Heads & Dovetails: Recent Episodes
GillHB
Gill is a mindset / life coach and and Jamie is known as the Worcestershire Cabinet Maker. They 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 their world but the world at large. Listening to their podcast is like dropping in on someone else’s conversation and you never know what you are going to learn. Some episodes they are chatting about life and other episodes they are joined by guests.
Gill gets asked a lot, how do you manage not to take on clients problems / issues?
She was pondering this question when out for one of her walks and realised that is actrually how she copes - by getting out in nature. By going for long walks it helps clear her head and gives her time to reflect. If not ime to do that it's important to create small 'gaps' between one thing and another.
Jamie and Gill discuss how it's not just trained coaches / therapists that deal with people's problems but often hairdressers, PT's or people like Jamie working one on one or in a small group. Jamie has an Aha' moment about ho wit affects him and has various examples of how that happens in his workshop.
With a recent commission for a client Jamie has found that the space they are developing has a lovely calming energy and he has realised that it would be good to spend more time out of his workshop working in nature or simply sitting in the space they've created.
Gill and Jamie have both had pressurised jobs in the past with bigger incomes but question at what cost do people chase financial freedom and is it actually freedom or just more stuff? They discuss when is enough 'stuff' enough?
Jamie has completed a letter engraving project in a font the client wanted and explains why it could have been so much better but ultimately it was what the client wanted and they were happy with the result. Gill says it's the reason she asks the experts/trades who are doing something for her what they would suggest. She can then decide to take their advice or not but can at least make an infomred decision.
Jamie has a pair of Bose hedphones he loves but the ear pads are worn out so he's decided to repair/recycle them. He's found a 'cool 1970's' brand for 99p on Ebayand is going to amalgamate the pair by taking the Bose workings and put them into the 1970's external covering.
Gill has a moan about the filthy state some properties are left in when they've been sold. The contracts state properties 'will be left clean and tidy' which is very often not the case! As she and her husband found out when they moved into their current home and her son has just found out on his first home purchase last week which took the edge off the excitement of moving in. The oven was unuseable caked in baked on grease and grime and the shower was in a simiiar state! As Gill found out when buying their house there appears to be no real comeback on the seller if they don't agree to refund some monies and she knows from other friends it happens a lot! When you've cleaned the house (including appliances) you're selling and have to spend hours cleaning the one you're moving in to!
The only option appears to be, if the seller won't agree compensation, is to take them to the small claims court and who wants that hastle! But it ruins the excitement of moving into a new home when it's filthy and the first thing you have to do is clean it! Jamie and Gill chat about what other possible options there could be in this situation.
Jamie had read this quote by Sir Anthony Hopkins:
"My philosophy is: What people say about me is none of my business. I am who I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. And that makes life easier. We live in a world where funerals are more important than the deceased, marriage is more important than love, looks are more important than the soul. We live in a packaging culture that despises content".
that he wanted to discuss. Interestingly the part of the quote that had caught Gill's attention was different to the part that had caught Jamie's attention. Gill has a slightly different view point about "what people say is none of my business" in that she thinks it is more about how you react to what people say about you and what you can learn about yourself.
Jamie's attention was focussed on 2 other parts of the quote "...marriage is more important than love..." and the final sentence: "We live in a packaging culture that despises content." In essence both Jamie and Gill agreed with the quote but also agreed that it can be interpreted in lots of different ways depending on the situation and person.
Jamie was in 'grump' mode to start with on this episode but he and Gill got talking about the root cause of it which Gill pushes back on. She reminds him that he was in a bit of grump when the festival of glass was on but that after a chat with her on the phone they had found a solution and reframed how he was approaching the day.
That lead onto them talking about the day and how some cultural information he had been given about the chairs, he mentioned in the last episode, had changed his view on them and how they had been made.
Both of them love to restore, up-cycle and reuse things. Jamie talks about 'trading up' which one of his students is good at and how it makes a lot of sense. He has seen 4 good quality wooden chairs for sale so is going to 'trade up' his old chairs.
With Gill just having started a channel they chat about YouTube and how Jamie has discovered, from a couple of comments from subscribers that they aren't seeing his videos! As they chat about it Gill says she's not getting any notifications from the channels hse has subscribed to wither. They realise that people aren't hitting the notification when they subscribe. So as well as asking people to 'Subscribe' they need to be reminded to 'HIt the Notification bell' as well if they want to know when a new video has been relased! Probably very obvious to those who use YouTube a lot but there will be people, like them, who don't know or forget.
