Mondays with Milly

In episode three, Milly waves goodbye to the last of her three children who finally leaves the nest for work and bigger things. JC has found a new hobby - home brewing - and it's no picnic. In fact, there's evil in some of those bottles. Kirsten is off on the trip of a lifetime and won't be home for 14 months.  A warm welcome and greetings to our new listeners from Argentina.  Oh, and ha...

I wonder what would've been like to have had the Duke of Edinburgh on the podcast talking to Milly about love, life and perspective... This week marks the passing of yet another member what Tom Brokaw refers to as the Greatest Generation. Milly was lucky enough to have met Prince Phillip - yet another panel in the tapestry of Milly's rich and wonderful life.  Milly talks about the Duke and so...

Welcome to the 1990s.  In season 6 we'll explore the happenings and happenstance surrounding this eventful time. In episode #1, Milly tells us about making ball dresses for Kirsten, Chris' experience of the first Gulf War and Paul's first police dog, Zac.  Please enjoy this episode of Mondays with Milly.

Pet rats, snakes and alligators in the bath: just another day for someone who owns a pet shop. But for one relative visiting the family it was all too much... Welcome to our final episode of season five. In this episode, Milly finds herself in her happy place - on the stage - this time with daughter, Kirsten. We thank you for your continued support of the Mondays with Milly podcast.  Join the...

The Poll Tax: the Thatcher government's controversial tax, which was ultimately its undoing.  In this episode, Milly and I discuss the Poll Tax and cover Paul's traumatic injury, which he suffered whilst on patrol late at night. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) wasn't understood in the 1980s and it was the work of a police psychologist who helped Paul get back to work. If you're enjoying...

The Falklands War was a brief but costly conflict involving British and Argentinian forces between April and June of 1982 over the disputed Falklands Islands - a British territory. In this episode, Milly talks about Chris' near involvement, the armchair perspective of watching the war on the nightly news and the aftermath.  Thank you for your ongoing support of the MwM podcast and a warm welcome t...

Welcome to the MwM podcast and a Happy UK Mother's Day to all the mums out there. In episode two, Milly talks about her first experiences with the work computer and it doesn't go well. Milly and Marilyn have a clockwork system going in the tourist information office but everyone's expected to get on board with the new technology. Milly meets Jesus (at least the actor who plays him, Robert Powell)...

Welcome to our fifth season of Mondays with Milly.  Thank you to all who continue to listen - and to all our new listeners across 17 countries. In season five we take a close look at the 1980s. After the turmoil of the 1970s you'd be forgiven for thinking things might settle down. On the contrary, Margaret Thatcher has very big plans to transform the country and her agenda is a controversial...

"Blackpool Vegas" - an apt description, indeed!  In this second part of our look at 1970s Blackpool, Milly describes the attraction that's Blackpool; live shows, side shows, crowds and a bustling tourism industry. The decline comes in the form of cheap overseas holidays and Blackpool's peak is soon on the wane.  Thank you for your ongoing support of the MwM podcast. We'll be back to talk...

The Blackpool of the 1970s is punctuated by throngs of cars, crowds and train carriages pulling into Central Station. It's still a vibrant place and a first-choice destination for thousands of families looking for a seaside holiday. In this episode Milly reflects on the Blackpool experience and laments the loss of so many of the areas cinemas. If you like the Mondays with Milly podcast, please lea...

In S4, episode 3 Milly and I discuss the endemic racism that was prevalent in Britain during the 1970s - as it was in other countries. It was a difficult decade socially and economically but Milly and the family weren't directly exposed to the tensions being broadcast on the evening news. The country was changing rapidly but the family's luck had finally held as both Milly and JC worked steady job...

Britain of the 1970s is in trouble. The oil crisis, a worldwide recession with 40% inflation and political turmoil marked something of a political awakening in the UK.  In this episode, Milly gives us an insight into the modern family - two working parents juggling the demands of the day. The decisions made are the right ones and life settles. Please join the Mondays with Milly Facebook group...

