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. 2d ago

    Hello You 165: Subscriptions and Stoke Heath

    A better deal for Hello You the Shropshire podcast subscribers At least, I think it is. But do you agree? I’m proposing to cut the annual subscription rate in half, and paid subscribers will receive episodes forty-eight hours before everyone else. Would that work for you? Depending on your reaction, I’ll make the change in about a week’s time … or not, if you hate the idea. Message me with your thoughts? Hats off to the Shropshire Star (no, really) Not a phrase that’s passed my lips often in the last twenty years. but the Star’s chief reporter Dominic Robertson went where other journalists should have gone this week, and told the human story behind national headlines in a piece co-bylined with Ed Chatterton of South West News Service. Stoking unrest in Stoke Heath In contrast, a bunch of people who had no idea where Stoke Heath was this time last week have descended on the village and made nuisances of themselves. Zia Yusuf, who can’t even get selected as a Reform parliamentary candidate, turned up with a GB News crew. Toxic YouTubers who call themselves ‘auditors’ (funny, when they can’t even do basic arithmetic) were harassing people, because that’s what they do. It’s been horrible to watch, even at a remove. Join us to show love, not hate The local flag enthusiasts, joined by any of their mates who aren’t in custody or on bail, will be parading around Shrewsbury again on Saturday. If that thought makes you shudder, come and join us here: Come and say hello? I might be wearing the Frog Suit … Recording on a bench in Shrewsbury this weekend! As I’ll be in Shrewsbury on Saturday, and it’s going to be a nice day with plenty of people around, I might as well record a ‘bench’ episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast. Around lunchtime or early afternoon on Saturday I’ll park myself on a bench somewhere in the centre of Shrewsbury, probably in the Square. I’ll record random conversations with whoever sits on the bench with me. Fancy a chat? Come and say hello (you)! Thank you for being there It means a lot to me that you’re part of the Hello You family. 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

    16 min

  2. 5d ago

    Hello You 164: 'It's the little seeds throughout your life ...'

    A music hall star, a WW2 airman and his family, the first Bishop of Japan, a pioneering physiotherapist and more Have you ever explored the Victorian cemetery in Shrewsbury? Do you even know where it is? I went to the recent Open Day at the cemetery, organised by Friends of Shrewsbury Cemeteries and the excellent national burial grounds charity Caring for God’s Acre. When I posted some pictures on social media I had lots of comments from people who’d lived in Shrewsbury for years, even decades, and had no idea the Victorian cemetery existed, where it was or what and who could be found there. Yet it’s the final resting place of sixty-eight thousand former Shropshire residents, some of whom led remarkable lives and whose stories can now be told. Why not share this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast with a friend? ‘You’d never hear of these people who led extraordinary lives’ In this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast you’ll hear about just a few of those sixty-eight thousand people. Their stories are told by passionate Shrewsbury volunteers who have been caring for their graves and researching their histories. And if you’re in Coton Hill, Crowmere Road or King Street, Shrewsbury, you might find out something about someone who used to live in your home! Cathy tells the story of George Williams of Crowmere Road in Shrewsbury. Orphaned at the age of eight, he was a promising RAF pilot until tragedy intervened. Gina’s been investigating the life of Miss Annie Purcell, Welsh-born music-hall star who retired to Shrewsbury … but why? Linda has an account of the Right Reverend Arthur Poole, a missionary in India who then became the first Church of England Bishop of Japan, where he’s still remembered and honoured as the founder of a school. After some time in California he returned to his home town of Shrewsbury and died of TB at the age of just thirty-two. Which house on Coton Hill was his last residence? Anthea from the Wellbeing Art Group explains the presence of the mysterious creatures among the monuments! And who was Maggie? ‘When I go back into town I think I’m walking in the footsteps of all these people’ If you’d like to know more about the stories behind the monuments, follow the fascinating Shrewsbury Victorian Cemetery page on Facebook. Join in the conversation about this episode in the comments: ‘Our survey said …’ Thank you for taking part in the Hello You Substack survey that I posted a week or two ago. The answers I’ve received have been hugely helpful. As a result there’ll be some slight tweaks to parts of the Hello You the Shropshire podcast operation, which I’ll tell you about in the next episode. The survey is still open! If you’d like to have your say about Hello You, or if you just like filling in surveys, click here to take the quiz. It won’t detain you for long, I promise. In the next episode You’ll hear about those changes to how Hello You will work, I’ll (to use a sports editor’s cliché) ‘preview the weekend’s action’ and you can advise me on whether the Frog Suit should make another appearance! Thank you for being there It means a lot that you’re a member of the Hello You family. If you haven’t already, why not subscribe for free to make sure you don’t miss any future episodes? 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 7m
  3. Hello You 163: 'Can you sponsor my mid-life crisis?'

