biodiversity.  Sam: That's right. It's a whole layer of ecology that we're missing from our forests. And we recently did a study on something called the blue ground beetle, which is a an endemic rare species to temperate rainforests. We didn't know where they went in the day, so we didn't really know anything about them, they're very elusive. They come out at night, walk up the trees, and they reflect the moon off of their blue, kind of shiny carapace. They're our biggest beetle. So we did a study with Exeter University where we put GPS tracking backpacks on them.  Adam: On a beetle?  Sam: On a beetle, to find out where they went. And lo and behold, we found that they were going into these deadwood habitats and so it just it just shone a light on how important increasing deadwood in these forests is for all of those species.  Adam: Amazing. All right. I I do encourage you to follow the Woodland Trust's social media, Insta and all the rest of them and my Bluesky and Twitter or X or whatever it is you wanna do. And I'm now gonna take a photo which hopefully you'll see on any of that social media. So do follow them all. And we're going to take a pause as I pose *laughs*. Right, I'm back from my photographic expedition. Right. So you can answer the question again now about this public debate about access and and what have you. Go on, you lead on whilst we're talking.  Sam: So yeah, Dartmoor is really kind of the centre of gravity for a wider story around public, an increasing demand from the public to access land for wellbeing, recreation, connection to nature, that has been kind of growing here, particularly in this area.  Adam: Right.  Sam: There are, I think we actually sorry, we do need to go that way, I think they've blocked the path.  Adam: OK fair enough.  Sam: We're not having to scramble.  Adam: And I think we're going back to where we came from. Alright. Although that path there looks blocked.   Sam: This one looks good. Yeah.  Adam: Oh OK.  Sam: Go through this end.   Adam: Through the little stone wall. OK. Ruby's following doing social media. Ohh OK. Yeah, sorry, carry on.  Sam: So, I suppose the concern of some people might be that increasing footfall, public access to these really important fragments of temperate rainforest, it could have a damaging effect on the biodiversity here. But the reality is that in order for people to connect with, understand and care about nature, they need to have access to it. And so we need to bring people into these habitats in a sensitive and considered way to educate people about them, but the other key thing is we need to expand these habitats. So we're part of something called the South West Rainforest Alliance. And our goal collectively is to increase the amount of temperate rainforest in Devon and Cornwall, to triple it by 2050.  Adam: OK. I mean that's worth pausing on that for a moment. That's an extraordinary task. I mean it sounds a bit, I have to say I'm a bit sceptical about that, it sounds like you plucked that out the air. How on earth would you get to tripling the cover you've got?  Sam: Well, we think we can do that mostly through buffering existing temporate rainforest, so planting around them which can then make those bigger, better, more connected, but also just by introducing trees into farmed landscapes but not in a way that damages the farming. So agroforestry. But also the inclusion of hedgerows that connect up those fragments and there's been a lot of work that's being done currently in partnership with Plymouth University to model how we would do that effectively.  Adam: And the other thing that strikes me when we talk about ancient woodland, we're talking about, well, we can't create ancient woodlands, the clue's in the name, it's got to be ancient. It is different for temperate rainforests, isn't it? These things which I've heard about are achievable in a relatively short period of time. Is that right?  Sam: That's right. So we think we can create new temperate rainforest within our lifetime. So within a kind of 40-50 year woodland establishment phase and as part of the Rainforest Recovery Project, we have a strand of work that we're calling the temperate rainforest creation trials and that includes long term scientific research to tell us how best we can create rainforest the quickest. So is it doing closed canopy woodlands like this or is it individual trees in farmland? Or is it open space woodlands or maybe even natural regeneration?  Adam: Amazing. We're by the river. Let's move on with our tales from the riverbank. One thing I I wanted to ask you, I arrived here last night. And I met well, an old friend of mine called Chris Salisbury, who runs a local sort of adventure, an ecological company, taking people for adventures in the woods and telling stories and all sorts of really interesting things, and he was telling me two things that he's noted. One is the reintroduction of pine martens which I think is talked about, but also he's seen wild boar in these woods and I've never heard of that. Are those, have have you come across those stories?  Sam: Yes, so we were actually involved in the reintroduction of pine martens last year and that was a partnership between us and Devon Wildlife Trust and various other charities. And and that was a sort of very controlled planned, strategic reintroduction of a species that's been really successful. We've brought the public along with us, and they're now part of that increasingly biodiverse and resilient temperate rainforest landscape.  Adam: Right before we move on to wild boar, just educate me, what is a pine marten? Not sure, not entirely sure I know what one is.  Sam: A pine marten is a mustelid, so it's in the same family as sort of the badger, the stoat, the weasel.   Adam: Right, what's it look like?  