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 insect bites to dealing with past traumas.
08/12/2026
From insect bites to dealing with past traumas.
Jamie is being badly bitten by something up his garden unlike previous years and asks Gill if she gets bitten more now than a few years ago as he has a theory. Gill says she only has to walk outside and she gets bitten even through jeans, hence she never wears shorts or dresses! She reacts badly to bites with them itching constantly and they become swollen and red for days - she still has the scars from last years bites. Jamie thinks its because we eat 'cleaner and healthier' now that we have become tastier to the insects. Gill thinks it's because she doesn't drink as much alochol these days as she used to when she didn't get bitten! However she can't wait to tell Jamie that she is about to make something and see if it works. She's been hearing and reading about ribwort plantain balm being excellent for bites and stings. Having discovered they have loads of both sorts of plantain (flat broad lead and ribwort plantain) growing in their garden, of course Gill being Gill has decided to make some to see if it is effective. They chat about how the more natural ways are often the best and how we have forgotten about so many of them that herbalist and naturopaths use or actually has marketing and big pharma steered us away from making our own natural remedies? Gill had shared an IG post with Jamie about some research around trauma, which she had found interesting. It was looking at why after a trauma some people can move on and simply view it as a memory and others stay stuck in the trauma cycle despite therapy. In essence the research found that those that journal about it for 15 - 20 mins over 3 or 4 days can then move forward with their lives. Jamie says he has something he'd like to move on from and is going to give it a go to see what happens. They chat about what they used to use for writing from fountain pens to Quink ink, blotting paper and cartridge pens.
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From ice creams to earning money by collaborating.
07/29/2026
From ice creams to earning money by collaborating.
Following on from the last episode Jamie and Gill chat a bit more about EV's and the problems they've come across in last couple of weeks. Jamie had an incicent with a student and when Gill was in Lyme Regis with Clive she saw an 'exchange' between 2 car owners - one in the charging space and one waiting to charge. It did raise more questions about owning an EV car. Gill's husband had suggested they treat themselves to an ice cream. When they saw the rpices they realised how long ago they must have last bought an ice cream whilst out and about. It leads Jamie and Gill to chat not jsut about ice cream prices but about prices in general and how much they have increased. They both agree that in no way do they blame the business owner - but ultimately Gill only got her ice cream when they got home and she made them! Jamie has been busy dismantling his tree house that he built for a TV show and says how he wished he hadn't bothered building it as it was so much hassle! He has got of bits of video he took whilst taking it down that he could edit to put on YouTube. They discuss the effort and time it takes to make and post videos, how it has to be portrait for one platform and landscape for another. Gill says she will be posting a lot more in landscape now as she's working on a series for her YouTube channel which is best in lanscape. Jamie warns her about copyright music and some issues he has had in the past using 'free from copyright' music. They talk about how people think it's quick and easy to make money either posting videos or working on collaborations with businesses - it isn't! It take a lot of time, andi n the case of YouTube can be a long time before you earn a penny let alone get paid. They both agree it can bring in an income but you have no idea why one month you get lots of views on a video and the next not alot!
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From horse s**t to apprenticeships and EV cars
07/15/2026
From horse s**t to apprenticeships and EV cars
In this episode Jamie and Gill are joined by a guest Andy Leech, founder of Fleet Evolution (EV cars). Andy is a horse lover and somehow very early on in the podcast they start talking about horse s**t and the furore it can cause in a community. There are people who think owners and riders should clear up their horses mess the same as dog owners are meant to, Jamie of course is a dog owner. They chat about the diffiulties that would cause ot just out on the road with traffic but for the rider too having to climb back on - as Andy says at his age he'd need a step! With Andy owning a company both Jamie and Gill are interested to kow more about his apprenticeship scheme and how it works compared now to many years ago. Jamie didn't do an aprenticeship but worked and learnt under a skilled / master craftsman. They chat about the benefits to doing an apprenticeship rather than everyone going to university and all agree about the huge positives of 'learning on the job'. Not only does a young person learn the role but also what it feels like to go to work, be part of a team, earn while you learn and about how to communicate and take feedback. Andy set up Fleet Evolution back in 2010 as a salary sacrifice scheme for companies. Neither Jamie nor Gill are fond of EV cars for a variety of reasons but Andy does a good job in convincing them of the positives, how it really is about adapting, planning in advance and a shift in mindset! Part of the planning is looking for places you are going to stop and charge which leads them to talk about the best Motorway services. Gill and Andy agree there really aer only 2 in England for them - the Gloucester Services on the M5 and Tebay on the M6 n Cumbria. However Andy does admit that if you can't charge it at home, and there are plenty of people who can't, then it is more of an issue. He does say to Jamie that if you own your own car outright (both Jamie and Gill do) had it for several years and it's going OK with general servicing then that is the best form of sustainability.
