CamTalks

Cam Cairnduff
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Good day, internet. CamTalks is a series of conversations between myself and my special guests, giving you an insight into the world of other people’s minds and some emotional conversations that you won’t hear anywhere else. I’m Cam Cairnduff, and this is just the beginning for CamTalks, let’s get down to business!

  1. MAR 20

    CamTalks #067 - James Walker AKA Alderney Builder and Sportsman

    This episode is proudly supported by: The Blonde Hedgehog One of Alderney’s finest boutique hotels and restaurants, known for outstanding food, beautiful rooms and warm service. https://www.theblondehedgehog.com Alderney Electricity Powering our island and supporting the community that keeps Alderney moving. http://alderney-elec.com Channel Seaways Keeping Alderney supplied, connected and running every single day. https://www.channelseaways.gg Bell & Co Trusted local experts for renting, buying or relocating to Alderney. http://bellandcoalderney.com James Walker is one of those people who quietly defines island life. Builder, fisherman, lifeboat crew, snooker player, golfer, paddle addict — he’s been part of Alderney for over 30 years, arriving from Devon on a fishing boat and never leaving. What starts as a laid-back chat about weekends, sport and pubs turns into something deeper — a window into how Alderney used to be, what’s changed and what still keeps people here. James talks about arriving in the 90s when the island was buzzing with 20+ drinking spots, a stronger fishing industry and cheaper, easier travel. He shares stories from life at sea, a near-fatal accident with a rope around his neck and 14 years volunteering on the lifeboat, responding to emergencies in some of the toughest conditions around the island. We also get into building homes, the old banqueage scheme, raising a family on Alderney and why despite the challenges — expensive travel, housing issues and a shrinking population — the island still offers a lifestyle that’s hard to beat. We talk about: Growing up in Devon and arriving in Alderney by fishing boat Life at sea, fishing culture and a dangerous accident offshore 14 years on the lifeboat and what rescue work is really like Building houses on the island and the old banqueage system Snooker, golf and paddle — and the mindset of competition Alderney’s pub culture and what the island used to feel like Travel, fog and why access is still the biggest challenge Fishing, food and the reality of island self-sufficiency Why Alderney still offers more than people think But this conversation is bigger than sport or island nostalgia. It’s about staying power. It’s about choosing a place and building a life there. It’s about community, independence and getting on with things without making a fuss. James is calm, direct and quietly sharp — the kind of person every small place relies on more than it realises. If you want to understand Alderney beyond the surface, this one’s worth your time. LET’S CONNECT 👇 Listen on Apple Podcasts: http://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/camtalks/id1479296317 Listen on Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/show/7lHojlnWyTUneaEpkcBgKS?si=09035669ff454537 Instagram: http://instagram.com/camcairnduff LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/cameroncairnduff TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@camcairnduff Facebook: http://facebook.com/cameronfilms YouTube: http://youtube.com/@camcairnduff #CamTalks #Alderney #JamesWalker

    1h 7m

  2. MAR 10

    CamTalks #066 - Barbra Benfield MBE AKA The People's Champion

    This episode is proudly supported by: The Blonde HedgehogOne of Alderney’s finest boutique hotels and restaurants, known for outstanding food, beautiful rooms and warm service.https://www.theblondehedgehog.com Channel SeawaysKeeping Alderney supplied, connected and running every single day.https://www.channelseaways.gg Alderney ElectricityPowering our island and supporting the community that keeps Alderney moving.http://alderney-elec.com Bell & CoTrusted local experts for renting, buying or relocating to Alderney.http://bellandcoalderney.com Barbara Benfield is one of those rare people who helps hold a small island together. Born and raised on Alderney, Barbara comes from one of the island’s big local families. Her father fought in the D-Day landings. Her mother returned after the evacuation and helped rebuild life from scratch. Barbara grew up surrounded by the Homecoming generation and has spent much of her own life doing the same kind of work in a different form: practical, unglamorous, community-first. She is best known for Age Concern Alderney, decades of fundraising, charity work, campaigning, volunteering and speaking up when others stay quiet. She has helped build services, support systems and social lifelines for elderly islanders, carers and families. She was awarded an MBE and, in this conversation, reflects on meeting Queen Elizabeth II, island values and why strong communities only survive when people step forward. We talk about: – Growing up in Alderney as one of nine children– Her family’s connection to the Homecoming generation– Her father’s war service and the legacy of D-Day– What the island was really like in the 60s, 70s and 80s– Tourism at its peak and how much Alderney has changed– Why she started Age Concern Alderney– Community transport, charity shops and care for the elderly– Volunteering, loneliness and why people still need human connection– The realities of island politics, health care and infrastructure– Why Barbara believes communication, action and common sense still matter most But this conversation is bigger than Alderney politics. It’s about duty. Community. Memory. Speaking up.It’s about what happens when somebody decides not to wait for permission and just gets on with helping. Barbara speaks with honesty, humour and conviction about the island she loves, the people who built it and the challenges facing it now. If you care about Alderney, community life or what it really takes to keep a small place going, this episode matters. LET’S CONNECT 👇 Listen on Apple Podcasts:http://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/... Listen on Spotify:http://open.spotify.com/show/7lHojlnW... Instagram:/ camcairnduff LinkedIn:/ cameroncairnduff TikTok:/ camcairnduff Facebook:/ cameronfilms YouTube:/ @camcairnduff

