Beyondhood – Details, episodes & analysis

Love it? Have a question or comment? Click here to send me a direct message!

Summary
In EP14 - We are going to dive into The Forgotten Chinese Seamen of Liverpool. 

During World War II, thousands of Chinese sailors served in Britain’s merchant navy, keeping vital supply routes open. Many settled in Liverpool, starting families and becoming part of the city's fabric. But after the war, the British government saw them as expendable. In a secret policy, at least 2,300 Chinese seamen were forcibly deported between 1946 and 1949—many without warning. Their wives and children were left behind, never knowing the truth. For decades, this story remained buried. For decades, their families believed they had been abandoned. The truth? They were erased. This is the untold story of Liverpool’s forgotten Chinese seamen 

Keywords
Chinese seamen deportation Liverpool, Forgotten Chinese sailors WWII. Liverpool Chinese merchant navy, UK secret deportation Chinese seamen

Chapters
01:56 Introduction & Welcome
04:11 Why still publish when there is no interviewees in this episode? 
05:21 Historical Context
07:34 Setting the Scene
08:42 The Role of Chinese Seamen in WWII
09:59 Life in Liverpool & The Promise of a Future

11:19 The Secret Deportation         
12:24 Aftermath                                                                                                                                                              

Related video and articles: 

Video: 'I just want to know - UK woman's search for missing Chinese father

Video: The Secret Betrayal: How the UK ejected the Chinese sailors who had risked their lives

Articles: Home Office Official Report 

Support the show

Intrigued by the conversation? Get involve using the following ways:

• Buy your life story recording and become a Beyonder!
• Join the Beyonder family on Patreon or Become a podcast member for as little as 3 GBP per month to get exclusive the Now and Then Beyonders' pictures and contents. You can ask questions and nominate Beyonders to be on the show.
• Follow us @ Beyondhood on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Email me at gobeyondelderhood@gmail.com

Love it? Have a question or comment? Click here to send me a direct message!

Summary
In EP13, I shared my experiences as a weekly volunteer visiting independent assisted living homes, focusing on the importance of social connections for residents. I shared 3 stories: Resident or not - Peter, Too young to be there - Michelle, Goodbye - Owen.  This short field trip episode will give you an unseen side of independent living homes and the personal story of the impact of dementia.
 
Keywords
independent assisted living, social connections, dementia, care homes, personal stories

Chapters
01:19 Introduction & Welcome
03:26 Understanding Care Homes vs. Independent Assisted Living
04:27 Loneliness= Smoking 15 Cigarette a day 
05:06 First Story: Resident or not - Peter
06:41 Second Story: Too young to be there - Michelle
08:22 Last Story: Goodbye - Owen
09:06  Summary: Celebrating Relationships at my Independent Living Care Home 

Support the show

Intrigued by the conversation? Get involve using the following ways:

• Buy your life story recording and become a Beyonder!
• Join the Beyonder family on Patreon or Become a podcast member for as little as 3 GBP per month to get exclusive the Now and Then Beyonders' pictures and contents. You can ask questions and nominate Beyonders to be on the show.
• Follow us @ Beyondhood on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Email me at gobeyondelderhood@gmail.com

Love it? Have a question or comment? Click here to send me a direct message!

Episode 6: We have the free spirit and funny Liz Bolton. She is energetic, passionate and a firecracker! We had one of the most amazing times recording her life story at her unique and beautiful home in London. 

Liz has the most unique upbringing: She was the first British born in Al-Fashir, Sudan and spent time in the Gold Coast (Ghana) as a child. Her parents have one of the most dramatic love stories of the 1930s you will ever hear and they are the original Airbnb creator! 

We dived into her career, and she worked very hard to become top of her Public Relations profession. Have you heard of Pick of the Fringe and the first-ever Levi music sponsorship with David Bowie in the 80s? Come find out how Liz was part of the creation team. We talked deeply about the significant relationships in her life and how she reminded us that self-worth and respect are two key virtues. 

Into her elderhood, Liz is so active! Yoga, gardening, Airbnb host, who said retirement is dull? Come to find out how you can retire from your professions but never retire from life.   

