Explore every episode of the podcast Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure

Hello :)

Last year I released a podcast episode called "How Not To Run An Ultramarathon". I was reminded of that a couple of times recently, partly because this year's running of the Calderdale Way Ultra happened recently, and partly because over the last couple of months I've finally hiked all the sections of it that I never completed. Including the bits I missed out when I got lost.

After recording that pod, I entered and completed a second Ultra - the Pilgrims Way Ultra, in Northumberland, NE England - partly to prove to myself that I could. This episode looks at my experiences of that race. I'm publishing it now mainly because my last episode was a chat about Ultra-running in general with my friend Seanna, and it seemed a logical companion piece.

Don't expect this to become an annual ritual.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* "Bugger Bognor"
* Why I chose this particular Ultra
* Logistics & race admin
* Holy Island / Lindisfarne
* The first 20km, flat causeway and a hill
* Belford Checkpoint and the road to the coast
* Bamburgh and its Castle
* Sand Dunes, Salty Air, Quaint Villages
* Grace Darling
* ... and then the rains came
* The finish and the aftermath
* Results breakdown of all three Ultras
* Did I follow my 'lessons learned' from last time?

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this pod, though a short unused extract from my last episode's chat with Seanna appears in the intro.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

For a variety of reasons I'm a week late with this podcast, conceptually, but also, this episode was going to have additional content about my second attempt at an Ultramarathon, which I did last September but never got around to talking about. I've written a lot of that already so all I'll do is publish that next week, and then I'll be back on schedule. This also means I'll do a housekeeping update then too, to save this episode being too long.

I'd been trying to schedule in a chat with my friend Seanna for pretty much exactly a year, originally in conjunction with my original Ultramarathon episode, but life happened for both of us and it's taken this long to get together. I'm aware my last episode was also a one-to-one chat; don't get the expectation this will become a regular thing, but I think it is more interesting doing this than just having pre-recorded contributions.

Bear in mind I am not, of course, Michael Parkinson or David Letterman.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* ... but I'm a cheerleader
* Let's not start with an easy one; that's not my style
* Bodybuilding is not the answer either
* Seanna's first ultra
* How to fuel for running when you're vegetarian or vegan
* The highest and lowest points of ultras
* Night running
* Running is not therapy, but it feels like it
* Ultras tend to be run by older people
* Queer Representation and inclusivity is often lacking
* Seanna's ambitions

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available, though at the moment it's quite raw.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this pod. However, Seanna's YouTube channel is here.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Earlier this week, I had a chat with my friend V, because she'd recently gone on a trip abroad for the first time this millennium, and she wanted to talk about how it felt on her YouTube channel. I said, well that might make a good podcast episode, you know, the whole 'this is what it's like to travel abroad properly for the first time as an adult', might be useful for other budding world travellers, so we recorded it for both.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Housekeeping: Running, Hiking, Well-Dressing
* Why did V finally take a trip abroad
* Anxiety around border security
* Being a sighted guide for a blind travel blogger
* How V felt on her first plane this millennium
* Alcohol and no food makes V an ill girl ...
* ... so she forgot how to read English!
* Cultural differences and how Hamburg feels very safe
* Hamburg Airport was a breeze
* Could she do this again?
* The moment V really felt she was actually there
* Business travel doesn't feel like leisure travel
* Packing angst
* What's next for V?

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available, though at the moment it's quite raw.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this pod. However V's YouTube channel is here, and I also ought to link to Blind Girl Adventures (Sassy Wyatt's blog), as she gets mentioned a lot in the episode.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

It was one of those ideas that suddenly came to me when I was lying in bed, having been seeded I think by a conversation I'd had with one of my travel content creator friends, Hayley, about how much it cost to live at home in the UK and how much less expensive it is to travel. I said I'd written a blog post about that very issue back in 2015 but that it probably needed updating and anyway it would make a better pod. So here we are. Stick two other vaguely related topics with it, one of which I also wrote a blog post about in 2015, and Bob's Your Nepo-Parent, as it were.

Content Warning: It … all turned out quite less cheerful than I was anticipating. And to anticipate comments, no I do not have a terminal illness. I'm just … dour!

Topics discussed in this episode are:
Part One: Housekeeping
* It's getting sunny; Laura is unimpressed
* I'm a professional comedian?
* I've been writing blog posts

Part Two: The Costs Of Staying At Home And Not Travelling
* You can't just leave if you own a house
* I own a house, for a given definition of house
* How much it costs me to have a house
* How much cheaper it is to travel
* But I can't do that

Part Three: Older People Can Backpack Too
* Travelling is a young person's game? Nah
* You can afford to travel, and tweak the way you do it
* The older you are the more you change your wants and needs
* Self-Comfortable-ness
* Respect v Invisibility
* Barefoot Backpackers Just Want To Have Fun ...
* ... while they can

Part Four: Responsibilities
* Making a Will
* Your legacy is your impact on the world
* Self-responsibility and self-care are important
* Leaving the world a better place for the children you don't have
* My retirement plan, to go out with a bang

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this pod, although Amanda of "The Thoughtful Travel Pod" provided my cold open, and yes, of course, V drops in a quick word.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Last year, off the back of my 100th country visit to Norway, I spent three nights in Svalbard, one of the most northern archipelagos in the world. Though I wasn't there for long, I felt it was an interesting place to do a podcast about, covering history, wildlife, culture, and of course the ethical aspect of travelling to somewhere like that in the first place.

Not a spoiler: I did not see a polar bear.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
Parts One and Two: Housekeeping and Introduction

Part Three: Overview
* So remote even the Vikings didn't go there
* Whale-hunting, fur-trapping, Wild West Mining Towns, and how they became Norwegian
* Svalbard v Spitsbergen
* How its different from Norway
* Population un-Density 

Part Four: Wildlife & Environment
* This is the land of the Polar Bear
* Birds, but not in winter
* Longyearbyen feels very small from above
* There are no trees, only scree

Part Five: Things To Do In Longyearbyen
* The Airport is surprisingly insta-ready
* The Seed Vault
* Museums
* The world's most northerly brewery (and why it only dates from 2015)
* You don't come here to die
* What do you mean 'Shoes are Banned'?!
* The Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights

Part Six: Ethical Travel
* The notable effects of Climate Change
* Cruise Ships and the dichotomy of tourism v environment
* How locals view tourists
* What some businesses are doing for sustainability
* Eating local means eating whale and seal
* The transient nature of the population
* Visit Svalbard's tips for ethical tourism

Part Seven: What I did when I was there
* A local orientation tour
* Hiking Sarkofagen
* Local Beer
* Sailing along Billefjorden
* Accommodation in Longyearbyen
* Did I visit ethically?

