Episode 45 - From raised beds to Japanese artists

Being British Jamie and I just had to chat about the weather but it had allowed me to get out in the garden over the weekend. Jamie approves my of new raised beds and I explain the reason for posting so many photos on Instagram of each stage. I bring up one of my bug bears that I'm also guilty of the over use of the word 'So'! So when did we start answering every question with 'So'? We also chat about how complicated the house buying system is here and how stressful it can be. Finally I ask Jamie about his Japanese artwork and what has it inspired him to do, or should that be that he has got his Mum to do?

Episode 44 - From overnight accommodation issues to Patreon 

Clive and I spent a couple of nights away in pub type accommodation, one of which was holding a private event with our room right above it nothing like loud music and disco lights when you're wanting an early night! Jamie and I discuss if you should be pre-warned on booking. The next day, with little sleep, we visited Rushmere Country Park well worth a look. Jamie and I also chat about car parts, his briquettes plus his 6 year experiment with YouTube and how to make a living from social media. Jamie has now decided to join Patreon and we discuss various ways of using it. Nothing is ever as simple as it looks when your not technically minded!

Episode 43 - From episodes in time to vices (of the woodworking kind!)

As my son was born on this day I can recall every detail about day, even the weather. Jamie and I chat about 'time lining' and how we use specific incidences to pin point when things happened and cross reference that with others. Jamie gives an update on his next briquette experiment and I'm happy to have news of some progress on our subsidence issue and all that it will involve! Jamie asks about the garden and how it's progressing which leads me on to talking circular saws. Jamie clarifies do I mean chop saw? Mitre saw? And needing a saw for several jobs has made me realise I really need a vice and ask Jamie's advice on what to buy. 

Episode 42 - From sleep and books to resin and socks! 

Jamie overslept and we chat about how important sleep is to our minds and bodies. Other conditions are misdiagnosed and are actually symptoms of being sleep deprived. I tell Jamie about the book I was given for my birthday following the webinar I had booked onto. Jamie asks about the type of books I read which includes fiction and non fiction, particularly biographies. 

I wanted to talk about the use of resin, which seems to be growing in popularity - both in items for the home and driveways. We had considered it for our drive but after researching a bit more realised it was just adding more 'plastic/micro plastic' to the world! Jamie has a similar his view on it as well. And finally Jamie talks socks - thin ones and alpaca ones!  

Episode 41 - From car parts to car insurance. 

Having had an 'advisory' for new brake pads on its service I booked our car in to get them replaced only to discover we need a new caliper as well! The price of parts has rocketed and Jamie and I discuss the pros and cons of new cars, buying them on finance and how buyers can be left horrified at costs to replace basic parts like tyres! We discuss the knock on impact of these rising costs as to why everyone's car insurance has increased so much. Jamie has also been busy repairing his daughter's car and he buys parts, after doing lots of research on the internet to save money. We chat about the need for things to be more sustainable and I talk about my other podcast where I've chatted to Sarah a young entrepreneur about sustainable fashion. 

Episode 40 - From Happy New Year to drying logs for a project.

I explain why I don't do new year's resolutions but take time to reflect on the year gone and what I did achieve rather than what I didn't. Too many people end the year thinking about those things they didn't achieve! Jamie asks me about going for my walks without a dog and I explain how it still means I get to chat to people and have made new friends. Jamie says he loves to be around less people these days and enjoys the time to himself. I've had an idea of how I want to use a pile of logs that we have in the garden for a project and seek Jamie's expert advice on how best to dry them. Seems a lot of patience is involved to get it right before I use it to work with. 

Episode 39 - From Scams to flame throwing on furniture!

I relate the story of very nearly falling for a scam whilst advertising my refurbished furniture on FB Marketplace. As a result of multiple attempts at the same scam I've deleted the adverts and going to research another avenue to sell them that feels much better to me. Jamie has had a fun time with a flame thrower as a new way to transform / finish his furniture turning the wood black! And on the same theme of fires and flames he has been contacted by someone in America wanting to find out more about his composting coffee and wood shavings that they can then implement with their city waste! 

Episode 38 - From technology and AI to Conkers laundry liquid! 

Jamie has had a video on YouTube suddenly get a lot of views and how a chat with someone made him realise he was earning a mini pension from it. We discuss how fast things can change and what we think may earn us money in our old age with social media may well not exist with the way technology marches with things like AI taking over a lot of roles. With all the electric we now need or will need we swap stories about log burners and the future - will it involve returning to the things we did in the past? Gill admits even she's surprised she's turning into an up-cycler and eco warrior - using conkers to make laundry liquid thanks to Nancy Birtwhistle! 