Happy 90th birthday, Milly! This special bonus episode marks Milly's 90th birthday. "Noisy Neighbours" is a memoir of the sometimes weird and sometimes wonderful neighbours Milly crosses paths with. Please feel free to wish Milly a happy birthday via the Mondays with Milly Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/368558144406079

Milly's family moves into the 1970s with a new addition and some new opportunities. The Britain of the 1970s is altogether different from the one a decade earlier and there are challenges ahead.  Please enjoy this first episode of Mondays with Milly. https://www.facebook.com/groups/368558144406079

Welcome to this final episode of season # 3 of Mondays with Milly. The loss of the family's patriarch is more than just a shock; it has both short and long-term ramifications. JC's job with Boeing in the US is no longer a viable choice and the family makes the decision to stay in the UK and rebuild financially.  Join the MwM Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/368558144406079

Following-on directly from last week's bonus episode, More Bushy Tales gives us a fascinating look at life in the Bush Inn, Wigan. Don't forget to join the Mondays with Milly Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/368558144406079

Stolen pies...broken promises...another career change. Managing the Bush pub calls for a very specific set of skills. Milly and JC have doubled the takings in just two years and are promised a bigger and better opportunity close to home. It doesn't turn out that way and the family take a step backwards by purchasing a grocery business with a cash-flow problem. The big house becomes a much smaller...

With the discovery this week of the Wigan World website, the Mondays with Milly podcast has a extended its audience to Wigan. Welcome to patrons from that part of the world, with a special mention for Steve Breheny and Belinda Denholm - Jackie Sharple's nephew and daughter, who I contacted via the Wigan World website. The world is indeed small.  In this bonus episode, Milly takes us into the...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to quit your job - a well-paid one you love - and manage a pub? That's exactly what JC does and life takes yet another adventurous turn. Life in the pub is hard work but a vibrant place full of colourful characters, like Jackie Sharples whose party trick is back flips off the bar. Please enjoy this episode of Mondays with Milly. Don't forget to write a...

Welcome to the 1960s - an exciting time...a dangerous time. In episode one of season three we enter this new decade with Milly's family growing. Paul is adopted by JC - not without difficulty - and Christopher comes onto the scene. Milly and her family can count themselves lucky as they manage to somehow avoid catastrophe and the world watches as the Cold War heats up. Please take the time to join...

In this final episode of season 2 of Mondays with Milly, things are happening.  Milly and JC are ready to tie the knot - after a decade or so apart. JC is in for a bit of a shock when he's expected to pitch in and lend a hand around the house as both he and Milly hold down full-time jobs. Paul and JC bond immediately and the family is ready to face the 1960s. Don't forget to join the Mondays...

In episode 5 Milly's on the move. Harry decides it's time to sell up the Presall house and send each couple off to buy their own homes. As a single woman, Milly has to come up with a bigger deposit and Harry is there by her side. JC comes back on the scene and the courting ritual begins yet again, this time on very different terms. Please take the time to join the Mondays with Milly Facebook page...

After the sudden and shocking betrayal of her husband, Milly makes the best of the situation by focusing her energy on her family. Milly faces the harsh judgements of others, despite being blameless, and attempts to have the details of her divorce kept private. In the 1950s divorces are published in the local paper and Milly is even snubbed at her local church. Milly's family invest in chickens an...

In episode #3 Milly marries and starts a family. Paul arrives in 1951 and life in the large Preesall house is pretty good; the extended family are all together under one roof, there's plenty of room for everyone and Milly is in a good place. That changes the day her husband Bob leaves the house for a supposed job interview and doesn't come home. In that moment, Milly becomes a single parent. We ho...

What do you do when you're a restless young adult and the war's over? Simple: you work a series of jobs and get busy socialising. And that's exactly what Milly does in episode two. Milly becomes frustrated with the growing list of young men wanting to emigrate to Canada and is faced with a sliding door decision.  Please enjoy this episode of Mondays with Milly.