The Lancashire Hot Pod

In this episode we chat to renowned gold prospector David Armstrong-Reed. David is among the most active gold prospectors in the UK. His YouTube channel is called the 'Secret Gold Hunter' and he shares with us how he got started, the best tools, how to find the best locations and the rich history of gold prospecting the UK. Is a gold fever coming to the UK or is it here already? You can find David...

In this episode we're joined by local business man Lee Cameron. Lee is an ex Fire Fighter who turned his hand to fixing bikes and offering training workshops for anyone interesting in developing their bike knowledge and skills. Lee has run Cotton Town Bikes in Darwen, Lancs for over 10 years and offers bike servicing as well as range of workshops some in association with Cycling UK. If you're look...

In the first 10 minutes we talk about the upcoming Darwen Valley Pram race. We're looking for teams of two to get involved but anyone can walk the 3 mile route on the 22nd April and help us raise money for a great cause. Skip to 10 mins in the podcast to get to the main topic of this episode - CRYPTOCURRENCY. You may have heard about it already, dismissed it as a scam, had a look and decided again...

We're back! After two years in the podcast wilderness we've brushed the cobwebs of the mics (and Gav) and got the studio set back up. The last two years have been hard on many levels but we hope you're still hanging in there and looking at 2023 in a positive way. In this episode we talk to Si Donnelly founder of Talk Ourselves Well (links below) as Christmas and NY is a difficult time for many.......

We're joined by the team (Tom & Mark) at Cuckoo Gin to find out what lockdown has been like and how they have adapted and continued to provide their finest beverages to the nation. It's so hard for a lot of small businesses right now but we love what Cuckoo have done through their socials like virtual tours and make your own cocktails on FB live. They've been down to earth and authentic throug...

We're back after a bit of break, global pandemics and all that! In this virtual podcast we're joined by Ste Walker and James Niven, founders of the Facebook group called Northwest Single Parents Group for positivity and socialising . The group has been going from strength to strength and we chat about how the group has supported single parents all over the North West during this really difficult t...

In this episode we hit the road for the first ever "Lancashire Hot Pod on Tour". We visit The East Lancashire Hospice and speak to members of the team and volunteers including two young lads called Jack & Tom. These two lads have single handedly raised over £30K for the hospice. You can follow the boys and their antics through their Just Giving page here The hospice plays such an important rol...

We're joined by Si Donnelly in this episode to talk about a really important subject, mental health. Si has recently set up a Facebook group called Talk Ourselves Well following a the deaths of two of his close friends. Suicide in the UK is at a 16 year high amongst boys & men and under 25 yr old women. The way we live our lives, interact with technology, use drugs or use social media are all...

Bee prepared for an experience like no other !! In this episode we're joined by Simon and Kath (aka the Drone and the Queen Bee) from The Bee Centre They have been creating a buzz about bees for over 12 years, since Simon bought Kath a Bee Experience voucher which set off an amazing chain of events which has led to them now having around 10 MILLION BEES in their hives and across Lancashire. They h...

Last year we invited George from The WoodsCo-Op420.com to talk about CBD (Cannabidiol) hitting the mainstream. You can listen here. George had just opened his shop in Darwen, Lancashire and we wanted to catch up with him again to see if CBD has really hit the mainstream. You can't go in to a garage or off licence of any health shop now without seeing a range of CBD products from powder, to capsule...

HNY hot podders! We're off to a flying start at the hot pod as we introduce comedy star Lewis Costello as our 1st guest of 2020. Lewis Costello is an English comedian, writer, and actor. Lewis began his comedy career at the tender age of just 15 and now just over 10 years later he has a string of accomplishments to his name. Fresh off his first tour, Lewis talks to us about his experiences as a yo...

Floatation tanks or pods have been used since the 1950's and were initially used as part of sensory deprivation experiments on the human mind and body! Fast forward a few decades and the science and research have shown massive physical and mental benefits that floatation pods can provide. There are now more floatation centres across the UK and we have our very own in Preston, Lancashire. The Manda...

It's taken us 12 months to make this happen but we're chuffed to invite film makers Northern Heart Films on to the hot pod. Natasha and Scott have won awards for their work and are two of the most talented film makers in Lancashire if not the UK. They candidly talk about their journey in to film making and how Northern Heart films came about, their early years in film making and the exciting proje...