Gill raises the topic of the pressure couples face over their decision to not have children having seen a post on IG where a young couple, in response to comments about the sound of tiny feet, told everyone that they didn't want children and asked people not to say they would change theri minds. Jamie and Gill talk about how something personal ends up involving more than just the couple making the decision including thier parents, family and friends.
Gill tells Jamie how she's already getting the comments from friends who are now grand-parents about 'I bet you can't wait to be a grand-mother' when actually she's not bothered either way and when she tells them that they say 'you'll feel differently...' Gill says if she has grand-children then great but she doesn't want her son to feel any 'unspoken' pressure from her for him to have them if he and any future partner decide otherwise.
In the second part of the podcsat Jamie talks about the patio he has been making and how it is actually a joy not to rush it but to take your time. Gill tells Jamie how she now leaves a piece of furniture for a while before up cycling it, taking her time to decide what she wants to do with it and what feels right. They both talk about how taking time to make decisions impacts on so many different areas of your life from designing your kitchen to choosing furniture.
Gill has been busy learning how to weave a willow basket. She tells Jamie about how she made several mistakes and had things go wrong like weavers snapping at the wrong time etc. or the base not looking quite as it should be on the video.
She explains to Jamie how it made her think that 'failures' are rarely mentioned these days as she was posting photos of her 'mishaps' on IG so people could see the reality and process of learning a new skill.
Jamie and Gill chat about the need for everything to appear to be perfect in these days of social media and the pressure people put on themsleves to be perfect at something the first time they try it. The discuss how important embracing failures are and how they see it very much as a part of the process of learning.
Their chat leads them into talking about how patience is also something else that is lacking these days and is all part of the fear of failing. This fear then means people either don't have a go at something or give up rather than practice, practice, practice.
Jamie and Gill both agree that the feeling of acheivement when you do manage to do something (and it still might not be perfect!) is worth all the effort.
Jamie shares with Gill that he was feeling down last week and this was compounded by struggling with some tech issues. They discuss about the challenges that men, particularly younger men face nowadays finding where they fit in the world.
Which leads Gill to tell Jamie how she'd love to offer sharing her garden and gardening with someone who's struggling with their mental health or has S.E.N.D. but has no garden. They chat about the potentail issues that brings as Gill's aware that if she simply posts on social media she'll probably get some negative comments like: 'So you want a free gardener then?' 'How much are you going to pay them to do your garden?' 'Do you have the necessary safeguarding checks in place?'.So she's decided, as well as doing a bit of research by contacting charities, to 'put it out to the universe' and see if anyone naturally comes along that she can help or offer their carer some respite for a few hours a week.
Gill discloses how she goes about writing her shopping list which Jamie finds absolutley fascinating! He drills in wanting to know more, when and how did she start this? Was it connected to eher work. Gill has never really thoght about it as it jus tseemd logical to her but does say it may be linked to her having been cabin crew many years ago. Gill is sure she can't be the only one tha tdoe sit like this!
As his briquette videos are gaining interest on YouTube Jamie has been making a press from everyday things you can find in the kitchen for his briquettes so anyone can make them. We chat about willow weaving, blackening wood, how to tie a knot that doesn't require 'borrowing a finger' and Gill's discovery that lemon trees have thorns! Who knew?!
Oh and Jamie finally gets Gill to reveal that she's very quietly started her YouTube channel GillHB-LIFE!
It's all about being outside on this week's episode.
Jamie's been on an adventure - to collect some fence panels he bid on some 60 miles away for his garden.
He's decided it's time to clear the end of his garden including keeping some dreaded bamboo under control. He's also removing his tree house he built for George Clarke's Amazing Spaces a fwe years ago
Meanwhile Gill has been on the hunt for wood to attempt to make a natural hurdle - hazle and willow being the main ones. She hates to admit that she's got to her age and can't identify a lot of the UK's native trees. First step - learn how to identify them (and now she can't stop seeing them even in her own garden!)
Gill explains to Jamie the reason she doesn't wear headphones / earphones on her walks in nature and consequently wanted to be able to identify the different birds she can hear singing. She's discovered a great app 'Merlin Bird Id' to help her identify birdsong when out on my walks and is now addicted to using it even in her back garden. Jamie gives the other viewpoint as to why he does wear earphones occasionally.
