Hello You - the Shropshire podcast with Jim Hawkins

Jim Hawkins

I’m trying to give you something a little different. Hello You is about stuff, and things. People, and stories. Shrewsbury, and Shropshire. Mental health and well-being. History and heritage. Arts, culture and music. Faith, belief and the complexities of life. I’m a good listener. It’s what I do. And for Hello You, I’m listening to (and talking with) fascinating people, mostly but not always from Shropshire, so that you can hear what they have to say. It's public-service local journalism that cares about people. Audio that brings you the voices of people you might not hear from otherwise. Interviews conducted with compassion and empathy. Thoughtful, positive, good-humoured conversations, informed local storytelling, and commentary that’s not afraid to get righteously angry on occasion. jimallthetime.substack.com

  1. Hello You 156: We need that on a T-shirt!

    4 DAYS AGO

    Hello You 156: We need that on a T-shirt!

    ‘We are not doing a very good job of meeting our young people where they are’ (cw: includes references to suicide) Alongside their work as a brand designer, Shropshire-based G Sabini-Roberts has been part of a team delivering LGBTQ+ inclusion training to schools, corporate clients, networking groups, the public sector and more for a long time. As they say, ‘a lot of us in marginalised communities, we’re doing activism all of the time’! That’s led them to set up Rainbow Wise, which delivers essential training to everyone who needs it in easily-assimilated bite-size chunks. In this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast, G explains how Rainbow Wise came about. Why not share the episode with people you know who’ll be interested? We also discussed when a women’s group is not a women’s group, the Women’s Institute (here’s the press release G mentions) and Girlguiding. why you wouldn’t want your kid to be trans in the UK right now … and how getting ticked-off at meetings and conferences led to the launch of the marvellous Ticked Off Tees! What do you think of G’s comments in this episode? Join in the conversation in the comments: … or send me a message, about anything at all: ‘Most people are good humans who want to do the right thing’ If you agree with the above statement, then you’re a natural fit with the Hello You family. Why not confirm your membership by taking out a subscription to Hello You the Shropshire podcast? And if you, like me, believe that most people are mostly good, most of the time, then you’re bound to know others who feel the same way. You may live with them, work with them, talk to them on social media, meet them in the café or down the pub. So why not share Hello You with them? If you like it, then so will they! Thank you for being there Please take care of yourself. Take care of the people around you. And I hope those people are taking care of you, too. Hello You - the Shropshire podcast from Jim Hawkins is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimallthetime.substack.com/subscribe

    43 min
  2. Hello You 155: A space to explore the big stuff

    3 MAR

    Hello You 155: A space to explore the big stuff

    Where to go when the world feels wobbly Wouldn’t it be great if there was somewhere you could go, to talk about ‘the big stuff’: hope and heart, courage and community, and how we can try to find a way through everything that’s happening around and to us? Jen Deacon is involved in activities at Shrewsbury’s Unitarian Church. For the next few weeks on Tuesday evenings Jen will be leading Meanderings, a chance for those of us wanting to find how to be and support the good in the world to talk about how that might be done. Jen tells me about Meanderings, and the Wednesday Lunchtime Meditations that she also facilitates, in this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast. Hello, new subscribers! There was a lot of reaction to Hello You 154, the interview with Cllr Alex Wagner, the LibDem deputy leader of Shropshire Council and Mayor of Shrewsbury. If you live in Shropshire, there’ll be something in our conversation that connects with your life. And if you’re interested in the challenges and machinations of local government, there’s plenty in there to keep you thinking. I’m thrilled to say that lots of people subscribed to Hello You the Shropshire podcast as a result of the last episode, either before it went out to make sure they didn’t miss it, or once they’d listened to it. If you’re one of them: thank you so much! I’m very grateful that you support intelligent local public-service audio journalism. I couldn’t do this without you. If you’re not yet a subscriber, then hit this button and join the Hello You family: And if you like what I do, please: * smash the hell out of any ‘Like’ button you can see * tell your friends, family, co-workers about Hello You the Shropshire podcast * talk about Hello You in the pub, on the bus, over coffee, at meetings … * and share Hello You with other good people like yourself, using this button Thank you for being there Please take care of yourself? It’s a wobbly world, as Jen Deacon tells us in this episode. Please take care of the people around you? And I hope the people around you are taking care of you, too. Hello You - the Shropshire podcast from Jim Hawkins is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimallthetime.substack.com/subscribe

    32 min
  3. Hello You 154: 'Focus on individual connection' - Alex Wagner in conversation

