Podcasts about West Wales

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. 

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

Big M sits down with Scarlets legend Rupert Moon ahead of the West Wales Derby to discuss what it means to be a Scarlet. Rupert takes us through his career and the impact that West Wales had on him, the importance of this weekends game both in terms of the league but also in terms of pride and what it means to pull on that shirt. #Scarlets #WWD #ScavOsp #Llanelli #URCgo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/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.

Huw and Mart are joined by Scarlets academy coaches Scott Sneddon and Tom Phillips to understand how a kid in Llandovery or Aberystwyth can find their path to playing for the scarlets in the URC. #Scarlets #URC #WelshRugby #Welshrugbypodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Huw and Mart reflect on the loss in the West Wales derby, check in with the Thunder and look ahead to a vital game against the dragons. #Welshrugby #Welshrugbypodcast #ScrumV #Scarlets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.

James speaks to Adam Payne of Awen Organics in Pembrokeshire. Adam is no novice and is now putting his experience to work in a relatively new venture in West Wales, where he has been leading in establishing a 25-acre organic veg farm from the ground up. We talk about the farm's long-term investments in infrastructure and machinery and attempts to scale the business quickly. We discuss developing a strong and diverse market, building a good team and designing efficient growing systems. We also discuss Adam's dreamy pack shed, delve deep into agretti growing and end on the topic of farming with young children. It's an inspirational story so let's get to it.This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.More about James Butterworth and Cotswold Market Garden: https://www.cotswoldmarketgarden.co.uk/This project is part-funded by our podcast partner Ooooby, and our show sponsors ReAgTools, Vital Seeds, and the Biodynamic Agricultural College. We also rely on the generosity of listeners to keep this project going - if you like what you hear and want to hear more of it, please consider donating to our Patreon page on a monthly basis. Find out more here: https://www.patreon.com/TheOrganicGrowerPodcast

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

Dawn Lyle from 4theRegion sits down with experts in environmental assessments and sustainability, to discuss how businesses can get the advice and support they need to decarbonise their operations.  We talk about why this is important from the perspective of supplying into large businesses and public sector organisations, and some of the risks and pitfalls associated with not taking your green credentials seriously.  This roundtable discussion is part of the build up to the 4theRegion Green Economy Conference & Exhibition for South West Wales, taking place in Swansea Arena on Tuesday 19th November 2024. Our Panellists for this conversation were: Alex Ross, Director of Circular Resource Specialists Enock Ebbah from Ebbah Sustainovation Ltd  - Find Enock on LinkedIn Mark Grant from the Welsh Government Sustainable Food & Drink Cluster Maxwell Green from ARCS (Applied Research For Circular Solutions) at Swansea University Leon Edwards, Carbon Solutions Specialist with Auditel Find out more at: https://www.4theregion.org.uk/green-economy-conference-2024/

Welcome to the first of our Round Table discussions leading up to the regional Green Economy Conference on the 19th November at Swansea Arena. In this episode, we dive into community-led housing initiatives that are paving the way for a sustainable and inclusive future in South West Wales. Our Panel: Sarah Foster: Pembrokeshire Community Led Housing Development Officer at PLANED; Jonathan Hughes: Community Led Housing Advisor for Cwmpas; Adam Land: Board Member of Gwyr Community Land Trust, on the Gower Peninsula; Leonie Ramondt and Adrian Lester, from Swansea Co-Housing. Together, they discuss the vision of affordable, sustainable homes in cohesive neighbourhoods and the challenges of making this vision a reality amidst the current property market and land use issues. From rural to urban settings, our panel explores alternative ways of building, living, and fostering community spirit. And please register your place at the Green Economy Conference on 19th November 2024: https://www.4theregion.org.uk/green-economy-conference-2024/

The boys dive into the West Wales teams this week, starting with the news of Toby Booths' final season at the helm and working their way through both squads and their seasons expectations. They finish with Harleys views on the Welsh Womens game against Scotland - no punches pulled! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

