Shows
The Strettons PodcastSteve Paige of Church StrettonThis week we have Steve Paige, known to everyone in All Stretton as their former postie and known to many more as the head honcho of our fire station. He’s a Stretton boy through and through and in this interview he tells us about getting his first ‘after school' job as a greengrocer’s boy. What was it like to grow up in Church Stretton in the 70’s and 80’s and what did he and his friends do for fun? Let’s listen and find out. Find us onlinehttps://thestrettonspod.com/email...
2025-08-1918 minThe Strettons PodcastStrettons are buzzingWe're off to see the kids making bug hotels and also speaking to people at the antiques centre and in the arts festival. The ladies at the knit and natter do more nattering than knitting and Tom Norris from Cardington tells us a few stories of growing up in the area. Lastly, we catch up with the Church Stretton accordion band at Burwarton Show.Timings Bug hotel 00:01:08Tom Norris 00:06:12Knit & Natter 00:12:12Vox pop 00:16:00Soundscape CS Accordion band 00:25:28Find us onlinehttps://t...
2025-08-1225 minThe Strettons PodcastChris Foulkes of HamperleyChris Foulkes tells us what it’s like living in a farm which features heavily in the famous Malcolm Saville children’s books. He talks about the fans who come from across the world to stay in his cow sheds. He reminisces about growing up in a simpler time, when food was delivered by the local grocer, and the best fun was to be found with his friends playing in the fields and hills around his farm.The Memoir Service https://thememoirservice.com/Find us onlinehttp...
2025-08-0518 minThe Strettons PodcastStretton Hills TriceratopsSummer is bringing archaeology to The Strettons and this time, we’re digging for dinosaur bones with The National Trust in Carding Mill Valley and then chatting to race horse breeder, Richard Wilding about how to breed and break horses. Hand me that helmet and head torch and we’re down the mines at Snailbeach with some volunteer guides and then just up the road, we stop for a piece of quiche and a cup of tea at the famous Bog Visitor Centre. We finish with a very traditional English scene - men in rags and bells, dancing in the...
2025-07-2928 minThe Strettons PodcastNick Churton of Wall BankNick Churton is known to many people as a haulage man but there's more to him than moving stuff around the country. He tells us about growing up on Wenlock Edge and moving to Wall Bank and the mischief he used to get up to with his mates. If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-07-2218 minThe Strettons PodcastThe Prettiest SheepThere’s a lot of fun to be had at the Brooksbury Fundraising in Church Stretton and then at Acton Scott, it’s a village cricket match. We speak to a couple of tourists who have fallen in love with the area, the ponies and the sheep and for those who want to dabble in decentralised finance, we’ve got a how-to guide to starting in cryptocurrency trading. If you’d like to donate 10-15kg of clay to Halima Cassell’s installation, check out the missing countried here https://www.virtuesofunity.com/virtues-of-unity-required-locations Timings
2025-07-1530 min
The Strettons PodcastThe Shropshire Hills Shipping ForecastThe Shipping Forecast is not just for sailors. Written and Produced by Sian LovegroveVoiced by Brad Young of The Horringer PodcastFind us at https://thestrettonspod.com/If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-07-0903 minThe Strettons PodcastSheila Young of Church StrettonSheila Young tells us about growing up in Church Stretton and Ticklerton during the war, what it was like living next to the workhouse and the difficulty she has turning a heel. If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-07-0817 minThe Strettons PodcastAn inspector callsWe’re careering down rectory field at break-neck speed with the scouts and then off to Condover where we prove that no dog is a lost cause when local celebrity dog, Dylan the boxer, is taken for some obedience training. We speak to trainers and young archers at The Long Mynd Archers open day and then we detain a police inspector long enough to get some local intelligence out of him. Finally, there’s a crunch match between Church Stretton and Clun bowling club which ends, as always, in tea and cakes in the pavilion. T...
