Heads & Dovetails

 Gill starts the episode by sharing a piece that her friend Justin Buckthorp posted on how our fitness regimes change as we age and for good reason. What we could do at 25 and get away with we can no longer do at 45 and for good reason.  Jamie and Gill chat about how health, for them, has become the number one driver as they age. They very much think about and are far more aware of what they do, how they do it and why, from exercise to eating. Gill no longer goes to a gym but gets her exercise out in her large garden or moving around on the floor when she is willow weaving. Jamie says he does similar in that he no longer syas he'll spend hours in the garden but just go do a bit when he can and not push it beyond what he knows will impact him in a negative way physically later on.  The conversation naturally leads onto what they both eat adn actually when they now eat. Gill tells of her experiences whenever she is questions around her eating and drinking habits by asked by a doctor or nurse and the looks of disbelief she gets. Jamie has been medicine free for 6 years now and how he's doing things differently but wants to do more. Finally shock of shocks - Jamie shares he ate a Starbar recently, they been his favourite chocolate bar for years and years, but discovered he no longer likes them and apparently it's all Gill fault! 

Jamie and Gill thought they'd see if they could have 2  random topics to talk about and if they could somehow get from one topic to the other linking them together. They both agreed that being typically British they had to talk about the weather and Jamie had said he wanted to talk about smoking - well giving up. The challenge was set!  They started, as agreed, with the amount of rain everyone has been experiencing and how that was impacting their ability to get out in the garden. This lead very nicely into talking about potholes and cars.  Cars allowed Gill to bring up the subject of parking lights, the old ones you used to clip on the driver's window and plug into the cigarette lighter. Jamie admitted he'd never heard of them until he saw one for sale and wondered what this egg-shaped thing was with a lead hanging out of it.  The mention of the cigarette lighter in the car (what's one of those younger listeners will ask?) of course meant they could talk about cigarette machines. Which gave Jamie the opportuntiy to talk about his smoking habit and how he gave up smoking at 19 having started at 12 years old.  They somehow acheived the challenge but being Jamie and Gill there was a lot of digressing along the way into freezers, bodies and even being a 'little bit Polish'! 

Back to talking about AI again.  Jamie tells Gill about his use of ChatGPT and what he sees as the positives to for a one man business. It's helped him with his YouTube videos and to be more eloquent when messaging an ill friend when he didn't know what to say in his message. Whilst Gill can absolutely see the benefits of AI in lots of areas she share her concerns around AI, including environmental ones that people can't see, vast buidlings to house the servers, and huge amounts of water being used. Gill also asks is AI actually dumbing us down, removing our personalities from interactions / social media even more because we no longer have to think things through? She shares her own little theory about the impact it's having on people with neurodiverse conditions. Is it along with social media actually making them more prominent now particularly in the rise of adults that have been diagnosed? People's attentoin spans are reducing and life is moving fast and does this just mean it'll move even faster?  On another topic Jamie has re-organised his week, changed his routine and it's really helping. Gill shares that people forget how the basic little things that used to do really helped them like starting the day a bit earlier but a lot slower. When people return to the easy and quick habits they used to do how it really impacts their day.      

A new year and episode 80 of our podcast! Gill wishes Jame Happy New Year but wants to know when do we stop saying Happy New Year to people?!  They chat about family adaptability over the festive season and how that changes over the years esepcially as the family grow up. Somehow this leads to Jamie saying he has had to contend with snow and ice going up a hill. He tells of how he managed to get around a taxi that was having real problems and his thoughts on why electric cars also struggle and younger drivers. Many 'younger than us' who drive will rarely have had an opportunity to do so and have no idea how to drive in snow.  Jamie then asks Gill if she sets new year resolutions. They tell each other why they don't set new year's resolutions as it applies too much pressure. Instead Gill says she likes to think about what she wants to focus more on during the year ahead. For Jamie it's focussing more on the work he wants to do now rather than has to and Gill it's doing more with her willow weaving and the ideas that she has.  With many people complaining about January and how long it is Gill has a theory about why so many people think January is soooo... long. Jamie asks Gill what she thinks of the old fashioned idea of keeping Christmas decoarons up until Candlemas day at the start of February.  A quick moan at the BBC about the timing of Jools Holland's programme on NYE's and finally they have a discussion about baths in bedrooms!  What is all that about??!! Jamie has a theory on the current trend. 