The Capital of Craft Season 5, Wales Special To celebrate the first Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle, I had a lovely conversation with textile artist and surface pattern designer, Sophie Snow. Born and bred near Cardigan, West Wales, Sophie lives in St Dogmaels and makes contemporary quilts.  I loved hearing about her creative family and how she is passing down her passion for making to her own children. You can meet Sophie at Craft Festival Wales from September 6-8th 2024.  Sophie will also be speaking at The Capital of Craft LIVE at Craft Festival about her practise.  Join us in Cardigan. www.craftfestival.co.uk Sophie Snow 

This week we sat down with Rich 'Rico' Martin and discussed his athlete coaching business, social media, growing up in the seaside town of Aberystwyth, early struggles of fatherhood, fears and of course, a few tangents along the way! Thank you to this weeks sponsor : Total Plumbing in Aberystwyth. A Welsh family-owned plumbers' merchant with 17 branches across South and West Wales and are part of the LBS group. Selling all types of plumbing & heating and also have a bathroom showroom where we all budgets are catered for. They have a great local team willing and waiting to help. Pop in to see them or call 01970 606040 or email them: Aberystwyth@total-plumbing.com. #coaching #podcast #mensmentalhealth #mentalhealth #athelete #mountainbiking #parenting #fears #business #personaltrainer #plumbing #interview #funny

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.

Send us a Text Message.Join us as we learn about the benefits of cold water therapy combined with breathwork, with Jen Bailey-Hobbs at the beautiful Seedlings Retreats in West Wales.Jen expertly guides Gwen and Kate through their first ice bath experience. And it just so happens that they had their mics switched on… so brace yourself for splashes, a lot of huffing and puffing, and the occasional squeal. Jen then sets listeners a challenge that they can do in the comfort (or not!) of their own homes.Jen is an international breathwork instructor, cold water therapist, restorative yin yoga teacher and reiki master. Find out more about Jen and Seedlings Retreats and Holidays here: www.seedlingsretreatsandholidays.com/ Check out Jen's instagram for more content: www.instagram.com/breathe.2.bee/A huge THANK YOU to Jen and the team at Seedlings Retreats for looking after us so wonderfully. We would highly recommend you go and experience it for yourselves!We also mention the following Right Up My Podcast episodes, that link in to what we talk about here:The Importance of Rest: rightupmy.buzzsprout.com/1337593/14946320-ep-53-the-importance-of-rest-with-claudia-hammondThe Vagus Nerve: rightupmy.buzzsprout.com/1337593/14768909-ep-51-the-vagus-nerveBreathwork (Parts 1 & 2): rightupmy.buzzsprout.com/1337593/13443770-ep-46-breathwork-part-1 & rightupmy.buzzsprout.com/1337593/13541487-ep-47-breathwork-part-2Thank you to our team:Music - Andrew GrimesArtwork - Erica Frances GeorgeSocial Media - Kate BallsIf you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe, share with your friends and leave a review. It takes less than 60 seconds and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. Thank you!Join the RUMP Club! Support the team and access exclusive content from as little as £3 p/month at: https://www.patreon.com/rightupmypodcastOr, if you'd like to make a one-off donation, you can buy us a virtual coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/rightupmyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rightupmy/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552599655093TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rightupmypodcast

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.

All of us—well, many of us—are backyard gardeners. And it's planting season. Backyard gardens are not immune from the impacts of violent and unpredictable weather or the longer-term effects of climate change.  Join host Ronnie Lipschutz for a conversation with Kim Stoddart, editor of Amateur Gardening and author of The Climate Change Resilient Vegetable Garden—How to Grow Food in a Changing Climate.  She lives and gardens in West Wales, where weather conditions are not always optimal.  Kind of like California.

In this final episode of this Poetry Of Wales series, we discuss our community created poetry projects on unsung heroines of West Wales, football, witchcraft and ritual and a tribute to Llandeilo from its local creatives.

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.

