The Shrewsbury Biscuit Podcast

The idea of the schools closing again and having to resort to remote learning, may have been a huge stress for many parents. We have put together a calm, healthy discussion about the situation, featuring AL, Samantha Preece who is a teacher from Bedstone College, local parent Sarah Dodd and our Shane.  We discuss the differences between this school closure and that last, what we have learned and s...

We get the new year of to a great start with this fantastic episode. AL speaks to Lindsay Kelly from the Viv Kelly Dance school and enthusiastic dance student Lucy Poole. 2020 was awful for the arts industry and telling a dancer not to perform is like asking a fish not to swim. This situation did not stop Lindsay from doing her thing though. Determined to keep going, classes were put onto Zoom and...

AL is joined by Michelle from the Vegan Hub to talk about "Veganuary" what it is, how you do it and what they are planning in her store to help people in the process. We talk to Michelle about how things have been since we spoke to her last, as that was her opening day. It has been an odd year for sure but it is something that has helped The Vegan Hub evolve. Find out how on this episode and pleas...

AL sits with Kerry Mitchell, a Mental Health First Aid Trainer who works for Paycare - Wellbeing. First we ask what is a Mental Health First Aider, what added pressures are there now so many people are having to work at home and what do we do when we spot the signs of someone who is not feeling great? There are so many aspects to mental health awareness that we need to discuss more, how to approac...

The final Open Studio Session is brought to you by the best podcast team in Shrewsbury, the Biscuiteers. A rough around the edges look back at 2020, some discussion about our thoughts on "The Vaccine" and the guys talk about what they are looking forward to in 2021. What does it feel like to have to adapt the way The Biscuiteers had to, and what have they learned in the process? "I love these litt...

AL and Deedee speak with Amy Yeomans who, during the pandemic created her own little business, Masks By Amy. It all started with Amy making masks for friends and family, then when things started to escalate, Masks by Amy was born. With profits going to charity, a real passion for her trade and the great public service of giving us an option other than those horrible blue surgical masks, Amy has an...

The kindness shown to locals, by locals throughout the pandemic has been astounding. There have been people that have gone above and beyond, when it comes to keeping their community safe and well. AL speaks to Sophie, Ruth and Sasha from "Little Bags Of Kindness" who are the perfect example of how banding together and being helpful can not only help a community, but snowball into a much bigger thi...

The first person to ever feature on the Biscuit, Simon Bell drops in to chat to AL and Shane. Simon is writing a new book about how the Allied Forces colluded with the Nazi's. We talk about whether research into things like genocide and war can weigh on a guy, how Simon does his research and what inspires him to write about certain subjects. We also talk about how PTSD can affect Holocaust survivo...

AL is joined by Stephanie Henson from Six Ticks. This situation caught Alex's eye because Steph works at Six Ticks which is a cool tech company that makes websites, apps etc However Steph is pushing for something called Tech Time Out to be rolled out nationally. We all (mostly) spend too much time attached to technology which is not healthy and that is a fact. Tech Time Out encourages people to ac...

We spoke to Liam Tinsley just before he was about to open his takeaway food experience "Feast" a while ago. We said we'd bring him back on to find out how things went, and this is it. AL and Shane catch up with Liam to find out how things have gone since the launch. What lessons has he learned, what has the feedback been like and what is like being his own boss now? Liam likes to experiment with f...

Today's show takes us to Whitchurch and the amazing business that is Landfill Angels. A business ran by Mother and Daughter Sharon and Chloe, that offers a new lease of life to furniture that may have ended up in the skip otherwise. We talk about how the business became what it is today, how Sharon and Chloe manage to work together, the importance of inter-generational working relationships and ho...

AL speaks to a guy that has been voted UK's top Barber, the one, the only Dale Hince. We have been trying for AGES to try and get Dale on the show but his salon (in The Parade Shops) is that busy, its hard to get him to stand still for longer than 2 minutes. It only took a worldwide pandemic to get him to sit with us but boy do we make the most of it. Dale has an amazing story. From Electrician to...