Jamie has also been finding another possible use for his briquette mixture - growing mushrooms and is busy experimenting!
Gill and Jamie start by saying how they've already had enough of the General Election so the only time they are mentioning it is now to say they vow not to talk about it in the coming weeks!
They cover a real range of topics in this episode but typical of Gill and Jamie they are somehow all linked. Although Gill apologises, as she seems to be doing most of the talking in this episode about her passions!
Gill explains her experience and reality of selling the furniture she up cycles and when you see people on social media selling items how easy it appears and how much you can make! She explains that it's important not to compare and to keep in mind the extra work other sellers do to have a ready made clinet base. Money is not Gill's main reason for up cycling things but a bonus if she can make a profit. She also says why she believes it is important not to be afraid to ask the buyers for advice and feedback e.g. as to where they would tend to look for her type of items and style. Jamie clarifies what he sees as the main feedback to take on board going forward.
Following on the last episode Gill did buy some chisels, with Jamie's expert help, for an idea she wants to make. Jamie has offered to do a basic chisel sharpening YouTube video for Gill - but hopefully other 'real beginners' will find it helpful as well.
They continue to chat about how important it is not to compare ourselves as we are all very different. Jamie tells of his yoga experiences after Gill gives an example using her sister!
Gill, having got some alpaca wool, wants to try out sheep's wool on the garden as a slug / snail deterrent. Having spoken to Graham Hull from https://www.wool-pots.co.uk/ on her GillHB & Friends podcast about the fate of most wool she asked locally if anyone had some wool. Helen a local farmer said: 'Come help yourself we've got 300 fleeces you're welcome to!' Helen tells a similar tale about her wool and how little they get and that's got Gill thinking!
Jamie and Gill are both passionate about reducing waste and sustainability.
In this episode they cover a range of topics from Japanese blacksmiths to how they do what they can to reuse things but are always looking to do and learn more.
Jamie starts by telling Gill he has bought some very good chisels made by Japanese blacksmith Masters and how they recycle old iron from discarded bridge frameworks. Gill is wanting to purchase some chisels and had immediately gone to Amazon to look for some. She's learning from Jamie about how to find used items that are actually better value than simply hitting the 'Buy" button on websites like Amazon.
Gill has some books she'd like to get rid of or 'pass on' including some that aren't really in any condition to read now but isn't sure what to do with those. She had considered selling on line but with postage costs that hardly seems worth it - Jamie comes up with a viable solution! They discuss how they think it should be much easier to find out the best way to recycle all sorts of items.
Jamie mentions the plastic rope Gill has recently made and she admits that as an ideas person she is always coming up with different ways to do things and sometimes her head explodes with all the ideas she has!
The discussion around waste reduction and sustainability is to be continued!
Being British Jamie and Gill just had to chat about the weather but it had allowed Gill to get out in the garden over the weekend and Jamie into his shed for a short while.
Jamie tells Gill he really likes her new raised beds, having seen lots of photos on socila media of her making them. He says they remind him of previous times. Gill explains the reason for posting so many photos on Instagram of each stage is that so many peole have asked her in the past how she does them and to explain what the no dig method is and how to do it.
Gill brings up one of her bug bears for discussion and admits that she's also guilty of over using the word 'So' and it drives her mad! So she asks Jamie, "when did we start answering every question with 'So'...?"
Another current bug bear for Gill is that of house buying as several family and friends have been going through the tortuous process. They chat about how complicated the house buying system is here and how stressful it can be.
Finally Gill is intrigued to knwo from Jamie what prompted his recent post about Japanese artwork. Jamie gives some backgournd and explains what it has inspired him to do, or should that be that he has got his Mum to do?
Gill and her husband Clive like to support small independent businesses when they can. Recently they spent a couple of night's away in 2 different pub type accommodation. The second one was holding a private 30th birthday event and their room right above it overlooking the glass dome in the ceiling. Consequently they got to 'enjoy' the disco lights and loud music! Gill and Jamie discuss the dilemma of a small business and the pros and cons of should they pre-warn guests when they book or what could be done to mitigate the situation.