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." --Benjamin Franklin We think we've covered both bases in this episode. Jacqueline has written something worth reading, and The Lighting & Darkness Foundation and The Soft Lights Foundation are doing something worth writing about - or at least talking about. Michael and his new co-host, Mark Baker, chat with Jacqueline about our innate fear of the dark and it's value to humanity and the environment. Jacqueline Yallop is the author of three novels and four works of creative non-fiction. She is currently working on a collection of short stories. She lives in West Wales where she teaches creative writing at Aberystwyth University. Jacqueline is an award-winning author of fiction and creative non-fiction, described as a ‘writer of rare fine judgement and delicacy'. Her latest book, Into the Dark, is out in November 2023 (London: Icon Books): it looks at darkness in all its forms, in science, literature, art, philosophy and history. Her novel, Obedience (London: Atlantic) was nominated for the Man Booker Prize. Big Pig Little Pig (London: Figtree) a memoir, was Radio 4 Book of the Week. Her work has been translated into several languages. 

Robin Clevett brings you his interview with CITB CEO, Tim Balcon at SkillBuild and asks what they're trying to achieve with SkillBuild as well as how training and education could be improved for trade and construction, across the UK. Robin also talks with Huw Thomas, who has three finalists competing from his colleges in West Wales and finds out why SkillBuild is so important in implementing their learner experiences

Welcome to Episode 263 of the Make it British Podcast!Today I'm chatting to Clare Winton from Grow Wild Outdoorwear, a new brand for women in pregnancy and the early stages of motherhood.Clare had the idea to develop her maternity brand three years ago, and started, as many start-ups do, by searching Google to find a manufacturer. This led her to a frustrating two years trying to develop her collection in China.She then stumbled across Make it British, and I introduced her to factories in the UK who she's been partnering with ever since.Clare provides valuable advice on conducting customer research, navigating the challenges of garment production and the importance of face-to-face interactions with your manufacturer.ABOUT CLARE WINTONClare Winton is the founder of Grow Wild Outdoorwear, a range of outdoor clothing and accessories for pregnancy and early motherhood.After a semi-feral childhood growing up in West Ireland, she now lives in wild West Wales. She has spent 15 years working as a Quality Assurance Auditor, has a PhD in population genetics and is a volunteer trained Samaritans "Listener". Her outdoor passions include exploring local mountains and camping with her family.Grow Wild Outdoorwear websiteGrow Wild Outdoorwear on InstagramHANDY LINKSBritish Brand AcceleratorMake it British WebsiteYouTubeInstagramRate This Podcast

Artistic director and CEO of The Barn Theatre in Cirencester, Iwan has established himself as a leading light of regional theatre. Growing up in West Wales, it was all about rugby, but an epiphany took him down a different path and into West End Theatre. The Barn is considered one of the very best of the UK's regional theatres, and talking to Iwan we gain a glimpse into why. In this episode, Iwan shares his deep knowledge of leadership and the importance of operating with passion as he talks about the modern face of British Theatre.

Back in March, to mark 20 years of the Today guest editors we gave people the chance to apply in teams to make a programme with us. Thousands of you applied and this summer we have been featuring programmes guest edited by those successful teams of listeners. In the last in the series Vince, Fiona, Derek and Lucas invited us to Tenby in West Wales. For their programme they wanted us to look at what happens when the tourists go home from towns like theirs. They don't think we spend enough time thinking about the challenges that face coastal communities, not just in Tenby, but across the UK.

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

Born in the first decade of the twentieth century, siblings Martha (known as Patti) and Griffith Thomas lived together their entire lives. By 1976 both Patti and Griff were retired and, although relatively wealthy, they led a simple and frugal life in their farmhouse near Llangolman, West Wales. In December that year the siblings were both found dead in their home in mysterious circumstances. An investigation was carried out but the answers it produced did not satisfy many local people. Over the last decade or so there have been several developments, including a connection to a Welsh serial killer and the surfacing of new, potentially vital information. This led Dyfed Powys police to announce in October 2022 that they were re-examining evidence in the case.Become a supporter of the show!Sources: For a full list of sources please see the Facebook page.https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/28/the-killer-could-still-be-among-us-two-elderly-siblings-and-a-brutal-that-mystifies-locals-nearly-50-years-BBChttps://www.bbc.co.uk › news › uk-...BBChttps://www.bbc.co.uk › news › uk-...Griff and Martha Thomas: Forensic review into 46 year-old deathsDaily Mailhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk › newsBullseye killer John Cooper linked to a historic double murdergreglewisinfo.comhttps://greglewisinfo.com › the-bull...The Bullseye Killer – and the Llangolman deaths - Greg LewisTivyside Advertiserhttps://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk › ...Police reopen investigation into Ffynnon Samson deathsNorth Wales Livehttps://www.dailypost.co.uk › newsTop expert suspects killer is linked to deaths at farmhouseSouth Wales Guardianhttps://www.southwalesguardian.co.uk › ...Pembrokeshire murderer's name 'not ruled out' of Llangolman deathsWestern Telegraphhttps://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk › ...Ffynnon Samson deaths: Vigil held for Griff and Patti ThomasWales Onlinewww.walesonline.co.ukThe five other unexplained deaths linked to Pembrokeshire Murders killer ...Daily Mailhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk › newsBullseye killer John Cooper linked to a historic double murderPromoSupport the showFollow Persons Unknown: Instagram and FacebookEmail: personsunknownpod@gmail.comWebsite with Transcripts:https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