    27 FEB

    Hello You 154: 'Focus on individual connection' - Alex Wagner in conversation

    ‘If you’re a mayor, put your hands in the air!’ While national politics and politicians make the headlines, much of the day-to-day work of providing the services we need and making decisions about the local issues that affect us takes place at grassroots level. No-one’s more aware of that than Cllr Alex Wagner. Alex is the Liberal Democrat deputy leader of Shropshire Council. He’s also a Shrewsbury town councillor, and is currently the town’s mayor, with a decade-long track record in local politics. And - let’s get this out of the way - he’s only twenty-four years old. Thanks for reading Hello You - the Shropshire podcast from Jim Hawkins! This post is public so feel free to share it. ‘Shrewsbury’s unique, it’s exceptional, I don’t know any other place I’d rather live’ Alex Wagner and I had a sit-down in the Bird’s Nest Café in Shrewsbury’s multi-award-winning Market Hall to talk over some things I wanted to ask him, and questions suggested by Hello You listeners too. Topics covered include: * the pedestrianisation of Shrewsbury * the 8.99% increase in council tax * buses, including the experimental Night Bus * potholes (of course!) * housing and new developments; what’s needed and where they should go * the North West Relief Road * live music, grassroots venues, festivals and Loopfest * the parlous state of Shropshire Council’s finances, recently saved from going bust by a £190million government loan * beer and pubs * flags, FFS * schools * Shrewsbury Pride * the right to herd sheep, and other mayoral privileges * what makes a vibrant town centre * Greek Orthodox Church services * young people getting involved in politics * how people get in and out of Shrewsbury * scones ‘I’ve chosen to make this the place I want to spend my life, because it’s a brilliant town’ Join in the conversation about what Alex Wagner had to say, in the comments: Who else do you want to hear from on Hello You the Shropshire podcast? Maybe there are other decision-makers I could talk with, maybe you know someone with interesting thoughts or a fascinating story to tell. Maybe it’s you! Send me a message: Y’dig? If you enjoy informed, thoughtful, progressive and sometimes quirky conversation for and about Shropshire and the wider world, with space to breathe, time to think and people at its heart - well, where else are you going to find it? - you’re not alone. Hundreds of people are already part of the Hello You family. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable around the virtual kitchen table; you’re home. This is the moment you subscribe. Click here, and choose paid or free: Sharing = caring If the aforementioned informed, thoughtful, progressive and sometimes quirky conversation for and about Shropshire and the wider world is your thing, you’re certain to know others who’d enjoy it too. Friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, wherever they are in the world, do them a solid and share Hello You the Shropshire podcast with them. Just click here: Thank you for being there, wherever you are, geographically, emotionally, politically or in a cosmic sense Please take care of yourself. Take care of the people around you. And I hope the people around you are taking care of you, too. Hello You - the Shropshire podcast from Jim Hawkins is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimallthetime.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 5m
  4. Hello You 153: 'He was crushed like a Coke can'

    12 FEB

    Hello You 153: 'He was crushed like a Coke can'

    ‘This is life-changing. He’s never going to walk again’ Andrew Clayton had lived an active outdoors life in south Shropshire until an accident befell him about eighteen months ago. Just as he and his wife Carole were thinking of winding down and taking things easier, their lives changed in the blink of an eye. What happened? How have things been for them since? And how does celebrant and funeral director Carole deal with it all? Carole Clayton shares her story in this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast. ‘Your life is very much one look for other people, and another for when you shut the door of an evening’ Maybe that’s true for you also, but for different reasons. Perhaps your inner life, your life when your door is shut, is unlike the life you show to the world. How do you reconcile that? Or do you carry on being the two versions of you, because that’s how you get through things? If you’d like to share your story, I’d love to hear it. Message me? Meanwhile, your thoughts on Carole’s story are welcome in the comments: And if you’ve enjoyed this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast, please share it with someone else who’d find it interesting? Thank you for being part of the Hello You family It means a lot to me that you choose to spend some of your precious free time listening to my work. I try my best to make the intelligent, thoughtful, humane local public-service audio that I think you deserve, whether you’re in Shropshire, Serbia, South Korea or Saskatchewan (all places where people listen to Hello You the Shropshire podcast! I know, I’m as surprised as you). If you want to encourage me and support Hello You the Shropshire podcast, please subscribe! You can do so for free. Or you can take out a paid subscription, thereby helping me edge a little nearer my dream of doing this for a living. Click here: Feeling social? There are links to my social media further down this page. Say hello? Take care of yourself? These are difficult times for many of us. We need to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of other people. You know the rule, put your oxygen mask on before helping someone else with theirs … but make sure you do both. Take care of those other people. And I hope those other people are taking care of you, too. Hello You - the Shropshire podcast from Jim Hawkins is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimallthetime.substack.com/subscribe