2025-07-0129 min
The Strettons PodcastTerry Davies RIPThis is a special bonus episode to celebrate the life of Terry Davies, scout Leader and inspirational man. He has touched the lives of so many people over a period of 50 years of scouting in the town. If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-06-2511 minThe Strettons PodcastPeter Morgan of Hope BowdlerDon’t be fooled by Peter Morgan’s Bolton accent. He’s the grandson of the last blacksmith in Hope Bowdler and has lived in the village most of his life. Sian sat with him in his garden on a sunny morning and chatted to him about his memories of life in Hope Bowdler and his time in the Royal Navy.If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-06-2420 min
The Strettons PodcastVillage Reports June 2025Find out all the exciting activities and events going on in our beautiful villages. Support the events, get involved, be part of our rural communities. Acton Scott 4:10 00:00:32Little Stretton 4:00 00:04:51Ticklerton 3:26 00:08:06Town Council 2:23 00:11:43 All Stretton 4:00 00:14:20Find us onlinehttps://thestrettonspod.com/email us: thestrettonspod@gmail.com Support the podcasthttps://buymeacoffee.com/thestrettonspodProducersSian Lovegrove, Pete JohnsonIf you know someone we should speak to for the...
2025-06-1718 minThe Strettons PodcastJuggling ChristiansNeed a fury friend? Why not rescue a cat from Craven Arms? Sarah from Rose Cottage Cattery introduces us to two cats looking for a forever home. Then it’s the annual beer festival in Rectory Fields where we enjoy live music and a selection of craft ales. Cardingmill Valley is a very popular place for school groups studying rivers and we talk to two teachers with groups of students there. Finally we’re off to the Bridgnorth constituency office of Stuart Anderson, MP for South Shropshire. Timings Rose Cottage Cat Rescue 0:01:00 Beer Fe...
2025-06-1030 minThe Strettons PodcastLucinda Lovesey of PicklescottNow we’re going to hear from Lucinda Lovesey, a potter from Picklescott, whose family has lived in the village for generations. She tells us stories of her father and grandfather and the important part the Bottle and Glass pub continues to play in the life of the village, including some memorable parties there! If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-06-0316 minThe Strettons PodcastLittle SwitzerlandWe speak to the first visitors of the season to Acton Scott Heritage Farm and make the journey to Hay on Wye to speak to a Strettonian on stage at the Hay Festival. Curious about the dark web? Learn how to access it and whether it’s really as dangerous as you think. And according to a group of Swiss we found on the Long Mynd, Church Stretton doesn’t bear much resemblance to the Swiss Alps.Timings Acton Scott Heritage Farm 00:01:00Swiss walkers 00:08:41Hay Festival 00:11:44Tech corner...
2025-05-2727 minThe Strettons PodcastOscar Prince of Little StrettonSian visits Oscar in his cottage at the Small Batch campsite, a business his grandmother set up and that he now runs. He talks of his life as a boy growing up in Little Stretton and the fun they used to have making bicycles from scraps and roaming the fields and lanes with his friends. If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-05-2014 minThe Strettons PodcastFire, fares and haresAll aboard the shuttle bus! We’re off to Stiperstones over the Long Mynd on the seasonal magic bus from the team at Shropshire Hills National Landscape. Then we hop on the Fire Engine and race through the lanes to a smoke-filled house and finish with a trip to peaceful Nant Valley in Wall Bank to see how land can be successfully managed for biodiversity. Long Mynd Shuttle Bushttps://www.shropshirehills-nl.org.uk/explore-and-enjoy/the-great-outdoors/shropshire-hills-shuttle-bus Timings Long Mynd Shuttle Bus 00:01:23 Fire Service 00:08:43 Nant Vall...
2025-05-1326 minThe Strettons PodcastSponge CatThis week we’ve been travelling on the Ring & Ride bus as it drives along the narrow lanes of The Strettons picking up passengers with cakes and dinner dates. Then we meet a handful of cyclists who’ve made an epic cycle ride across Shropshire to visit Cardingmill Valley. In our new business slot, we’ve been to see Reuben in his new secondhand bookshop and then it’s gardening time. We’ve surrounded ourselves with flowers and plants at the annual gardening club show and then joined a very busy open day at Glyn’s Garden. We finish with a gentl...
2025-05-0627 minThe Strettons PodcastCome fly with meBook on the move in the mobile library this week. Find out what’s hot on the shelves and speak to some of the customers. Then we climb up The Burway to the gliding club and speak to the cafe owner, a glider pilot and a paraglider waiting for the wind to change. Finally it’s our in-house mental health practitioner, Sara with some advice about cross-generational communication. We finish with an April shower.Timings Lucinda Lovesey, Potter 1:27Mobile Library 9:00Gliding Club 15:59Mental Health 22:59Mental Health 23:14S...