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!

PROG Rock Podcast - Pete Bingham from Sendelica talks to Phil Aston Sendelica are based in West Wales, UK. A unique instrumental psyche-space-rock band whose work blends early psychedelic outings, occasional heavy riffing, and electronic ambient musings. The core band in UK is currently: Pete Bingham on guitars & electronics, Glenda Pescado on bass, Jack Jackson on drums, Lee Relfe on sax and Colin Consterdine on beats and synths "Imagine the Doors are having a jam with Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Iron Butterfly and Blue Cheer while the vocalists are having a drink in the local bar" Phil Aston or "Imagine standing at the top of the stairs of a music club in 1973, the music is rising up through the stairwell to meet you. It is drawing your down the stairs to meet it, the room is dark with with only the outlines of the musicians on stage being visible. The music rides on a sea of synths, the tracks extended across whole side of orange vinyl. This is Sendelica...." Phil Aston Phil Aston : Now Spinning Magazine Become a Subscriber and help support Now Spinning Magazine Get to see all our videos before they are released to the public. Access to exclusive video and photo content Special offers on Now Spinning Merch (coming soon)

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

We talk all things Vision Boarding, in this special episode that features insights from not one, not two, but three vision boarding experts. Artist Di Ford runs vision boarding and mindful collaging workshops in West Wales. In this episode she joins Gwen and Kate in Gwen's kitchen, to help them create their very own vision boards.Artist and writer friends Jodi Jones and Laura Hailstone founded Dream, Play, Create, and have been running vision boarding workshops for many years, both in person and online. They share various exercises that can help you get the most out of your vision boarding experience.To find out more about Di and her work head to diford.com or check out her instagram @di_ford_. Di offers bespoke Collage Art Experiences for corporate wellbeing away days, team building events, brand launches and much more. If you are interested in collaborating with Di she can tailor the event to your exact needs, down to the last detail. Get in touch via hello@diford.com To find out more about Jodie and Laura's vision boarding workshops head to facebook.com/dreamplaycreate/ Dream, Play, Create design and run vision board and creative workshops for individuals and businesses.In this episode we also mention our Gardening for Wellbeing episode, which can you listen to here: rightupmy.buzzsprout.com/1337593/11836273-ep-34-gardening-for-wellbeingAnd Gwen finally gives the details re: this book: Gut: The Inside Story of our Body's Most Underrated Organ, by Giulia EndersThank you to our team:Editor - Pammy MuirMusic - Andrew GrimesArtwork - Erica Frances GeorgeIf you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. Thank you!Join the RUMP Club! Support the team and access exclusive content from as little as £3 p/month at: https://www.patreon.com/rightupmypodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rightupmy/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RightUpMy

Over the last fortnight fire crews across the UK have been tackling wildfires as dry weather and high temperatures combine. Experts says they're going to become more frequent. We ask how land can be managed to help avoid them in future. Rural communities often lack a decent broadband connection. Under the government's levelling up agenda there is a commitment to connect parts of rural Britain to ultra fast broadband, through Project Gigabit. As part of the scheme, homes and businesses can apply for up to £4,500 to help to cover installation costs. The money is applied for on behalf of the customer by a broadband supplier, often a smaller, independent network provider but many of them are under financial pressure. People living in West Wales are now calling for urgent action because the company that was supposed to connect them, went into administration. All week we're looking at sheep. Farmers in Scotland having been taking part in a trial where sheep are used to control giant hogweed - an invasive alien plant which can overwhelm native plants by its vigorous growth. Its sap is also toxic to human skin, leaving blisters and long term sensitivity to UV. Sheep however love nibbling it and are being used to stop it spreading. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

