Secret Phone Notes

Barry Taylor
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Ready to play roulette with your notes app? We scroll, we stop, we reveal. What we discover is what we discuss –– film reccs to situation-ship break-up texts. Oh, and hi. I am Barry and you are very welcome. New episodes every Tuesday.

  1. Ep14: Niamh's Secret Phone Notes / Oklahoma storm chasing, shooting boygenius, queer representation

    4 days ago

    Ep14: Niamh's Secret Phone Notes / Oklahoma storm chasing, shooting boygenius, queer representation

    This week I sit down with Niamh Barry a Cork-born, Dublin-based photographer and documentary filmmaker and we roulette her phone notes app. Niamh's debut documentary Something in the Air, officially selected for Galway Film Fleadh 2026 and GazeFest, follows Raychel Sanner, a storm chaser and trans woman living between Oklahoma and New Mexico. Just last month it won Best Short Documentary at the BAFTA-qualifying Manchester Film Festival. https://www.filmsomethingintheair.com/donatehttps://www.niamh-barry.com/189a7061fd-contentWe get into Tornado Alley, anti-trans legislation, what surprised Niamh about the LGBT community in Oklahoma, and what it took to finally photograph boygenius, including a last-minute visa scramble and a flight to Philadelphia. Amongst other things, we kick off with Barry's (me, host) (not Niamh) awkward opener involving a dermatology appointment and the SH:24 free STI testing service (get checked, folks). Chapter list is below. as well as other links! Chapter list: 00:00 – Welcome & introducing photographer and filmmaker Niamh Barry 03:40 - FIRST HOST NOTE (RANDOM) 04:20 – An awkward first phone note: skin checks, STI tests & Irish healthcare 09:40 - FIRST GUEST NOTE (RANDOM) 10:20 – The notes behind working with Irish band Sprints 15:45 – Flying to Philadelphia to photograph Boygenius 20:45 – Queer representation in music photography 24:45 – SECOND GUEST NOTE (RANDOM) 26:20 – Making Something in the Air 30:10 – Storm chasing, Oklahoma & meeting Raychel 33:45 – What Hollywood gets wrong about tornadoes 36:50 – Will & Harper, empathy & travelling across America 44:00 - THIRD GUEST NOTE (RANDOM) 44:50 – The Irish Photography Prize & photographing community 50:30 – Barry's accidental photography exhibition 55:20 – Wrap-up Social links: https://www.instagram.com/narryphotographyvids/https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ Thanks!

    56 min
  2. Ep 13: Chris's Secret Phone Notes / Biomimicry, Irish polar bears, Tom Crean

    1 Jul

    Ep 13: Chris's Secret Phone Notes / Biomimicry, Irish polar bears, Tom Crean

    Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Chris Barrett, an adventurer who is known for sharing stories of Irish and Arctic nature. He's also a woodworker, conservationist, designer, and many other things. He's worth a listen. It's one of my fave chats so far. Anyway, let's see what we find in his notes app. Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Chris Barrett's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chris_barrett_photo/Rough overview and chapter list below: A citizen science Arctic expedition off Svalbard, a year bike packing through Patagonia, Bolivia's salt flats and the Atacama Desert, and a near-miss on Bolivia's death road all come up through the notes. So does an autonomous fertilizer ball, a gecko-inspired glove built for his college thesis, and the Trinity College research linking polar bears back to the Irish brown bear. Plus: Tom Crean, translucent polar bear fur, and why biomimicry has 3.5 billion years of R&D behind it. 00:00 – Welcome & introducing Chris Barrett01:20 – RANDOM HOST NOTE02:00 – Colour blindness, whiskey ads & Coca-Cola myths04:50 – Coca leaves, altitude sickness & hiking in Peru06:50 – Bikepacking Patagonia, Bolivia & traveling light09:15 – The Pacific Crest Trail & ultralight hiking culture12:30 – RANDOM GUEST NOTE: the autonomous fertiliser ball16:55 – Nature restoration, farming & rural Ireland20:05 – Biomimicry: how nature inspires better design24:55 – Gecko gloves, shark skin & everyday invention28:10 – RANDOM GUEST NOTE31:20 – Cycling the Bolivian salt flats & drunken drivers36:20 – RANDOM GUEST NOTEBoxing inventions → Arctic photography37:30 – Polar bears, climate change & photographing the Arctic41:55 – Svalbard expeditions & a life-long obsession with the poles44:20 – Tom Crean, Shackleton & Ireland's greatest explorer48:35 – Wrap-upThank you for listening!