Episode 37 - From Sleep to Washing Machines

Jamie and I both listened to Diary of a CEO's podcast with Tim Spector on ultra processed foods and how this impacts on our lives these days. As we discuss modern life I talk about a webinar I attended all about sleep. How sleep deprived most of us are these days which results in all sort of issues from mis-diagnosis to depression. I learnt how some of the things we think will help us sleep are actually myths. Jamie mentioned at the start of the podcast that he has a story about his washing machine! So to end the podcast he tells his tale of woe that actually ends up with a good outcome for the planet and no new washing machine purchased. 

Episode 36 - From Click Bait to Balance

Jamie joked about our number of listeners and decided we aren't using the right title to create click bait to increase numbers! He explains why click bait is so important and how he has fallen prey to it on YouTube many times only to find the video is terrible - so it does work! Many of the videos are created with great technical knowledge and how long it would take us to achieve similar! We chat about how angry people seem to be all over the world these days and how many additional stresses we now deal with. I think it's important to find more balance in things that happen to us and life in general. Anyway we're checking out our click bait title to see what happens!  

Episode 35 - From the weather and tomatoes to friendship groups

Being typically British Jamie and I start by chatting about the weather and how it's creating challenges over the last couple of years for us growing veg! Jamie's tomatoes haven't been ripening and he's discovered that he shouldn't be watering them as much so I give him some extra tips to speed up the process. We finally get round to chatting about friends and friendship groups and how they can change and the stresses that they can create. Jamie says he doesn't really have many friends as he has big family whereas I chat about how I see friends move in and out of my circles - sometimes in a close circle others further away. 

Episode 34 - From inspirational (or maybe not) to comparisons

I've been thinking about what does inspirational mean for me and maybe others. I chat with Jamie about how people can see things very differently: one person posts about how they've coped in a 'trying time' in the belief it will 'inspire' others but it can actually make some people feel worse about themselves. How this can lead us to compare ourselves with others without really knowing the other person's full story. Jamie bought himself a 'pre-loved' jacket at the weekend and says how he's been comparing it to the prices of new ones which aren't for him. Will his purchase unintentionally inspire others to buy 'pre-loved' items?  

Episode 33 - From de-cluttering to different points of view 

Jamie has been busy sorting out, organising and de-cluttering which has left him with a dilemma about what to do with the items. He has a complete set of classic novels but as a set not worth very much, however after some research selling them individually they are worth more. Or does he offer them to his daughters? We chat about the problem of sorting things out when someone has died and doing it now with our own 'stuff'. 

Jamie had reached 2992 subscribers and I commented that I wanted him to get another 8 subscribers and we talked about our  different points and how they are important to recognise in people to be able to understand them better.   

Episode 32 - From Women only retreats to men only spaces

Continuing on from our 'men only' discussion in episode 31 we are joined by Honor Davis-Marks who runs a women only online membership club and retreats at her gites in the South of France. Honor shares what she thinks works for women and how her retreats are as much a holiday as a safe place to share stories and feelings - interestingly enough often around the table at meal-times. She's had men commenting how they would love to have a similar experience - but is this the answer or is it far more complex?  We cover a range of thoughts and ideas. IG @honestlywithhonor 

Episode 31 - From boxes to 'men only' retreats. 

Jamie and I talk all things boxes. From Jamie making memory boxes and frames to me remembering when I worked in a cardboard box factory and Tiny Tears! Jamie remembering his Dad and the emotions that brings leads us into chatting about what prevents men from opening up and talking about their concerns and feelings in the way women do? What sort of environment would encourage them to do open up? A "Men Only' type retreat or is it easier when based around different activities? 

Episode 30 - From patios to litter! 

Both Jamie and I have got jobs to do which involves mixing cement! I had an 'Aha' moment when weeding between the large number of flagstones we have that instead of weeding I could just re-do the mortar between the flagstones! It's also my turn to have a real rant about litter! I walk up our lane each day and am forever collecting litter that people just throw out their car windows... Grrrr.. Talking of my walks I also tell Jamie about my surreal conversation, early on Sunday morning, about black-out blinds and sound waves with some illegal ravers on the common! 

Episode 29 - From nettle tea to red clover.

