Heads & Dovetails
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.
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From Tree Felling to Smart meters
11/12/2025
From Tree Felling to Smart meters
Following an observation from Gill's husband on last week's episode she apologises to Jamie for talking so much at the start of the last episode. In her defence she says she was praising Jamie about his skills. Talking of skills Jamie is a bit 'miffed' as he was asked to become involved with a tree removal at a local church. He was asked to use his skills to make some things, stool, benches etc. from the wood of the tree being felled to help parishioners accept it had to come down. He was also promised some of the wood. It's another tale of mis-communication with a number of people including with Jamie who ended up with very little wood! We change the topic and Gill talks about her recent experience to do with Smart meters or what turns out to be not so smart meters! She was flat sitting for her son as he needed to have his meter changed and again due to computers and mis-information the slot he had chosen had been messed up! In the process of chatting to the man changing the meter she discovers that her son will still ahve to do monthly meter readings! It's a tale all about mis-information being given to customers to get them to change their meters. Talking of computers... Gill and her husband discover something that makes them wonder if they have been victims of ID fraud. She digs deeper!
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From Mary Poppins Patio to charging for your expertise.
10/29/2025
From Mary Poppins Patio to charging for your expertise.
Gill has lost her voice with the dreaded lurgi that everyone seems to be getting but Jamie thinks it makes her sound sexy! Gill starts this episode by giving a shout out to Jamie and his expertise as she wanted a particular sign for a present - Mary Poppins Patio, and knew just the man to make it for her! She explains the reason behind it in the podcast and how people don't see the expertise and time that goes into making something. Jamie says how busy he has been with an elephant currently on his bench - which Gill jokes about. They discuss how when you are creating something, whether that be an project plan to making something with your hands, how you can spend a lot of time thinking about it and planning it before you start work on it. Often this isn't included in the time we charge for an item. Gill refers back to the elephant and the image she saw in her head when Jamie talked about it being on his bench. She uses it as an example of how mis-communication can happen so easily between people and therefore how important it is to clarify things. Finally they chat about how self employed people, especially those who have been out of a salaried role for a long time can lose track of how much people earn now. It's also important that we charge the correct fee for our expertise and any materials used rather than from looking at it from our own personal financial situation. This finishes with them chatting about living within your means.
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From 'Pink-washing' to making a scorched owl.
10/15/2025
From 'Pink-washing' to making a scorched owl.
With it being cancer awareness month Gill questions are companies simply doing, what she's calling, 'pink-washing' similar to 'green-washing' the public? Jamie and Gill discuss the irony of companies going pink, printing pink ribbons on their packaging to promote cancer awareness month when those same companies use known carcinogenic chemicals in their products! How can that be right? They chat about how they would prefer companies not spend part of the their marketing budget on going pink for a month but to do something to remove toxic chemicals from their products. Jamie talks about candles and how toxic they are but there are no regulations aroudn what they use to make them. Gill says she watched a programme with Joe Wicks and how he made a protein bar out of nothing but chemicals and it was totally legal for him to sell it to the public. It leads us on to discuss all sorts of things and what we can do to help ourselves. Gill again refers to the book she has just read called 'Less' by Patrick Grant and how it has made her think about the impact just one small thing/habit we have has on the wider world economy. Jamie and Gill go back to talking about one of their favourite topics - how being creative has so many benefits for us, even making something basic. Research is showing how much happier people are when working with their hands or creating something like a piece of music. The added benefit we can have on the local economy by working and selling our skills and products locally is huge. Jamie is doing much more than simply teaching students, they're learning about themselves and the pleasure you get from creating something. One of his students who has been coming to him for a while has created a beautiful carved owl out of an old gate post. As Jamie said he needed very little imput as the student seemed to get into a flow whilst carving it (see Jamie's recent YouTube video). By running his classes he is helping the local economy. Gill talks about the willow course she has booked on NEXT October which is already sold out and as a result of the course has also booked into a local B & B and will no doubt buy a meal or 2 in the evening in the local area. Hence a great example of a local economy benefitting from one person passing on their willow weaving skills face to face.
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Is Authenticity making a comeback to terry nappies?!
10/01/2025
Is Authenticity making a comeback to terry nappies?!