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Episode 92 - From hot weather and drinks to seagulls!
07/01/2026
Episode 92 - From hot weather and drinks to seagulls!
Of course with the recent heat wave Jamier and Gill have to talk about the weather! Jamie says that somehow he has been very productive doing little jobs on his list including lots of sewing. With the hot weather Gill's been busy washing everything like the sofa cushion covers, the mattress topper and getting them all dry in the sun. Letting nature do its work rather than dry cleaning! Jamie confesses to turning on his air con in his workshop for the first time in over 13 years. His workshop is like a little tin box and he wasn't sure it would work but with students coming in he needed to have it on. It worked! He compares the cost of running it to impact on the amount of work he can actually get done when it's cool. Gill mentions their solar panels would be perfect for running AC as basically wouldn't cost us anything but luckily living in a bungalow with loads of insulation she and Clive stay cool! She chats about how people tend to do the opposite of what they should to keep their homes and cars cool. It leads on to them talking about EV cars and sitting in traffic jams, more about that next episode of they ever manage to get their guest on! Jamie tells Gill about the drinks he has been making using broccoli water with nettles and other ingredients to keep hydrated. Rather than just drinking water it means he also gets lots of minerals and electrolytes which are so important in the hot weather. Lastly they talk about bird poo! Jamie has been scraping it off their cars whereas Clive and Gill were scraping it off themselves whilst on their normal Saturday morning walk in Budleigh Salterton. How one seagull could have such an impact and make such a mess literally from top to toe on both of them was beyond Gill! She smugly tells Jamie how she got everything clean without any chemicals being used.
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From insect bites to becoming skilled at what you do.
06/17/2026
From insect bites to becoming skilled at what you do.
Eleven days after an insect / spider bite Jamie has been to A & E as his ankle kept swelling. He was recommended to take some antihistamine tablets and went off to buy some. He was given a choice between a branded one tablet or a supermarkets own brand at a much cheaper price. Jamie of course took the cheaper one and no real differnce according to the person serving him. It leads to a chat about the difference in cost between branded and non branded items. Gill says she has 2 friends who know a lot about plants and there medicinal properties. She wishes she could plug her brain into theirs to download the information as she knows she must have a lot in her garden that she could use. She tells Jamie about how, when she worked as sales admin in a cardboard box factory and had to deliver some samples to a customer, she was shown around the factory and saw various brands being made next to each other. The only thing that needed to change between them was one ingredient! Jamie has also been carving a little mouse, copying it from a carver, Robert Thompson, well known for his mice. Jamie explains how apprentices are often told to copy something from a Master in that field as it puts you into the same frame of mind and makes you think about how to acheive the same result. Gill jokes about how in a 100 years someone will appear on the Antiques Roadshow with Jamie' mouse thinnking they have a Robert Thompson mouse worth a fortune and be disappointed. Jamie explains that he will burn his own mark into it so that there is no mistake and when an apprentice copies a Master's piece of work it is not allowed to leave the workshop but is destroyed. This leads them to talk about 'biting off more than you can chew' when learning a skill. Gill talks about a new willow weave she has been learning and it's defintiely not perfect but has helped her learn what she needs to do / change much earlier on in the process next time to make it better. They both agree that it is good to remind students / newly qualified people watching or wondering how they came to certain decisions that they have years of experience of doing their jobs.