    51 min
  3. Ep 12: Maureen's Secret Phone Notes / Death is inevitable, slam poetry, ambassador of Milton Keynes

    23 Jun

    Ep 12: Maureen's Secret Phone Notes / Death is inevitable, slam poetry, ambassador of Milton Keynes

    Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Maureen Onwunali, a Dublin-born Nigerian poet who is a lot of fun. And national slam poetry champion twice! We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Let's listen! Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Maureen Onwunali's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/monwunali_poetry/You'll find the chapter list below but tl;dr - Maureen was dscovered on stage (ish) at 14 by poet Joelle Taylor, Maureen talks growing up between Dublin, London and Milton Keynes, performing at the Irish Embassy for Bloomsday, and what her name actually means. Plus: a viral puffer jacket poem, 1,776 phone notes, and the ongoing campaign to dethrone Maureen O'Hara on Google. Stay tuned. Chapter list: 00:25 Introduction to Secret Phone Notes 04:01 Exploring the Roulette of Notes 05:22 RANDOM HOST NOTE 06:19 Diving into Maureen's Oldest Note 07:46 OLDEST GUEST NOTE 08:58 The Impact of Lockdown on Creativity 10:26 Maureen's poetry beginnings, aged 12 17:42 GUEST'S NEWEST NOTE 22:15 An Ambassador to Milton Keynes 25:10 Which city has shaped Maureen's writing the most? 28:10 The mandem don't cry enough poem 32:10 What is slam poetry? 35:00 Building a university poetry team from scratch 43:30 Nigerian heritage, language & oral storytelling 49:24 Maureen performs a poem 55:50 Closing notes

    56 min
  4. Ep 11: Oisín's Secret Phone Notes / Cycling around the world, 4297 notes, where's home?

    17 Jun

    Ep 11: Oisín's Secret Phone Notes / Cycling around the world, 4297 notes, where's home?

    Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Oisín for the 11th (official) episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Let's listen! Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Oisín's amazing videos and prose - https://www.instagram.com/prendio2/00:00 Introduction to the Secret Phone Notes Podcast 04:08 RANDOM HOST NOTE 05:08 Oisín's ludicrous way of keeping notes 08:13 Creative Processes and Cycling Adventures 08:34 GUEST RANDOM NOTE 09:56 Life Lessons from Cycling around the World 14:47 SECOND RANDOM GUEST NOTE 22:06 The Journey Begins: Starting at Granny's House 25:15 Facing Challenges: The Reality of Long-Distance Cycling 28:59 WhatsApp group of Irish cyclists around the world 29:06 Dervla Murphy, cycling solo from Ireland to India in 1965 31:12 When do you feel most alive? 33:57 Cycling around the world: What has surprised you the most 34:16 Biggest surprises along the Way:? 39:58 RANDOM GUEST NOTE 44:44 Bikepacking accommodation: Where do you stay? 46:13 The Cycling Community and Female Bikepackers 47:40 RANDOM GUEST NOTE 47:47 Reflections on Home and Belonging 55:21 Final Thoughts and Reflections If you liked this, please send it to a friend/enemy or rate it or follow on Instagram or anything really that'll help push it to one more individual haha. Am I desperate? Yes. Additional notes: Bikepacking around the world, cycling trips

    56 min
  5. Ep 10: Adrien's Secret Phone Notes / Making a Mandalorian x Burger King menu, Kevin Spacey crisis, trolling Nigeria

    10 Jun

    Ep 10: Adrien's Secret Phone Notes / Making a Mandalorian x Burger King menu, Kevin Spacey crisis, trolling Nigeria

    Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Adrien for the 10th (official) episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Let's listen! Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/00:00 Introduction to Adrien 01:37 How we met, Barry's winning final goal 03:58 How the format works 05:23 RANDOM HOST NOTE 07:46 Experiences in Business Class and Celebrity Encounters 08:00 Barry's sole premium airline experience 08:33 Jameson First Shot and Barry in LA 10:20 The Kevin Spacey crisis 13:20 Superstitions and Personal Rituals 20:48 RANDOM GUEST NOTE 21:55 Adrien's Random thoughts: Bad whistlers 22:57 Adrien's Random thoughts: Americans and Their Cars 24:37 Designing Burger King menus 28:29 American vs. Italian Pizza 30:49 Warm shower thougths 33:56 Swiss Lifestyle and Swimming Culture 37:16 RANDOM GUEST NOTE 37:34 The Burger Boy and Culinary memories 40:08 Nostalgic Fast Food Memories 45:07 Cultural Roots and Family Background 51:23 Trolling England fans in a bar 53:35 Exploring Ivory Coast: A Cultural Perspective Links and stufff! The Burger Boy - https://www.instagram.com/the_burgerboy_/ The Burger Boy hiking the Alps for the ultimate burger - https://youtu.be/Y6KmqoU5jdE?si=ydH8DcS4ndDRr5GC Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/Barry's Website - https://barrytaylor.co/Barry's email - barrytaylor1993@gmail.comThanks so much!