A cough from Gill at the start of the recording opens up a discussion about editing both this podcast and Jamie's videos. That discussion then leads into talking about being authentic and how people seem to be slowly returning to a need to see what is actually real rather than acted 'reels' on IG. Gill wants to talk about a particular topic to do with sustainability, which in part has come from the book she reading 'Less' by Patrick Grant, and the use of terry nappies! They chat about the pros and cons of terry nappies v. disposable ones not just on the environment but also on the child. Gill firmly believes that it does have an impact on when toddlers are clean and dry. She describes how in the book so many things are lead by big companies and their marketing and PR to convince people to use them. Jamie talks about an article he's read about the importance of touch to babies and how they learn from it. They end up discussing the cost of electricity and question the various reasons why we're not seeing more solar panels on buildings etc.
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From Agony Aunt to Starbars
09/17/2025
From Agony Aunt to Starbars
It seems Gill's turned into an Agony Aunt for Jamie in this episode! Jamie had several things, problems he wanted to ask Gill about to see if she could help him work out what was going on in his brain! They talk about the possible reasons for Jamie's washing up obsession and how he's been training not only his brain but his family! His family are now expecting him to do certain tasks - Dad's jobs - like the washing up, emptying the bins etc. Whilst he doesn't mind he wants to know ho wto stop the family taking it for granted they are 'his' jobs! Gill explains, in very basic terms, about how the brain will protect us and how it doesn't know the difference between real and imagined. They chat about how that can be a positive and a negative and how athletes will use it. Jamie then owns up to his Cadbury 'Starbar' wrapper collection and his theory as to how it helps him avoid eating them now. Somehow this leads them on to talking about the up cycling of old wine boxes into shelves in his shed!
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From Un-ironed pineapple shirts to plastic in compost!
09/03/2025
From Un-ironed pineapple shirts to plastic in compost!
Jamie has been pondering on the chat he and Gill had in episode 69 about ironing and had an 'Aha' moment about why he doesn't iron his shirts. He realises it goes back to his days of working on boats and having to be in meetings with management one minute whilst also working on boats the next. An unironed shirt seemed to cover both situations well - smart enough for a meeting but not too smart to have the Mickey taken out of him when woking on the boats. Gill goes on to talk about compost and her recent experience of finding a LOT of large, small, solid and thin bits of plastic as well as other rubbish in peat free compost. She's found very small pieces of plastic in well known brand names as well. She's also discovered that even organic compost is not guaranteed plastic free! As a result, having a large garden she is investing in a Hotbin (they are quite expensive) to speed up the composting process. Jamie explains to her how he's made his own home made version of a hot composter using 2 old recycling bins that their council no longer uses. They chat about the cost and Gill explains her justifications for spending the money. Talking about all the rubbish in the compost, mainly all sorts of old chewed up bin liners, leads them to a discussion about bin liners and do we really need them as they end up in landfill or Gill's compost?!
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From Freud or Adler to 'updating' ourselves.
08/20/2025
From Freud or Adler to 'updating' ourselves.
Jamie had sent Gill a link about Freud versus Adler and had society been following the wrong theory? They chat about the differences in approach to helping people - Freud looking back to childhood traumas and Adler looking forward. After chatting about the various types of therapy they both decide they're more in the Adler camp but recognise that what works for one person may not work for another. Gill talks about how she suddenly realised that she had an updated, better solution to carrying the bird food into the garden than she had been using for years as a result of learning to willow weave. They chat about how often we do things because we've always done it that way. We forget that we're constantly learning and changing and that it's good to occasionally review things from where we are and what we know now. By reviewig things from a differnt perspecitve we can often find better more updated answers / solutions to a problem.
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From ironed bedding to an abundance of fruit.
08/06/2025
From ironed bedding to an abundance of fruit.