Part Eight: Final Thoughts

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There is a contribution in this pod from my friend Julie, who blogs at "I Am A Polar Bear", which is an apt name for someone who's also been to Svalbard.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

In a recent podcast episode, I talked about aesthetics a lot, and I occasionally touched on the idea of 'senses'. I figured it made sense therefore to do a full podcast on it, on how you, I, everyone uses their senses while travelling, and whether our senses affect how we travel, and the experiences we gain through them. Consider, too, how our memories of a place, of a trip, live in the senses, and we can easily be reminded of them if the same senses are activated in the same way after the event.

So here's an episode on how senses affect us while travelling, and how we use them to experience our trips.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
Parts One and Two: Housekeeping and Introduction

Part Three: Sight and Vision
* Travel is very visual
* What makes a good 'sight'
* Photography
* Being Blind (Part One)

Part Four: Sound and Hearing
* Loud v Quiet sleep spots
* Changes in sound intensity - eg cathedrals in busy cites
* Is what you hear what you'd expect to hear
* The difference in sounds between home and abroad
* Diversity

Part Five: Smell
* People don't think about smell until it hits them
* Spices and food
* Out of place aromas
* Underground railways
* Personal hygiene and busy hostel dorms

Part Six: Taste
* The cultural aspects of food
* Coffee
* Cuisines around the world
* People have different tastes
* The textures of food

Part Seven: Touch and Texture
* The feel of buildings and trees
* Things you touch in everyday living
* Home décor
* The weather
* Being Blind (Part Two)
* Barefoot Backpacking

Part Eight: Proprioception, Movement, and Spatial Awareness
* The sense of balance
* Travel-sickness
* Ways to walk through a city
* Getting lost
* Alcohol 

Part Nine: Timing 
* Judging how long a journey will take
* Being angsty if you don't know when or where you are
* Liminal spaces
* Jet-lag
* Relativistic effects of busy days
* Being driven blindfolded

Part Ten: Conclusion

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this pod, but V provides the introduction. Singing, no less. Sort of!

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

So this podcast is mostly concerned with my recent introduction to, and experience of, stand-up comedy, and includes the audio recording of my actual performance.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
Part One: Overview and an Interview with V
* Who came to watch me perform
* The difference between spoken word and stand-up comedy
* The difference between practice and performing live
* What the comedy course consisted of
* Comedian etiquette and callbacks
* Practice makes perfect
* The other performers
* How I was on stage
* The Future

Part Two: My routine
* What is asexuality
* That bloody flag
* Why is an asexual on a gay hookup site?
* Hookup profiles
* Some people find Matt Hancock sexy

Part Three: Queer Diary
* People knew who I was before I did
* Is it better to have loved and lost than to be lonely?
* I have no idea how to flirt Part One
* Teenage Emos
* I have no idea how to flirt Part Two
* My mother never understood me
* I have always been asexual

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions, aside from my friend V at the start of the pod, because she's still my default option. Here she's quoting a line from 80s pop band Fatal Charm's song "King of Comedy", which might refer to the film of the same name. It's hard to tell.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Another really obvious podcast episode, and one I'm surprised I hadn't yet done, though it did, of course, require finally reading the novel. I live about 6 miles south of Wuthering Heights, over the wily, windy moors, and the recent movie adaptation, the thousandth of many, has brought it all back into the public eye, so it made sense to talk about the moorland setting, the location and inspiration for the houses, and why it's not the romantic location (or indeed storyline) that certain elements of pop-culture have made it sound.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
Parts One and Two: Housekeeping and a brief plotline to the novel 'Wuthering Heights'
* What Stand-Up Comedy might lead me to
* My 'A'-Level History course
* Heathcliff/Catherine/Hindley are not nice people
* Who is Heathcliff anyway
* Revenge is a dish best served with an awful lot of money
* Everyone dies of exposure
* Same story, same names, different generation
* Memes

Part Three: Out on the wily, windy moors
* Bleak, muddy, grey, damp, and needs walking boots
* What is a moor anyway
* Saddleworth Moor, a place of death
* Midgley Moor, a place of death
* "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at", a place of ... you get the idea

Part Four: Where is Wuthering Heights anyway?
* Top Withens is not it
* Ponden Hall might be it
* High Sunderland Hall might have been it
* Shibden Hall could be Thurcross Grange
* Ponden Kirk is definitely in the novel

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions, aside from my friend V at the start of the pod doing what V does best, which is helping me out with last-minute short contributions!

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Well, this isn't going to be the most cheerful episode I've ever produced, but we are where we are. Oh, not me, I mean the topic. This episode talks about the German Occupation of the Channel Islands in World War II, a couple of museums that go into detail about it, and how a combination of unexpected effects led accidentally to creating a story which became a really obvious episode to record.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
Parts One and Two: Housekeeping and the History of the Occupation
* How it feels to be on ADHD medication
* Where and what are the Channel Islands?
* The easiest invasion imaginable
* Life under occupation
* The lack of a large resistance movement
* How the Allies ignored them until the last moment
* You might find the truths swept under the rug

Part Three: Museums
* The German fortification tunnels and the Jersey War Museum
* Interactions between Germans and locals
* Resistance and collaboration
* The transition to liberation as depicted by ceiling lights
* The Jersey Museum and its building's dubious past
* Liberation Day and the lack of discussion about the occupation
* The Occupation Tapestry
* Should I stay or should I go?