Dear Liz, 

You are so funny and such a gem to record with! Thank you for being so open, honest and real in your recording. I am so grateful our paths crossed and hope your children will enjoy this life gift from you and to the next generations.  

Love, Nicole

Support the show

Intrigued by the conversation? Get involve using the following ways:

• Buy your life story recording and become a Beyonder!
• Join the Beyonder family on Patreon or Become a podcast member for as little as 3 GBP per month to get exclusive the Now and Then Beyonders' pictures and contents. You can ask questions and nominate Beyonders to be on the show.
• Follow us @ Beyondhood on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Email me at gobeyondelderhood@gmail.com

Love it? Have a question or comment? Click here to send me a direct message!

Our 5th episode is a special one! This episode is a time-travelling journey, from 2018 to now, from Cantonese to English, from past to present. This time, we travelled to 2018 Hong Kong, my home town, to listen to Suen Sing, my grandpa, life story. 

Born in 1930 in Dongguan China, Suen Sing grew up in poverty and instability. Starting to work when he was 9, he knew he had to work hard and be smart to have a good life. His family's love and belief in education pushed him to leave China for Hong Kong.  His childhood was not how you and I would imagine today. You will find out how he witnessed human cannibalism and how he made himself into a respected school principal.  

We also dive deep into his business and networking philosophy. Do you believe in an afterlife? After hearing how Suen Sing became a Christian in his elderhood, you might start to wonder if is there a higher power.  

Ready to go back in time - to 1930s China? Be ready for a ride!

P.S. Mother's Day is coming up! If you want to create a special gift for your mom, your grandma, or an important woman, contact me to see how I can help you record her life story.

Dear Grandpa,
I love you and I know you are smiling from heaven without pain now. Thank you for being my most vivid storyteller. I am so grateful that Victoria recorded a part of your life story. By sharing your life story, I am passing on your legacy and wisdom to the next generation, not just to my family but to the world. 
Love, Nicole

Support the show

Intrigued by the conversation? Get involve using the following ways:

• Buy your life story recording and become a Beyonder!
• Join the Beyonder family on Patreon or Become a podcast member for as little as 3 GBP per month to get exclusive the Now and Then Beyonders' pictures and contents. You can ask questions and nominate Beyonders to be on the show.
• Follow us @ Beyondhood on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Email me at gobeyondelderhood@gmail.com

Love it? Have a question or comment? Click here to send me a direct message!

Our 4th episode features Mary M. We travelled to Southern London to interview this hardworking and lovely Scottish lady. She is 87 years old and showed me what dedication means. 

We started with Mary's childhood with her favorite pony and the griddle scone recipe that her family still uses today.  Want to know what is it like to smoke a ''cinnamon stick'''?  ;) stay tuned! Being a tomboy herself and growing up with 8 male cousins, she attended a state boarding school in order to get a higher education. Despite being a tomboy, she follows her idol - her aunt - to become a nurse. 

We dive deep into her adulthood: how she devotes her life to being a nurse and her most memorable stories as a nurse. Her strong personality and dedication keep her going even being a health professional means you have to face and see and talk about death a lot of time. At the age of 26, her curiosity and love brought her to move to London with her late husband to start a new life. Want to know what it is like to party in Downing street? Mary stays close to her Scottish culture, we will find out more about Scottish Clans and Burn's night in the episode. 

Moving into her elderhood, Mary still uses her skills as a nurse to become a Samaritan and learn Ikebana (you will find out what it is!)

Need a reminder of  ''dedication'' meaning in this super fast society that praises fast results ? You will definitely remember from listening to Mary's story.

Dear Mary and Archie (Grandson of Mary):
Thank you for trusting me to become a part of your family gift and legacy. I truly feel your passion and love as a nurse and as a mom + grandma for your family. I love that this episode has revealed unheard of family stories. I hope you love this episode as much as you love Ikebana - Love, Nicole

Support the show

Intrigued by the conversation? Get involve using the following ways:

• Buy your life story recording and become a Beyonder!
• Join the Beyonder family on Patreon or Become a podcast member for as little as 3 GBP per month to get exclusive the Now and Then Beyonders' pictures and contents. You can ask questions and nominate Beyonders to be on the show.
• Follow us @ Beyondhood on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Email me at gobeyondelderhood@gmail.com

Love it? Have a question or comment? Click here to send me a direct message!