Jamie and Gill wanted to start the episode by giving a big shout out and dedicate this episode to Alex Holden for no other reason than they found out he has listened to every single one of their episodes! If you are a maker, listened to our podcast and would like a mention let us know. Gill had a couple of big questions for Jamie as part of her 'research': Did Jamie use a top sheet on their bed? Did they iron their sheets? Gill explains why she likes a top sheet and why she likes ironed bedding. Jamie explains why he doesn iron although admits he does like sleeping in ironed sheets. Gill, unlike Jamie, likes to iron and sees it as a from of meditation / time to think. She tells Jamie about how nylon sheets became all the rage back in the 1970's and brushed nylon in the winter (the company she was trying to remember was Brentford Nylons and they were actually based in London not as she thought in the midlands - clue in the name!) They chat about what might have influenced their choices of 'to iron or not to iron' not only bedding but their clothes as well and why their different approaches say something about their lifestyles. On the same theme Jamie admits his obsession with washing up continues and part of his excuses (reasoning) is he says the warm water helps his hands and joints. He then goes on to talk about being medication free for the last 5+ years and how he thinks his change in his mindset / approach has helped that process. Jamie asks Gill if she has noticed an abundance of fruit this year when out on her walks as he's seen a huge amount. She says she has but how only one of her three apple trees has a lot of fruit on and possible reason as to why. Jamie tells a funny story of him with a sheet (back to bedding again??) and collecting fruit which sounds more like an episode from 'Only Fools and Horses'! He tells Gill he'll be making a lot of different flavoured gins this year with all the fruit.
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From obituaries and eulogies to change your life?
07/23/2025
From obituaries and eulogies to change your life?
This may sound like a dark episode but it really isn't, it's more about taking stock of your life and who you are. Gill and Jamie define the difference between an obituary (the written word usually in a newspaper announcing someones death with a bit about their life) and a eulogy (usually spoken at a funeral / memorial service about someone's life but can be written down). Jamie had read an article - link here: which got him thinking about how he wanted to be remembered and writing his own obituary! As Jamie explains he doesn't want someone to stand up as his funeral for example and say 'He was always grumpy and miserable and had no friends' and have nothing else to say about him! Gill says for her it's a bit like pressing pause, checking in with herself to see if she is creating a life that she wants to be remembered for. For her it woudln't be things like 'she worked hard, had a lovely house and car and went on exotic holidayss...' not that any of those apply! She wants to be remembered for things like her character and personality, hopefully in a poistive way! Jamie and Gill discuss do people remember us for the material things we owned? How hard is it to make the changes starting now? Do we complicate our lives? Is life more complex than simply making a few changes? And some how they end up talking about thier pants and socks drawers as only Jamie and Gill could!
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From Hot, hot, hot to micro weddings.
07/09/2025
From Hot, hot, hot to micro weddings.
Being British of course Jamie and Gill have to comment on the weather which has been hot in the south for quite a while. Luckily in the South West where Gill lives it's not been too bad whilst others, particulary in the South East have been melting! Jamie and Gill share various tips they learnt or heard of over the years to help keep cool from putting your feet in cold water to opening up your attic hatch at night. Jamie raises the topic of less is more and somehow this leads them to talking about weddings. They discuss the vast sums of money people spend, that they don't have, on a wedding and honeymoon. Is it really necessary? When did weddings get so big and exepnsive with a reception AND then an evening 'do'?. For some the tide is turning back to small, micro weddings (both Jamie and Gill had smaller weddings) that don't cost a fortune and are often much more intitmate and nicer.
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From watering cans to 'bugbears!'
06/25/2025
From watering cans to 'bugbears!'
Jamie has been suffering stomach type cramps and tells of his search online for a natural cure and how his family nag him to drink more water! Gill and Jamie chat about how various aches and pains can be as a result of something you've been doing or not doing (like drinking water when hot!) the previous day. Gill tells Jamie about the GillHB & Friends podcast she did a few years ago in her 'gardening mini series' with Rich Pennock from Haws Watering cans and a piece of good advice he gave her to help prevent back and posture issues. Changing subjects Gill wants to talk about bugbears! Jamie has a few around the washing up and stuff left in the sink drain cover! For Gill it's about people queueing at petrol stations when there is an empty pump just because their petrol filler is on the other side to the pump and how American spellings in British books drives her nuts! They discuss the dilemma of which spelling to use - do you use the spelling according to the nationality of the author or the publishing company? What are your bugbears in everyday life?
