Waveney Life - uplifting conversations from the English counties of Suffolk and Norfolk

Jez Donaldson
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This podcast is a love letter to life along the river Waveney, past and present. We’ll hear from people whose stories stretch back generations, as well as from artists, historians and new voices shaping the future of this region. From award-winning food and drink businesses to the custodians of arts and rural crafts, we’ll uncover the richness of this place—its flavours, its traditions, its quiet magic. So, pull on your wellies, and let’s wade in together.

Episodes

  1. Old Glory Molly Dancers

    10/27/2025

    Old Glory Molly Dancers

    Listeners may be familiar with the classical Cotswold-style of Morris dancers, with their jolly handkerchiefs, stick and bells on their shoes. However, the Waveney Valley and the wider East Anglia has a very different kind of dance troup: the Molly Dancers, a dark, brooding presence, performing at night, with flaming torches, disguised faces, hobnail boots and crowns of ivy. There are no cheerful smiles here, more a spine-tingling sense of menace. I have been keen for some time to interview a member of Old Glory, because the experience of seeing them is so unique to East Anglia. A great example of what's unusual about the region. However the tradition of anonymity that protected the original Molly Dancers from prosecution and persecution, centuries ago, is continued today, so none of the dancers would speak to me. Eventually, I was able to secure an interview with someone close to Old Glory, a dancer with another group, called Cally. I still don't know his surname. In the interview, we talk about the tradition of demanding money with menaces, the need for anonymity, the "Strict and Particular" style of Old Glory's music and dancing. We also stray into discussion around the music industry and the challenges of working in treacle mining in the 19th century. Google it!

    31 min
  2. Ben Witchell, founder of Flint Vineyard

    09/10/2025

    Ben Witchell, founder of Flint Vineyard

    The Waveney Valley and indeed the surrounding counties of Norfolk and Suffolk are home to a huge variety of wonderful food and drinks businesses, from farm shops to traditional fishmongers, award-winning cheesemakers, micro-breweries and vineyards. In September 2025, I interviewed Ben Witchell, founder and chief winemaker at Flint Vineyard, a brilliant, innovative vineyard just on the Norfolk side of the river Waveney, near Bungay. In the interview, he talks passionately about how he became a wine-maker, why he chose to establish Flint Vineyard on the Waveney Valley, the innovative approach he has taken to wine-making, why he doesn't produce organic wine and what he loves about living in this region of the country.

    36 min
  3. James Mayhew - Childrens' Author, Illustrator and Storyteller

    08/30/2025

    James Mayhew - Childrens' Author, Illustrator and Storyteller

    The market town of Bungay sits astride the river Waveney at the northern edge of the county of Suffolk. It is also the home town of multi-talented artist, children's author, illustrator and storyteller James Mayhew. In August 2025 I interviewed him in Bungay. We talked about his early life in the Waveney valley, the inspiration he gained from his parents and sister during his childhood, how he uses his illustration to break down barriers, making music and art more accessible, especially to children, and the collaborations he's had with broadcasters, authors and musicians such as Zeb Soames, Joyce Dunbar, Roger Eno and Jackie Morris. He also recounts the legend of the Bungay Black Dog, or Black Shuck, and talks about the annual Black Shuck Festival, which he helps to organise in the town. I hope you enjoy the discussion.

    40 min
  4. Gary Stebbing - Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum

    05/14/2025

    Gary Stebbing - Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum

    An interview with Gary Stebbing, the Manager of the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum at Flixton, near Bungay. In the interview, Gary talks about the museum, how he came to be its manager and dives into a little detail on one of its more unique artefacts, the Vickers Valetta C2.

    20 min
  5. Nicola Eastell - Professional Equestrian Artist

    04/26/2025

    Nicola Eastell - Professional Equestrian Artist

    In this episode, I interview Nicola Eastell, a professional equestrian artist based in south Norfolk. She talks about her life in the Waveney Valley, how she became a professional artist, her love for horses and her busy year ahead.

    15 min
  6. Sonia Collins - Local History Recorder

    04/25/2025

    Sonia Collins - Local History Recorder

    In this episode I interview Local History Recorder Sonia Collins about the role of a Local History Recorder and what she loves about the Waveney Valley. We hear some funny and interesting historical stories about the area in which she lives and hear about her surprising 'side hustle'...

    35 min
  7. Stella Cattermole of the Rumburgh Buck public house

    04/01/2025

    Stella Cattermole of the Rumburgh Buck public house

    In this episode, we're with Stella Cattermole, manager of the iconic Rumburgh Buck, the Campaign for Real Ale's pub of the year for the area 4 years running. We talk about her love of the region, how she and her husband have made a success of this traditional English country pub and a surprising visit by global megastar Ed Sheeran. NB: Due to a technical issue while recording this episode, the audio quality isn't quite up to the standard we'd like.

    10 min
  8. Patrick Elder - abstract sculptor

    04/01/2025

    Patrick Elder - abstract sculptor

    In this episode, I'm with Patrick Elder, an abstract sculptor living near the sleepy Suffolk town of Halesworth. Patrick talks about his journey into becoming a sculptor and how his practice of Vipassana Meditation influences his work.

    13 min

  9. SEASON 1, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

    Trailer - Waveney Life

    Waveney Life is an escape from the frenetic world most of us inhabit in the 21st century. It's a warm and optimistic antidote to the cold negativity of the 24-hour news media. It's also your invitation to step into a world where time slows, the air is rich with birdsong, and the river Waveney winds its way through a landscape shaped by centuries of quiet industry and enduring tradition. For those who’ve yet to discover it, the Waveney is a gentle, meandering ribbon of water that carves its way through the ancient heart of East Anglia—where the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk meet in a land of rolling fields, whispering reed beds, and centuries-old villages steeped in history. This podcast series will interview an eclectic variety of people who live along and around the Waveney Valley: artists, historians, people that run the thriving local food and drinks businesses in the region and people with long memories, whose families have inhabited this land for generations. Take a moment to immerse yourself in warm conversations with the people that make this area special. Pull on your wellies, step into the shallows, and let’s wade in together. Welcome to Waveney Life.

    2 min

Trailer

About

This podcast is a love letter to life along the river Waveney, past and present. We’ll hear from people whose stories stretch back generations, as well as from artists, historians and new voices shaping the future of this region. From award-winning food and drink businesses to the custodians of arts and rural crafts, we’ll uncover the richness of this place—its flavours, its traditions, its quiet magic. So, pull on your wellies, and let’s wade in together.

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