Sam: It's it's sort of the size of a small cat, it's brown with a white bib and it looks quite a lot like a weasel, but it's larger, but they're very much arboreal mammals, so they spend most of their time in the trees.  Adam: And were they native to this land?   Sam: Yes they were.  Adam: Hunted out were they?  Sam: Hunted to extinction for their pelts and and things like that. Yeah.  Adam: So you're reintroducing them. How successful has that been?  Sam: That's been really successful. So we've reintroduced 15 animals to Dartmoor last year and we think that that will be enough of a seed population for them to start spreading naturally now.  Adam: OK. And I've heard about what, the reintroduction in other parts of the country of pine martens. Wild boar. A a harder issue I would have thought ‘cause these are quite big beasts?   Sam: Yes.  Adam: Did, did any, presumably the Trust didn't introduce them? No.  Sam: No. So they haven't been, in the same way as pine martens were, formally introduced. There's been more of a sort of natural creep, or in some cases, so there's a term that people use now called ‘beaver bombing', which which people use completely straight faced in a lot of circles now. And that is effectively guerilla reintroduction of species.  Adam: Right. OK. So these are just people who feel that they should be rewilded and just did it without any any authority or talking to the local community they just brought them in?  Sam: Exactly without going through that sort of more defined process.  Adam: And and look, clearly this is not a Woodland Trust policy, so I'm not asking you to defend it, but but the effect of that, I mean, have you noticed anything?  Sam: I think, I mean, it's a huge subject, but I think in general, if you don't bring communities along with you by educating them, by mitigating the effect of a species, it it can damage the movement in in the longer term. The other thing I'd say about boar and those larger sort of herbivores, which would have been a really important part of our ecosystem for diversifying them and keeping that process going, they will really struggle unless we have bigger, better, more connected woodlands that are more natural anyway.  Adam: Right. I understand. So we're just going through talking about this being the rainforest, but it has been amazingly dry in the spring and now you can hear that in the crunchy undergrowth of very dry leaves. You're gonna, I'm I'm an idiot anyway, but I'm concentrating on too many things so I've forgotten the name of the river for the third time *laughs*.  Sam: It's the Webburn.  Adam: The Webburn, why can't I remember the Webburn? All right. We've come down to the Webburn, to the riverbank side. It's beautifully clear this water, isn't it? There I mean it, it's it's wonderful clear. I so want to stand in that and then I'll have wet feet for the rest of the day and the journey back to London. So I'm not going to do that. How much of a threat is this sort of environment under?  Sam: So temperate rainforest once covered about 20% of the UK and they would have clothed our western seaboard which receives that amazing sort of oceanic rainfall and temperature we've been talking about. That's been reduced now to about 2% in the UK.   Adam: OK, from 20 to 2%?  Sam: From 20 to 2, so 90% loss.   Adam: Over what sort of period?  Sam: So we're talking about millennia really. So this is they would have been at their zenith about 5,000, 6,000 years ago during the Bronze Age and that progressive multi-generation story of increasing farming, of draining, of forestry, has led to the fragmentation that we see today. In Devon and Cornwall, we think it would have covered about 75%. That's now been reduced to about 8%. So a similar 90% loss both regionally and nationally.  Adam: And are you optimistic that that's about to change? Are we now seeing a different story?  Sam: I feel really optimistic, but mostly that's because I think we're facing a lot of these holistic problems at the moment around the biodiversity crisis, around climate change, and I think rainforests are an actually incredibly cheap, scalable way of restoring nature, which will help us with the biodiversity crisis, but also protect communities from climate change. By doing some of this rewetting work, by increasing increasing tree cover, we can massively reduce flooding and massively mitigate the effect of drought on our farming and on our communities as it gets worse. We are hoping to raise £2.8 million to help us achieve the goals we have here and and the site will be open once we've achieved that goal towards the end of the year. And people can go to woodlandtrust.org.uk/southwest to find more about that appeal.  Adam: So just repeat that website again so if people want, if they, if you've got your pen or your computer keyboard ready, here is the website to go to.  Sam: Thats woodlandtrust.org.uk/southwest  Adam: And they can learn learn more about it, but also contribute there can they?  Sam: That's right. Yeah. And if they want to learn more about the Rainforest Recovery Project, we are launching a website this week called rainforestrecovery.org.uk.  Adam: So by the time you hear this podcast, all of that will be available to you at the moment I can edit it all together. It is an amazing, amazing site. I am really privileged to be here. What a wonderful place. Sam, thank you very much indeed.  Sam: You're welcome.  Thank you for listening to the Woodland Trust Woodland Walks. Join us next month when Adam will be taking another walk in the company of Woodland Trust staff, partners and volunteers. And don't forget to subscribe to the series on iTunes or wherever you are listening. And do give us a review and a rating. If you want to find out more about our woods and those that are close to you, check out the Woodland Trust website. Just head to the visiting woods pages. Thank you. 