In 1977 a series of UFO and humanoid sightings would capture the headlines in and around West Wales. Sightings of cigar shaped objects and saucers became common place. On Ripperstone farm, the Coombs family were plagued by a number of curious incidents, which included UFOs, encounters with tall spacemen, disembodied hands, and men in black. These events would mirror themselves at the Haven Fort Hotel, where Rosa Grenville and her family were likewise visited by strange figures and men in black suits. Some would come to call it The Dyfed Enigma, others the Terror Triangle or The Welsh Triangle, and even the Broad Haven Triangle. But whatever you want to call it, what you're about to hear is very strange and frightening. The music featured in this episode is by The Night Monitor. You can check out all of his music on Bandcamp, Apple Music and Spotify. Sources: The Dyfed Enigma: Unidentified Flying Objects in West Wales by Randall Jones Pugh & F.W. Holiday The Welsh Triangle by Peter Paget The Uninvited by Clive Harold “Broad Haven School Report” by Randall Jones Pugh, Flying Saucer Review, Vol 23, No 1, January-February 1977 “Schools ‘singled out'” by Staff Writer, The BUFORA Journal, Vol 6, No 1, May/June 1977 “Report–Extra! From hedge-hoppers to humanoids…!” by Norman Oliver, The BUFORA Journal, Vol 6, No 2, July/August 1977 “The Little Haven Humanoids” by Randall Jones Pugh & F.W. Holiday, Flying Saucer Review, Vol 23, No 2, March-April 1977 “Humanoid Encounter at Rainford” by Jenny Randles, Flying Saucer Review, Vol 26, No 6, November-December 1978 “Stack Rocks Humanoid Display” by Randall Jones Pugh, Flying Saucer Review, Vol. 26, No 6, November-December 1978 The Broad Haven Triangle UFO Sightings: The Welsh Triangle - A National Geographic Documentary The Ripperston Farm Extraterrestrials - The Paranormal Scholar Theme song: "Ufo" by Floats, available on Soundcloud, iTunes and Spotify Logo designed by Megan Lagerberg T-Shirt Designs by The Great Desdymona Welcome UFO People Prints Are Now Available!  Check out ourstrangeskies.com for all things related to the podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gruffudd Lewis is a former pro cyclist from West Wales who has turned his attention to triathlon. As a cyclist, he won numerous Welsh National titles, including National Road Race and Cyclocross Champion. He's now set up his own team, Caffi Gruff, named after the cafe-come-bike shop he owns. He's also Trainee Directeur Sportif for a cycling team. In triathlon, he was part of Kristian Blummenfelt's successful sub7 attempt. He completed his first triathlon at Ironman Wales in 2022 in 10h 43min, on very little triathlon specific training. He's keen to see what he's capable of in the world of multi-sport. You'll hear:08:00 Gruff's background and how he got into cycling. He got a road bike when he was 15 or 16, so he could get into the nearby town from the village he lived in. He joined the local club and started time trialling. But he left it behind for a period as an older teenager, but came back to it when he was 20. 12:00 How hard is it to make a living from cycling when you're not the top cyclist in the world? 'I was just completely obsessed and I was in a massive rush to be good.' Riding for British teams as a domestic pro at the UCI continental levels, you could earn between £20-30,000 year. 17:00 Why is cycling struggling so much at the moment? Gruff says it comes down to money and people don't have hundreds of thousands of pounds they might not get anything back from. 20:30 We talk about his team 'Caffi Gruff' and why he started it up. 25:00 How did Gruff end up doing Ironman Wales for his first ever triathlon? He did 2.5 months training for it (but was very bike fit!) He talks about how he prepared for the running, having spent so much time on the bike as a professional cyclist. "I ran an hour but I knew my bike fitness would carry me through." I just to hit enter again for 2023. 30:00 We talk about the idea of individual training versus training in a group and talking goals out loud and juggling everything. 'Triathlon is easier to do than just cycling.' 32:00 How is Gruff's first year away from the professional cycling world and looking towards more triathlon races? "It's not everything, getting stuff for free. It's definitely been a change this year. The memories of the training camps are some of my favourite memories, when there's no pressure and you're not in a gutter in Belgium." 38:00 Is there anything Gruff would take from the World of cycling into the world of triathlon? 41:00 We talk about the sub7 project and how Gruff ended up getting involved with it. "It was one of the highlights of my year." "KB is one of the most ordinary blokes but he's one of the most hardworking athletes I've ever met."45:00 Would Gruff like to try and be a pro triathlete? 'I'm definitely not doing anything now in my mid-thirties that I don't enjoy doing.'47:00 Gruff shares his tips for descending and bike handling. 53:00 We talk doping - Gruff shares his thoughts on it. Find out more about this week's guest:Gruff Lewis InstagramCaffi Gruff websitePodcast SponsorsForm Swim are sponsoring the podcast on a bi-weekly basis so you can hear the best interviews in triathlon each week. FORM Swim - 15% off smart swimming goggles. Like what you heard?Let me know! Connect with Inside Tri Show across Social Media, just search Inside Tri Show or click on the icons belowGET YOUR HANDS ON AN EXCLUSIVE...