Welcome back Hot Podders, in this episode we get to chat to Tom who is part of the Cuckoo crew at Brindle Distillery, home of Cuckoo Gin.  http://www.brindledistillery.co.uk/ Tom joins us to tell the heart warming story of the award winning Cuckoo Gin. How it came to be and how it's gone from an idea and a cow shed in the middle of a farm in Lancashire; to a thriving business supporting the local...

"From the Boardroom to the Bar."  This is the wonderful tagline for Lanx Shoes , who design proper shoes for men and women right in the middle of the Lancashire countryside.  In this episode, we're joined by Lanx founder, Marv  (check out his bio, he's one interesting dude) who talks to us about where his passion for shoes comes from and how he nurtured this passion on his travels around the world...

We are living in unprecedented times. Climate change, corruption, Brexit, terrorism and global trade wars. There is lots to keep us occupied on the global stage but we have big issues much closer to home. Our streets are filthy, people drop litter like f'bombs, bins are either non-existent or over-flowing and council budgets are been squeezed like never before. Fly tipping is on the rise, drug car...

In this episode we chat to Graham Roberts and his wife Kasha, otherwise known as the owners of the Micro-Pub the  Brig n Barrel  in Bamber Bridge. Amost 18 months ago, Graham said goodbye to the corporate life and with his redundancy decided to start his own business and opened a Micro-Pub with his good friend. Fast forward 18 months and the Brig N Barrel has just been added to the  Camra Good bee...

In this episode we welcome back Gaz Corran, who is now a World Champion Bare Fist Champion after defeating Antony Dunn Skrypek in the first round of their world championship bout. Gaz did it in style knocking Antony down 3 times in the first round to win the match and become world champion for the first time. To but this in to context, Anthony Dunn Skrypek was unbeaten in this format.  So Gaz has...

In this episode we're joined by Shaun Elvey, one of the most up and coming stand up comedians in Lancashire.  Shaun shares with us his rise to the stand up stage, which started during his training in the armed forces over 15 years ago when he was taking the mick out of his training sergeants and making everyone laugh. Fast forward to the present and Shaun is now a regular on the comedy scene.  Fro...

In this episode we talk to Mick Young who worked in the Lancashire Police Force for over 30 years. Now retired, and working in Border Control, Mick talks openly and honestly about life in the force. Mick shares how and why he decided a life in the force was for him, and describes how the police has changed over the last 30 years depending on the government in charge, the Theresa May years and plan...

Never work with animals and children they say. Well there is a very good reason for that, as Gav and I found out when we put both our boys in front of the mic to talk about the transition from primary to secondary school. Both boys are off to St Bedes in Blackburn and we wanted to get the boys in the studio to talk about their school experience, SATS and preparing for the next big challenge - head...

With 1 in 3 marriages ending in divorce or separation, single parents are everywhere. A marital or relationship breakdown is hard for everyone involved and especially when there are children involved it can be even harder. In this episode we chat to single parent Ste Walker, who has recently set up a Facebook group dedicated to bringing single parents together across the North West. The group has...

In this episode we chat to the  Pre-eminent broadside balladress of the Manchester region , Jennifer Reid. It doesn't matter if you don't know what that means, she made it all up any way! Jennifer was a fantastic guest, really entertaining and performs a number of Manchester Ballads and even treats us to some clog dancing. Jennifer tells us how she discovered her passion for 19th century Industria...

In this episode we talk to Gaz 'Crush' Corran. Gaz has got one of the most exciting fights in the world coming up in one of the most dangerous sports possible! We talk to Gaz about how the fight came about and his training and preparation. As well as a fierce daily training regime Gaz has got to keep in diet in check and has a whole team around him getting him to peak physical fitness. As well as...

It's The Lancashire Hot Pod and the Amish Inquisition . Something a bit different in this podcast as two podcasts from Lancashire join forces and create one bumper episode. Cue an off-the-cuff freestyle, chats that range from nuclear disasters to Eurovision to who would play Highlander in a modern day re-make - plus a whole load more. Recorded in one of the best man cave / music studios EVER built...