Today we welcome Liam Davies-Jones onto the R2Kast!

Beneath the waves of West Wales lies a complicated network of relationships that determines not only who's belly rolling who, but which calf survives.  Join Katrin Lohrengel and her team at Sea Watch to search for one of the ocean's most loved and misunderstood creatures: bottlenose dolphins.  For the Welsh transcript of this episode please click here. [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure.   Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.   Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.   www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/  Production:   Host: Rosie Holdsworth   Producer: Marnie Woodmeade Sound Designer: Jesus Gomez Discover more:   Find out more about the dolphins in Cardigan Bay: www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/  Did you know , you can see dolphins from the shore at Cardigan Bay? Explore the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty's coastal walks:  www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/strumble-head-to-cardigan  Special thanks to Katrin Lohrengel for extra fact checking work and the whole team at Sea Watch.  Follow Wild Tales on your favourite podcast app or on Instagram @wildtalesnt. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected to our wild world, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk 

Ben James and Steffan Thomas dissect the last weekend of United Rugby Championship, while looking ahead to the Welsh teams' chances in the Challenge Cup last 16. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gareth Rhys Owen sits down with Scarlets back-row Taine Plumtree and Ospreys back-row James Ratti to preview Saturday's West Wales derby.

Send us a textWelcome to the Agegroup Multisport Podcast, on this episode we have the pleasure of speaking with Daniel Evans.Daniel says "I'm a long distance age group triathlete. I grew up in West Wales then went to university in Bristol to study physiotherapy. After graduating I moved to Hull with my partner.Sport background  I grew up playing a lot of rugby (as much as possible), playing for Scarlets under 18's, Carmarthen Quins (welsh premiership) and Hull RUFC (English National 1).  It has always been a dream of mine to compete in Ironman Wales, therefore I made the switch to triathlons. My first triathlon was Ripon triathlon in 2023, then later that year I did Ironman Wales where I came 3rd in age group. In 2024 I moved to Australia and competed in Geelong 70.3, Ironman 70.3 Cairns, Townsville long distance world championships, western Sydney 70.3. Plans for 2025 UTMB Tarawera 52km ultra and Ironman Wales. "hope you enjoy Daniels story.You Can Follow us  onYouTube - AMP GBInstagram @amp_1967Facebook : AMPGBfind all our episodes on our websiteWebsite is : https://agegroupmultisportpodcast.buzzsprout.com/email: agegroupmultisportpodcast@gmail.comIf you are an agegroup athlete and would like to come on the pod, get in touch.

