‘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