Gill goes on to tell how they made the best of the situation and the next day, with little sleep, they visited Rushmere Country Park (near the village of Heath and Reach in Bedfordshire) in the pouring rain. From heron watching to doing the sculpture walk and discovering all the beautiful sculputes hidden in amongst the trees, finishing off with coffee in the cafe she highly recommends it.
Gill's been having quite the time with the car with this time the rear break light not working even after changing the bulb a few times. She bemaons the fact of spending a few hours waiting for it at the garage only to find after paying the bill for diagnostic work that it's not been fixed as they can't get the part and no idea when it will arrive!
Jamie has been busy testing out his various versions of his briquettes and showing the result on social media as well as doing the 'day job'. They chat about whether making videos and being on Youtube are it. Jamie explains how he sees it as a 6 year experiment with YouTube to see if he can make a living from social media. This has lead Jamie to make the decision to join Patreon and they discuss the various ways of using it. Nothing is ever as simple as it looks when your not technically minded!
As Gill's son was born on this day she can recall every detail about day, even the weather. Jamie and Gill chat about 'time lining' and how we use specific incidences, like covid, to help us pin point when things happened and we cross reference that with other people's time lines. Jamie uses an example of how we might use things only specific to us so you might say 'no it had to be before then because I remember I was in my old car'.
Jamie gives an update on his next briquette experiment and Gill is happy to report on some progress with their our subsidence issue and all that it will involve! She explains how they are thinking in advance of the work so have been busy moving some water butts and will have to move some plants. Jamie asks about the garden and how it's progressing ready for Gill's veg growing which leads her on to talking abiut wanting a circular saw. Jamie clarifies does she mean chop saw? Mitre saw? And needing a saw for several jobs has made her realise how she really needs a vice. Jamie offers up several solutions but in the end they both decide a work mate will do the job!
Jamie overslept so was a bit late for recording this week's episode. Hence Gill and Jamie chat about how important sleep is to our minds and bodies. A lack of sleep can lead to other conditions being misdiagnosed which are actually symptoms of being sleep deprived. Gill tells Jamie about the book she was given for her birthday, 'Teaching the World to Sleep' by David Lee, following the webinar she had booked onto last year. Jamie asks about the type of books Gill likes to read which is quite a range from: fiction and non fiction, particularly biographies to more science based, philosphical books.
Gill wanted to talk about the use of resin, which seems to be growing in popularity - both in items for the home such as furniture and coasters to driveways. She tells Jamie that she and her husband had considered it for their 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 avoids using it in any of his wood working that he does. He also explains how people end up using even more chemicals on driveways as it cracks to kill weeds and moss. Gill thinks that people need to think beyond single use plastic and consider the wider impact of using resin - an interesting topic for discussion!
Jamie wants to talk about 'socks' and how many pairs he has and gets given (classic male present!). Whilst he loves colourful socks he explains why thin socks are not for him but for men who work in offices. He is very impressed iwth a new pair his wife has given him made from alpaca wool. He vows to go sort out his sock drawer that is currently rammed with socks!
Having had an 'advisory' for new brake pads on its service Gill booked their car in to get them replaced only to discover it needed a new caliper as well as the old one fell apart!
The price of parts has rocketed and Jamie and Gill 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.
They discuss some of the possible reasons why cars are so differnt nowadays and need to be so big. With safety being a major issue cars have had to incoporate lots of safety features and part of that is the size of the required child seats now needed in the car - gone are the days of sitting on an adults lap! Not only have seats increased in size but so have the prams and pushchairs that would no longer fit in the car boots of yesteryear.
Jamie has also been busy repairing his daughter's car and he often buys parts, after doing lots of research on the internet, from sites like Ebay to save money.
We chat about the need for things to be more sustainable and Gill menaions her recent podcast on GillHB & Friends where she's been chatting to Sarah, a young entrepreneur who runs the online magaine, Lumera, that looks at sustainable fashion brands.
Gill explains why she doesn't do new year's resolutions but takes time to reflect on the year gone and focus on what she did achieve rather than what she didn't. Too many people end the year thinking about those things they didn't achieve! Jamie agrees and says it's better to simply let them go and look focus forward.
Jamie asks Gill about how she finds people respond to her when she goes for her walks without a dog. She explains how it still means that she gets to chat to people for that very reason as they ask where her dog is and she's made several new friends.