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From weddings and ChapGPT to alcohol
06/11/2025
From weddings and ChapGPT to alcohol
One of Jamie's daughters recently got married in the Lake District and that involved Jamie hiring a car, which he was not impressed with and taking various grand-parents with them. It was the first of his daughter's weddings for him as father of the bride and was held in a hotel overlooking Lake Windermere. It was a small wedding, 20 people in total which these days is apparently known as a 'micro- wedding'. Jamie describes what a wonderful day it was and how his duaghter had removed a lot of pre-wedding stress with the arrangements. He was worried about his speech which he had started to write some weeks before until one of his students suggested using ChatGPT to help him write it. Gill and Jamie discuss the pros and cons of using ChatGPT and Gill is not a fan but acknowledges it is a case of workgin with technology as it's here to stay! Jamie also talks about his need for a drink to help take the 'edge off' and how it helps him be the best version of himself. Gill asks 'What does he mean abut being the best version of himself?' They discuss people's need for alcohol, drecreational drugs etc and the possible deeper reason behind people needing them at certain times. Jamie thinks it is to do with his lack of confidence and probably being bullied at a young age. Finally Jamie wants to wish his dog Po a happy 10th birthday.
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From Chelsea Flower Show to a view from the garden.
05/28/2025
From Chelsea Flower Show to a view from the garden.
Gill loves the Chelsea flower show and has been lucky enough to go a couple of years ago. However reading a post on Instagram made her consider things from a different point of view. Firstly she asks, how did she get to her get and not realise that the RHS was a charity?! Jamie and Gill chat about the positives, not so positives and maybe areas that could be improved around Chelsea. They both agree that a lot of work and effort goes into making Chelsea happen but to what extent are younger people from the local area involved? Running events takes a lot of effort and Jamie tells how The Ruskin Centre where he has his workshop will no longer be hosting the Glass Festival. Again they look at possible reasons behind it. Jamie divulges how he spotted a chair on the pavement and took it home which leads Gill to comment on a photo of Jamie's taken from relaxing in his chair at the end of his garden and they chat about those special moments to be had here right on our doorstep. Finally Jamie says he has something big to talk about on the next episode!
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From VE Day Celebrations to Just go with it!
05/14/2025
From VE Day Celebrations to Just go with it!
With the VE celebrations last weekend Jamie went to see his Mum who had her 6th birthday on VE Day and she shares what she remembers of the day. Gill went down to join in the village celebrations on the green with over 300 people, sandwiches, cake, scones and a cuppa. Clive was also playing with his village ukulele band and it was freezing! It was so cold the ukulele players could hardly feel their fingers and playing in big coats wasn't quite the plan! Jamie also went to 'Yoga in the Park' and describe what it was like doing yoga in the rain, including lying on the mat for the relaxtaion bit at the end. For Gill it's her worse nightmare wearing wet clothes and she says she'll beleive Jamie when he's says he drove home afterwards (in wet clothes!) buzzing. Jamie is learning Japanese and tell so his progress and how he's doing it. They chat about how important it is to have a hobby or learn new skills alongside your career as you never know when they may become a way of earning money and the role it plays in helping with your self worth. No skills are ever lost and you can often use them when you least expect it. One of Jamie's daughter's is getting mariied soon and as Jamie puts it the stress is climbing in certain areas. We decide that sometimes the best thing to keep stress levels down in life is to 'just go with it'.
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From nettles to the added benefit of gardening as exercise
04/30/2025
From nettles to the added benefit of gardening as exercise
Gill starts off by apologising to listeners as they should have released an episode last week but with Easter, family commitments and time flying there simply wasn't a mutually convenient time. Jamie and Gill discuss the 'options' going forward do they do an episode once a month, stay as it is with every 3 weeks or go back to every 2 weeks? Jamie 'does a Gill' as he calls it and they decide to go back to releasing them fortnightly so that it is current but with a time limit of 30 minutes! Jamie will set a timer to make sure they keep to it. Jamie talks about a Japanese book he's reading and his plan to go to Tokyo in 2027 so is learning Japanese using an app. which he says has been designed like a game and therefore makes it more addictive to learn. They chat about the app and the difference between playing games and Gill says she doesn't see Suduko and crosswords as games. Jamie had taken his dog for a walk before recordingthe podcast and mentions collecting nettles to dry as it's the right timeof year. Gill warns of her very recent experience of putting too many in their breakfast smoothie thinking they are so healthy and the side effects she had! Chatting about nature and flowers Jamie mentions how glorious the wisteria is and all the blossoms this year. He says thinks that when you buy a house you have to think in advance about what plants, tres and busshes you want as they take time to grow whilst you are 'doing up your house' they can be maturing. Gill raises the topic of gardening as a fantastic form of exercise as she was moving heavy bits of wood around at the weekend and the added bonus of actually having acheived something tangible at the end of your 'exercise' session which brings another hit of the happiness hormones. She also updates Jamie on the saga of their ongoing subsidence repairs.