Part Four: The Ballad of Lucie Schwob
* I don't know what you are but you're obviously Queer
* Is this what lesbian looks like?
* No
* French artistic types are always interesting people
* Resistance because and despite who you are
* We are stronger together

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions, aside from my friend Kira at the start of the pod doing what Kira does best. They have a WhatsApp voicenote for almost every situation.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Yeh, it's been a while. There's reasons for that. So here's a brief overview of what I've been up to. I talk about places I've been, things I've done, medication I haven't taken, and people I haven't snogged.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
Part One: Housekeeping
* WTM and Traverse Creator Awards
* Premier Inns are how much?!?
* Trips to Freiburg, Nottingham, and Jersey
* An introduction to Elvanse, my given ADHD medication

Part Two: King of Comedy
* Making People Laugh: Primary School Edition
* My Comedy Inspirations
* What I've done after two lessons in stand-up comedy
* Queer Humour and being a stereotype
* But People Like Me Anyway

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions, aside from my friend Kira at the start of the pod telling me how Kirkby-in-Ashfield has changed over recent years.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Here's another episode where I run with three ideas and make a small to-microphone editorial. This one's all about Travel Blogging - the ethics, aesthetics, and social culture of it. It was inspired partly by a trip to WTM London, and partly by a post on Instagram.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
Part One: The Politics of Travel Blogging
* The layout of WTM
* The stalls that went big ...
* ... the stalls that went small, or not at all
* Can we be ethical and still speak to certain tourist boards ...
* ... and does anyone really care if we are or not?

Part Two: The Aesthetics of Travel Blogging
* Selfies rule
* People like people, and people like to see people
* Am I authentically The Barefoot Backpacker?
* How authentic is anyone when they create their aesthetic?
* The Instagram Husband
* Every Picture Tells A Story
* Why I take so many photos

Part Three: The Social Culture of Travel Blogging
* The Pre-Social Media Times
* Twitter Travel Chats
* Online Forums
* Engagement Pods
* Who is a Travel Blogger's Audience and what if it's Other Travel Bloggers?
* Accidental Audiences and Communities - do they matter?

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

The two Instagram accounts I refer to are Paulina_on_the_Road and GeorgiaRoseHardy.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Back in June 2025 I travelled to the Caribbean for the first time, along with my regular travel companion Laura. Now, one might ask, why is a non-swimming easily-bored less-than-aesthetic enby with Celtic skin (and all the sun resistance *that* doesn't entail) spending two weeks in the Caribbean? Wasn't four days in Maldives enough to satisfy the tropical beach itch?

Well, apparently not.

Apart from getting to 100 Countries in 50 Years, we were interested to see if it were even possible to travel independently, slowly, and locally, through the region they way most holidaymakers don't. Because we're trend-setters, and on a budget. Just like we attempted in Maldives, but with more islands and more countries involved.

As it turns out, I had a lot to talk about so this trip is spread over two consecutive podcast episodes. Otherwise you'd be listening to me talk for two hours. If that's what you want me to do, hire me, damnit!

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Laura is leaving me!
* Upcoming London trips
* Dominica is green and full of hills
* Roseau is not very big
* Walking and visiting another sulphur spring
* Barbados Airport Is Lacking One Key Feature And It Surprised Me
* A quite touristy end to the trip
* Impressions of all the islands
* Can you visit the Caribbean on a budget?

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Back in June 2025 I travelled to the Caribbean for the first time, along with my regular travel companion Laura. Now, one might ask, why is a non-swimming easily-bored less-than-aesthetic enby with Celtic skin (and all the sun resistance *that* doesn't entail) spending two weeks in the Caribbean? Wasn't four days in Maldives enough to satisfy the tropical beach itch?

Well, apparently not.

Apart from getting to 100 Countries in 50 Years, we were interested to see if it were even possible to travel independently, slowly, and locally, through the region they way most holidaymakers don't. Because we're trend-setters, and on a budget. Just like we attempted in Maldives, but with more islands and more countries involved.

As it turns out, I had a lot to talk about so this trip is spread over two consecutive podcast episodes. Otherwise you'd be listening to me talk for two hours. If that's what you want me to do, hire me, damnit!

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* It's getting dark
* Why did we choose the Caribbean
* Issues with inter-island travel
* An underwhelming arrival in Saint Lucia
* Fort Vieux and Laborie
* Three days in Soufriere - beaches and sulphur springs
* Castries isn't a pretty city
* Two very dour days in Martinique 

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

So, in August I hit both my 100th country and my 50th birthday - I arrived in Norway with three days to spare. Given these two momentous milestones, I figured it made sense to do a podcast that covered, well, at least my country count. We don't need to talk about my ever-advancing age.

I had originally planned to do a pod looking at each of my countries by first visit, and a brief synopsis of how I felt on that first visit. But then I realised that would take quite a long time, would feel a tad repetitive, and would get quite boring really. So instead I got my friend V to ask me questions about my visiting 100 countries. A couple of those questions are standard and cheesy, a couple are really quite random (but that's what you get when you crowdsource from teenagers), and a couple are quite deep and thoughtful. Very few of them are what you expect.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* A brief recap of my recent ultramarathon
* Christmas trees
* I've been to 100 countries, but what *is* a country? And what isn't?
* The obligatory rant about borders
* Colonialism and poverty tourism
* Not everywhere is great but be careful how you phrase it
* Good manners and showing respect
* Food culture and putting things in your mouth that maybe you shouldn't (not a euphemism)
* Best, worst, and most off-brand countries
* What next?
* The joy of toilets around the world
* Where to survive a zombie apocalypse
* The most 'human' place in the world

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria Pearson, but you can call her V.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Laura has been bugging me to talk about our trip to India earlier this year for a while, and because Past Me was always intending to pod it, they did travel diary voice recordings on a near-daily basis to provide a basic framework, or in fact to just use as the pod.

Anyway, the trip was across a little of Southern India, starting in Kochi and taking in the Kerala Backwaters, an overnight train, and the two temple-centric cities of Madurai and Thanjavur. This had us visiting the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Due to the nature of the recordings, quality cannot be guaranteed to be consist'nt.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* I have ADHD. Who'd've thunked it?!
* Admin and immigration to India is more interesting than you'd imagine
* Food and drink in Kochi
* Three Hours on the Kerala Backwaters probably isn't enough
* The Obligatory McDonalds
* Overnighting on an Indian train is comfortably and pleasantly underwhelming
* A day in Madurai, being frustrated by temples
* A peaceful daytime train to Thanjavur
* The joys of suburban hotels: Becoming the GPS we always wanted to be - Part One
* Finally, a good temple experience
* We Still Don't Speak Tamil: Becoming the GPS we always wanted to be - Part Two
* The delightful experience of a non-touristy backstreet restaurant

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Three-Quarters of this podcast is made up of daily summary conversations recorded at the time between me and my friend Laura, so I guess that counts as her contributing!