Jamie says he's realised (whether it's an age thing or not) that he perefers to be around less people these days and going to a noisy pub isn't for him as he enjoys more quiet time.
Gill picks Jamie's brains about an idea she's had of how she wants to use a pile of logs, currently just piled up in the garden and asks his expert advice on how best to dry them. Seems a lot of patience is involved to get it right before she can start to use them for her projects!
Gill starts off the episode relating the story of hwo she very nearly falling for a scam whilst advertising her refurbished furniture on FB Marketplace. As a result of multiple attempts at the same scam she's deleted the adverts and going to research another avenue to sell them that feels much better to her. Flea amrkets and independent stores are on her research list - they take her furniture as stock, display and sell it and get a commission.
Jame has possbily had a little too much fun taking a flame thrower to his furniture turning the wood black! And now seems to want to have a go at a lot more! And on the same theme of fires and flames he shares some exciting news that he has been contacted by someone in America wanting to find out more about his composting coffee and wood shaving briquettes that they can then implement with their city waste prgramme. They have a plan involving employing homeless people and creating compost and fuel and apparently Jamie is the only person they can find that has done this.
Watch this space to see what happens in 2024!
Jamie has discovered that one of his videos on YouTube has suddenly get a lot of views and he has no idea why. He mentions how a chat with someone made him realise he was earning the equivalent of a mini pension from his channel.
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 even exist with the way technology marches on 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!
Jamie and Gill 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. They chat about how clever marketing from big corporates can havre us fooled into believing things are healthy when they're not.
As they discuss modern life Gill talks about a webinar she attended all about sleep - it was entitled "Sleep in people living with the symptoms of menopause'. However it went into depth about sleep and how we need to get the 'scaffolding' around sleep correct to aid women suffering with symptoms of the menopause. We are a society now where a large number of people are sleep deprived which results in all sort of issues from mis-diagnosis of ADHD in some people to depression. Gill 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!
Jamie jokes about the number of listeners they have and decide they 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 Gill and Jamie discuss how long it would take them to achieve similar!
Gill starts a discussion about how angry and anxious people seem to be all over the world these days and how many additional stresses we now deal with. Gill says she thinks it's really important to find more balance in things that happen to us and life in general.
Anyway they're checking out their 'click bait' title to see what happens and if they can dramatically increase their listeners!
Being typically British Jamie and Gill 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 Gill gives him some extra tips to speed up the process.
They 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 Gill chats about how she see friends move in and out of my circles - sometimes in a close circle others further away.
Gill's been thinking about what does inspirational mean for her and maybe others. She chats 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 then lead us to compare ourselves with others without really knowing the other person's full story.
Jamie went away to Bath for the weekend and bought himself a 'pre-loved' jacket. He loves it 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? Gill and Jamie also discuss their lack of the 'need to go on holiday' compared to others and how some people, like farmers, never even get the chance to have a holiday.
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'. Also can you pass things on that you might not need instead of throwing them out? Jamie is using some old paving stones from hsi borhter to trim aaournd an edge and in exchange he had some old iron downpipe and guttering that was perfect for his brother's house.
Jamie was celebrating having reached 2992 subscribers and Gill had commented that she wanted him to get another 8 subscribers. Jamie didn't quite understand why to start with then did the maths then understood why Gill had said that. It's all about seeing things from a differnt point of view. They talk about why they think it is important to see other people's point of view as that helps you to understand them better.
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.
She shares what she thinks for women and why. How her retreats are as much a holiday as a safe place to share stories and feelings - interesting observation is that it is enough often around the table at meal-times that women open up. 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?
Jamie shares his experiences of running social woodworking clases and what life is like being the only male in a family of 5 females and how sometimes he can feel shot down in flames so retreats.
Gill and Honor question are we, as women, part of the problem, could we do more to acknowledge what men deal with? Do men find it easier to talk to women in the right space? Would they come to a retreat / workshop facilitated by a woman?
They all discuss the many natural ways in the past that enabled both men and women to open up and chat have disappeared, even family habits have changed that mean those opportuniteis to open up have disappeared as well?
As Gill says ulitamtely the only way we'll know or find a range of answers is to ask a range of men / males of all ages as there is no one way fits all.