Climate resilient gardens are a feature of this month's Chelsea Flower Show, but how can the experts help the typical British gardener prepare for the future? To find out, botanist James Wong asks whether the way we garden could protect us against the effects of climate change, and if we can protect our gardens against more unpredictable weather patterns? James joins Chelsea designer Tom Massey as he chooses plants for a mould breaking show garden. He learns tips for dealing with more unpredictable conditions at the Royal Horticultural Society's flagship Wisley garden, and from climate savvy gardener Kim Stoddart in West Wales. In the heart of London, amid the brutalist concrete of the Barbican centre, James meets Professor Nigel Dunnett, and considers how plants could make human habitats more liveable during heatwaves and heavy rain. Producer: Sarah Swadling

From November all fishermen will have to get a medical fitness certificate to continue fishing, even those on boats that are under 10 metres long. The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations says livelihoods will be lost and that fishermen will have to prove a higher standard of fitness than ambulance and HGV drivers. The government says the certificates are required by international law and aim to save lives. The West Wales coastline has been well known for its shellfish and traditional fishing pots since the 19th century, and many boats have been passed down through families, but there now seems to be a shortage of the next generation of shell fishers. We visit Solva in Pembrokeshire to find out more. A Herefordshire farmer has been sentenced to a year in prison for what the judge described as ‘ecological vandalism on an industrial scale' of the River Lugg. The river, a site of special scientific interest, was dredged, woodland cut down and the banks flattened destroying otter, kingsfisher and salmon habitats. Natural England and the Enviroment Agency welcomed the sentence and said the damage was the worst case of riverside destruction they'd ever seen. John Price admitted seven charges of damaging a stretch of the River Lugg in Herefordshire, including failing to stop pollution entering the water. All this week we're talking about our land - who owns it, what they're doing with it, and how that's changing. One idea that's taken hold is for polluting companies to pay for trees to be planted in their name - to 'offset' their carbon footprint. One Somerset removals company has gone a step further: they've bought land which they're rewilding with native trees. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

As part of our series of programmes making the 900th anniversary of St David's international recognition, presenter and pastor Jonathan Thomas tries out a day in the life of St David. Jonathan's own contemporary religious traditions are quite different from the ancient practices of a Celtic saint. As he visits key locations in West Wales connected with David, and follows in his footsteps and practices (or their present-day equivalents) - what will he make of life lived in the style of a 6th century monk? And what will today's West Walians make of him? In this programme, Jonathan tries cold water immersion, street preaching, contemplative practices and more. Helping him along the way are St Davids' Cathedral librarian Mari James; Archdeacon of Ceredigion and dairy farmer Eileen Davis; and chaplain at the University of Wales Trinity St David, Emma Whittick. No day in the life of a saint is complete without a trusty band of followers: Jonathan is joined for part of the programme by students from Trinity St David's Lampeter Campus, and conducts some of his saintly duties in the contemplative environment of the campus' chapel, refectory and library.