It's Christmas this week Jamie and Gill decide to  chat about their memories of Christmas past and how we've changed how we feel about it now. Gill can remember lots of her family traditions based around Christmas including the last one she had with her Dad before he died in the January.  Jamie admits he struggles to remember anything of his childhood Christmases other than his Action man tank which he still has in the attic. He tells a funny story about how he somehow sat on and rode his new tank down the stairs.  As Gill talks he slowly recalls things he had forgotten. They both remember being at work and the excitement of everyone being 'let go' early on Christmas Eve - that alone felt like a big present.  They talk about how your feelings change about Christmas as you grow older. The childlike excitement gives way to being with your friends as well as family and going out to work. Then as you get a family of your own it changes again. Gill explains how she still loves Christmas but for very different reasons these days. Christmas is just one day and for some it is a hard time of year especially if they find they are on their own, have lost someone close during the year or have other challenges to face. Where ever you are in life avid comparing yourself to other people's Chistmas and make Christmas your own - Happy Christmas. 

This episode it's Jamie's turn to sound sexy as he's got a sore throat!  Apart from his sore throat he's really happy as he's sold the crocodile that the made a couple of years ago for a panto. (Look at his video of it on his YouTube channel The Worcestershire Cabinet Maker). He could have sold it for a lot more, as one person told him, but he is happy with the price and explains that he found a balance with the purchaser based on his values of 'pay it forward' to another amateur dramatic society. Jamie is concerned that these societies are getting far too technical with one person knowing how the technical side works.  Gill and Jamie chat about the cost of something v. the time it took to create and Jamie thinks this is a missing link in the programme 'The Repair Shop' that they don't say how long a repair actually took in real time creating unrealistic expectations. They both agree it would be helpful to have labels on crafted / handmade items saying how long they took to make as it may help buyers appreciate and understand the price.  Finally, Jamie has a rant about the increase in the use of palm oil instead of milk especially in chocolate and how that's having such a negative impact on dairy farmers with many giving up. Again it comes down to the price people are prepared to pay and often can't afford the better quality chocolate.  We discuss the amount of 'crap' going into and onto our bodies and how we hope more peole will return to growing and making their own. 

Gill and Jamie chat about why, after some research, they've decided to stop posting their  podcast (and Gill her other podcast too) onto Spotify. Spotify are getting wealthier by the day and the average creator is struggling with musicians getting between £0.0024 and £0.004 per download. With the introduction of AI being able to use any content on the platform creators will end up becoming obsolete! The conversation turns to other big companies like Amazong which Jamie is not a big fan of! He explains how when looking to buy some tools it lead him to take a deep dive into the product and discovered somen interesting facts. We chat about the impact this has had on manufacturing in the UK and how old steel works and buildings are being demolished to make way for bland housing (and yes I bring up the book 'Less' again!). Lastly I tell Jamie about the challenge I had trying to pump up my tyres at the garage early this morning and how did something that used to be so easy become so difficult and complicated! 

Following an observation from Gill's husband on last week's episode she apologises to Jamie  for talking so much at the start of the last episode. In her defence she says she was praising Jamie about his skills.  Talking of skills Jamie is a bit 'miffed' as he was asked to become involved with a tree removal at a local church. He was asked to use his skills to make some things, stool, benches etc. from the wood of the tree being felled to help parishioners accept it had to come down. He was also promised some of the wood.  It's another tale of mis-communication with a number of people including with Jamie who ended up with very little wood!  We change the topic and Gill talks about her recent experience to do with Smart meters or what turns out to be not so smart meters! She was flat sitting for her son as he needed to have his meter changed and again due to computers and mis-information the slot he had chosen had been messed up! In the process of chatting to the man changing the meter she discovers that her son will still ahve to do monthly meter readings! It's a tale all about mis-information being given to customers to get them to change their meters. Talking of computers... Gill and her husband discover something that makes them wonder if they have been victims of ID fraud. She digs deeper! 