    1h 14m

  3. MAR 3

    CamTalks #065 - Kate Waterfall Hill AKA The Leadership Coach

    This episode is proudly supported by:Alderney ElectricityPowering our island and supporting the community that keeps Alderney moving.http://alderney-elec.comBell & CoTrusted local experts for renting, buying or relocating to Alderney.http://bellandcoalderney.comChannel SeawaysKeeping Alderney supplied, connected and running every single day.https://www.channelseaways.ggKate Waterfall Hill is proof that you don’t need London, New York or a studio team to build global influence.From a small island of 2,000 people, she’s built an online audience in the hundreds of thousands — with viral leadership skits viewed over 5 million times.You might know her as “Linda, the Bad Manager.”Her clients know her as the coach who changes how leaders think, delegate and influence.Born in the UK, raised between mainland life and Alderney summers, Kate built her career the old-school way — pre-internet marketing, print campaigns, boardrooms and long meetings. She became Managing Director at 29.Then she pivoted.Today, she runs a global coaching business powered by content, humour and consistency.We talk about:– Growing up between mainland Britain and island freedom– Managing Director at 29 and what leadership really demands– The 30-second skit that launched a 5M-view brand– Why humour converts better than authority– Dealing with trolls and going viral overnight– Leadership frameworks like LECA and 131– Coaching vs command-and-control management– Burnout, boundaries and working in an AI world– Raising Gen Z kids who roll their eyes at ChatGPT– Why small islands still produce big impactBut this conversation is bigger than social media.It’s about influence without ego.Leadership without shouting.And building something meaningful from wherever you are.If you care about leadership, entrepreneurship or the future of work — this one matters.LET’S CONNECT 👇Listen on Apple Podcasts:http://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/camtalks/id1479296317Listen on Spotify:http://open.spotify.com/show/7lHojlnWyTUneaEpkcBgKS?si=09035669ff454537Instagram:http://instagram.com/camcairnduffLinkedIn:http://linkedin.com/in/cameroncairnduffTikTok:http://tiktok.com/@camcairnduffFacebook:http://facebook.com/cameronfilmsYouTube:http://youtube.com/@camcairnduff

    1h 35m

  4. FEB 24

    CamTalks #064 - Jamie Chapman AKA The Chef

    This episode is proudly supported by:Alderney ElectricityPowering our island and supporting the community that keeps Alderney moving.http://alderney-elec.comBell & CoTrusted local experts for renting, buying or relocating to Alderney.http://bellandcoalderney.comChannel SeawaysKeeping Alderney supplied, connected and running every single day.https://www.channelseaways.ggJamie Chapman is one of those people who quietly powers a small island from behind the scenes.Born in Cambridge, half Hawaiian, Jamie started washing dishes at 14 and never really left the kitchen. A football injury ended dreams of going pro. A broken engagement weeks before his wedding ended something else entirely. With nothing tying him down, he took a job on a tiny island he barely researched… and never left.He’s now Head Chef at The Georgian in Alderney. Eleven years in. Hundreds of weddings. Thousands of covers. Countless Alderney Weeks, lock-ins, quarry parties and chaotic summers.We talk about:– The first internet café bistro in Cambridge and falling in love with kitchens– Hawaiian heritage, slow cooking grandmothers and nuclear-yellow Alderney butter– Michelin-trained chefs landing on a 2,000-person island– Why winters are better than people think– The madness of summer Sundays at The Moorings– COVID bubble boom and the busiest “winter” they’ve ever had– What happens when the boat doesn’t come– Why local beef, pork and bass taste different here– The reality of running hospitality when ovens break and there’s no gas engineer on-island– Staff house culture, island drama and generational friendshipsBut this conversation is bigger than food.It’s about pace. Community. Resetting your life. Choosing island rhythm over mainland noise.Jamie speaks honestly about heartbreak, rebuilding, and why once Alderney gets under your skin, it’s hard to leave.If you’ve ever wondered what really keeps a small island running… this is it.LET’S CONNECT 👇Listen on Apple Podcasts:http://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/camtalks/id1479296317Listen on Spotify:http://open.spotify.com/show/7lHojlnWyTUneaEpkcBgKS?si=09035669ff454537Instagram:http://instagram.com/camcairnduffLinkedIn:http://linkedin.com/in/cameroncairnduffTikTok:http://tiktok.com/@camcairnduffFacebook:http://facebook.com/cameronfilmsYouTube:http://youtube.com/@camcairnduff