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This episode is the first example of something new I'm going to develop - storytelling vignettes. Three or four little pieces, connected only by the vaguest of theme, telling little stories about my travel past that are too short for a full episode. Over time I hope they'll develop and become much more 'storylike' rather than what feel like 5-10 minute podcast extracts.

The three vignettes this time are:
* My first international backpacking adventure (1994)
* My first backpacker hostel experience (2012 or maybe not)
* My first flight (1986)

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topics, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

I wish to thank my penpal Jelena for the introduction and for her contribution in vignette one. In addition. during the episode, I promote the Deck Of Many Aces actual-play D&D podcast.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This episode (a bit delayed) is all about the Ultramarathon I entered and attempted in May 2025. It is, very much, an example of 'I do these things so you don't have to'.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Why I thought about doing an Ultra-Marathon
* What *is* an ultra-marathon anyway?
* How I trained for my ultra, and how you *should* train for an ultra
* Obligatory kit to take on an ultra, and why you need it
* How I felt running the first half of the ultra
* (An advert for the Barefoot Festival)
* How I felt running the second half of the ultra
* How I physically felt having finished the ultra
* Food and drink, and sustenace you need to be aware of, while running an ultra
* Why failing to finish an ultra isn't a bad thing at all
* Thoughts about privilege in being able to run an ultra
* Lessons Learned

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Here are details of the ultra that I attemped
And here is a link to the results of my race, based on the trackers

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

A month or so ago, Amanda Kendle had a natter with me, so she could make an episode of her Thoughtful Travel Podcast. Now that's gone live, I'm using the same interview to make my own version. We chatted for about 100 minutes in total - both our episodes are edited highlights!

The discussion we had was a general one around travel, framed by a Buzzfeed quiz she found online. Because we're both Gen-X and still surf the web like it's 2007. But we used the questions to delve (a great word, sadly much maligned) deeper into the subjects raised.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Feeling low - ultramarathon blues or just the world being rotten?
* "Why do you travel?"
* "How do you think about budgeting for your trip?"
* "What type of accommodation do you normally go for?"
* "How long do you usually go away for?"
* "What do you normally eat when you travel?"
* "How do you usually pack for a trip?"
* "How do you normally spend your time travelling"
* "How do you usually feel after a trip?"
* So are we tourists or travellers?

A PDF transcript of this podcast is not yet available, because admin.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Amanda's edit of this chat can be found here.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

So, this podcast is all about comfort zones, primarily but not exclusively, in travel. I look at what they are, why people stay in them, how you can break them comfortably, and talk about times I've broken my own comfort zones, with both good and bad outcomes. Because that's what makes good travel experiences, right?

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* The British Guild of Travel Writers AGM
* Standing on a stage, barefoot and vulnerable, reading teenage diaries
* What is a comfort zone?
* Language and culture are comfort zones to many
* Personal Identity
* Don't you just love being in control?!
* The beneficial role of travel influencers
* Breaking your comfort zone in five easy steps
* Little things you can do: solo travel, new foods, local events
* The beneficial role of bucket lists
* When Comfort Zones Break You (Italy 2002)
* People like it when things go wrong for other people (as long as they're safe)
* What are my limits?
* "The Barefoot Backpacker. No luggage, no shoes, no plan. What could possibly go right?"

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this pod come from Amanda Kendle and Curious Claire. I ought also to link to Becky The Owlet's blog too, given she got a shoutout.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

In March 2025, me and my travel buddy Laura surprisingly went to Maldives for four nights. Given I'm a budget backpacker who can't swim and gets bored easily, we figured it would make a great concept for a podcast. Very few people think of Maldives as a budget backpacker destination, and we thought we'd talk about how we managed to visit without spending the world.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Why on earth would I go to Maldives
* Maldives is small, flat, hot, and ... full of Russians?
* Budget travel around Maldives
* Two nights on Gulhi Island - mainly on the beach
* Budget accommodation in Maldives
* Eating on a budget in Maldives
* Travelling during Ramadan (!)
* Visiting Malé
* What our budget was for our trip

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This podcast is on Festivals, and as we're coming up to the season where people are likely planning their summer, this feels quite pertinent. It came off the back of my episode from last year about Travelling For Music, where I got a couple of contribs that made me think a dedicated episode on festivals would be a good idea.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* The weather in 2012
* The delights of camping 
* My history of attenting festivals (Off The Tracks, Cropredy, Barefoot)
* Music festivals in town centres
* Local beer festivals
* The Great British Beer Festival
* Volunteering at festivals
* The price and future of festivals

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this pod come from Lucy (Absolutely Lucy), Fizz (On The Fly Blog), and two friends (Viv and Peter)

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This episode details the second half of my 2-week backpacking trip around South America in October 2024 - this one covers Iguzau Falls and Paraguay. Because everyone wants to go to Paraguay.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Admin caused by a lost phone
* The Jesuit Ruins of Argentina and Paraguay
* The German influence of SE Paraguay
* Iguazu Falls (both sides)
* Ciudad del Este and the absence of the Brazil border
* Asunción is interesting (derog.)

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this podcast, and the intro noise is the sound of the Devil's Throat (Argentina Side) at Iguazu Falls.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This episode details the first half of my 2-week backpacking trip around South America in October 2024 - this one covers Uruguay and Buenos Aires. The rest of the trip will follow in my next episode. My voice doesn't really sound that great today, and I'm not quite sure why.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* I went to Chester to meet my mother!
* Why did I go to South America?
* First impressions of Montevideo
* The old town, the promenade, and the street market
* My accommodation in Montevideo
* Uruguayan cash flow issues
* Colonia del Sacramento
* San Telmo and the pub that trolls
* The Parisian aesthetic of Buenos Aires
* How aroace dyspraxics get to dance the Tango

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this podcast, but the intro was recorded by someone called Dorhel in San Telmo market, and posted to FreeSound.org. I don't have any recordings of Tango. Listen to the pod to find out why!