AL sits with Pippa Lobban from Shrewsbury Food Hub. We discuss what is the difference between a Food bank and a food hub and what do they offer to the community. What is Christmas like at the food hub, how long does it take for things to get back to normal afterwards and how long does it take to loose the smell of parsnips? The pandemic has brought along some interesting situations. How did the pa...

AL and Jules speak to Bev Armitt. This was the last show of the Open Studio sessions, all had cracked open a cold one and was even donning the sunglasses. Jules introduces us to Bev who is the owner of Bevy's Fur Babies. A business that provides many, many services for your pet. You need your dog walking? no problem. You need to buy something from the online pet store? sure! You need a pet taxi se...

Jules and Shane speak to David Palmer. If you have learned how to ride a motorcycle or learned how to drive an LGV in Shrewsbury, you will most likely know who David is!  David is from Fast Trak, a company that has huge amounts of experience when is comes to training others road safety. In fact discussed in this episode is how David's experience is somewhat unappreciated by the young whipper-snapp...

AL and Shane speak to poet Beth Abbott who has used her abilities to help herself and others fight addiction. We discuss the journey that Beth has been on, the powers that lie in the words that she writes, where she gets her inspiration, how she has flipped her cards and is now able to help others in their journey. Not only that but Beth has created her own business out of this, way to go Beth! "M...

Thomas Perring has got a taste for the mic and has returned since his last visit to The Biscuit, which is what we love to see at our Open Studio Sessions. AL and Shane chat with Thomas about his passion for music and his desire to put together an exhibition celebrating The Beatles in Shrewsbury. The Beatles have not only played in Shrewsbury more than once, but wrote a song on there way to the tow...

Local author and DJ Kevin Horak joins AL and Jules on the Biscuit for a catch-up. Last time Kevin came on the show Jules just couldn't help herself with her potty mouthed tirade. Mainly because Kevin has a series of books out with a swear in the title, AL comes up with an ingenious way of making sure it doesn't happen again. The last time Kevin was on the show he had just released his brilliant Sh...

Kelda Wood came on the show a few weeks ago to talk about her story and where her charity "Climbing Out" came from. This Open Studio session was an opportunity for us to hear from participants of Climbing Out about their experiences. AL and Shane speak to Kelda and 2 people that were a part of a Climbing Out course, Zoe and Graeme. Just exactly what was it about the course that Zoe and Graeme foun...

AL is joined by local hero Michael McCarthy. When Michael was young he was in a terrible accident which changed his life forever. Michael had to learn to walk again through gritted teeth and shear bravery. While some people may have given up Michael has lived his life with a purpose. Mountain climbing in Kenya, running The Great North Run twice, The London Marathon, winning Olympic gold medals, wr...

Joining AL and Deedee is Luke Allen. Having been on The Biscuit before we already know and appreciate that aspiring film maker Luke is a sterling example of what the next generation has to bring us. Luke has a podcast called "2 Minutes About Time" About the movie "About Time" (a film created by Richard Curtis) Luke's podcast covers the film literally minute by minute. This podcast has caused quite...

AL sits down with Vince Dovey from Shropshire ITC. This is Vince's second time on the show if you include the episode that never made it to the channel (more info on that in this episode!) We discuss the great things that Vince has been working on to help local pubs, traders and churches in the community throughout the pandemic. The ethics and thoughts behind offering a great idea for next to noth...

After his day of exploring Hawkstone Park & Follies with his family, AL sits down with park manager Howard Fox. We discuss the year that the park has had and what plans they have for next year. What goes on while the park is closed? And what exactly have they told Santa to expect when he visits this year?

AL speaks to Kelda Wood about her amazing, inspiring charity Climbing Out. Offering people who have suffered traumatic experiences opportunities to get out there take part in amazing challenges and learn to overcome those traumas, Climbing Out is truly amazing. Kelda herself has had to deal with a life altering injury herself and is now offering help to others in a safe, vibrant and friendly setti...

AL chats to Cerin Mills from Arts Alive. Delivering entertainment to remote areas, so that locals can enjoy a bit of culture without having to travel out to the big cities, Arts Alive have been making people smile for many years. Where did it all begin? What do they offer? How can people get involved? and What is happening due to the Pandemic? All of these questions are answered in this great litt...