    1h 11m

  5. FEB 17

    CamTalks #063 - Janine Page AKA The Alderney Healer

    This episode is proudly supported by:Alderney ElectricityPowering our island and supporting the community that keeps Alderney moving.http://alderney-elec.comBell & CoTrusted local experts for renting, buying or relocating to Alderney.http://bellandcoalderney.comChannel SeawaysKeeping Alderney supplied, connected and running every single day.https://www.channelseaways.ggJanine Paige is one of those people who makes a small island feel safe.Born and raised in Guernsey with deep Channel Island roots (Sark, Jersey and Alderney in the blood), Janine’s lived a life that spans finance, public service, community care, spiritual practice and decades of quietly helping others reset when life gets heavy.We start with winter sea swimming at Braye with the “Braye Buddies”, then trace her story through Guernsey childhood, strict forces parenting, the reality of post-war life and the strange fact that most kids weren’t taught the Occupation at school.Janine shares powerful family history too. Including her mother’s wartime service and a behind-the-scenes role connected to the Nuremberg trials.From there we move into the Alderney years: taking on The Moorings, volunteering with the ambulance service, joining States Works and the surprising truth of island infrastructure… where “jobs” often arrive as someone stopping you in the street.But this conversation goes deeper.We talk Reiki, meditation, Buddhist retreats, energy, grief, care, and what it means to stay kind when you’re carrying a lot. Janine opens up about sensitivity, intuition and why she takes that side of life seriously. No theatre. No hype. Just a grounded, human look at wellbeing on a 2,000-person island.If you care about community, mental resilience and the unseen work that keeps people steady… this one will land.LET’S CONNECT 👇Listen on Apple Podcasts:http://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/camtalks/id1479296317Listen on Spotify:http://open.spotify.com/show/7lHojlnWyTUneaEpkcBgKS?si=09035669ff454537Instagram:http://instagram.com/camcairnduffLinkedIn:http://linkedin.com/in/cameroncairnduffTikTok:http://tiktok.com/@camcairnduffFacebook:http://facebook.com/cameronfilmsYouTube:http://youtube.com/@camcairnduff

    1h 10m

  6. FEB 10

    CamTalks #062 - Paul Clark AKA The Alderney Builder

    This episode is proudly supported by: Alderney Electricity Powering our island and supporting the community that keeps Alderney moving. http://alderney-elec.com Bell & Co Trusted local experts for renting, buying or relocating to Alderney. http://bellandcoalderney.com Channel Seaways Keeping Alderney supplied, connected and running every single day. https://www.channelseaways.gg Paul Clark is one of those people who quietly holds a small island together. Born in Essex in 1968, first visiting Alderney as a child on bucket-and-spade holidays, Paul eventually made the island home — raising his children here, building businesses here, and putting his energy into projects that matter long after the noise fades. This conversation is a wide-ranging, grounded look at what it really takes to build a life — and infrastructure — on a 2,000-person island. We talk about starting a business at 16, competitive swimming, buying property young, moving into construction, and the realities of running a building company where your clients are also your neighbours. Paul walks through the long, complicated story of the Alderney swimming pool, why it still matters, and what’s actually standing in the way. We also unpack tidal energy, the rise and fall of the FAB Link, why renewables aren’t as simple as they sound, and what small islands get wrong — and right — when it comes to big ideas. We cover Alderney Salt, printing the Alderney Journal, paddle tennis, bunker parties coming full circle, lifeboat callouts, raising confident kids, and why optimism is sometimes a choice rather than a feeling. This isn’t a hype piece. It isn’t political theatre. It’s a calm, intelligent conversation with someone who’s been doing the work for decades.If you care about Alderney’s future — or how small places actually survive — this one’s worth your time. LET’S CONNECT 👇 Listen on Apple Podcasts: http://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/camtalks/id1479296317 Listen on Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/show/7lHojlnWyTUneaEpkcBgKS?si=09035669ff454537 Instagram: http://instagram.com/camcairnduff LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/cameroncairnduff TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@camcairnduff Facebook: http://facebook.com/cameronfilms YouTube: http://youtube.com/@camcairnduff