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From touch points of human contact to ivy suffocating trees
06/03/2026
From touch points of human contact to ivy suffocating trees
With AI and so little face to face communication these days Gill tells Jamie how a simple act of taking a photo of a flower high up on a wall became, what she's now calling, a 'touch point of human contact' and how she is looking to have more of them. Another one occurred when she wnet to pick up a pizza from the van that comes to their village and how it became moch more than collecting a pizza. Having a dog Jamie says he gets plenty of these moments chatting to other dog owners and with his workshop in the Ruskin centre next to the cafe people tend to drop in to his workshop to have a look. They chat more about human contact and how important it is to us as humans. Jamie says he is now doing less videos for YouTube and as a result getting more done in the workshop and in future will only do videos of the things he enjoys making. As a result of his shift in thnking about his work and making more of the things he wants to make he's decided to change his workshop around a little remvogn some things adding chairs. These changes in what he wants to do has also had a positve effect on the rate he charges for any work he does. Jamie has also been busy in his garden removing ivy that was choking an old cherry tree and how having removed it the tree has already got new little shoots coming from the branches. Gill and Jamie have something new for their next podcast a guest! They can't wait to see how that goes.
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From wounded cats to beds and bedding.
05/20/2026
From wounded cats to beds and bedding.
Jamie had seen some posts on Gill's Instagram accoutn about their cat Silvio and asked what had happened. Gill tells Jamie the sorry story. Silvio has been in a fight with another cat and had a badly injured, ripped open cheek which needed sititches. He is an outdoor cat and after 4 visits to the vet was still not allowed out! She said that right now she wasn't sure who's was more stressed him or her and Clive! Jamie has a bit of a story of his own about his leaking water bed having woken up in the early hours to feel a damp patch on the side. Gill was surprised that he had a water bed and said not for her she'd rather sleep on the floor! Jamie said they had to drain it straight away and for a few nights sleep on a blow up mattress whilst they decided which bed to have next. His wife doesn't really like the water bed so he thoguht he'd give her the option to choose a new bed. He started to do some research into various beds but after a few nights not sleeping on the warmth of the water bed his joints started to complain. Gill and Jamie chat about beds and consequently that leads onto discussing bedding as well and how they can impact your sleep to such a large degree and yet it is often one of the items we rarely think about spending a lot of money on. They discuss the toxic effects of beds and the more natural ones now being made.
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From: blue tooth air pods to milk!
05/06/2026
From: blue tooth air pods to milk!
Jamie and Gill start talking about technology and the reason Gill has never worn blue tooth headsets or i pods as she has had several friends who have had brain tumours - maybe a coincidence?? They discuss if the problem of now having to connect headsts etc by blue tooth or the 'old fashioned' wire ones via an adaptor could that be part of the reason so many people now have conversations and listen to things on loud speaker annoying everyone around them! Jamie tells Gill he's made a change and wants to know how much mindset plays a role in the impact he's experiencing. He's changed his milk from semi-skimmed to organic whole milk and feels it is having an impact on what he now eats as well. He's using less sugar, wants to snack less and wonders if that's as a result of the change or that he believes it is making a difference. They chat about beliefs and the placebo as well as the nocebo, effect and somemore about today's food in supermarkets. Gill talks about the chemicals in the things we now use everyday and the impact it has on our health and how difficult it is to know what's true even in the results of 'research'.
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From when you head is full of ideas to learning to flex.
04/22/2026
From when you head is full of ideas to learning to flex.
Jamie missed the time they were due to record this episode. He explained he had a lot going on in his head, not in a stressful way but in a good way, and had taken 5 minutes to sit in the garden and forgot they were due to record. Gill and Jamie chat about how they approach tasks or chores in various ways that they don't want to do and 'future pace' the results like Jamie and tidying his woodstore to make things easier in the winter. When it comes to work it's sometimes means saying 'no' to jobs even if you want to do them or putting in a your own 'end date' and taking control of your life rather than feeling pressurised. They chat about how funny it is that the things they love to make are often the most popular items to sell as if they have a different energy in them. Gill tells Jamie about the TV show 'Take it to market' as a great example of that. Jamie and Gill talk about how teaching is the best way to learn a subject and how important it is to learn how to do the job properly before learning the 'cheats' or 'shortcuts' as there will be times when a cheat won't work. Gill brings up the subject of being adaptable and able to flex quite easily, like Jamie not turning up on line to record this episode and how you can respond to similar situations to avoid getting frustrated or angry.