    Jun 1

    Hello You 163: 'Can you sponsor my mid-life crisis?'

    ‘You can come here and stare at the whole environment in awe’ Every so often, I take myself off to sit on a bench somewhere in Shropshire, and record conversations with whomsoever happens to sit on the bench with me. On Whit Sunday (the Sunday of the last bank holiday weekend) I went to Haughmond Hill, a fascinating and beautiful place managed by Forestry England. There are about a dozen picnic benches arranged under conifer trees outside the delightful Haughmond Hill Café. On these benches walkers, cyclists, dog-parents, families, and outdoors enthusiasts sit and rest after exploring the hill, or prepare themselves for exploring. Some of these people stopped to talk with me, and you can hear what they have to say in this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast. If you enjoy it, why not share it with a friend, wherever they might be in the world? ‘We’re down here on missionary work’ Ian, David, Heather and Pat (clockwise from bottom left) are 'missionaries’ from Yorkshire! They’d been to a concert at Shrewsbury Abbey the previous evening. Ian and Pat are happily settled in Shropshire, David and Heather come down to visit, and to explore pubs that Ian can’t remember having been to (but often he has!). ‘How peaceful it is, and how serene’ Lily’s a barista at Haughmond Hill Café. She loves her job, and she loves the saxophone … but she doesn’t play it! What’s it like, being a barista? Find out why this qualified zoologist jumped at the chance of working on Haughmond Hill in this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast! ‘What’s a podcast?’ Liz Townsley (second from left in the above photograph, with her support crew) is about to set off on a charity bike ride from London to Paris, raising money for Cure Leukaemia. It’s a 500-kilometre ride, and Liz only started training for it in February! She’s had the support of friends from Shrewsbury she’s met while dog-walking; that’s them in the picture. Hear Liz’s ‘Couch to 500k’ story in this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast … and ‘sponsor her mid-life crisis’ here on Justgiving! If you enjoy this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast, why not tell a friend about it? Mention it in conversation at work, on the bus, in the pub, on Facebook or WhatsApp, in your café of choice, place of worship, whilst on your parkrun … Voices you wouldn’t otherwise hear, and people you wouldn’t otherwise meet Part of the aim of Hello You the Shropshire podcast has always been to enable you to hear the voices and stories of people that you’d never hear were it not for Hello You. How well do you think I’m achieving that aim? And what did you enjoy (or not) about this episode? Let me know in the comments? And if you enjoy Hello You, then I’m pretty damn certain you know other people who’ll enjoy it too. They might be in Shropshire, they might not be, and it really doesn’t matter. Perhaps they’re friends or colleagues. Maybe it’s a family member. Or you could be part of a WhatsApp group of like-minded people who’ll get what this is all about. Whoever they are and wherever they are, why not share this episode with them? Thanks to Forestry England for their help with this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast. Where else should I sit myself on a bench? Think about the places you’re familiar with. They might be everyday locations, or somewhere that’s special to you. They could be bustling with people, quiet on weekdays but thronging on weekends, or frequented by a select but fascinating few. Where could I sit myself down for a couple of hours, on a bench or at a table, and stand a chance of chatting with some people I might never otherwise meet? Tell me where you have in mind? I’m compiling a list of ‘bench’ recording locations to visit over the next few months, and I’d love to add your suggestion to my list. Just message me using the button below, or reply to this email if you’re already on the Substack mailing list. Become a member of the Hello You family! Join the family, you’re very welcome. Wherever you are in the world, if you enjoy intelligent, informed, progressive and sometimes quirky conversation, you’ll feel at home with Hello You. Pull up a chair to the Hello You virtual kitchen table! The kettle’s on, the toaster’s about to pop, and your friends are here. Get comfy, this is your place. If Hello You feels like home to you, why not subscribe? It’s free … but if you really enjoy and believe in what I do, you can take out a paid subscription which helps keep Hello You free for everyone, for ever. And you get special bonus soundscape episodes too! Thank you for being there It means a lot that you listen to my work. Get in touch if you have a story to tell, a subject that needs discussing, a thought you want to share, or just to say hi … Please, take care of yourself Take care of the people around you. And I hope they’re 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

    54 min
  4. Hello You 162: A Sunday afternoon in the park, in stereo

    May 12

    Hello You 162: A Sunday afternoon in the park, in stereo

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit jimallthetime.substack.com A Sunday soundscape in vivid stereo It’s been a while since I published a ‘soundscape’ episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast. Sunday afternoon, though, presented the perfect opportunity to record one. The afternoon was sunny, if not quite as warm as it at first looked. It was the perfect time to go to the park, in this case the Quarry (Park) in Shre…