    58 min
  6. Ep 9: Lara's Secret Phone Notes / Marking a monk, Lebanese humour, personal growth goals

    2 Jun

    Ep 9: Lara's Secret Phone Notes / Marking a monk, Lebanese humour, personal growth goals

    Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Lara for the 9th (official) episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Let's listen! Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/00:00 Introduction to Lara 03:29 HOST NOTE - SECOND OLDEST 03:30 Barry's Personal Growth Goals 09:10 Language and Cultural Identity 11:29 The Beauty of Arabic Dialects 19:03 FIRST GUEST NOTE 21:49 Letterboxd Favourite Four 22:33 Top Four Films Discussion 24:20 The Impact of 'The Tree of Life' 25:41 Terrence Malick's 'The Thin Red Line' Lore 31:00 Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk' 34:14 Reflections on Personal Growth and Experiences 38:04 Cultural Insights and Humor 39:25 Exploring Lebanon: A Journey Beyond the Cities 40:03 Beirut's Vibrant Nightlife 41:41 The Perfect Night Out in Beirut 42:25 GUEST NOTE - RANDOM 43:11 The Transition to Berlin: Parks and Public Spaces 45:35 Navigating Visa Challenges and Opportunities 45:35 Visa issues for non-EU citizens 47:20 Reflections on Privilege and Opportunity 48:10 Playing football with an angry monk 52:47 Final Thoughts Links and stufff! Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/Barry's Website - https://barrytaylor.co/Barry's email - barrytaylor1993@gmail.comThanks so much!

    54 min
  7. Special Episode - Secret Phone Notes / Anonymous listener notes

    26 May

    Special Episode - Secret Phone Notes / Anonymous listener notes

    Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today is a special (and very brief) episode. Join me in the jazz corner where I read aloud the secret notes sent in by listeners. 00:00 Introduction 00:40 First listener phone note 01:20 Second listener phone note 02:40 Third listener phone note 03:40 Fourth listener phone note 05:10 Fifth listener phone note 06:10 Sixth listener phone note Want to get something off your chest? Send it in. We can keep it anonymous, both between you and I, too! Links and stufff! Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/Barry's Website - https://barrytaylor.co/Barry's email - barrytaylor1993@gmail.comThanks so much!

    7 min
  8. Ep 8: Phil's Secret Phone Notes / Living in Senegal, scooter trips in Mauritania, Mali's jihadist situation

    19 May

    Ep 8: Phil's Secret Phone Notes / Living in Senegal, scooter trips in Mauritania, Mali's jihadist situation

    Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Phil Paoletta for the 8th episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Phil leads a fascinating life and I'd urge you to get past my note and listen to our conversation. 00:00 Introduction 02:37 How did Phil end up in West Africa? 05:07 RANDOM HOST NOTE 07:07 OLDEST GUEST NOTE 08:49 Mali: A Creative Hub? 09:26 Why move to Mali? The music 11:30 Highlife vs. Malian Music 12:17 Highlife music (Afrobeat) 16:57 RANDOM GUEST NOTE 18:16 Exploring Unique Travel Experiences 18:36 What is Scoot West Africa? 21:32 How Reddit led Barry to scooting 2,000km in West Africa 22:29 A very small world story 26:57 Barry's scooter trip to Senegal / Mauritania 31:48 The world becomes even smaller (!!) 35:14 RANDOM GUEST NOTE 39:52 RANDOM GUEST NOTE 40:31 An unexpected odyssey in Cabo Verde 46:53 Phil's hotel bar in Mali. It's current situation. 47:56 Mali's current situation 55:39 Postcards from Timbuktu: A Unique Project 59:20 Closing notes and links Links and stufff! Scoot West Africa's Instagram - https://scootwestafrica.com/Phil's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/philinthe_/Phil's Website - https://philintheblank.net/Barry's write-up and film photos of his African scooter trip': https://barrytaylor.co/travel-writing---Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/Barry's Website - https://barrytaylor.co/Barry's email - barrytaylor1993@gmail.comThanks so much!

    1hr 1min
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About

Ready to play roulette with your notes app? We scroll, we stop, we reveal. What we discover is what we discuss –– film reccs to situation-ship break-up texts. Oh, and hi. I am Barry and you are very welcome. New episodes every Tuesday.

Information

  • Creator
    Barry Taylor
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Barry Taylor 2026
  • Show Website
    Secret Phone Notes

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