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From: Appreciating skills to increasing your fees.
04/08/2026
From: Appreciating skills to increasing your fees.
How far would you travel to see a professional you trusted? Jamie has broken a tooth and doesn't trust the dentists local to him but has located his old dentist and is happy to travel to herknowing how skillful she is. Jamie and Gill chat about skills and how good it is when someone you are teaching reaches a certain skill level or as a learner you feel you reach a certain level and ready to move on. Jamie is creating a 'pathway' for his students so that when they reach a certain level they can decide which direction they want to go in next. Gill talks about running her willow course and how when learning something new you really get to appreciate the skill involved and often that changes your view of what the price should be, which is usually higher! When you are buying something it isn't just that product or teaching hour you're paying for but all the hours of practice that were involved for the teacher / trainer to become so skilled. Jamie has been asked to repair a writing box and made the customer fully aware of how he charges and potential time frame. The customer was fully onboard with the cost and adament he wanted Jamie to do it no mattter how long it took. Gill and Jamie chat about how, when a sole trader and in certain professions, there is a tendency to keep prices stable and not to increase fees in line with rising costs espeically for longstanding clients particularly if you know they are struggling to make ends meet already - but everyone has increased bills to pay. Jamie has decided to tell his students that there will be a yearly increase but if they can't afford it to talk to him.
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From: How do I get myself into these things? to tyres
03/25/2026
From: How do I get myself into these things? to tyres
Jamie and Gill talk chat about how they get ourselves into things without meaning to?! Gill explains that she's found herself running a willow obelisk workshop for her village 'allotmenteers' having been asked by her neighbour but didn't think she'd actually said yes so not quite sure how it happened. Gill describes what is involved in preparing for the workshop especially when you don't have the right equipment to start with! Jamie shares a similar type story involving a stair gate and his accountant. When peole ask for things they rarely take into account how much tiem is involved prior to actually starting the work if the client even agrees. They chat about how people expect skilled people / speakers etc to do something for nothing, travel to the venue maybe accomodation required and offer very little in exchange without thinking they have bills to pay as well! With everything going up in price since the start of the Iran war Jamie has been looking for new tyres for his car, as he works through the 'advisories' from his car's recent MOT. He describes how shopping around can save a lot of money. Gill comments how she has been mentally working out the cost of veg as she shops and thereforer how much growing her own food actually saves her even though she buys some compost each year. On the same lines of saving money Jamie also mentions that he has noticed the views on his free fuel biquette videos have increased in recent weeks with people looking to save money especially on things like heating. The impact of more viewings means that the money Jamie earns from YouTube will increase slightly but it all helps.
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From Competition time! to selling on Ebay and Facebook
03/11/2026
From Competition time! to selling on Ebay and Facebook
Jamie and Gill have both been busy in the garden. Gill has been clearing their wild flowers area in the garden which has became overgrown with deep rooted plants like: nettles, cleavers and dock leaves whilst the clay soil is wet enough to get them out. Jamie has been busy removing ivy covering a tree at the end of his garden. The mention of ivy leads Gill to talk about making laundry liquid from ivy leaves and Jamie is keen to know how to do it and says to Gill 'Don't tell me that it must be that Nancy Birtwhistle again!' Gill, beign passionate about the environment and keen to do her bit, goes on to tell Jamie how to clean patio stones without using chemicals again "Nancy Birtwhistle style'. Gill suddenly has an idea that due to the delivery of 3 copies of Nancy's latest book which were faulty she suggests they run a competition for someone to win a copy (repaired by her). Jamie comes up with a plan that means if you'd like to enter you'll have to listen to this episode. They finish by chatting about comparing their experiences of selling items on both Ebay and Facebook market place. Gill has been busy clearing her sister's flat and attempting to sell furniture items. She admits that she is by no means an 'Ebayer or Marketplace expert', and experienced all sorts of issues with buyers. Jamie has been busy selling an item and explains how he has gone about it
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From fitness regimes changing to no more starbars!