    1h 28m

  7. FEB 3

    CamTalks #061 - Nigel Dupont AKA The Revolting Alderney Native

    This episode is proudly supported by:Alderney ElectricityPowering our island and supporting the community that keeps Alderney moving.http://alderney-elec.comBell & CoTrusted local experts for renting, buying or relocating to Alderney.http://bellandcoalderney.comChannel SeawaysKeeping Alderney supplied, connected and running every single day.https://www.channelseaways.ggNigel Dupont is one of Alderney’s proud natives. Born here in 1959, from a family whose roots stretch back to the 1600s, he’s seen the island through boom years, quiet years and everything in between.This conversation is a deep, honest walk through Alderney’s modern history — told through one life lived properly.We talk about growing up with total freedom, losing a brother at sea, the rise and fall of the fishing industry, leaving the island at 17, hitchhiking across Europe, working illegally in the US, marrying for a green card, and spending ten years in California construction — including working on Frank Sinatra’s estate.Nigel explains why Alderney was always home, why he came back without hesitation, and how he helped build a serious local construction business that trained tradespeople still working on the island today.We also talk about community, quirkiness, beach parties, bunker parties, blogging before social media, cannabis before it was fashionable, and why the island survives because people simply get on with it.This is not a sales pitch for Alderney.It’s not nostalgic.It’s not polite.It’s a clear-eyed, funny, occasionally brutal account of how a small island actually works — and why it’s still standing.LET’S CONNECT 👇Listen on Apple Podcasts:http://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/...Listen on Spotify:http://open.spotify.com/show/7lHojlnW...Instagram:  / camcairnduff  LinkedIn:  / cameroncairnduff  TikTok:  / camcairnduff  Facebook:  / cameronfilms  YouTube:   / @camcairnduff

    1h 23m

  8. JAN 27

    CamTalks #060 - Beth Chapman AKA Bell & Co Junior

    This episode is proudly supported by:Alderney ElectricityPowering our island and supporting the community that keeps Alderney moving.http://alderney-elec.comBell & CoTrusted local experts for renting, buying or relocating to Alderney.http://bellandcoalderney.comChannel SeawaysKeeping Alderney supplied, connected and running every single day.https://www.channelseaways.ggToday I’m talking to Beth Chapman — born and raised on Alderney, part of the family behind Bell & Co, school governor, PTA stalwart and one of those people quietly holding the island together.Beth grew up here, left for Guernsey at 16, saw the wider world and made a deliberate choice to come home. Now she’s raising her own children on the island, working alongside her parents, and helping shape Alderney’s future from the ground up.This conversation is about how small places actually function when people step up.We talk about childhood on Alderney, leaving young and coming back with perspective, working in a multi-generation family business, and why kids here still get something most places have lost — freedom, safety and time.We also get practical.Housing. Rentals. Key workers. Schools. Fundraising. Transport.Beth explains how Bell & Co use Facebook ads to sell lifestyle, not property, building real relocation demand and bringing new families to the island.We go deep on community effort — from raising £50,000 for a school playground, to running football clubs, theatre groups and PTA work — and why Alderney’s future depends less on policy and more on ordinary people doing the work.This is a grounded, honest look at island life.No nostalgia.No brochure gloss.Just how things really work.LET’S CONNECT 👇Listen on Apple Podcasts:http://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/camtalks/id1479296317Listen on Spotify:http://open.spotify.com/show/7lHojlnWyTUneaEpkcBgKS?si=09035669ff454537Instagram:http://instagram.com/camcairnduffLinkedIn:http://linkedin.com/in/cameroncairnduffTikTok:http://tiktok.com/@camcairnduffFacebook:http://facebook.com/cameronfilmsYouTube:http://youtube.com/@camcairnduff

    1h 20m
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About

Good day, internet. CamTalks is a series of conversations between myself and my special guests, giving you an insight into the world of other people’s minds and some emotional conversations that you won’t hear anywhere else. I’m Cam Cairnduff, and this is just the beginning for CamTalks, let’s get down to business!

Information

  • Creator
    Cam Cairnduff
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Cam Cairnduff
  • Show Website
    CamTalks