    22 min
  5. Hello You 161: With the bikers at Montford Bridge

    May 3

    Hello You 161: With the bikers at Montford Bridge

    It’s the first Bench episode of 2026! Here’s something I started doing on the radio about twenty years ago, and I’ve carried on as part of Hello You the Shropshire podcast. It’s a very simple idea: I sit on a bench, somewhere in Shropshire, and talk with whoever sits on the bench with me. ‘It’s just the nicest feeling in the world’ Every Tuesday evening during British Summer Time dozens, often hundreds of bikers descend on the picnic area around the Montford Bridge Café, just off the A5, for tea and coffee, burgers and chips but mostly just to hang out and chat. This struck me as a great opportunity to record a ‘Bench’ episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast, and Amanda Mullins of Shropshire and Powys Advanced Riders had the same idea. So last Tuesday I went along. In this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast you can hear what happened. I met some wonderful people, learned about great ideas like Motorbiker Acts of Random Kindness’ brilliant Bike and Brew Passport, felt the warmth of the welcome from the biking community and heard some fantastic stories about what biking means and has done for people. ‘The freedom and self-belief from it has been phenomenal … I can be me’ Whether you’re astride a bike or not, I can definitely recommend a Tuesday evening at the Montford Bridge Café! I’ll be returning later in the summer to record another ‘Bench’ session, and I’ll be back just for fun sometime soon … not least because I owe Shirley £10 for my Bike and Brew Passport! What do you think of this episode of Hello You? Join in the conversation in the comments: And if you enjoy this podcast, share it with your friends! Where else could I sit on a bench and talk to people? If you know of a bench where there are plenty of people around, let me know? It could be in a town centre in Shropshire or one of our villages. It might be at an event, as in this episode. It could even be a ‘virtual bench’ somewhere, as long as there are folk for me to chat with and listen to. Message me your bench suggestion and I’ll put it on the list! Intelligent, informed, progressive, quirky conversation … for and about Shropshire and the wider world. That’s what I aim to deliver on Hello You the Shropshire podcast. It’s not limited to Shropshire! There are listeners and subscribers not just all over the UK, but all over the world. People like you, who care about and are interested other people. Why not become a member of the Hello You family? Click this button to subscribe, either for free or, to support progressive local public-service audio journalism, take out a paid subscription: Thank you for being there I’m really grateful to you for taking an interest in my work. If you like it, you’ll know other people who’d like it too, so share it with them? Take care of yourself These are challenging times, and we need to look out for one another. Take care of the people around you, and I hope they 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

    58 min
  6. Hello You 160: There is everything to look forward to

    Apr 27

    Hello You 160: There is everything to look forward to

    ‘It really is as though one person is speaking directly to you, saying it’s going to be all right’ Formerly The Emergency Poet, offering poetry on prescription from her vintage ambulance, Deb Alma is now best known as co-founder of the world’s first walk-in Poetry Pharmacy, based in Bishop’s Castle here in Shropshire. In this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast, Deborah Alma talks about how poetry can help us, and tells her remarkable story which encompasses using poetry with people with dementia, in hospice care, with women’s groups and with children in schools, right up to opening Poetry Pharmacy branches in York and on London’s Oxford Street! Join in the conversation in the comments: Mentioned in this episode: Poetry Prescriptions by Deborah Alma Deborah Alma’s poetry and anthologies on Bookshop ‘Staying Alive’, an anthology of five hundred poems from around the world edited by Neil Astley ‘In Blackwater woods’, by Mary J. Oliver ‘Arrival’, by R.S. Thomas If you enjoy this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast, you probably know someone else who’d like it just as much. Why not hit this button and share it with them right now? A beano, a boogie or a bunfight in Bishop’s Castle? The small town of Bishop’s Castle is a very Hello You type of place. It’s where Deb Alma established her Poetry Pharmacy, and she says it’s ‘full of people who have opted out of the general way of things’. It’s got a very special vibe, one that I think fits with the Hello You ethos. Hence my suggestion, in this episode, that maybe we could get together there? Would you be interested in meeting up and hanging out with other listeners to Hello You the Shropshire podcast? And if so, would Bishop’s Castle be a good place to do it? Send me a message to tell me what you think. Are you up for this? While you’re thinking about it, here’s some Bishop’s Castle info to tempt you, maybe: Visit Shropshire: Bishop’s Castle Bishop’s Castle and Beyond Visit Shropshire Hills: Bishop’s Castle Stuff. And things That’s what Hello You is about. People’s stories, largely. And the occasional rant or brain-dump from me (e.g. the first few minutes of this episode!). Or if you prefer, it’s intelligent, informed, progressive and often quirky conversation, for and about Shropshire and the wider world. I’ll include one of those two descriptions in my ‘supporting material’ with the podcast award entries I’m contemplating, if I get my s**t together enough to actually enter the awards. As you’ll hear in this episode, I’m as yet undecided, and the clock is ticking. Anyway, whichever description works for you - ‘Stuff and Things’ or ‘Intelligent, informed yadda yadda’ - I hope you like what I do. Want to hear more? Splendid! There are more than a hundred and fifty previous episodes to check out! I hope you’ll also subscribe, so you don’t miss any future Hello Yous. It’s free to subscribe! Should you feel led by whichever spirit populates your belief system to take out a paid subscription, though, I will be profoundly grateful. Also, you’ll get some paid-tier-only audio (as soon as I’ve recorded some more of it). Click the hell out of this button: Please also click the hell out of any ‘Like’ or heart-shaped buttons you see around Hello You, whether it’s here on Substack, on Apple, Google or Spotify Podcasts (hit ‘follow’ on Spotify too? and if your friends are big Spotify users, send them the link). Thank you for being a member of the Hello You family I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you even check out what I do. Even though we’re spread all over the world, we are a family. We care for each other. You’re welcome around the Hello You virtual kitchen table anytime. 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