Bailey Van Tassel talks about the art of kitchen gardening. We explore Bailey's seasonal, intuitive approach to growing food at home and discuss insights from her book, Kitchen Garden Living. With a focus on simplicity and sustainability, Bailey shares her thoughts on cultivating a thriving kitchen garden. Links www.baileyvantassel.com Kitchen Garden Living: Seasonal Growing and Eating from a Beautiful, Bountiful Food Garden by Bailey Van Tassel Other episodes if you liked this one: If you liked this week's episode with Bailey van Tassel you might also enjoy this one from the archives: 188: Huw Richards on Veg Growing This week's guest is veg growing expert Huw Richards. Huw grows a vast range of plants in his garden in mid-West Wales and is always trialling and experimenting with new ways of growing. He has an enormously popular YouTube channel and has authored a number of books, the latest of which is ‘The Vegetable Grower's Handbook' which draws on his experience as very much a thoughtful and philosophical gardener. 171: Grow Easy with Anna Greenland This year's first guest is organic vegetable grower Anna Greenland. Anna has supplied produce to some of the UK's top chefs, including Raymond Blanc and Jamie Oliver, has created gardens at Soho Farmhouse, Kew Gardens and the Huntington Botanical Gardens in LA. She is currently establishing a market garden and gardening school in Suffolk and has just released a book called ‘Grow Easy'. Anna talks about working with the best chefs in the best kitchens and catering to their clientele, about producing pristine veg organically, about growing food in different climates and the fundamentals of veg garden success. Please support the podcast on Patreon

Limousin cattle breeder Daf Griffiths sold his family farm in West Wales and upped sticks to move to a farm nearly four times the size in Central France. He talks to us of the great weather, in mid-January, when we are enduring a massive storm, when his cows and calves are already turned out! We discuss the differences, not just in his enviable lifestyle but the type of cattle and the way the French Government looks after their farmers who provide their food.

Today, we delve into the tales of two remarkable Nuffield scholars, Aled Davies and Lorna Davis. Both share their unique perspectives, shaped by years of farming experience and transformative Nuffield journeys.

Mitch McCulloch is redefining how we grow and cook with plants. He's is a former chef, turned seed hunter and gardener, who applies his culinary knowledge when choosing and cooking with the produce he grows. Not only does he select the most diverse and interesting varieties, he gets creative with how he serves up his produce. His new book The Seed Hunter is properly inspiring if you're both a cook and grower and you want to get the absolute most out of your edible plants.  About Mitch McCulloch Author, seed hunter, and gardener with a passion for promoting and preserving rare heirloom food crops. A former chef from London, Mitch has turned his culinary expertise toward a quest to safeguard the rich, diverse flavours our world has to offer. Currently, he explores the globe in search of unique fruit, vegetable and flower seeds, documenting and preserving them to ensure that future generations can experience the delicious heritage and beauty of our past. Through his work, Mitch aims to champion and protect the biodiversity of our food system, one seed at a time. Links The Seed Hunter: Discover the World's Most Unusual Heirloom Plants by Mitch McCulloch Mitch on Instagram: @mitch_grows Other episodes if you liked this one: If you liked this week's episode with Mitch McCulloch, you might also enjoy this one from the archives:  287: Heirloom Vegetables - This episode my guest is former jewellery designer to the stars, turned social media veg grower, Lucy Hutchings. Along with music festival organiser, Kate Cotterill, Lucy set up SheGrowsVeg, an heirloom seed company which is bringing the most unusual veg, fruit, and edible flowers to veg patches and plates everywhere.  188: Huw Richards on Veg Growing - This week's guest is veg growing expert Huw Richards. Huw grows a vast range of plants in his garden in mid-West Wales and is always trialling and experimenting with new ways of growing. He has an enormously popular YouTube channel and has authored a number of books, the latest of which is ‘The Vegetable Grower's Handbook' which draws on his experience as very much a thoughtful and philosophical gardener. Please support the podcast on Patreon

The government has agreed to the use of 3 vaccines within the UK - subject to licence - to try and stop the spread of bluetongue. It follows of confirmation of the infection on a new premises in Yorkshire. Bluetongue is a virus carried by biting midges blown into the UK from northern Europe - it's currently widespread in the Netherlands. It is unpleasant for animals that contract it and can result in death. We get the latest from the UK's Chief Vet.We visit a temperate rainforest in West Wales, where the trees are thick with ferns, lichens and mosses. The expansion of the forest is being funded by an insurance company - so what part should corporate money play in the future of conservation?And if you were looking for a perfect place to grow fruit and veg, the West Highlands of Scotland might not be the first place that springs to mind. But we meet a group of food producers in the Lochaber area, who work together to sell their produce online, and say they're showing that it is possible to grow an impressive variety of fruit and vegetables in the area, despite poor soil, hilly terrain and a wet and windy climate. Their secret? Composting!Presented by Caz Graham Produced by Heather Simons

Rural Wales and rural Scotland face many of the same issues: a lack of affordable housing, limited opportunities for young people and the prospect of rewilding. In this podcast, Helen visits Welsh musician Owen Shiers who lives in a housing cooperative up a long steep track in West Wales. They discuss culture, trees, housing, farming and the nuances surrounding rewilding, and discover that there are many similarities between this area and Scotland.