Hello everyone and welcome to this week's Nurtured by Nature Monday Mini Episode, designed to be a little snippet of connection to kickstart your week.To celebrate the first month of our journey together with the Nurtured by Nature Podcast, I thought it was an appropriate time to properly introduce myself to you all. In this week's episode I invite you to join me as I answer the question I tend to kick off all my guest episodes with "What is your nature story? How has your relationship with nature influenced your life and how has this evolved over time?" In this first part of a two part answer (part two will be released next week in episode 12) I share how nature has been an intrinsic part of my life for as long as I can remember, from my early childhood watching nature documentaries narrated by David Attenborough, to learning to observe, appreciate and enjoy the wildlife, birds and plants that surrounded us at home and on our family holidays in West Wales. My love of nature deepened as I discovered photography and has evolved alongside my passion for horses. When two of my horses suffered serious illnesses, and one almost died, I began to further explore the incredible world of complimentary and alternative medicine, searching for ways to support them when conventional medicine had no answers. My horses have been both my inspiration and greatest teachers as I have delved into learning about herbs, essential oils, flower essences, homeopathy, nutrition, reiki and many other modalities. I am always amazed by how much there is to learn and humbled by how little we know, but left excited by the new developments and understanding that is being gained on a regular basis. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me, please Subscribe to make sure you don't miss our future episodes, and share with your friends to help these messages ripple out across the world. More information about the Nurtured by Nature Podcast and our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography WebsiteConnect with us and join the conversation on social media:Instagram @FionaMacKayPhotographyFacebook @FionaMacKayPhotographyTwitter @FiMacKay

What is the true cost of food in a world facing war, inflation, and climate change? Jonathan Thomas discusses the ethics of food production with a panel of guests: Elizabeth Myendo is Tearfund's lead for disaster management in Southern and East Africa; Gerald Miles is an organic farmer based near St Davids; Victoria Shervington-Jones is a poultry farmer based near Newport, whilst Simon Bowkett is a chaplain and an upload beef and sheep farmer based in West Wales. In Britain, as in many other parts of the world, we have become accustomed to a ready supply of food on supermarket shelves at all times of the year, and at low prices. But with rising inflation - affecting not only consumers pockets but farmers' overheads - that situation may no longer continue. Combined with the effects of global warming and the climate crisis, some countries in Eastern Africa are facing severe droughts and catastrophic crop failure. And nearer home, the pressures on farmers are intense. Jonathan Thomas discusses the ethics food production and the extent to which Biblical teaching can give encouragement to growers.

Alison White's intense psychological thriller set over twenty four hours on a remote island wildlife reserve. The island reserve, home to hundreds of thousands of breeding Manx shearwater birds that are hunted at night-time by predatory black-backed gulls, is managed by warden Wilf who lives there with his partner Ruth and young daughter Lily. Ruth arrived on the island three years previously, escaping from traumatic events in her past. But Ruth holds a secret and unbeknown to her, someone is coming, someone who has the power to rip her new life apart. As the threat and danger intensifies, distressing memories surface and Ruth is forced to take drastic action to protect herself and the people she loves. The drama features field recordings made on Skomer Island, including the night-time arrival of Manx shearwaters, and uses 3D binaural audio; please listen on headphones for a more immersive experience. RUTH.....Rosalie Craig WILF.....William Ash SETH.....Rupert Hill LILY.....Lily Mitic Written by Alison White Sound design by Steve Brooke Directed by Nadia Molinari A BBC Audio Drama North Production With special thanks to the wardens of Skomer Island and the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. BBC Action Line Support: Domestic abuse: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3FQFSnx6SZWsQn3TJYYlFNy/information-and-support-domestic-abuse Sexual violence: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/22VVM5LPrf3pjYdKqctmMXn/information-and-support-sexual-abuse-and-violence Stalking: www.stalkinghelpline.org Bereavement: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4MmhHDSbdDmTpVJhBs2v4Py/information-and-support-bereavement