Jamie attempts to persuade me about the benefits of nettles from nettle tea to nettles on my pasta! We chat about the benefits of foraging for your food or simply picking it from the garden straight to the pot, not only are there benefits in doing so to our mental health but also to our physical health. Jamie and I both agree that nature holds a lot of answers and remedies for our health over taking a pill. Talking of nettles reminded me about the perils of going for my early morning walk along country lanes!  

Episode 28 - From RHS Chelsea to Air Layering Bonsai

I was lucky enough to go to the Chelsea Flower Show for the first time this year. Jamie, having seen it on TV, asks me all about it. We talk about the various show gardens and how they have changed over the years to reflect helping nature and how people are changing their perceptions around how gardens should look. I chat about the amazing displays in the Pavilion, one of which was a bonsai display that made me think of Jamie. He then talks in more detail about his growing passion for bonsai and what he has learnt about air layering bonsai from watching Peter Chan. 

Episode 27 - From time rushing by to pausing in nature

We chat about our different perceptions of time particularly over the last 2 weeks, they've rushed by for me but seem to have gone slowly for Jamie. We've both been busy but what had happened to each of us in those 2 weeks changed the speed at which we perceived it had passed. We live in a 24 hour society and chat about how many people are always living in the future, desperate for their next holiday, in comparison we both make time to press pause, go for walks, explore our local area, do something creative -  our form of meditation in a crazy world.  

Episode 26 - From the Coronation to Sashiko stitching

After the weekend celebrations Jamie and I have a quick chat about the coronation before Jamie shares his good news! Having been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis some years ago Jamie is now symptom free but as he says he is still work in progress. He describes what he did and how looking back he can understand what the triggers were and how important it is not to ignore them. We chat about what we do now to keep our stress levels low including gardening, being in nature and for Jamie learning the art of sashiko stitching or in my case darning socks! 

Episode 25 - From restoring tools to asking the customer.

Jamie has been busy restoring a plane that was originally made in Germany and they chat about the importance of doing some research around the items you buy. He is also thinking of doing some carving on it and making it bespoke.

This reminds Gill of a 'team building' day she went on many years ago and the lesson she has always remembered about how important it is to ask your potential customers what they want and like. Too often companies do what they think will work with their customers. 

Episode 24 - From compost briquettes to poo bags! 

From accidentally making compost out of his wood shavings last year Jamie has been on a mission to improve his briquettes and has been testing out various 'mixes' to see which burns the longest and gives out most heat. They chat about their experiences of making compost and what Gill does to make her compost that she uses in the garden. Gill has a rant about the number of discarded dog poo bags she's been seeing on her walks and the thing owners do that really annoys her most!  Jamie, having a dog, puts the other side of the argument forward about cats - knowing Gill has two!

Episode 23 - From Barriers to buying presents! 

Jamie wants to talk about barriers both mental and physical ones that prevents people from doing things they want to do. He describes his barriers and together Gill and Jamie work out what he actually does that allows him to remove any barriers and how that can be duplicated to removing other barriers. As is usual with Gill and Jamie they then somehow end up talking about buying friends presents and Gill shares what she did a few years ago to overcome that barrier and the impact it had on others.  

Episode 22 - From When do you have enough? to books.

Gill has had a few clients recently who are working out when is enough actually enough and what does having enough really mean? Jamie and Gill chat about their different perspectives on having enough and the choices they made to enjoy life now and stop chasing 'enough'.  They also talk about what they are both reading at the moment and how they both prefer 'real' books to using a device. Jamie explains why he won't be watching the film 'A Man Called Otto' having just finished reading the book it's based on 'A Man Called Ove' by Fredrik Backman. 

Episode 21 - From having cancer to slowing down.

At the start of the podcast Jamie is busy applying E45 to his head and Gill tells him that she found out she was allergic to it whilst going through her cancer treatment. This lead to them chatting about having cancer as Jamie's wife has also been through it. Jamie tells what it was like for him supporting his wife and Gill explains the very different approach she took and how that lead to her writing her book. They chat about how important they think taking a slower path in life is over being in the 'rat race', especially these days. 

Episode 20 - From positivity to power tools.

Jamie and Gill decide that a good dose of positivity is needed as it's so easy to get caught up in all the negativity in the world at the moment. Jamie is pleased with his auction piece win and explains why it is important in this case to make comparisons. Gill was reminded at the weekend of how good it feels when you 'save up'  for something and how much more it then means to you when you buy it. She's been saving up for some power tools which she went and bought. She tells Jamie how even that experience made her chuckle!   