Welcome to Reel Britannia-a very British podcast about very British movies ...with just a hint of professionalism. Back to 1955 this week and a classic starring Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall The Constant Husband (1955) Charles Hathaway (Sir Rex Harrison) wakes up in West Wales with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. With the help of a Cardiff specialist, he traces his life back to his gorgeous wife and their large London house, so all seems well with the world. But more detective work starts to uncover an alarming chain of further stunning wives and a way of going on that the new Charles finds pretty unacceptable.   "Let me put the issue simply before you. The question really is whether you now say you now believe you were, when you committed these crimes, the man you were before you became the man you say you are now. Is that quite clear?" You can find this and all our previous episodes everywhere you download your podcasts Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod email: reelbritannia@gmail.com #britmovie #reelbritannia #1955 #rexharrison #movie #podcast Thanks for listening! Scott and Steven

‘Cynefin' (pr. kuh-neh-vin) is the creative vision of West Wales native folk musician, Owen Shiers. Fascinated by music and history, it aims to give a modern voice to Ceredigion's rich yet neglected cultural heritage. Starting from his home village of Capel Dewi in the Clettwr Valley and travelling through the local musical landscape, Owen has unearthed seasoned songs and stories, some never before recorded, and given them new life in the present.The result of three years of research and work, his debut album ‘Dilyn Afon' (Following a River) is distinct in its concept and ambition. From talking animals and tragic train journeys – to the musings of star-crossed lovers, farm workers and lonely vagabonds, the album provides a unique window into the past and to a vibrant oral culture of story and song – it moves, probes and reveals forgotten aspects of the tradition, whilst raising questions around our modern malaise of disconnection and rootlessness.As any of you who have listened to the podcast for a while now will know, belonging is a big theme within our work at Rooted Healing, and yet Owen roots belonging back into the true sense of Cynefin and discusses themes worth sitting with at a deep level.  Owen questions our responsibilities in the protection and revival of diversity, in the broadest ecological sense that involves culture, language and story, which is big theme that we are exploring in our online course ‘Deepen Your Roots' and at our upcoming gathering ‘Ancestral', which is the 23rd-28th July in Eryri, North Wales.  So it is especially joyful to bring Owen onto the show as we approach this time in community on home soil.Intro music by the wonderful Bonnie Medicine.Support the Show.

Alt-Text is an image description for those who use screen readers. It is an important accessibility tool that is often misused or is missing entirely, impacting on visually impaired people's experiences when consuming online content. The BBC's Johny Cassidy was instrumental in creating new mandatory training and guidance for journalists so that they can consider and begin to implement meaningful descriptions of images, graphs, maps and graphics etc in the content that they create. The guidance is also available for journalists and content creators outside of the BBC. Johny describes why and how this all came about and Holly Tuke, a visually impaired blogger and content creator, describes how important Alt-Text is to her online experience.Gareth Mainwaring is from West Wales and has recently discovered goalball. It is a sport designed specifically for people with visual impairments and it has had a profound impact on Gareth's life. He and his mum Helen describe how the sport, as well as making Gareth more active, has created more opportunities. If you are interested in getting involved in goalball, you can find details of Goalball UK's taster sessions via the following link: https://goalballuk.com/the-sport/taster-sessions/Presenter: Peter White Producer: Fern Lulham Production Coordinator: David Baguley Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word Radio in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

Connecting rural communities and cutting carbon emissions - a network of car clubs across rural Wales. Caroline Evans visits Llandrindod Wells to hear more.We explore Gwydyr Forest in the Conwy Valley where long-gone lead mines mean the area is now home to around 90 per cent of the world's lead Moss. The Dolphin Diet Detectives project - a new initiative of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales - receives funding to find out what species the bottlenose dolphins of Cardigan Bay are consuming. It involves the collection of dolphin faecal samples - not an easy task - but researchers hope the study will increase our understanding of dolphin and marine conservation in the futureAnd on International Dawn Chorus day, we hear about a new study of nest box-breeding birds by Aberystwyth University, to understand the impact of climate change on competition between birds.