    35 min
  5. Hello You 152: Kyle's Home, everyone's hope

    1 FEB

    Hello You 152: Kyle's Home, everyone's hope

    ‘If you can make a difference for one person, it’s worth it’ Candlemas greetings, Imbolc blessings, and for me: Happy New Year, again! After a fairly s**t January, I’m starting 2026 again today. And it’s going quite well so far! I took myself to Attingham Park today to see the snowdrops in the rain. It’s the kind of thing I’ve promised myself I’ll do more of this year. And I’ve got this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast out, which is more than I managed to achieve for the last couple of months. Plus I’ve spent the weekend taming my email inbox (also neglected for weeks) so if you’re awaiting a reply from me then you should receive one in the coming week. See also: people I need to respond to on LinkedIn, Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, Signal … If you’re socially sociable on social media and you’d like to connect with me, there are links to my various socials at the bottom of this email. Or just send me a message? ‘He was amazing, flamboyant; he was loved wherever he went … he had the heart of God’ Many interviews on Hello You the Shropshire podcast are recorded at Palmer’s coffee shop in the centre of Shrewsbury. Jude James used to manage Central, the building on Claremont Street where Palmer’s is based. Jude’s latest project is named after a much-loved and very recognisable former Palmer’s regular. In this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast, she tells me about Kyle’s Home. It’s being supported by Green Pastures, who believe a future without homelessness is possible. Listening and connection Would you like to listen better? You might imagine my forty-plus years on the radio were spent talking for a living. Close, but not quite. I was mostly listening. Listening to guests, interviewees, people in the street … and I became rather good at it. I’m still listening; it’s what makes Hello You the Shropshire podcast work. And I’m also sharing my knowledge with you. I can talk to your group, organisation or business about how to listen more effectively. I have a twenty-minute talk about listening and some of my other recent experiences, which is followed by an open Q&A. I gave my talk to the Rotary Club of Shrewsbury Severn last week, and it proved to be a fascinating evening all round, largely because of perceptive questioning by David, Johnathan, Katie, Aidan and otherwise. They drew a link between listening and connection; what makes us connect with one another. I’ve been thinking about that ever since, and it’ll be a topic of a future episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast. If you have a story about a special connection, or making a connection, that you’d be willing to share with me, please get in touch? Intelligent, informed, curious and progressive That’s you, right? Thought so. And it’s your friends, family and colleagues as well, isn’t it? Why not do them a favour and share this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast with them? If you enjoy it, then they will too, and they’ll be glad you tipped them off! Become a member of the Hello You family It’s good to have you with us. I’m glad you’re here. Why not pull up a chair to the virtual Hello You kitchen table, and join the family? Subscribe at jimallthetime.substack.com Take care of yourself? Take care of the people around you? It’s really important at times like these … And I hope the people around you are taking care of you, too. Hello You - the Shropshire podcast from Jim Hawkins is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimallthetime.substack.com/subscribe

    36 min
  6. Hello You 151: What gives you hope?

    25 JAN

    Hello You 151: What gives you hope?

    In this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast: What - or who - gives you hope? I explain why I’m asking and unpack my answers in the audio, but I really want to know what gives you hope. Tell me in the comments or by sending me a message, and I’ll share your response in the next episode, anonymously if you prefer: Shropshire Welcomes! There's more positivity in Shropshire than there is negativity. The welcome is warmer than any hostility is cold. If you want to tell the world that Shropshire Welcomes, then please join this Facebook group? Invite all your friends, wherever they may be? ‘Nostalgia is not a strategy’ Can Mark Carney please just run everything? If you’ve not yet read or seen the speech given at the World Economic Forum in Davos by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, then can I suggest you find a quarter of an hour to do so? ‘The powerful have their power. But we have something too — the capacity to stop pretending, to name reality, to build our strength at home, and to act together’ You can watch the speech here (merci à Agence France Presse). If you’d rather read what Mark Carney had to say, then Robert Reich has posted a full transcript here in his excellent Substack which is well worth signing up to. On the subject of which: I’m glad you’re part of the Hello You family. Could you please ‘Like’ the hell out of this? And subscribe (free! or not! choice is yours) so you never miss an episode in the future? Hello You the Shropshire podcast is informed, intelligent, positive conversation, for and about Shropshire and the wider world. If that sounds like your bag, then you probably know other people who’d dig it, too. Share it with them? There’s a love … Please take care of yourself? You’re precious and important. Remember that? Treat yourself with the kindness and care you deserve. Please take care of the people around you. This can come at a cost, as Alex Pretti found out in such a horrible, brutal fashion a couple of days ago. And I really hope that the people around you are taking care of you, too. Until next time … Your friend jh Hello You - the Shropshire podcast from Jim Hawkins is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimallthetime.substack.com/subscribe

    28 min
  7. At last! The Long-Awaited, Somewhat Overdue, Almost-Mythical Hello You Episode 150

