Big Skies and Small Ponds...with Drew Baxter

Send us Fan Mail The Gift of Kindness Big Skies & Small Ponds Sometimes the smallest gestures leave the longest memories. A hand on a shoulder. A few unexpected words. The simple kindness of being seen. In this chapter,Drew reflects on the people whose kindness shaped his life, an unexpected conversation with Hollywood actor Brendan Fraser, and a youthful encounter that taught him something ra...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when we find ourselves beside something far bigger, older or wilder than we are? From childhood dreams of dolphins inspired by Marine Boy and Jacques Cousteau, to whales, redwoods, Yosemite and Monument Valley, Andrew reflects on the creatures and landscapes that have made him stop, stare and feel gloriously small. In the Company of Giants is about wonder, travel and...

Send us Fan Mail What do we actually remember — the moment itself, or the story that has grown around it? In this chapter, Andrew begins with a mysterious childhood “strickle”, a runaway reindeer and a possibly indignant encounter with a circus clown, before reflecting on the curious way memories change as they travel with us. From forgotten voices on old tape recorders to the smells, songs and or...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter 13 — Looking Up Sometimes the world feels very close. Too close. This chapter is about remembering to lift our eyes a little — to the sky, the stars, the weather, the changing light — and to notice how much bigger life can feel when we stop staring only at what is directly in front of us. A few thoughts about perspective, wonder, and the quiet comfort of looking up. PS - I...

Send us Fan Mail In this chapter of Big Skies & Small Ponds, Drew reflects on those people he has been able to call ‘neighbour’.  He recalls the small acts of kindness and consideration that help turn a collection of houses into something resembling a community. Because perhaps being a good neighbour is simply about remembering that the people living around us have lives every bit as complicat...

Send us Fan Mail In Chapter Eleven, we return to the small ponds, rock pools and muddy ditches of childhood—tiny worlds teeming with life and possibility. From flooded wellies and frogspawn to ducklings outside a crematorium and still water at Chatsworth, The Pond is a gentle reflection on memory, grief and the ripples we leave behind. Because even the smallest movement can travel further than we...

Send us Fan Mail A visit to the cinema to see Pressure becomes a reflection on history, storytelling and the terrible weight of one man's weather forecast. And when the film is over, a new perspective on clouds. A brief prelude to series 2 of Big Skies and Small Ponds 

Send us Fan Mail Bonus Chapter – Small Pond on a Large Pond We often imagine that travel is about seeing bigger places and grander sights. But perhaps that’s not quite right. Join me aboard a ship in the Norwegian fjords as I discover that even among towering mountains, ancient glaciers and some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth, it is still the smallest moments that stay with us. An invita...

Send us Fan Mail A childhood memory. A distant tragedy.  Seven stars in the night sky. A light passing silently overhead. In this final chapter of the first series, Drew reflects on horizons, wonder, perspective and the curious way understanding often arrives long after the moment itself. A gentle journey beneath the skies that shaped him, and a return to the small pond where all his stories begin...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter Nine – The Ceiling Tile In 2009, Drew found himself lying on a hospital trolley, staring at a cracked ceiling tile and wondering if it might be the last thing he would ever see. It wasn't. In this deeply personal chapter, he reflects on illness, recovery, second chances and the unexpected gift of what he now thinks of as bonus time. A story about survival, gratitude a...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter Eight – The Sea Some places stay with us forever. For Drew, it's the sea. From childhood days on the Norfolk coast to standing beside the Pacific Ocean, from rivers and books to cruise ships and poetry, this chapter explores a lifelong fascination with water and the journeys it inspires. A reflective voyage through memory, wonder, belonging and the people we meet alon...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter Seven – Grandad "My grandfather always thought I should be a vicar. I've often wondered why".  In this chapter, Drew reflects on the life of Frederick Baxter: farmer, parish councillor, First World War survivor, whistler, snuff-taker and maker of lasting memories. A story about family, community, kindness and the mysteries that remain long after those we lov...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter Six – Paprika Supermarkets are curious places. You go in for butter, yoghurt, or perhaps a missing jar of paprika... and somehow end up collecting stories instead. In this chapter, Drew reflects on chance encounters, familiar voices, old police memories, shoplifters, supermarket wisdom, and one unforgettable conversation beside the herbs and spices. A warm and gently humor...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter Five – Pause We spend much of our lives labelling things. Objects. Places. Memories. People. In this chapter, Drew reflects on names, silence, kindness, loss, and the small but important space between seeing and speaking. From childhood nights and quiet streets to funeral chapels and everyday encounters, Pause explores what can happen when we slow down long enough to truly...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter 4  - Masks There are moments in life when we realise that fitting in and belonging are not quite the same thing. In this chapter, Drew reflects on faith, anxiety, identity and the roles we play for the world around us. From a crowded Salvation Army gathering to a supermarket aisle lined with tins of soup, these are stories about barriers, masks, fences and gates — and the...

Send us Fan Mail Between Chapters – Not The Hero This week, a shorter and more personal pause between chapters. Drew reflects on storytelling, memory, ego, kindness… and the strange reality that when you write about your own life, you can never fully step outside the frame. With warmth, self-deprecating humour, and honesty, this episode explores the difference between being the central figure in y...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter Three – The Blue Suit In this deeply personal chapter of Big Skies and Small Ponds, Drew Baxter reflects on the quiet emotional weight carried by those who stand at the front of a funeral service. Through the story of a highly visible funeral for a mother and daughter, Drew explores the unseen work of a celebrant; the preparation, the listening, the responsibility of telli...

Send us Fan Mail A small note before we settle in… this chapter touches briefly on sudden death and police experiences, and includes one or two moments of strong language where they belonged to the story. Big Skies and Small Ponds – Chapter Two - That Voice If words matter… then perhaps the way we speak them matters too. In this chapter, Drew reflects on voices — the ones we hear, remember, trust…...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter One  In this opening chapter, Drew reflects on the stories we tell… and the way they shape how we remember. From childhood memories of being read to and listening in wonder… to the fragments of lives shared in his work as a celebrant, this is a gentle exploration of storytelling in all its forms. Because sometimes… it isn’t the story itself that stays with us… …it’s the te...

Send us Fan Mail A short introduction to the world of Big Skies and Small Ponds - a place for stories, memories and quiet reflections...