02/25/2026
From fitness regimes changing to no more starbars!
Gill starts the episode by sharing a piece that her friend Justin Buckthorp posted on how our fitness regimes change as we age and for good reason. What we could do at 25 and get away with we can no longer do at 45 and for good reason. Jamie and Gill chat about how health, for them, has become the number one driver as they age. They very much think about and are far more aware of what they do, how they do it and why, from exercise to eating. Gill no longer goes to a gym but gets her exercise out in her large garden or moving around on the floor when she is willow weaving. Jamie says he does similar in that he no longer syas he'll spend hours in the garden but just go do a bit when he can and not push it beyond what he knows will impact him in a negative way physically later on. The conversation naturally leads onto what they both eat adn actually when they now eat. Gill tells of her experiences whenever she is questions around her eating and drinking habits by asked by a doctor or nurse and the looks of disbelief she gets. Jamie has been medicine free for 6 years now and how he's doing things differently but wants to do more. Finally shock of shocks - Jamie shares he ate a Starbar recently, they been his favourite chocolate bar for years and years, but discovered he no longer likes them and apparently it's all Gill fault!
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From the weather to we digress...again!
02/11/2026
From the weather to we digress...again!
Jamie and Gill thought they'd see if they could have 2 random topics to talk about and if they could somehow get from one topic to the other linking them together. They both agreed that being typically British they had to talk about the weather and Jamie had said he wanted to talk about smoking - well giving up. The challenge was set! They started, as agreed, with the amount of rain everyone has been experiencing and how that was impacting their ability to get out in the garden. This lead very nicely into talking about potholes and cars. Cars allowed Gill to bring up the subject of parking lights, the old ones you used to clip on the driver's window and plug into the cigarette lighter. Jamie admitted he'd never heard of them until he saw one for sale and wondered what this egg-shaped thing was with a lead hanging out of it. The mention of the cigarette lighter in the car (what's one of those younger listeners will ask?) of course meant they could talk about cigarette machines. Which gave Jamie the opportuntiy to talk about his smoking habit and how he gave up smoking at 19 having started at 12 years old. They somehow acheived the challenge but being Jamie and Gill there was a lot of digressing along the way into freezers, bodies and even being a 'little bit Polish'!
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From AI pros and cons to changing your weekly routine.
01/28/2026
From AI pros and cons to changing your weekly routine.
Back to talking about AI again. Jamie tells Gill about his use of ChatGPT and what he sees as the positives to for a one man business. It's helped him with his YouTube videos and to be more eloquent when messaging an ill friend when he didn't know what to say in his message. Whilst Gill can absolutely see the benefits of AI in lots of areas she share her concerns around AI, including environmental ones that people can't see, vast buidlings to house the servers, and huge amounts of water being used. Gill also asks is AI actually dumbing us down, removing our personalities from interactions / social media even more because we no longer have to think things through? She shares her own little theory about the impact it's having on people with neurodiverse conditions. Is it along with social media actually making them more prominent now particularly in the rise of adults that have been diagnosed? People's attentoin spans are reducing and life is moving fast and does this just mean it'll move even faster? On another topic Jamie has re-organised his week, changed his routine and it's really helping. Gill shares that people forget how the basic little things that used to do really helped them like starting the day a bit earlier but a lot slower. When people return to the easy and quick habits they used to do how it really impacts their day.
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From episode 80 to baths in bedrooms!
01/14/2026
From episode 80 to baths in bedrooms!
