Dwellbeing podcasts- Part One.
a recap on my 'Wanderings and Wonderings', so far...
It has been just under 18 months since I started recording my podcasts. I named the series ‘Wanderings and Wonderings’ and so far I have 13 ‘in the bag’. The last one was published in December, so I am due to do another one soon and I have someone in mind- I just need to see when I can book them in. Looking back to the summer of 2024, I remember wanting to create a podcast but worrying about how it would all work so I thought I would just do it. I took my microphone to the nearby beach and with initial trepidation decided a recording of me doing a regular activity might be the best way to start. So here is the first, recorded at the beach hut on Tankerton slopes, it was just a test really but I published it as I wanted to understand how the whole process played out. BTW, this will be ‘Part One’ of 2 posts on the subject as there is so much to write about on all the recordings, even to summarise it takes a lot of space and time. I have absolutely loved every one of them and thank all the participants.
Wanderings and Wanderings- Testing, Testing…
A photograph from the first podcast. It shows a scene from our beach hut- all as it is- un-styled and ‘real’. This is the whole point of my podcast- talking to real people in their real spaces. Each podcast is about 20 minutes long and unedited.
By the way if you like the idea of spending time at the beach hut with me, I have a few Dwellbeing Half Day retreats planned there this summer. Here is a link to my website for more information. The planned dates are all on a Saturday and are June 13th, July 11th, August 22nd and September the 12th. Please book asap to reserve your space, as these Dwellbeing experiences are physically more limited when in a beach hut!
The proper first podcast (Number One) was of me wandering through my home- I thought it was only fair to show you mine first, before asking others to do the same!
A photograph of a corner of my bathroom. I add many images to my podcasts so that people can scroll down and see the scenes as I describe them in the recording.
When I started the podcast I had to fill in the description on the Substack page, so this is how I explain my podcast series- ‘Wanderings and Wonderings’.
‘Offering up some everyday wonders- wandering and wondering about the art and practice of Dwellbeing. I explore my own and other peoples homes- seeing how people really live in their spaces and what they choose to surround themselves with. If I had to describe this podcast then I would explain it may look like a mash up of Radio 4 ‘Ramblings’ with Clare Balding and the TV show ‘Through the Keyhole’ with Lloyd Grossman. I want to see peoples homes in their messy glory, certainly not styled or even cleared then cleaned. The podcast with be delivered raw- there will be no cuts or edits- unless there is too much swearing, laughing or even more unlikely- silences!’
The first person to let me into her home to do this was Whitstable Tail- AKA Annie Taylor- thank you Annie for being generous and trusting enough for me to have a place to start my exploration.
Annie and one of her big dolls- you must go to the podcast link (above this photo) to be introduced to her properly. This doll is not her largest, by far.
The next person to let me into their home was Bill, who I had chatted to about the podcast idea when we were busy moving a mutual friend into her new home. Amongst pots, pans, art supplies and so many pot plants that we lost count, he sounded interested so I made a date and then that recording was made. Since that date one of his songs from one of his bands has been used in the TV show ‘What They do in the Shadows’- so very exciting! This one is one of my favourites though- ‘Bring on the Dancing Bears’.
Another doll/ creature filled corner from one of the rooms at Mel and Bills bohemian home. I took so many photos and they all do a little bit to explain their amazing space.
I don’t think I can do justice to all the other podcasts I have made in this one post, so I shall just show you half of them here and do a ‘part two’ very soon.
The next place I visited was the workshop and potting shed of Alma, another Whitstable artist who was ‘game’ enough to let me in. She was very nervous to begin with but (as with many others) as soon as she started to show me her spaces that she had made to work in, she relaxed. I love listening to this one for our contrasting accents- she has a Glaswegian one, mine is pure Estuary English.
Some colourful glass bunting on the workshop door and a ‘Donkey’s Tail’ succulent plant, grown in the adjoining potting shed.
That just leaves 3 more podcasts to refer you to in ‘Part One’. The next one was a first for me- I met Claire in a neighbouring village and she took me for a walk to see where she collects the material for her creating her ‘wild clay’ artefacts that I had been an admirer of for years. The first ‘outside’ recording worked and I realised how lovely it was to hear natural sounds in the background, such as birdsong but don’t ever underestimate how noisy walking through fallen leaves can be when captured on audio!
Ripe brown berries from the Wild Service Tree on top of a decorated fired clay artefact made with ‘wild clay’ collected along the magical Sarre Penn by Claire.
The next podcast was one from a home in Deal, Kent that belongs to Becky who has a knack for creating collections. Always busy, amongst other things she is working on a phD and this thirst for knowledge and understanding has created a most interesting home. The collections are diverse and include one of robots- so, of course she had made us a robot cake to eat, which was delicious!
Who remembers these? ‘For mash get Smash’, it was one of the best adverts I remember on early TV as a kid. There is a link to it in the podcast notes should you wish to go down the nostalgia path, I did!
That is another thing worth mentioning- you can listen to all of my podcasts on Spotify under the heading ‘Wanderings and Wonderings’ by ‘Dwellbeinglife’. But they don’t have all my notes, photographs and subsequent links. So that is a good enough reason to listen to them here and scroll through the images as you go. I have a feeling they are on YouTube too, I think I linked them some time ago, but not sure now…
The last podcast I am going to share on here was another outdoors one. A year ago I was part of the way through a years art residency at Ripple Farm and had become quite fascinated by one of their growing areas which was sited in an old huge circular walled garden. Over the year I invited a few fellow artists to experience the place with me and as Lucy had created a whole exhibition on weather and cloud forms I asked if she would like to come up and join me for a spot of cloud bathing. She said yes and this 25 minute podcast was the result, I love this one for the joy and sense of delight at feeling Spring was just coming in, the warmth of the sun shining on us, the buzz of a bumble bee, the fun of finding an echo etc.
It was a bit chilly and I had worn so many clothes that I could hardly move but the experience was worth it and led to even more exciting things, such as our Winter Solstice bell performance- echoes and all!
So that is it for now, here are 7 out of the 13 existing podcasts, all roughly 20 minutes long with no editing but lots of interest for a short listen. You can find them all on my Substack page and on Spotify, so you don’t have to wait until I post ‘Part Two’.
I guess I am always curious about other peoples stories, their lives and loves. That is a reason why I also run a monthly ‘Netwalking’ event- to encourage people to get together and chat in an informal way- to walk and talk in a beautiful environment. We meet outside the Marine Hotel in Tankerton at 11.00, go for a gentle circular local walk, along the slopes and beside the beach, ending up back at the hotel for a warming drink about an hour later. The cost per person is just £5, so do let me know if you are going to join us and pay on the day. Contact me here for more information. I look forward to walking with you soon.