Our 3rd episode features Edwina (Eddie) Brocklesby -  The oldest British woman doing the Ironman competition at age 80 who founded the charity Silverfit in her 70s. 

We listened to Eddie's influential and happy childhood stories: How her father's work had a big influence on her career and her grandma was Churchill’s cook. We talked about her passion for social work and how she started running at age 50, prompted by her late husband Phill. 

Stay tuned to find out how she started Ironman - a 2.4-mile swim in open water, followed by an agonising 112-mile bike ride, then a full marathon. Eddie has tackled six Ironmans, seven triathlons, five duathlons and seven London Marathons!

Not only did she start a new sport, but Eddie changed career in her 70s! Check out   Silverfit - a charity that aims to promote happier, healthier ageing through physical activity.  We talked about her upcoming Race Across America 2024 - the hardest supported endurance cycle race in the world.  At age 81, she will be part of a relay team cycling 3000+ miles over 9 days with three amazing women ages 76, 60 and 53. Their goal is to prove that fitness truly has no age limit

Dear Eddie,
I am grateful that our lives have crossed and thank you for showing me the power of positivity and determination: From limited physical activity to participation in marathons, Ironman and now Race across America, you truly show me that we can achieve anything when we put our mind into it and life is a blessing so we need to make the most out of it!
Love, Nicole

Below are the links that we discussed in the podcast:
1.  Film of Joan Bakewell interviewing Eddie's grandmother – Georgina Landemare's  Churchill’s cook.
2. Donate to support Eddie's 2024 Race Across America
3. Documentary film about Eddie
4. CNN article on Eddie

Support the show

Intrigued by the conversation? Get involve using the following ways:

• Buy your life story recording and become a Beyonder!
• Join the Beyonder family on Patreon or Become a podcast member for as little as 3 GBP per month to get exclusive the Now and Then Beyonders' pictures and contents. You can ask questions and nominate Beyonders to be on the show.
• Follow us @ Beyondhood on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Email me at gobeyondelderhood@gmail.com

Love it? Have a question or comment? Click here to send me a direct message!

Our 2nd episode features Pat & Johnny O'Sullivan -  we travelled to Greystones, Ireland to talk to these two lovebirds of 50+ years. They are both 76 years old and they hold the best dinner party in Greystones. 

We chatted about Johnny's lifelong career in the textile industry and how he witnessed the rise and fall of textiles.  Pat shared her career pause due to the ''Marriage Ban'' in Ireland. We also got to understand what is the secret to maintaining a loving, healthy, and respectful 53+ year marriage (tips: travel with your friends is part of the recipe!)
We also dive deep into how they dealt with losing their life pension, what death means and how religion and spirituality affect their view of going to the other side!  

Ready to learn and be inspired by this fun and energetic Irish couple? 

PS: You will also find out why there was a massive delay in publishing this episode :( We are now back on our monthly track!

Dear Pat & Johnny:
I am grateful that our lives have crossed and thank you for showing me that as long as we are with the people we love, nothing else matters as much as we think.  Our conversation occurred on a very difficult day for me, and I truly believe God is sending his message to me via our conversation.  I hope you love this episode as much as you love dinner party - Love, Nicole

Support the show

Intrigued by the conversation? Get involve using the following ways:

• Buy your life story recording and become a Beyonder!
• Join the Beyonder family on Patreon or Become a podcast member for as little as 3 GBP per month to get exclusive the Now and Then Beyonders' pictures and contents. You can ask questions and nominate Beyonders to be on the show.
• Follow us @ Beyondhood on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Email me at gobeyondelderhood@gmail.com

Love it? Have a question or comment? Click here to send me a direct message!

Our 1st episode features Donald Campbell - my energetic, healthy, and full-of-life Pilates classmate who is in his 90s. 