2025-04-2928 minThe Strettons PodcastJohn Sankey of RatlinghopeWe went to Ratlinghope to see everyone's favourite coal merchant - John Sankey. He talks about his early days in The Strettons, epic walks across the Long Mynd with his father and the difference between attitudes of visitors to the area then and now. He shows us his campsite which hosts dozens of school and scouts groups each year and lets us sit in some of his classic cars and steam engines.If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...
2025-04-2214 minThe Strettons PodcastA49 truck spottingWe hear from a new cafe on Sandford Avenue and go for another walk with Colin, this time it’s Caer Caradoc. Sian’s been down at the cemetery and the allotments talking to people about life, death and everything in between and then she pulled up a garden chair and sat at the side of the A49 waving at passing trucks. It’s all going on in Church Stretton as the weather improves and people get out and about. Timings Walking with Colin: 0:58Chats with strangers: 6:52Feature: A49 trucking 11:23New...
2025-04-1524 min
The Strettons PodcastVillage Reports April 2025What's going on in our villages? Samantha finds out. All Stretton 0:44Hope Bowdler 04:50Rushbury 8:57Cardington 13:00Leebotwood 17:04If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-04-0821 minThe Strettons PodcastShropshire Fidget Special ReportIt’s International Shropshire Fidget Week and we celebrate this with a special feature on the elusive but very tasty creature. We hear from Hough’s butchers about the best cuts and from Tom Saxton about the difference in flavour between farmed and wild fidgets. Alex, the chef at the Ragleth Inn in Little Stretton has put on a special fidget menu for this week only and we also hear from Mark who was attacked by a fidget up on the Long Mynd one warm summer’s day. All you need to know about the Shropshire Fidget...
2025-04-0124 minThe Strettons PodcastEdward and Mary Jones of Acton ScottThis time Pete has been talking to the long-time tenants of Acton Scott Farm, Edward & Mary Jones.If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-03-2520 minThe Strettons PodcastStories of life on route 435Sian’s back from India and has taken the bus for a trip through the villages to The Kings Arms to join a group of Friday friends for a laugh and a drink. Glyn’s Garden near the cemetery is getting ready for spring and has a whole programme of improvements to welcome volunteers and nature enthusiasts of all abilities. We also hear from the Town Council about a fundraising campaign to raise £40,000 for a playing field and go for another walk up Hope Bowdler hill with Colin.TimingsWalking with Colin 1:23Glyn’...
2025-03-1825 minThe Strettons PodcastBill Kerswell of PicklescottBill Kerswell is a local legend both in Picklescott and in the greater Strettons area. Instead of going to school, Bill taught himself to read using the Times Newspaper and the complete works of Dickens. He has a wealth of historical knowledge and unbelievably detailed memory of the local characters who formed the backdrop of his childhood.If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-03-1116 minThe Strettons PodcastSurprised I’m still aliveWe’re back on the farm this week, this time in Harton, looking at cattle and sheep and talking about the challenges of fluctuating prices. Then it’s TikTok and a brief introduction to those who have yet to fall under its spell. Learn how it works, why it’s controversial and then we’re straight into the fake news again. After a piece of advice from our psychotherapist about coping with caring for someone, we go on a walk up to the golf course where we find a remarkable ancient yew tree. This time, we close with the welcome...
2025-03-0430 minThe Strettons PodcastSteven Pennington of WilstoneThis time Sian’s been chatting to Steven Pennington from Woolston Farm about the memorable characters who lived and worked in the area, the challenges of owning Caradoc, and what’s really in the cave there.If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-02-2517 minThe Strettons PodcastAward-winning moustacheThis week, we’re featuring Stretton Climate Care’s Repair Cafe where we meet the customers and volunteers who help to reduce waste and encourage environmental responsibility. We also go down to the boxing club where we find a happy group of women keeping fit and making friends while learning their craft. The first of a new series of walks takes us up ashes Hollow with Colin, a local mountain guide and then, as usual, we have chats with random strangers. TimingsRepair Cafe 1:24Vox pop 7:24Women’s Boxing 14:32Walki...
2025-02-1826 minThe Strettons PodcastJean Davies of CardingtonJean Davies grew up in Gretton near Cardington and talks about the simple pleasures of post war life, guiding, courting and what passed for fun before the digital era!If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-02-1116 minThe Strettons PodcastIn memory of Brew dogThis time, we’ve been to see some shire horses up at Picklescott as well as chatting to local people in town and tourists in Cardingmill Valley. This episode contains our first ever set of village reports from four villages in the Shropshire Hills. Have you ever wondered what goes on in rural Shropshire? Wonder no longer. The reports give a wonderful account of life in our beautiful countryside through the words and voices of the people who live there. Villages featured are Picklscott, All Stretton, Acton Scott and Ticklerton. More village reports in April.Timings...