Episode 19 - From changes to comparing like for like.

Jamie announces he's making big changes to get better results from his YouTube channel. He's been doing some research by listening to Steven Bartlett's podcast 'Diary of a CEO'. as learning from those that have already done it is always good place to start! We chat about the importance of being clear on the reasons you are doing something so you avoid any potential stress. It leads into a discussion on comparison and people comparing themselves to others. Gill explains when she thinks it can be a helpful.  

Episode 18 - From Smiles to Tiles! 

Gill has a bit of a rant to Jamie about the tactics some dentists use in an attempt to persuade you that your smile needs fixing in some way and you need to invest in having the 'perfect smile'! They both agree dentists have improved since they went as children. Talking about memories Gill explains why she'll never have the currently trendy, small white tiles in their house because of their link in her mind to old smelly, public loos! They chat about a TV show on the way to have a long life, which they both agree with - live a much simpler one! Finally Jamie shares why he finds staying in bed to work is so good. 

Episode 17 - From Christmas to finding balance. 

Jamie and Gill welcome in 2023 and chat about crocodiles on Christmas Day and people working through the festive season. Jamie mentions more mature people being recruited as cabin crew and Gill explains how they were the first airline to lift the age at which you could apply and the benefits that brought. They also chat about trials of being a creative following an email Gill received and she shares the reason she loves the 'bit' between Christmas and New Year. 

Episode 16 - From the dangers of 'open' heaters to making Christmas cards into labels. 

Gill warns of the dangers of younger generations not being used to different forms of heating after a  friend had a close shave with teenagers and a halogen heater! Jamie and Gill talk about the stress buying Christmas presents can create and how they've both scaled back on who they buy for and how they still recycle cards into labels. Jamie shares how doing these podcasts have helped him and Gill shares her visualisation technique she uses when working with clients.  IG @jam.73e @g.harveybush

Episode 15 - From self care to smart meters. 

With it getting colder Jamie chats about the impact on his arthritis and taking control of looking after yourself. In today's world self care is so important and being able to recognise the signs early enough to stop burn out from happening. As energy prices soar Gill has dug out the Smart meter display they were given a few years ago and finally plugged it in out of interest to watch the usage. It's made her realise how much energy we do waste simply by leaving things, like 4 way plugs, switched on at the wall! 

Episode 14 - From beetroot curry to woodworking planes.

Jamie is back in the kitchen cooking again, or should that be experimenting, with some free veg from an allotment. Gill chats about a post she has seen from a farmer concerning the eggs supermarkets reject. Being an 'ideas' person who hates waste, she shares her vision for helping farmers and preventing waste and Jamie makes added suggestions. As is normal for Gill and Jamie, somehow their chat leads to various things including thought programming followed by how you can make one good thing out of two broken ones, in this instant a woodworking plane.  

Episode 13 - From mental health to being open to others. 

Jamie talks very honestly about his struggles with mental health and how the dark times he has experienced in the past have actually shaped how he works today. He and Gill discuss how he has created a space within his classes and workshop that is as much about people being comfortable to share their feelings as it is about learning woodworking. They chat about how important it is these days to be able to 'open up' about what you're dealing with in a non therapeutic type environment. 

Episode 12 - From realising dreams to not taking a cruise! 

Both Jamie and Gill share how proud they are with what their children have achieved as adults and the battles they faced on the way to get their dream jobs. They discuss the steps you need to take to turn a dream into reality and there are many ways to achieve a goal. Gill and Jamie talk about their frustration at people knowing about climate change but actually not really do anything if it affects them personally, from the beauty and fast fashion industry through to the dreaded cruise ships. 

Episode 11 - From up-cycling furniture to being confident.

Jamie wants to know more about Gill's up-cycling projects and how she achieves the finish, particularly her 'car-ffee' table range that she has started to make in collaboration with her son. They discuss their various views on up cycling and why saving things from landfill is so important to them. Jamie shares his story about how he sought help when he was at a really low point in his life and why giving people the space and confidence to talk is crucial these days. 

Episode 10 - From living history to updating phones! 