    29/12/2025

    At last! The Long-Awaited, Somewhat Overdue, Almost-Mythical Hello You Episode 150

    Celebrating 150 episodes with a new look, a half-price offer, and some questions … How was your Christmas? Mine was lovely, the best for years. And New Year is a few days away, which means we’re stuck in this weird limbo period between the two; the Humber Bridge of the calendar. The perfect time to serve you a brand-new celebration slice of Hello You the Shropshire podcast! Take out a paid subscription to Hello You for HALF PRICE! Details below … New graphics for Hello You the Shropshire podcast Huge thanks to Shrewsbury-based illustrator Saffron Russell for creating wonderful new images. I wanted something that looked the way Hello You feels, and I think Saffron nailed it. Understood the assignment, as they say. I hope you like it as much as I do! Let me know in the comments? Tell me where to stick it Thanks also to Amanda and Paul at Battlefield Printing Group for my new posters, flyers and business cards. If you know somewhere I could display a poster or a pile of flyers - a noticeboard, a community or arts venue, a shop window, anywhere - send me a message by hitting the button: Half-price Hello You subscription offer! To celebrate my one hundred and fiftieth episode, I’m giving you the chance to take out a paid subscription to Hello You the Shropshire podcast for half price! It’s a deal so good, you could buy a gift subscription for that person you forgot at Christmas … Claim your 50% discount by signing up before January 31st! 150 episodes, 150 new members of the Hello You family? I’d love to celebrate my one hundred and fifty episodes with one hundred and fifty new subscribers, paid or otherwise. So please tell your friends? If you appreciate informed, intelligent, progressive, sometimes quirky conversation for and about Shropshire and the rest of the world, you probably now at least one other person who’ll enjoy it too. Share Hello You by hitting the green button, or just mention it to them the next time you see them? Thank you for being there Please take care of yourself. Take care of the people around you. And I very much hope the people around you are taking care of you, too. Happy New Year! Hello You - the Shropshire podcast from Jim Hawkins is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimallthetime.substack.com/subscribe

    20 min

  8. 16/12/2025

    Hello You 149a: the video version!

    Thank you! Thank you so, so much … I need to show you these figures because I’m very excited and hugely grateful to you for making this happen. Here’s how Hello You the Shropshire podcast is performing on Spotify: Thank you so much for your support, for your interest and for your attention. I’m thrilled that you’re a member of the Hello You family, and that the family is growing. Why not subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode in the future? And share Hello You the Shropshire podcast with your friends? We’re all just trying to get to Christmas, right? Or: Return to the Valley of Where’s Episode 150? There’s so much going on right now for all of us, you don’t need me to tell you about it. And on top of that, each of us has our own s**t to deal with ... And everyone’s inbox is rammed with people trying to tell us something, sell us something, donate to something ... Same’s true for me. So much going on. And it seems to me that if we can ease each other’s burden in these dark times, we should. If we can ease our own, even better. So I’m being realistic. I know I promised you that Hello You 150 would be a kind-of reset, with a new look, new graphics and artwork by a wonderful Shropshire illustrator (I’m so excited to share that with you!) and, for new members of the Hello You family, some backstory and explanation. And there’ll be a discount offer on paid subscriptions, too! I also told you that I have a stash of really interesting interviews to share with you. That’s true. Everything from rock-star memoirs to new arrivals in Shropshire creating art about their experiences to a story of what happens when your whole life changes in a fraction of a second. But who’s got time for anything like that right now? We’re all ridiculously busy, preoccupied, stressed and anxious. (It’s not just me, is it?) Who’s got time to listen to anything, let alone edit or produce anything? Hence, here’s the plan: Hello You Episode 150 will be with you between Christmas and New Year. In the meantime, I hope you have the best festive season you can, in whatever your circumstances might happen to be. Whatever this time of year looks and feels like for you, please take care of yourself. Take care of the people around you. And I hope the people around you, wherever and whomsoever they may be, are taking care of you, too. Hello You - the Shropshire podcast from Jim Hawkins is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimallthetime.substack.com/subscribe

    9 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

I’m trying to give you something a little different. Hello You is about stuff, and things. People, and stories. Shrewsbury, and Shropshire. Mental health and well-being. History and heritage. Arts, culture and music. Faith, belief and the complexities of life. I’m a good listener. It’s what I do. And for Hello You, I’m listening to (and talking with) fascinating people, mostly but not always from Shropshire, so that you can hear what they have to say. It's public-service local journalism that cares about people. Audio that brings you the voices of people you might not hear from otherwise. Interviews conducted with compassion and empathy. Thoughtful, positive, good-humoured conversations, informed local storytelling, and commentary that’s not afraid to get righteously angry on occasion. jimallthetime.substack.com

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