The ladies are back! It's the first session of 2024, and there is plenty to catch up on. After jet-setting to the exotic lands of Paris and West Wales, both Sophiena and Emma have many tales from their travels. Plus there are your secrets about an unfortunate trip to IKEA, keeping caffeinated, and a lesson on how to pass the blame for your bum trumpets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week the UK government announced that around 100 new oil and gas licences for the North Sea will be issued. At the same time the Prime Minister said the government would back two new carbon capture and storage plants, one in Aberdeenshire and one in the Humber. Victoria Gill speaks to Angela Knight, former chief executive of Energy UK, about what this decision means for the UK's aim of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. She then discovers more about the capabilities of carbon capture and storage from Paul Fennell, a professor of clean energy at Imperial College London. Next Victoria travels to the sunnier shores of Spain where orcas have been ramming fishing boats. She speaks to one of the sailors who witnessed an attack. To find out more about the orcas' behaviour, she interviews Dr Luke Rendell, a whale and dolphin expert from the University of St Andrews. We then move to Skomer, off the coast of West Wales. This important seabird colony has recently recorded an avian flu outbreak. Reporter Roland Pease speaks to Lisa Morgan from the Wildlife Trust for South and West Wales. To finish the show Dr Stuart Farrimond is back with the final instalment of his science of gardening series. Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Hannah Robins Research: Patrick Hughes Editor: Richard Collings

Seriah is joined by AP Strange and Anthony Tyler as they take a deep dive in the rare, hard-to-obtain book “Goblin Universe” by Ted Holiday with a substantial forward by Colin Wilson. Topics include dragons and UFOs as symbols or signals, ancient Satanism, Saint Patrick, Celtic mythology, pareidolia, questions about evolution, Anthony's book “Hunt Manuel”, Jersey Monster serial rapist Edward Paisnel, Joan of Arc, Gilles de Rais, reincarnation, emotional trauma and paranormal window areas, John Keel's “The Eighth Tower”, Jungian ideas in the Fortean community, Robert Anton Wilson, Loren Coleman, UK magazine “Fortean Times”, T.C. Lethbridge, a very physical Ted Holiday ghost experience, Jacques Vallee and the “completion of a circuit”, time travel and ghost/poltergeist activity, pre-cognitive dreams, a massive disaster in 1966 Britain and the children who predicted it, the JFK assassination, the Nick Cage movie “Knowing”, gematria, Kenneth Grant, the Jim Carrey movie “The Number 23”, the book “Time Loops” by Eric Wargo, Nostradamus, a bizarre UFO experience, telepathic communication with UFO occupants, Keel's “The Mothman Prophecies, retro-causality, fate/predestination, manifestation and precognition, psi research, poltergeist activity at Point Pleasant, the events at Fatima, the MIB phenomena, free will vs determinism, the exorcism of Loch Ness, Tarot and other divination, the movie “Dark City”, early man and internal dialogue, Holiday's decision not to visit a UFO landing area and a completely bizarre accompanying incident, a circus exorcist, the Bermuda Triangle, the Reverend Donald Omand, the shadow complex of human consciousness, summoning Bigfoot, Loch Ness, Fred Anderson, a very strange MIB encounter, synchronicity and a heart attack, MIB and the Grim Reaper, doppelgangers, Jim Keith, the MIB and high strangeness, shock induction hypnosis, Mary Hyer, bizarre behavior and trance states, the book “The Dyfed Enigma: Unidentified Flying Objects in West Wales”, UFO high strangeness in 1970's Wales, ley lines, astrology, the TV series “Silo”, Alien Big Cats in the UK, cryptid mountain lions in the U.S., Fairies and iron, differing perceptions of the paranormal over time, the Loch Ness “flipper photo”, Sir Peter Scott and Robert Rines, fault lines in the earth, Nessie's scientific Latin name, an Egyptian Marian Apparition, a bizarre encounter with massive eels or sea snakes in the South Pacific, earthquakes and Fortean occurrences, UAP disclosure, ufology and the Phenomenon, Allen Greenfield, ufology as initiation, repeat vs one-off experiences and their meaning, and much more! This is an eclectic, fascinating conversation! - Recap by Vincent Treewell of The Weird Part Podcast Outro Music is Cowboy Matt Hopewell with New Old School Download