Gill has lost her voice with the dreaded lurgi that everyone seems to be getting but Jamie thinks it makes her sound sexy!  Gill starts this episode by giving a shout out to Jamie and his expertise as she wanted a particular sign for a present - Mary Poppins Patio, and knew just the man to make it for her! She explains the reason behind it in the podcast and how people don't see the expertise and time that goes into making something.  Jamie says how busy he has been with an elephant currently on his bench - which Gill jokes about. They discuss how when you are creating something, whether that be an project plan to making something with your hands, how you can spend a lot of time thinking about it and planning it before you start work on it. Often this isn't included in the time we charge for an item. Gill refers back to the elephant and the image she saw in her head when Jamie talked about it being on his bench. She uses it as an example of how mis-communication can happen so easily between people and therefore how important it is to clarify things.  Finally they chat about how self employed people, especially those who have been out of a salaried role for a long time can lose track of how much people earn now. It's also important that we charge the correct fee for our expertise and any materials used rather than from looking at it from our own personal financial situation. This finishes with them chatting about living within your means. 

With it being cancer awareness month Gill questions are companies simply doing, what she's calling, 'pink-washing' similar to 'green-washing' the public? Jamie and Gill discuss the irony of companies going pink, printing pink ribbons on their packaging to promote cancer awareness month when those same companies use known carcinogenic chemicals in their products! How can that be right? They chat about how they would prefer companies not spend part of the their marketing budget on going pink for a month but to do something to remove toxic chemicals from their products. Jamie talks about candles and how toxic they are but there are no regulations aroudn what they use to make them. Gill says she watched a programme with Joe Wicks and how he made a protein bar out of nothing but chemicals and it was totally legal for him to sell it to the public.  It leads us on to discuss all sorts of things and what we can do to help ourselves. Gill again refers to the book she has just read called 'Less' by Patrick Grant and how it has made her think about the impact just one small thing/habit we have has on the wider world economy. Jamie and Gill go back to talking about one of their favourite topics - how being creative has so many benefits for us, even making something basic. Research is showing how much happier people are when working with their hands or creating something like a piece of music.  The added benefit we can have on the local economy by working and selling our skills and products locally is huge. Jamie is doing much more than simply teaching students, they're learning about themselves and the pleasure you get from creating something. One of his students who has been coming to him for a while has created a beautiful carved owl out of an old gate post. As Jamie said he needed very little imput as the student seemed to get into a flow whilst carving it (see Jamie's recent YouTube video). By running his classes he is helping the local economy. Gill talks about the willow course she has booked on NEXT October which is already sold out and as a result of the course has also booked into a local B & B and will no doubt buy a meal or 2 in the evening in the local area. Hence a great example of a local economy benefitting from one person passing on their willow weaving skills face to face.  

A cough from Gill at the start of the recording opens up a discussion about editing both this podcast and Jamie's videos. That discussion then leads into talking about being authentic and how people seem to be slowly returning to a need to see what is actually real rather than acted 'reels' on IG. Gill wants to talk about a particular topic to do with sustainability, which in part has come from the book she reading 'Less' by Patrick Grant, and the use of terry nappies! They chat about the pros and cons of terry nappies v. disposable ones not just on the environment but also on the child. Gill firmly believes that it does have an impact on when toddlers are clean and dry. She describes how in the book so many things are lead by big companies and their marketing and PR to convince people to use them. Jamie talks about an article he's read about the importance of touch to babies and how they learn from it. They end up discussing the cost of electricity and question the various reasons why we're not seeing more solar panels on buildings etc. 

It seems Gill's turned into an Agony Aunt for Jamie in this episode! Jamie had several things, problems he wanted to ask Gill about to see if she could help him work out what was going on in his brain!  They talk about the possible reasons for Jamie's washing up obsession and how he's been training not only his brain but his family! His family are now expecting him to do certain tasks - Dad's jobs - like the washing up, emptying the bins etc. Whilst he doesn't mind he wants to know ho wto stop the family taking it for granted they are 'his' jobs!  Gill explains, in very basic terms, about how the brain will protect us and how it doesn't know the difference between real and imagined. They chat about how that can be a positive and a negative and how athletes will use it. Jamie then owns up to his Cadbury 'Starbar' wrapper collection and his theory as to how it helps him avoid eating them now. Somehow this leads them on to talking about the up cycling of old wine boxes into shelves in his shed!      