Jamie and Gill talk all things boxes. From Jamie talking about old cardboard boxes to making a memory box / frames for two of his Dad's pipes his cousin has just found. Talking boxes reminds Gill of when she worked as a Sales admininstrator in a cardboard box factory and the trauma of the Tiny Tears boxes!
18mins 50 secs - Jamie remembering his Dad and the emotions that brings leads them into chatting about what prevents men from opening up and talking about their concerns and feelings in the way women do? Gill mentions her friend Honor (@honestlywithhonor on Instagram and Youtube) who runs 'Women Only' retreats in her gites in France and what would need to happen for that to work for men? Traditioanlly men went to the pub to chat but what do they do now as suicides are on the increase? What sort of environment would encourage them to open up? Is it easier for them when they are doing an activity like golf, woodworking, gardening at the allotment?
Both Jamie and Gill have got jobs to do which involves mixing cement! Gill had an 'Aha' moment when weeding between the large number of flagstones she has that instead of weeding she could just re-do the mortar between the flagstones! Whilst Jamie is busy sorting out his patio to aovid flooding.
It's also Gill's turn to have a real rant about litter! She explains that she walks up her lane each day and is forever collecting litter that people just throw out their car windows - with Budweiser and McDonald currently at the top of the litter leaderboard. Gill is shocked at the amount of unused sauce packets that are discarded and they chat about the amount it must cost the various fast food companies as well as the enviromental impact!
Talking of her walks she also tells Jamie about her surreal conversation, early on Sunday morning, about black-out blinds and sound waves with some illegal ravers on the Common that had kept her awake all Saturday night.
Jamie attempts to persuade Gill about the benefits of nettles from nettle tea to nettles on her pasta!
They 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.
And being British they can't avoid talking about the effect the weather and climate change have when you're growing your own food.
Jamie and Gill both agree that nature holds a lot of answers and remedies for our health over taking a pill. Talking of nettles reminded Gill about the perils of going for her early morning walk along country lanes!
It's all about shows and festivals in this week's episode!
Gill was lucky enough to be given tickets to go to the Chelsea Flower Show with her husband Clive for the first time this year. Jamie, having seen it on TV, wanted to know what it was like for real.
Gill and Jamie talk about the various show gardens and how the gardens have changed over the years to reflect helping nature and how people are changing their perceptions around how gardens should look. Jamie describes what he's been doing differently with his garden and how they are both bringing more wildlife into their gardens.
Gill goes on to decsribe the amazing displays in the Pavilion one of which was a bonsai display that made her think of Jamie - as he has an interest in all things bonsai. Jamie enthuses about his growing passion for bonsai and what he has learnt about 'air layering bonsai' from watching Peter Chan (HeronsBonsaiUK) on YouTube.
Jamie and Gill chat about their different perceptions of time particularly over the last 2 weeks, they've rushed by for Gill but seem to have gone more slowly for Jamie. They wondered why there is a difference in perception, both of them have been busy but what had happened to each of them in those two weeks changed the speed at which they perceived it had passed. Gill talks about a friend and her new partner and how different generations can have a view about time on the same subject - their elderly parents thinking they should hurry up to the next stage and not waste any precious time, whilst their adult children think, what's the hurry there's plenty of time it only seems like yesterday you met.
Gill and Jamie chat about how we live in a 24 hour society and how many people are always living in the future, desperate for their next holiday, the next thing in their lives and getting burnt out int he process. In comparison Gill and Jamie compare notes about how they have chaned their lives and make time to press pause, go for walks, explore their local area, notice things in more detail and do something creative as their form of meditation in a crazy world.
After the weekend celebrations Jamie and Gill 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.
Jamie and Gill chat about what they do now to keep their stress levels low including gardening, being in nature and for Jamie learning the art of sashiko stitching or in Gill's case darning socks!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 'Beliefs Bing and Me. The Active Role I took to tackle Cancer'. They chat about how important they think taking a slower path in life is over being in the 'rat race', especially these days.
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!
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'. Learning from those that have already done it is always a good place to start! Gill and Jamie 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.
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.
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.
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 has helped him and Gill shares her visualisation technique she uses when working with clients.
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 reader 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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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 neighbour's 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.
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! :-)
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Gill and Jamie give a flavour of what their new podcast will be about. They talk about how the podcast came about and what you can expect in future episodes - from chatting about socks to what's going on in the world! Plus they will be inviting guests to join them. You never know what you're going to learn!