Gill and Jamie chat about what living through a piece of history means to them and the changes they'll have to get used to! Gill tells how the felling of their field maple tree lead to an encounter with a snake and this leads into a talking about bug hotels and reusing the wood. Jamie tells of the race between his tomato and sunflower plants and the mistake he made when cooking his tomato chutney and what damson gin has to do with it! Technology crops up again with Gill finally being forced to update her and her husband's 6S iPhones and how it is never as easy as 'they' say! 

Episode 9 - From the festival of glass to cooking outdoors.

Jamie describes the Festival of Glass and how well it went with lots of people coming into his workshop but how quiet the centre then felt on the Monday. This leads Gill and Jamie to discuss the underlying stress that people now live with. Having watched his wife chatting with her friends Jamie believes women have got it right and wishes men could open up more without their egos getting in the way! Chat about the energy crisis brings up memories of wearing vests, extra jumpers and cooking things on the fire!  

Episode 8 - From subsidence to tidying your workshop. 

Having literally just finished refurbishing their new home Gill and her husband started noticing doors not closing and large cracks appearing in walls! They have discovered, that due to the extremely hot summer and large oak tree in a neighbours garden, they now have subsidence! She tells Jamie the saga of what has happened so far and why it will take until Oct 2024 to sort out!!! Jamie explains why tidying his workshop to create the environment he really wants to work in and for his students to enjoy has been so important and helped motivate him. 

Episode 7 - From YouTube to Anger Management. 

Jamie has a rant to Gill about: social media, men, corporates and not being able to get in the shower! Gill talks about a couple of books she's read over the years: 'The Purple Cow' by Seth Godin on how to be different and standing out from the crowd and one that looks at anger from a very different perspective, 'Anger Management. Understanding. Healing. Freedom' by John Crawford - not that she thinks Jamie might find it useful after his week! :-) IG @jam.73e @g.harveybush

Episode 6 - From self employment to mini sheds. 

Jamie and Gill chat about the trials and tribulations about being self employed. When you work on your own you have no other departments like: sales, IT, design, PR or customer service to support you - you are all those things! They discuss the benefits of starting your new business alongside your current role. This leads on to Gill telling Jamie that when she saw a photo of his new recycled 'mini' shed she thought it was going to be a compost toilet! Other topics include: country smells, growing veg and help with tomato plants. IG @jam.73e @g.harveybush

Episode 5 - From saving water to repurposing furniture.

Gill explains how she is at fault for the current heat wave and lack of water due to her new water butts! This opens the discussion about how house builders could be made to do more to help climate change when building new homes. Jamie tells of the old oak chest he's had for years and why he turned a table into some sought after chopping boards. From 'wu wei' moments, to learning new skills, driving and glass blowing Gill and Jamie cover it all. IG @jam.73e @g.harveybush

Episode 4 - From the benefits of being in nature to socks helping with anxiety! 

Jamie talks about how he starts his day with a walk in the woods, and they chat about the benefits of being in nature, books they are reading and Gill becoming a trustee of Cultivating Change a new charity. Gill then finds out about Jamie's jeans, his 7 reasons for wearing odd socks, Gill explains one is similar to a well known technique for reducing anxiety. Jamie finding an old Corona bottle leads onto them chatting about a simpler life and how some things from the past would be good for the planet now.  IG @jam.73e @g.harveybush

Episode 3  - From solar panels to tea bags! 

Gill starts by talking about her new solar panels and Jamie finishes the podcast talking about tea bags. Somewhere in between they chat about: electric cars, dealing with customers expectations and the knock on effect to other work, how to make those calls you don't want to make, the difference between training and coaching, beetles, tomatoes, horse manure and finally tea bags! Instagram @g.harveybush @jam.73e and Jamie on YouTube as The Worcestershire Cabinet Maker. 

Episode 2 - From technology to saving the planet! 

Jamie has been battling with technology this week, including being able to record this podcast and that's where this episode starts. Only Gill and Jamie could link the woes of technology: to The Hay Festival, weeding the garden as a form of meditation, the impact of social media giants, Jamie's experiences with YouTube, talking about extremes of wealth, caring for the planet, collecting items and...link it all back to technology! IG @jam.73e @g.harveybush

Episode 1 - of my new podcast Heads & Dovetails!

I have joined forces with Jamie Hubbard to create a new podcast! We both love to chat to people and find out about their lives as well as chatting with each other about what has been going on, not only in our world but the world at large.
Listening to our podcast will be like eaves dropping on someone else's conversation and you never know what you are going to learn! Some episodes we'll be chatting about life and other episodes we'll be joined by guests. IG @jam.73e @g.harveybush