CamTalks

Cam Cairnduff

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. قبل ١٧ ساعة

    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

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  2. ١٧ فبراير

    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

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  3. ١٠ فبراير

    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

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  4. ٣ فبراير

    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

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  5. ٢٧ يناير

    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

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  6. ٢١ يناير

    CamTalks #059 - Jeannie Cameron AKA The Diplomat

    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 Jeannie Cameron, newly elected Chair of Alderney’s Policy & Finance Committee — the island’s most senior decision-making role.Jeannie’s life started in Sydney. She grew up between two very different worlds: a bohemian, artistic mother and a disciplined military father. That mix shaped a career that took her into Australian parliament, international diplomacy, the United Nations and some of the most complex negotiations on the planet.Now she’s brought all of that experience to a 2,000-person island — and says it’s the hardest job she’s ever had.In this episode we talk about what the Policy & Finance Committee actually does, why Alderney is self-governing, how global treaties really get negotiated, the decline of international institutions, freedom of speech, digital infrastructure, economic survival, innovation versus stagnation and why small systems can be harder to fix than big ones.We also go deep on Alderney politics: Code of Conduct complaints, social media pressure, leadership in a fishbowl, collective decision-making, why progress feels slow and what has to change if young people are going to have a future here.This is thoughtful, honest and occasionally emotional.Not politics for clicks.Politics for people who actually care about where they live.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

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  7. ١٤ يناير

    CamTalks #058 - Matin Miah AKA Nellie Grey's Indian Restaurant

    This episode is proudly supported by: Alderney Electricity Powering our island and supporting the community that keeps Alderney moving. alderney-elec.com Bell & Co Trusted local experts for renting, buying or relocating to Alderney. bellandcoalderney.com Channel Seaways Keeping Alderney supplied, connected and running every single day. channelseaways.gg Today I’m talking to the man behind Nellie Grey’s Indian Restaurant, a place that’s fed Alderney through quiet winters, chaotic Augusts, birthdays, break-ups, reunions and those “we’ve just landed, we need a curry” moments. Matt’s story starts in Bangladesh. He moved to Lancashire at 12, learned kitchens the hard way, followed opportunity to Jersey with a small bag and a five-day plan that somehow turned into 11 years. He ran delivery businesses, cooked for thousands, made mistakes, learned business the long way round and eventually found himself walking into an empty restaurant on Alderney that felt like it was calling him in. That restaurant became Nellie Grey’s. In this episode we talk about growing up without his parents, learning English later than most, falling in love with cooking by following caterers around as a kid, the moment he first stepped into Nellie Grey’s and knew it was the place, how Ray Parkin tested him before backing him, why staying open through winter matters, what Alderney gets right about community, the truth about chicken tikka masala, staff curry, secret dishes, spice versus heat and why he later decided to open the fish and chips too. It’s warm, funny and properly Alderney. You’ll finish this one hungry. Let’s connect 👇 Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/camtalks/id1479296317 Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/7lHojlnWyTUneaEpkcBgKS Instagram: instagram.com/camcairnduff LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cameroncairnduff TikTok: tiktok.com/@camcairnduff Facebook: facebook.com/cameronfilms YouTube: youtube.com/@camcairnduff

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  8. ٧ يناير

    CamTalks #057 - Sally Simmons AKA The Military Nurse

    This episode is proudly supported by: 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 Channel SeawaysKeeping Alderney supplied, connected and running every single day.https://www.channelseaways.gg Today I’m talking to a woman who has seen more of war, medicine and human resilience than most of us could ever imagine – and still chooses to spend her mornings swimming in the freezing Alderney sea for fun. Dr Sally Simmons is a Royal Navy veteran who served as a nurse during the Falklands War, treated burned sailors on hospital ship Uganda, later became an Army doctor in Northern Ireland, and went on to help steer Alderney through COVID as Clinical Director of the Island Medical Centre. She’s also a diving medicine specialist, Isle of Man TT doctor, motorbike rider, semi-retired GP, sea swimmer and now a budding novelist. In this episode we talk about:• Sailing to war in dress uniform• Treating horrific burns on board Uganda• Flying with bomb disposal teams in Northern Ireland• What really happens when you come home from conflict• Breaking her neck after “one margarita too many”• Alderney’s alcohol and ageing problem• How the island handled COVID• Why she still throws herself into cold water and fast bikes Sally tells these stories with warmth, humour and a steady calm that only comes from a lifetime of service. You’ll get a lot from this one. Listen on Apple Podcasts:http://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/... Listen on Spotify:http://open.spotify.com/show/7lHojlnW... Instagram: /camcairnduffLinkedIn: /cameroncairnduffTikTok: /camcairnduffFacebook: /cameronfilmsYouTube: @camcairnduff LET’S CONNECT 👇

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حول

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!