We chatted about his childhood, how he took 5 days from Canada to France and then to the UK, his adulthood, how he went from not knowing to sew to becoming a fashion designer that Princess Diana loves, his elderhood, how he is still travelling the world with his partner of 54 years.

How to keep a 54-year relationship? How to start a new skill in your 70s? Come and find out in this episode.

Dear Donald:
I am grateful that our lives have crossed and thank you for showing me the key to life is to keep it as fun as possible. Like you, I will never stop travelling. I hope you love this episode as much as you love Pilates - Love, Nicole

Support the show

Intrigued by the conversation? Get involve using the following ways:

• Buy your life story recording and become a Beyonder!
• Join the Beyonder family on Patreon or Become a podcast member for as little as 3 GBP per month to get exclusive the Now and Then Beyonders' pictures and contents. You can ask questions and nominate Beyonders to be on the show.
• Follow us @ Beyondhood on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Email me at gobeyondelderhood@gmail.com

Love it? Have a question or comment? Click here to send me a direct message!

Welcome to Beyondhood - where we go beyond elderhood - one chat at a time. 

In our introduction & welcome episode, we tell you why did we create the Beyondhood podcast, who is your host Nicole Suen, and why you should listen to Beyondhood.

Find out more about us on our web. Follow us on Instagram, Linkedin & Facebook

Support the show

Intrigued by the conversation? Get involve using the following ways:

• Buy your life story recording and become a Beyonder!
• Join the Beyonder family on Patreon or Become a podcast member for as little as 3 GBP per month to get exclusive the Now and Then Beyonders' pictures and contents. You can ask questions and nominate Beyonders to be on the show.
• Follow us @ Beyondhood on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Email me at gobeyondelderhood@gmail.com

Love it? Have a question or comment? Click here to send me a direct message!

Summary
In EP12, I travelled to the U.S. - San Diego to chat with Angela Andrieux, an expert in photo preservation and a fine art photographer, sharing her journey from childhood to adulthood, and reflecting on her family's influence. 

She discusses the importance of preserving family history and legacy through photography and storytelling, and how her passion for photography has given her career now at Mylio - a software photo manager for a lifetime of memories.  and a new and important identity - the family legacy keeper -  how she creates new memories with her grandmother by sharing old photos and asking questions about those photos.

Our conversation highlights the connections between family legacies and the importance of leveraging tools to create long-lasting memories for the next generations before it is too late. See the pictures Angela mentioned on our Patreon page!

New Partnership
Try Mylio www.mylio.com to see how they can help you turn a lifetime of memories organised into a family legacy. Try for Free first then enter Beyondhood as promo code @ checkout to get 15% off  

Keywords
childhood, family legacy, storytelling, photography, military life, grandparents, relationships, memories, creativity, personal growth

Chapters
01:57 Introduction & Welcome
04:49 Childhood Memories and Family Influence
06:32 Relationship with grandma
09:55 Adolescence and School Experiences
12:17 Homeschooling
12:39 Favorite Pop Culture & Historical Event
13:40 Anne of Green Gables
16:54 Career Path and Photography Journey
21:11 Beyondhood x Mylio Partnership - 15% off Promocode: Beyondhood
21:47 Capturing Family History through Photography
25:43 The Role of a Family Legacy Caretaker
28:24 Connecting Generations: Military Spouses
30:48 Sharing Family Photos  to Create New Memories with Grandma
32:06 Imagining Your Own Beyondhood
33:44 What is Your Most Memorable Family Photo
34:55 Photo: My Tool to Capture and Freeze Family Legacy
35:36 Record Life Stories = Opportunity to Reflect 
36:23 What is Your One Question for Our Current Beyonder

Support the show

Intrigued by the conversation? Get involve using the following ways:

• Buy your life story recording and become a Beyonder!
• Join the Beyonder family on Patreon or Become a podcast member for as little as 3 GBP per month to get exclusive the Now and Then Beyonders' pictures and contents. You can ask questions and nominate Beyonders to be on the show.
• Follow us @ Beyondhood on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Email me at gobeyondelderhood@gmail.com