A new year and episode 80 of our podcast! Gill wishes Jame Happy New Year but wants to know when do we stop saying Happy New Year to people?! They chat about family adaptability over the festive season and how that changes over the years esepcially as the family grow up. Somehow this leads to Jamie saying he has had to contend with snow and ice going up a hill. He tells of how he managed to get around a taxi that was having real problems and his thoughts on why electric cars also struggle and younger drivers. Many 'younger than us' who drive will rarely have had an opportunity to do so and have no idea how to drive in snow. Jamie then asks Gill if she sets new year resolutions. They tell each other why they don't set new year's resolutions as it applies too much pressure. Instead Gill says she likes to think about what she wants to focus more on during the year ahead. For Jamie it's focussing more on the work he wants to do now rather than has to and Gill it's doing more with her willow weaving and the ideas that she has. With many people complaining about January and how long it is Gill has a theory about why so many people think January is soooo... long. Jamie asks Gill what she thinks of the old fashioned idea of keeping Christmas decoarons up until Candlemas day at the start of February. A quick moan at the BBC about the timing of Jools Holland's programme on NYE's and finally they have a discussion about baths in bedrooms! What is all that about??!! Jamie has a theory on the current trend.
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From Christmas past to Christmas present.
12/24/2025
From Christmas past to Christmas present.
It's Christmas this week Jamie and Gill decide to chat about their memories of Christmas past and how we've changed how we feel about it now. Gill can remember lots of her family traditions based around Christmas including the last one she had with her Dad before he died in the January. Jamie admits he struggles to remember anything of his childhood Christmases other than his Action man tank which he still has in the attic. He tells a funny story about how he somehow sat on and rode his new tank down the stairs. As Gill talks he slowly recalls things he had forgotten. They both remember being at work and the excitement of everyone being 'let go' early on Christmas Eve - that alone felt like a big present. They talk about how your feelings change about Christmas as you grow older. The childlike excitement gives way to being with your friends as well as family and going out to work. Then as you get a family of your own it changes again. Gill explains how she still loves Christmas but for very different reasons these days. Christmas is just one day and for some it is a hard time of year especially if they find they are on their own, have lost someone close during the year or have other challenges to face. Where ever you are in life avid comparing yourself to other people's Chistmas and make Christmas your own - Happy Christmas.
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From Crocodiles to palm oil in chocolate
12/10/2025
From Crocodiles to palm oil in chocolate
This episode it's Jamie's turn to sound sexy as he's got a sore throat! Apart from his sore throat he's really happy as he's sold the crocodile that the made a couple of years ago for a panto. (Look at his video of it on his YouTube channel The Worcestershire Cabinet Maker). He could have sold it for a lot more, as one person told him, but he is happy with the price and explains that he found a balance with the purchaser based on his values of 'pay it forward' to another amateur dramatic society. Jamie is concerned that these societies are getting far too technical with one person knowing how the technical side works. Gill and Jamie chat about the cost of something v. the time it took to create and Jamie thinks this is a missing link in the programme 'The Repair Shop' that they don't say how long a repair actually took in real time creating unrealistic expectations. They both agree it would be helpful to have labels on crafted / handmade items saying how long they took to make as it may help buyers appreciate and understand the price. Finally, Jamie has a rant about the increase in the use of palm oil instead of milk especially in chocolate and how that's having such a negative impact on dairy farmers with many giving up. Again it comes down to the price people are prepared to pay and often can't afford the better quality chocolate. We discuss the amount of 'crap' going into and onto our bodies and how we hope more peole will return to growing and making their own.
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From cancelling Spotify to car problems at garages!
11/26/2025
From cancelling Spotify to car problems at garages!
Gill and Jamie chat about why, after some research, they've decided to stop posting their podcast (and Gill her other podcast too) onto Spotify. Spotify are getting wealthier by the day and the average creator is struggling with musicians getting between £0.0024 and £0.004 per download. With the introduction of AI being able to use any content on the platform creators will end up becoming obsolete! The conversation turns to other big companies like Amazong which Jamie is not a big fan of! He explains how when looking to buy some tools it lead him to take a deep dive into the product and discovered somen interesting facts. We chat about the impact this has had on manufacturing in the UK and how old steel works and buildings are being demolished to make way for bland housing (and yes I bring up the book 'Less' again!). Lastly I tell Jamie about the challenge I had trying to pump up my tyres at the garage early this morning and how did something that used to be so easy become so difficult and complicated!
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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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