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From sorting out to getting creative.
04/02/2025
From sorting out to getting creative.
After a busy Mother's Day being around lots of mothers Jamie was enjoying the calm. As his computer is playing up he's decided it's time for a new computer which prompted Jamie to consolidate his 'bits of paper' that he works from so he can work smarter. Gill is also having a sort out at home and tells Jamie about why she and Clive (her husband) are slowly doing it now so that they can take their time selling / finding new homes for things they realistically don't want anymore or need to just get rid of - like old diaries you put in a drawer and before you know it have 10 years worth of them! She recalls how hard it was when her Mum had died, not knowing what was important to keep or just rubbish her Mum had never actaully cleared. Jamie had put on IG something about the mind needs to be creative other wise it goes weird. Gill says that for her and in her experince that means it creates it's own chaos! Chaos can be anxiety, stress, worries and fears. They chat about what constitutes as being creative and why it is so important to both of them to find that time to aloow for some creativity in their lives. Somehow, as it does with Gill and Janie it leads to Jamie talking about coffee grounds and the PH of coffee for the garden. As part of being creative Jamie has foudn a lovely technique to enhance the grain of wood whilst making a stool and Gill has been busy learning some new weaves for her willow weaving. The mantra from today's episode is: Create time to be creative!
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From the bumps and potholes of life to current strategies
03/12/2025
From the bumps and potholes of life to current strategies
Recently both Jamie and Gill have both had a few bumps and potholes to navigate in life. We they start by having a general and then more specfically about the increasing prices in all areas of life and more importantly how Jamie feels ands struggles with himself over increasing prices for his students. They explore Jamie's 'catch 22' that if he had a bigger workshop he'd save time so could take on bigger commissions as well as keeping his t4eacing going. The downside then of course is his rent and bills would increase along with the pressure to find the work to pay for it. the question then becomes it worth it or are there other options? Jamie admits he spends a lot of time in his head overthinking things and recognises this isn't always a good thing but sometimes he feels that is all he needs as a strategy to work things through. They talk about overthinking and the different strategies people have to cope but how important it is to review your current strategies as those that might have been relevant now or previously worked might no longer be effective in the future. Gill describes how she has a major review / reset between Christmas and New Year and does 'mini resets' through the year checking that waht she needed previously is stillrelevbant and works now. Jamie tells Gill he has 'YouTube envy' over her husband's Clive recent video that for some reason, unbeknown to Clive, has become viral with now over 117,000 views!
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From building repairs to old versus new houses.
02/20/2025
From building repairs to old versus new houses.
Gill's excited to report that 3 years on from subsidence happening on their house the underpinning and repairs have started! Jamie tells the saga his Mum has been having with a builder and sub contractors and how he's had to put a stop to the work. Gill can't sing high enough praise of the team that did their refurbishment. We chat about the lack of due diligence people do these days (which a guest on Gill's last 'GillHB & Friends' podcast was talking about) and when would you take a personal referral or what can you do to check someone out. Gill brings up the topic of wondering why people avoid going into a shop / cafe that has no customers in it and tell Jamie that when they owned a cafe if it wsa empty no one woudl come in but if just one person sat in the window suddenly they'd be busy. Finally they talk about living in an older house with beams versus living in a newer house. Gill admits that she used to want to live in an old house and did live in an Edwardian one and likes 'oldie worldie' houses to stay in but having now lived in new houses wouldn't want to live in one.
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From supporting January to the great British bird watch.
01/29/2025
From supporting January to the great British bird watch.
Having seen so many post on social media moaning about January Gill decides it's time to stick up for it! There are another 6 months with 31 days in them and you never hear anyone complaining about them. Gill makes the case that it's not January's fault that you overspent at the end of last year! This opens up the chat for Jamie and Gill to talk about money management, or lack of it these days and how many people are actually in a lot of debt. It is also not being taught in schools and peole jus need basic money managemnt skills. As Gill had signed up to a webinar about running a business off social media they discuss is it even possible? Gill wil report back! Jamie's daughter was showing him an old photo on line of the house he grew up in and as they enlarged it he saw in the corner of the garden a figure that was his Dad. One of the positives of modern technology. Gill tells Jamie that she and her husband were watching a documentary about Carole King and James Taylor were wondering when it was filmed. Gill thought it must be pre 2012 as there was a distinct lack of people watching it through their phones. Shec checked the date fo the tour and it was 2010 - how different things were back then! Finally Jamie asks Gill hwo their RSPB bird watch went at the weekend having seen a post of Gill's as they settled to do their hour...which was right when a storm came overhead! Jamie said his wife was aprticiaprting but after half an hour gave up as she hadn't seen one bird!