Also, in case you're interested. here's Sasha Cagen's website and Tango discussions.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This episode is about Luxury Travel. This isn't a topic that comes naturally to barefoot backpackers in general, but sometimes even we put on our metaphorical shoes and drink free champagne.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Running Training & Rate of Percieved Exertion
* Future potential backpacking trips
* What it means to be a 'barefoot' backpacker
* Flying business class on Air Europa from South America
* Short-haul business class travel isn't really worth it
* Flying business class on Emirates from Sri Lanka is
* We need a middle ground option - like a train
* First Class on UK Trains is nothing special
* Eurostar is nice I suppose
* Business hotels
* Afternoon Tea, but not yet at the Ritz
* {bonus} Helicopter Rides over a volcano - the ultimate luxury experience

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this episode come from Kate-Frankie, Amanda Kendle, and Curious Claire.
In addition, my VA, Victoria Pearson, can be found here.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This podcast comes off the back of another press-trip I was sent on by Jet2. This time me and Laura went to Austria to explore the Christmas Markets. While we were there we did a few other things, not all of which involved alcohol.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Pills and Snow
* What is a Christmas Market anyway
* Our impressions of six of them
* Things to eat and drink
* Things to do at and around the markets
* Schönbrunn Palace
* A Night At The Opera
* Lots of dead musicians
* How to ride the U-Bahn

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this episode.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Yeh, I've not podded for a while. Had an existential crisis. Still have. It's fine. Conditional normal. With fog patches. Rising slowly.

This episode is all about me, a couple of events I've been to in the past couple of months, and how my content might change in scope going forward. Because I am the UK's leading AroAce Non-Binary Gen-X Travel and Lifestyle Blogger. Arguably.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Small things I did in November
* The Traverse Creator Awards 2024
* What is the World Travel Market (WTM)?
* What I should do at WTM v what I actually do
* My niches
* Attending WTM as a non-binary travel blogger
* Getting old
* Being assumed female in a pub

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this episode, however I nicked from my appearance on Amanda Kendle's podcast her opening and closing remarks either side of my contrib.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This is an episode I've been meaning to do for about three years, but for mainly logistical reasons, this is the first chance I've had.

The original idea came from the lifestyle podcast Sounds Fake But Okay; whenever they get stuck for content they scour the AITA forums on Reddit, and similar content in other places, to highlight allonormativity and generally go 'NTA, dump him'. I figured I could do the same for this pod, but looking at things more travel-related, ecen if there's less content about that.

However it's not the sort of episode that works well with just one person as it sounds like I'm just being bitter and ranty. So, my friend V was more than happy to help get involved. Even though she's not an ardent traveller. 

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* I'm going to South America
* Running update
* Reclining seats on aeroplanes
* Be nice to your flight crew
* Yes, you do need to stow your designer handbag
* How many photos do you need to take?
* How to take a selfie
* Does travel broaden the mind or narrow the attitude?
* Travel privilege (in brief)
* The trouble with defining how to count countries
* Do travel bloggers need more accurate visas?
* Learned helplessness and weaponised incompetence with travel companions
* Foreign Languages
* The Bermuda Triangle and Public Information Films
* Is 22 too old, or too young, to backpack Europe?

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available, largely due to the wonders of open-source AI which saved me several hours of transcription work.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this episode, however here's the articles we discussed (assuming they're still up):
* Couple banned from Cathay Pacific after seat reclining incident
* Passenger evicted from flight following row over handbag
* What's the appropriate number of photos to take on a trip?
* Traveling the world makes people assholes
* Learned Helplessness of my travel companions
* Is the Bermuda Triangle still A Thing
* Is 22 too old to backpack Europe

In addition, I ought to link to:
* The Sounds Fake But Okay Podcast
* Victoria Pearson's Website

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

I often say "Everywhere Is Interesting", but what do I mean when I say that? What makes a place 'interesting'? Or rather, given any random place in the world, what can make you 'key in' to that location over and above any other? Of course, this could be very personal, or at least subjective, so when I say 'Everywhere Is Interesting', what I mean is that there is something everywhere, in every place, that someone is going to have a connection to, or is related to a hobby or interest that someone has.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Why I was too busy to release this episode on time
* A refresher about Hometown Travel
* Travel for hobbies and interests
* Vicarious travel through music lyrics
* Every song and TV series is set somewhere
* Travel to film and video locations
* Overtourism

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this episode come from:
* Amanda, who has a website at Not A Ballerina,
* Claire, who blogs at Curious Claire, and
* Rebecca, who can be found at Almost Ginger

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

So, despite recently moving out of Salford, I felt it was an interesting enough place to do a podcast about. Partly because 'Everywhere is Interesting' and my VA wanted me to prove it. And what could be more interesting than the location of the world's first municipal public park, the world's first bus route, the world's first street lighting, and the world's only canal swing bridge. And the UK's most polluted river, but let's not talk about that, and anyway the other half of it is in Manchester.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Running along country lanes
* A potted history of the Salford area
* Salford Central ... isn't
* Salford Quays - the posh bit
* Canals and Rivers and Bridges and Hotels
* Old and Listed Buildings
* Peel Park
* Vimto
* A short overview of Salford Pop-Culture from The Smiths to Coronation Street
* Salford Firsts

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over. For this pod I've uploaded about 9 mins of extra content all about Salford's pubs, which I thought would make the episode too long for no real advantage, but which I might use in a future episode. Who knows!

There are no contributions in this episode, although my VA does purposely misrhythm a song lyric at the beginning.

Here, by the way, is my YouTube Short about Salford Lad's Club.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Given recent big concert tours, it feels like the right time to do an episode on 'travelling for music'. It's a subject I didn't think I'd have a lot to say about, given I don't often go to concerts even locally, never mind for travels, but the more I thought about it, the more interesting comparisons and contrasts I could find between my trips.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* My first concert (Heavenly, 1992)
* The first concert I travelled for (Bon Jovi, 1995)
* Travelling to Paris to listen to French singers ...
* ... three times
* You Look Like Taylor Swift
* Other ways of travelling for music
[This latter point will be expanded and the episode re-uploaded once I get a further contribution]

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this episode come from:
* my old schoolfriend Alistair,
* Claire, who blogs at Curious Claire, and
* Juliet, who can be found at I Am A Polar Bear

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

I've been thinking a lot recently about nostalgia. I mean, I always have, but I think over time my feelings have changed about it. There's so many people who think 'life was better when I was young', and I wanted to probe more into that, into how I felt about nostalgia, why people of my generation tend to be nostalgic, and also put some colder facts around it.