Jamie has been pondering on the chat he and Gill had in episode 69 about ironing and had an 'Aha' moment about why he doesn't iron his shirts. He realises it goes back to his days of working on boats and having to be in meetings with management one minute whilst also working on boats the next. An unironed shirt seemed to cover both situations well - smart enough for a meeting but not too smart to have the Mickey taken out of him when woking on the boats.  Gill goes on to talk about compost and her recent experience of finding a LOT of large, small, solid and thin bits of plastic as well as other rubbish in peat free compost. She's found very small pieces of plastic in well known brand names as well. She's also discovered that even organic compost is not guaranteed plastic free! As a result, having a large garden she is investing in a Hotbin (they are quite expensive) to speed up the composting process. Jamie explains to her how he's made his own home made version of a hot composter using 2 old recycling bins that their council no longer uses. They chat about the cost and Gill explains her justifications for spending the money. Talking about all the rubbish in the compost, mainly all sorts of old chewed up bin liners, leads them to a discussion about bin liners and do we really need them as they end up in landfill or Gill's compost?! 

Jamie had sent Gill a link about Freud versus Adler and had society been following the wrong theory? They chat about the differences in approach to helping people - Freud looking back to childhood traumas and Adler looking forward. After chatting about the various types of therapy they both decide they're more in the Adler camp but recognise that what works for one person may not work for another. Gill talks about how she suddenly realised that she had an updated, better solution to carrying the bird food into the garden than she had been using for years as a result of learning to willow weave.  They chat about how often we do things because we've always done it that way. We forget that we're constantly learning and changing and that it's good to occasionally review things from where we are and what we know now. By reviewig things from a differnt perspecitve we can often find better more updated answers / solutions to a problem. 

Jamie and Gill wanted to start the episode by giving a big shout out and dedicate this episode to Alex Holden https://www.holdenconcertinas.com/ for no other reason than they found out he has listened to every single one of their episodes! If you are a maker, listened to our podcast and would like a mention let us know.  Gill had a couple of big questions for Jamie as part of her 'research': Did Jamie use a top sheet on their bed? Did they iron their sheets? Gill explains why she likes a top sheet and why she likes ironed bedding. Jamie explains why he doesn iron although admits he does like sleeping in ironed sheets. Gill, unlike Jamie, likes to iron and sees it as a from of meditation / time to think. She tells Jamie about how nylon sheets became all the rage back in the 1970's and brushed nylon in the winter (the company she was trying to remember was Brentford Nylons and they were actually based in London not as she thought in the midlands - clue in the name!)  They chat about what might have influenced their choices of 'to iron or not to iron' not only bedding but their clothes as well and why their different approaches say something about their lifestyles. On the same theme Jamie admits his obsession with washing up continues and part of his excuses (reasoning) is he says the warm water helps his hands and joints. He then goes on to talk about being medication free for the last 5+ years and how he thinks his change in his mindset / approach has helped that process. Jamie asks Gill if she has noticed an abundance of fruit this year when out on her walks as he's seen a huge amount. She says she has but how only one of her three apple trees has a lot of fruit on and possible reason as to why. Jamie tells a funny story of him with a sheet (back to bedding again??) and collecting fruit which sounds more like an episode from 'Only Fools and Horses'! He tells Gill he'll be making a lot of different flavoured gins this year with all the fruit. 