2025-02-0428 minThe Strettons PodcastRichard Wilding of RagdonSian’s been to visit local farmer Richard Wilding of Ragdon, to talk to him about changes in farming as well as tales of the Church Stretton rodeo and racing horses up on the Long Mynd.Find us onlinehttps://thestrettonspod.com/email us: thestrettonspod@gmail.com Support the podcasthttps://buymeacoffee.com/thestrettonspodProducersSian Lovegrove, Pete JohnsonIf you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us. ...
2025-01-2815 min
Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech PodcastCan Kiswahili online content be moderated?Can Kiswahili online content be moderated? It appears that 2025 will see a significant shift in content moderation practices, as Meta plans to eliminate independent fact-checkers on Facebook and Instagram. This change may suggest a decline in standards, particularly in regions that have historically experienced limited online moderation. In many parts of Africa, small content teams have been tasked with overseeing entire countries or regions. Interestingly, while there are numerous content moderators in Africa, they are primarily employed as outsourced workers to assist with content moderation for major platforms based in the United States. These jobs are often m...
2025-01-2132 minThe Strettons PodcastMy menopause keeps me warmThis time, we’ve a dairy farm, some crazy women wild swimming in the middle of winter and a couple of useful apps for your phone. We’ve been to visit the foodbank and we’ve been chatting to random strangers and to Sara, about the importance of resilience for good mental health. TimingsProper Good Dairy 1:08Talks with random strangers 6:06Wild Swimming 10:32Tech Corner 14:06Food Bank 17:45Mental Health 21:12Soundscape 25:14Proper Good Diary https://www.propergooddairy.co.uk/Churc...
2025-01-2126 minThe Strettons PodcastSheep-proof dogIt’s 2025 and time to fix those already broken new year’s resolutions with the help of the repair cafe. We have the first village report from All Stretton and a walk on the Long Mynd with Peter Toghill, the foremost expert on the geology of Church Stretton. If you like cleaning, then you’ll love hearing John Edwards in action on the signs in Rushbury village. As well as a touching piece about one man’s efforts to support Ukraine and Ukrainians, we also have the usual chats with random people on the streets of The Strettons.Ti...
2025-01-0725 minThe Strettons PodcastLocal legend: Trevor MorrisMany of us living in The Strettons maybe don't realise that living around us are people who have made this locality what it is. We've decided that one of the things we'd like to do is to record some of those people's memories. Sian went to All Stretton to see local legend Trevor Morris (aged 92) to learn about his life growing up on the Long Mynd from 1939. From childhood memories of snow-covered walks to school, to life in a remote cottage on the Mynd, Trevor shares tales of resilience, community, and change. Listen now as he recalls the hardships...
2024-12-3121 minThe Strettons PodcastLosing my religionIt's time for the tractor run in The Strettons and we find out who's behind the wheels of the giant and the tiny machines, all decorated with Christmas lights. We also talk to visitors to the Mayfair Community Centre, the scout leader, the Marmaladies and check out a new bakery. Happy Christmas from Sian and Pete and see you all in the new year. Next episode January 7th 2025.TimingsNew business: Steeles Bakery 00:01:11Talks with visitors to The Mayfair Centre 00:06:30Marmaladies discussion on social media 00:13:57Scouting with Terry...
2024-12-2429 min
The Strettons PodcastThe First Village Podcast in the UKSian and Pete give birth to the first village podcast in the UK with a light-hearted look at the Strettons area and the voices of the people who live there.This episode has comedy, local business feature, farming, recipe, housing discussion, route 435 bus conversations, mental health advice for Christmas and more.If you want to skip to a particular section, use these timings.Farming 00:01:15Business 00:06:57Recipe 00:12:02Tech corner 00:16:40Fake news 00:21:01Vox pop - Route 435 00:23:27Housing discussion 00:30:22Mental Health...
2024-12-0548 min
Nusic Podcasts - LeftLionNusic New Music Podcast #226 with Bru-C, Eliza Rae, Sian Clarke, JJ Lovegrove and MoreThis week’s New Music Podcast features definitive Future Sound of Nottingham news, the source of Producer Sam’s number one man crush, plus the world’s angriest song.
This podcast may contain some fruity language. Sensitive ears – you have been warned.
1970-01-0100 min