I also took a couple of trips recently to the places I grew up in, and it was interesting to compare memories of those places with how those places vibe nowadays.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* I have moved house yet again
* Music and TV from my younger days
* Why nostalgia is different for older generations than younger ones
* "The Good Old Days"
* 1970s comedy is barely golden
* How nostalgia can affect your world outlook
* The world is a better place now, statistically
* Aircraft safety has improved
* Foreign Office Travel Advice from February 1998
* Some things change, some stay the same
* The House(s) I Grew Up In
* How it feels to go back to a childhood area
* Birmingham and La Rochelle - when I tried to be amatonormative

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no direct contributions in this pod, though you do hear the voices of my co-conspirator V, my step-dad, and my friend Sarah, not that one, this is someone I went to Primary School with, and who might well be the person outside of family who I've known the longest - we met at the school gates on our first day.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

It's been noticed that I've now done 100 episodes. Quite which episode was my 100th is open to question as it depends on your definition of episode - indeed if you don't count the Twitter Space recordings I did with V, I've not got there yet. But, just like with counting countries, there's always going to be arguments either way, and in terms of what my podcast host and the podcast apps say, I've made three figures. So it seems kind of appropriate to acknowledge that. I am aware that one of my Glasgow episodes was 'what I wish I'd known before starting a podcast' and I didn't want to do another episode like that, so instead what I thought I'd do was an actual retrospective of the topics I've talked about in my podcast episodes thus far, so that people who may be new to my words and content can get a feel for the sort of things that I've talked about before.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Vague things I've been up to in the Spring
* My most popular episodes
* Extracts from my episodes about Uzbekistan, Bucket Lists, Apartheid, and Sexuality while Travelling
* My favourite episodes
* Extracts from my episodes about Travel Privilege, Influencer Responsibility & Integrity, and Instagram v Reality
* Episodes I'm proud of
* Extracts from my episodes about The Wars Of The Roses, Do You Have Pride In Your Country, and Travel Podcasting with ChatGPT
* Some stats about my podcast and episode downloads

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no direct contributions in this pod, though a couple do appear in extracts.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This is part three of an overview of my recent trip to the Caucasus region of Eurasia, and covers the four days I spent in Armenia. I talk about why Yerevan feels quite Soviet, why Armenia and Azerbaijan don't like each other, and the architectural legacy of being the world's oldest Christian country.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Asexuality Interview with an unexpected newspaper
* Local Elections
* How to spend 7 hours in Yerevan with a backpack
* The Yerevan Cascade(s)
* The Soviet vibe of Victory Park
* Kond Historic District
* The Cathedral of Saint Gregory the Illuminator
* The Blue Mosque
* Monasteries in northern Armenia
* Why Armenia and Turkey/Azerbajian don't like each other
* The Armenian Genocide Memorial
* Food and drink in Armenia
* Going home
* Impressions of Armenia and being non-binary there

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this pod, though I would like to link my appreciation to Envoy Hostels and Tours.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This is part two of an overview of my recent trip to the Caucasus region of Eurasia, and covers the five days I spent in the country of Georgia, mainly the capital city Tbilisi. I also talk about far too much cheese and garlic, the worst beer I've ever had in my life, 

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Audio quality of recent episodes
* Problems when your debit card gets cancelled
* Arrival in Tbilisi
* First experience with Georgian food
* Transport in Tbilisi
* The Georgian National Museum
* Beer and bars in Tbilisi
* Uplistsikhe - the city built into a sandstone hill
* Food in Tbilisi
* The overnight train to Yerevan
* Tbilisi street sculptures
* The cable car and the Mother Georgia statue
* Being enby in Georgia

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this pod, but I do want to provide some links:
* Blog post by Wander-Lush on how to catch the train between Tbilisi and Yerevan
* The 80 Days Pod about Georgia
* Polar Bear Juliet's post about sulphur baths in Tbilisi
* Polar Bear Juliet's post on the Chronicles of Georgia
* Tales of a Backpacker's blog
* Little Lost Travel's blog
* Blue Marble Vagabonds' blog
* Jon (Everybody Hates a Tourist)'s blog
* Jason and Carla (Don't Miss The Plane!)'s YouTube Channel
* Traverse Events' Website

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

So, as you know, I've recently been away for two weeks, ostensibly to attend the Traverse Travel Blogger Conference, which this year took place in Tbilisi, in Georgia. I've never been to that party of the world, and it'd always been on my list.

I clearly went at the wrong time of year, but that's just what happens sometimes.

This is going to be the first of a couple of pods about the trip, and concentrates mainly on talking about the conference itself, the background to why I went, and on my first couple of days travelling, mostly spent in Azerbaijan.

Topics discussed in this episode are:

• I'm not running at the moment
• The Traverse Blogger Conference
• Niching out my website
• Background to my journey
• 4 flights and 5 airports
• One day in Baku
• Mud volcanoes
• Ancient and mediaeval rock art
• Fire Temples and Fire Mountains
• Impressions of Azerbaijan, including money, language, and queerness

A PDF transcript will be available shortly.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

It's coming up to Valentine's Day (and Quirkyalone Day), so this feels like the right time to issue an episode all about love, sex, and illicit encounters while travelling. Obviously there's content warnings in here, mainly for, well, sex and kink, but I do always try to keep it quite light-hearted. One might well ask how an AroAce can talk so much about this subject. Well.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Full Swap Radio
* Meeting people in backpacker hostels
* Dating apps
* Why I don't use dating apps but might use hookup apps
* Staying safe on the road
* Interesting hookups I've had on the road
* Good and bad dating app experiences from contributors
* Long Distance Relationships
* Relationship Admin

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this pod come from: Maja (Away With Maja), Kylie (Between England), and my friend Kitty.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Of course it's the New Year, and as such, the travel world is plastered with lists of 'where to go in 2024', 'best places to visit in 2024', and the like. Now, I have to say I've never been terribly fond of these sorts of things on a fundamental level for a number of reasons. I mean, sure they provide a good quick way of inspiring people, especially people who are relatively new to travel, but sometimes I feel that they tend to be quite … well, have a listen and see if you agree with me.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Back to Glasgow for re-coloured hair
* My eyes are getting old
* Time Out's "The World's Best Cities For 2024"
* Great Cities are Big and Western
* Forbes' "Where To Travel And Avoid The Crowds In 2024"
* What does 'lesser-visited' even mean?
* British Vogue's "Best Places To Travel in 2024"
* National Geographic's "The Cool List 2024" - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/uk-cool-list-2024
* CNN's "Best Destinations To Visit in 2024" - https://edition.cnn.com/travel/best-destinations-to-visit-2024/index.html 
* Conclusions

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this pod, it's just my voice.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

And so to the second part of 'let's make a podcast that's going to cause more unfollowers than followers'. Mind you, let's be honest, I've had several podcast episodes like that, and nothing untoward has happened. Maybe I should be more controversial. There again.