    39 min
  7. Hello You 159: 'It's MASSIVE to be able to help people'

    Apr 12

    Hello You 159: 'It's MASSIVE to be able to help people'

    ‘There’s something inside you that’s never broken’ Sarah-Charlotte Peace has been through a lot. And I do mean, a lot. In this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast, Sarah-Charlotte tells her story and explains how her experiences have fed into her work as Peaceful Warrior Wellbeing. Join in the conversation about this episode in the comments: ‘They’re looking for peace, and it’s my role to help them’ I recorded part of this episode stretched out on the floor of the meeting room in Oswestry Library! Hey, I’ll go where I need to go and do what I need to do … ‘We’re not shielding, we’re empowering’ That’s what I try to do with Hello You the Shropshire podcast, too. Not shielding, but empowering. Please share this episode of Hello You with anyone you think will find it interesting: If Hello You could help empower you, please get in touch Maybe you’re involved in something that’s important to you, and more people need to know about it. Perhaps telling your story or raising an issue will empower you to cross the next bridge towards where you want to be. Or you have an idea for how Hello You the Shropshire podcast could help you and others towards something you’ve been dreaming about or planning for ages. Even if you simply just want to get in touch and say hello, send me a message and let’s see where we go from there: We can support each other in the Hello You family Like any family, you can get as involved in its goings-on as you’re comfortable with. The first simple step, though, is to subscribe. Click here to find out all about it: Thank you … … for being there. It means a lot. I’d love it if you could drop Hello You the Shropshire podcast into conversation with your friends, family, co-workers, WhatsApp chat group members or whoever at some point over the next few days. They don’t have to be in Shropshire! Some of Hello You’s most frequent listeners live in other countries, let alone other counties. Send them to the main Substack page jimallthetime.substack.com? I hope they like it! Please take care of yourself Please also take care of the people around you. If you don’t, maybe no-one else will … And I hope the people around you are taking good 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

    31 min
  8. Hello You 158: Purl and protest

    Mar 28

    Hello You 158: Purl and protest

    ‘It does stretch …’ ‘Anthrax biscuits’, buses, life after breast cancer and craftivism in action with Jane Hickman from south Shropshire. Also: subversive samplers, village life in All Stretton, and Satan’s sandwich spread, all in this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast. Find more about Jane and her work at Gardening Witch Designs, on Facebook and at her Etsy shop too. If you knit, crochet, sew, and/or want to shake up the world, please share this episode with fellow enthusiasts and like-minded others? Revolution, or ritual? Protest, or performance? Have you been in London this weekend? I know quite a few people who travelled down to take part in the Together Alliance march. Such protests serve a psychological function, but do they actually change anything? In this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast, I share my thoughts on this powerful, provocative article by Dr Stacey Patton. Dr Patton says ‘what feels like resistance might actually be obedience in a different outfit’. Now it’s your turn What did Jane say that struck a chord with you? Do you agree with Dr Stacey Patton about protests? Join in the discussion in the comments: What’s on your mind? Maybe you have a story to tell or thoughts to share on Hello You the Shropshire podcast. Perhaps there’s a topic that’s not being talked about as much as you think it should. Let me know: Join the Hello You family As you enjoy intelligent, informed, progressive and slightly quirky conversation, for and about Shropshire and the wider world, then please subscribe to get more! And open the door for others? Who else would enjoy Hello You the Shropshire podcast? They don’t have to be in Shropshire; people listen to Hello You all over the world. And I’m sure this is up the street of someone you know. It might be someone you work with. A member of your family. Your other half, someone in your faith community or friendship circle, even a whole bunch of people in your WhatsApp chats. Why not share Hello You with a friend? I’m sure it’ll give the two of you plenty to talk about: Thank you for being there Please take care of yourself in these difficult times. Take care of the people around you … and I hope the people around you are taking care of you, too. Remember: 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
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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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