This may sound like a dark episode but it really isn't, it's more about taking stock of your life and who you are. Gill and Jamie define the difference between an obituary (the written word usually in a newspaper announcing someones death with a bit about their life) and a eulogy (usually spoken at a funeral / memorial service about someone's life but can be written down). Jamie had read an article - link here:  https://magazine.catapult.co/dont-write-alone/stories/meg-dalton-writing-your-own-obituary-can-teach-you-how-to-live which got him thinking about how he wanted to be remembered and writing his own obituary! As Jamie explains he doesn't want someone to stand up as his funeral for example and say 'He was always grumpy and miserable and had no friends' and have nothing else to say about him!  Gill says for her it's a bit like pressing pause, checking in with herself to see if she is creating a life that she wants to be remembered for. For her it woudln't be things like 'she worked hard, had a lovely house and car and went on exotic holidayss...' not that any of those apply! She wants to be remembered for things like her character and personality, hopefully in a poistive way!  Jamie and Gill discuss do people remember us for the material things we owned? How hard is it to make the changes starting now? Do we complicate our lives? Is life more complex than simply making a few changes? And some how they end up talking about thier pants and socks drawers as only Jamie and Gill could! 

Being British of course Jamie and Gill have to comment on the weather which has been hot in the south for quite a while. Luckily in the South West where Gill lives it's not been too bad whilst others, particulary in the South East have been melting! Jamie and Gill share various tips they learnt or heard of over the years to help keep cool from putting your feet in cold water to opening up your attic hatch at night. Jamie raises the topic of less is more and somehow this leads them to talking about weddings. They discuss the vast sums of money people spend, that they don't have, on a wedding and honeymoon. Is it really necessary? When did weddings get so big and exepnsive with a reception AND then an evening 'do'?. For some the tide is turning back to small, micro weddings (both Jamie and Gill  had smaller weddings) that don't cost a fortune and are often much more intitmate and nicer. 

Jamie has been suffering stomach type cramps and tells of his search online for a natural cure and how his family nag him to drink more water! Gill and Jamie chat about how various aches and pains can be as a result of something you've been doing or not doing (like drinking water when hot!) the previous day.  Gill tells Jamie about the GillHB & Friends podcast she did a few years ago in her 'gardening mini series' with Rich Pennock from Haws Watering cans and a piece of good advice he gave her to help prevent back and posture issues.  Changing subjects Gill wants to talk about bugbears! Jamie has a few around the washing up and stuff left in the sink drain cover! For Gill it's about people queueing at petrol stations when there is an empty pump just because their petrol filler is on the other side to the pump and how American spellings in British books drives her nuts! They discuss the dilemma of which spelling to use - do you use the spelling according to the nationality of the author or the publishing company? What are your bugbears in everyday life? 

One of Jamie's daughters recently got married in the Lake District and that involved Jamie hiring a car, which he was not impressed with and taking various grand-parents with them. It was the first of his daughter's weddings for him as father of the bride and was held in a hotel overlooking Lake Windermere.  It was a small wedding, 20 people in total which these days is apparently known as a 'micro- wedding'. Jamie describes what a wonderful day it was and how his duaghter had removed a lot of pre-wedding stress with the arrangements. He was worried about his speech which he had started to write some weeks before until one of his students suggested using ChatGPT to help him write it. Gill and Jamie discuss the pros and cons of using ChatGPT and Gill is not a fan but acknowledges it is a case of workgin with technology as it's here to stay! Jamie also talks about his need for a drink to help take the 'edge off' and how it helps him be the best version of himself. Gill asks 'What does he mean abut being the best version of himself?' They discuss people's need for alcohol, drecreational drugs etc and the possible deeper reason behind people needing them at certain times. Jamie thinks it is to do with his  lack of confidence and probably being bullied at a young age.  Finally Jamie wants to wish his dog Po a happy 10th birthday.  

Gill loves the Chelsea flower show and has been lucky enough to go a couple of years ago. However reading a post on Instagram made her consider things from a different point of view. Firstly she asks, how did she get to her get and not realise that the RHS was a charity?! Jamie and Gill chat about the positives, not so positives and maybe areas that could be improved around Chelsea. They both agree that a lot of work and effort goes into making Chelsea happen but to what extent are younger people from the local area involved? Running events takes a lot of effort and Jamie tells how The Ruskin Centre where he has his workshop will no longer be hosting the Glass Festival. Again they look at possible reasons behind it. Jamie divulges how he spotted a chair on the pavement and took it home which leads Gill to comment on a photo of Jamie's taken from relaxing in his chair at the end of his garden and they chat about those special moments to be had here right on our doorstep.  Finally Jamie says he has something big to talk about on the next episode!