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From up-cycling a workbench to buying a washing machine!
01/08/2025
From up-cycling a workbench to buying a washing machine!
As both Jamie and Gill are into up-cycling/recycling, Gill was very excited to learn more about Jamie's new project for 2025 having seen his post on IG and watched his video on YouTube (The Worcestershire Cabinet Maker) Jamie's taking an old, somewhat flimsy workbench and basically rebuilding it into a much sturdier one using a lot of bits that he has rescued and are in his workshop like old drawers and other bits of wood. He'll be filming every step so people can learn from what he is doing and see how to reuse other items they might just have thrown away. In her own workshop (aka garage) Gill has been working on a couple of up-cycling pieces and sold a small cabinet last week - not making a profit but at least covering her costs. She explains to Jamie that she doesn't do it to make money (although that would be a bonus of course!) but because she really enjoys it and wants to save things from landfill - currently over 30 items of furniture - by giving them a new life. Plus she couldn't keep stock piling all the finished items in her workshop as she was runnning out of room! Meanwhile 2025 for Gill started with a bang and a horrible burning smell - her trusty, old washing machine sounded like it had pebbles in it and was emitting an acrid smell! She'd had it for years and it had finally died so it was time to do some research. Wow, she discovered how things have changed and thinks she'll need a computer science degree to do her washing! Begs the question how many people use ALL the programmes and various options? Seriously do people need to start their machines from an App on their phone?? And, as she says to Jamie to think she used to believe her washing was clean years ago when she had an old twin tub and wooden tongs to transfer the washing from washer to spinner!! She'll be reporting back as to how she gets on.
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From pain from a slipped disc to controlling your mindset
12/04/2024
From pain from a slipped disc to controlling your mindset
Jamie slipped a disc since the last podcast whilst putting his socks on and was in agony. He went to the doctor who prescribed a combination of medications that he's never taken before. Jamie talks about how he thinks doing these podcasts and chatting to Gill has really helped him change his mindset and he can now control his thoughts in a more positive way. Gill double check is he sure it's not the medication and talks about how importnt reframing is and that eventually your change in mindest becomes teh automatic default response. Gill chats about a fun post that was put on a group she belongs to asking the members to name one thing they like about themselves. She explains hwo she struggled to come up with one thing not because there isn't anything she liked about herself but because she just likes herself and that made her realise how lucky she is to be in a very contented place in her life.
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From coping with clients problems to when's enough stuff enough!
11/13/2024
From coping with clients problems to when's enough stuff enough!
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?
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From repairing items to the state of sold properties.
10/23/2024
From repairing items to the state of sold properties.
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.
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From a quote by Sir Anthony Hopkin to perspectives
10/02/2024
From a quote by Sir Anthony Hopkin to perspectives
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.
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From chairs to hitting that notification bell!
09/11/2024
From chairs to hitting that notification bell!
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.
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From to have or not have children to taking your time.
08/21/2024
From to have or not have children to taking your time.
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.
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From failure to patience
07/31/2024
From failure to patience
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.
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From shopping lists to thorns on lemon trees.
07/10/2024
From shopping lists to thorns on lemon trees.
Jamie shares with Gill that he was feeling down last week and this was compounded by struggling with some tech issues. They discuss 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 potential 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, 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 absolutely fascinating! He drills in wanting to know more, when and how did she start this? Was it connected to her work. Gill has never really thoght about it as it just seemd logical to her but does say it may be linked to her having been cabin crew many years ago. She is sure she can't be the only one that does it 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. Gill and Jamie 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!
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From making hazel hurdles to identifying bird song.
06/19/2024
From making hazel hurdles to identifying bird song.
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!
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From an election free zone to basket weaving.
05/29/2024
From an election free zone to basket weaving.
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 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!
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