I wasn't originally sure what to do for this episode. I toyed with the idea of doing one on 'ancient and mediaeval Travel Bloggers you need to know about', but I realised it would require far too much research in the time I had available. However using the very first one, Hanno The Navigator, as a 'hook', I realised I could go down a very different path, which combines history, Instagram, and ethical behaviour, but not in the way you might expect.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* A very brief housekeeping update
* The voyage of Hanno The Navigator
* Issues with the surviving account of Hanno's voyage
* Why everyone should take more selfies
* The South Sea Bubble
* History is elitist and biased
* Why editing photographs isn't that bad really
* Hanoi's Train Street
* Geotagging and the problem of lost cities
* Recording the mundane, from pencil sharpeners to Friendship Books
* Viking helmets don't have horns

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this pod, it's just my voice.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Well, you may be pleased to know I survived my trip to SE Asia. But it was a close-run thing as you'll hear at the start of this episode.

Anyway. It's Christmas. I should do a pod about this time of year. And this is one I've cobbled together at the last possible moment. I think I might well whine a bit more than usual in it. But it's fine; this isn't my time of year by definition.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* The most 8 minutes I've ever had on a plane
* My Christmas is low-key
* 100 Countries by Age 50
* American Christmas Music Radio
* Whamageddon!
* Christmas trees
* Australia at Christmas
* Christmas markets I have seen and drank at
* Family Christmasses growing up
* Pantomimes
* New Year traditions

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this pod come from my friend Anne-Laure, who can be found on Instagram; my mother, who doesn't have a web presence of any note; and Amanda Kendle, of the Not A Ballerina website.
Also, the Deck of Many Aces podcast can be found wherever you listen to podcasts, but they're hosted here by Acast.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

As I'm currently away on a backpacking trip around South-East Asia, it makes sense to issue a podcast episode about the previous time I went to this part of the world (mainland, anyway, not the many islands off the coast) - back in 2012 to Laos and Cambodia. This episode is specifically about the Laos part of the trip; the subsequent Cambodian adventure will be my featured in next podcast.

A PDF transcript of this podcast will be available when I return, for ... admin reasons.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

I've been meaning to do a pod specifically about running for a while; it's something that I mention quite often in my housekeeping and I've also tangentially talked about it in smaller sections on pods covering a wider remit. As such, some of what I'll talk about you'll have heard before, but I felt it was the right time to cover this topic again now.

Topics discussed include:
* My purple hair
* All the ways I've been social this month
* Cross-Country running at my secondary school
* Why I rarely run when travelling
* Meeting up with other runners on the move
* Running clothing and shoes in luggage
* Travelling the world for marathons
* A first foreign marathon experience
* An overview of Parkrun
* Parkrun Tourism in several forms

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contribs for this episode came from:
Steven Ericson - Steven on the Move 
Steve Biggs - Biggsytravels
Alice (TrafficConeLlama)

Here is the blog post Steve Biggs mentioned where he talked to his father about marathons. 

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Well, this is an unusual episode in several ways, but the main one is the relative lack of personal updates and housekeeping. If you want to know what I've been up to this past month, now would be a great time to sign up to my monthly Newsletter, deets below!

Now, I'm aware I don't talk about my background or my family much, save for the occasional regular subtweet to my my mother. But anyway. A couple of years after I was born, my mother re-married. And Gary, the chap she married, had an interesting job – he was a refrigeration engineer in the Merchant Navy. While he's long since left that role (he had some twenty-five years since doing the same role for a large supermarket chain specialising in frozen foods), this was how I first knew him, and thus may have been a childhood influence on my travels.

And it occurred to me, after I'd done a few of my podcasts, that it would make an interesting episode – it's travel-related, it's a historic snapshot of a life that's very different now, and above all, it's not something I think many of you would necessarily know about. I certainly didn't know a lot about it growing up, and as you'll hear, there's probably some reasons for that. So a couple of years ago I went to visit, took my laptop and microphone, and set about interviewing him all about his life and his adventures. The full 2hr 11min interview is available on my Patreon, along with some images of the ships he served on.

Note he has a strong accent and a slightly fluid way of speaking. This did not help the transcription.

Topics discussed include:
* What is the Merchant Navy and why he joined
* Seasickness and bad weather
* What problems could occur en route
* How big the ships he served on were, and how they were structured
* What the working life was life, and who he served with
* Food and drink on board
* How he'd pass the time on long journeys
* Shore leave and visiting off-brochure places
* The Merchant Navy now

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Well, that was an unexpectedly long break. To be honest I wasn't planning it but I did kind of need it. But just in case you needed confirmation: Everything Has Been All Right. So far at least.

Anyway, this episode is a short one, just in part to let you know I'm still alive, partly to give you an indication of what to look forward to in the new series of episodes, for a given definition of series, and mainly to give you a housekeeping life update. There's also a call-to-action for future episodes. Normal service will be resumed next time. For a given definition of normal. 

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

So, why did I call this episode 'everything is going to be all right'? Well, it's a mantra I've been repeating to myself quite a lot over the past month or so. If I say it enough, I might actually believe it.

In this episode I talk about my feelings about moving to Manchester, and why while I was initially emotional about the move, I quickly realised why it will go all rather well. I also talk a little about my issues with my phone, which is why I've been quiet online of late, then about the journey from Carstairs to Lockerbie, and finally a section about recent news stories that will make you feel that everything is going to be all right.

A PDF transcript will be available shortly.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

Yep, I've created a podcast with the help of AI, in this case specifically ChatGPT. Now, the first question you might ask is of me is why, given my skill with words, my unique and distinct voice, both literal and metaphoric, and a preference for real stories and experiences over auto-generated ones, am I dabbling with AI? Well, the answer is manyfold, as you'll find out.

What I look at here is how useful AI would be in creating content, assessing how good the information it provides is, and wondering whether it's something we should be embracing or something we need to be fearful of.

Topics covered on this podcast include:
* I'm leaving Glasgow (soon)
* My expectations and understanding of AI
* Getting AI to come up with a list of questions to ask on a podcast about remote places
* Getting AI to answer said list of questions
* Assessing the viability of AI's answers
* ChatGPT finds cute cafes in Glasgow
* How AI would explore its hometown
* What AI thinks about hiking barefoot
* Travelling as a non-binary person seems to be at the edge of its knowledge
* A Listicle about Solo Travel
* ChatGPT and beer
* Conclusions, usefulness, limitations, and things to be aware of

There are no contributions in this episode, unless you count ChatGPT itself. Voices for ChatGPT were provided by free online text-to-speech websites, by the way, and I tried to mix them up a bit.

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

This podcast episode is all about Chernobyl. It's an episode I've had pencilled in to do for quite some time, if in part because I went there in 2014, and never wrote anything about my visit at the time so I felt I ought to, you know, get round to it at some point. I even mentioned this in a podcast I did last year, Back In The USSR. Didn't do it then either, because, and I quote, "I think if I did it would make the pod much longer than I'd intended. In any case it probably deserves its own discussion." I guess this is that discussion.

Topics covered on this podcast include:
* I'm leaving Glasgow
* The dead railway station at IBM Halt
* A brief history of the 1986 explosion at Chernobyl
* What I was doing in 1986
* Why I wanted to visit (and why I wasn't barefoot)
* Visit to the Power Plant
* Walking through the ruined town of Pripyat
* Health and Safety in a Nuclear Fallout Zone
* The Duga-1 Radar Array and the Russian Woodpecker
* Chernobyl City and the people who stayed

Contributions in this episode come from: Helen Matthews, Jane Spurin, and Jess Harling

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

As you know, I'm always touting the idea of Hometown Travel, and exploring places close to home. Remember, people travel across the world to visit other cities but other people travel across the world to visit yours. Everywhere is interesting, And of course many people might not be able to visit places far away, but still want to enjoy the experience of travel and discovering somewhere new.

I've been living in Glasgow for two years, and I've walked round a lot of it, using the many railway stations as waypoints, It seems logical therefore to talk about some of the things close to where I currently live, and there's a convenient railway line that loops around my local area to follow. This is the Cathcart Circle, and I figured each of the ten stations on it has enough to fill a podcast. Indeed, a few could probably manage a podcast on their own, but I am not the Roundel Round We Go Podcast and I'd argue there's less call for an entire pod on the Glasgow suburban rail network than the London Underground.

But what do I know?

Topics covered on this podcast include:
* Google Analytics 4
* My future on Twitter
* Introduction to the Cathcart Circle
* Pollokshields East - theatre, gardens, and Sikhs
* Queen's Park - clue's in the name
* Crosshill - dead football stadiums
* Mount Florida - alive football stadiums
* Cathcart - parks, bridges, waterfalls, country houses
* Langside - Instagrammable houses and a very short battle
* Pollokshaws East - old buildings and benevolent Tories
* Shawlands - Pollok Country Park
* Maxwell Park - expensive villas and international cricket
* Pollokshields West - tenement housing and community spirit
* Crossmyloof - a free gift, and a building that moved

There are no contributions in this episode, but I am thankful to Scotrail, the organisation that runs the railways in Scotland, for putting all their recorded station announcements into the public domain last year. I may, may, have taken liberties with it.

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

As you know, I am The Barefoot Backpacker. My tendency is to go backpacking around lesser-visited spots around the world, independently, and usually solo, staying in hostels, airBnBs, and Premier Inns. I tend to move around from place to place a lot rather than spending too long in the same destination, and I generally book my onward journeys on-the-fly rather than having things booked in advance. The idea of being in a place for several days and not 'need' to worry about things like food or travel is not one I'm used to. I seek out craft beer bars and street food, and generally steer clear of other Brits travelling abroad for sun, sea, sand, sangria, and sex. And of course my only reference point for all-inclusive holidays has tended to be what I've seen on TV and in the media.

In short, I'm the least likely person to end up in an all-inclusive resort on the beaches of Cyprus for four nights.

However, life is often about getting out of your comfort zone, And, in a sense, given that this sort of trip isn't really what you'd expect from someone like me, doing it was exactly the point.

[Full disclosure - it was a blogger press trip gifted by Jet2Holidays. Which, given the above, and given how well y'all know me, probably in truth raises more questions than it gives answers.]

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Walking in the Glasgow hinterlands
* Being tipsy in Manchester
* How I ended up going to an all-inclusive resort
* The ease of getting to and from the resort
* What the different tariffs offer
* Food and drink, buffets and specialist restaurants
* Our room
* All-Inclusive resorts and the local area
* An afternoon in the spa, including being steamed to perfection
* Having my back waxed
* Visiting an all-inclusive resort as an aroace non-binary person
* Not being part of a long-term couple at an adults-only resort
* Would I go again?

A PDF transcript of this episode is available, except for a seven-minute conversation with Laura towards the end.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this pod come from:
Amanda (Thoughtful Travel Pod),
Ruth (Extreme Holidays Pod),
Kylie (Between England And Everywhere), and
Laura (my well-referred-to friend)

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

I've had a bit of a residual cold-type bug this week and I've been feeling quite fatigued (but apparently it wasn't covid), so I'm a few days later than planned with this episode. In addition, I had trouble getting time writing it so I persuaded V to chat with me about it in our old Twitter Space format. Which isn't ideal but does at least still seem to work.

It's about my recent trip to Lake Como and Milan in Italy, looking at how it felt to travel to a place that had never been really on my radar much. Although it had been on Laura's radar, which is why we went. I talk about the scenery, the food, the weather, and that despite its reputation, we didn't see anyone famous in Bellagio.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Let's start in Redbridge
* Why did we go to Italy? [Spoiler - Laura's idea]
* The benefits of rebooking a cancelled return flight
* Illness caused by Stansted Airport
* My expectations of Lake Como
* Where we stayed in Lake Como and Milan
* Getting around Lake Como (bus, train, and mainly ferry)
* How it felt to eat Italian food in Italy
* ... and random West African food
* The weather - including some great thunderstorms
* Travels with my still-injured leg
* Why did you visit Bergamo?
* And why did you visit Milan?
* Why I wore a skirt in Milan Cathedral
* Would I go to Lake Como again?
* Could you visit as a disabled traveller?
* Youtube Shorts videos are scheduled in the next few days

A PDF transcript of this episode is not yet available, because it requires me transcribing it and I don't have the spoons for that yet. I'll update when I do.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

As a reminder, V's website can be found here.

Until next time, bye for now. :)