Today the tables are turned and it is Jo Hilditch who is being interviewed by Tricia Thomas with whom she conducted her very first podcast. Nearly ex-High Sheriff, Jo talks about her year in post. A year that started with the restrictions of Covid and over a year later Covid is still present, but poses less problems for our daily life. Jo discusses with Tricia the activities of her Shrieval year, and looks back ruminating how she has got to know a whole new strata of Herefordshire. Talking of the many charities that she has come across during the year, as well as her fundraising event - Wingwalking; and of specific charities to whom the funds will be distributed. The tourism economy has been such an important part of Jo's activity during the year that her three top tips are difficult to pinpoint! Today Bench talk comes from the nave of Hereford Cathedral where you can hear the organ, the choir and even a young child running around screaming!

Today I am talking to John Eden who is the Chief Executive of the Herefordshire Association for the Blind as well as being the Director of Music at St Martins, Hereford. As well as being a deeply Christian man John also runs the Hereford Church Singers about which we talk today; and also about music more generally in the community and how things have changed in schools around music and how the digital era does not help musical appreciation. Today Bench talk comes from the seat at the organ at St Martins Church high above the beautiful nave.

Today I am talking to Beth Fortey who is a breast cancer survivor.  We’re going to talk about her journey over the last 18 months, of diagnosis, treatment and recovery and much more besides.  Beth is resilient, positive and looking forward to a future where her hair is properly grown out! She’s also looking forward to giving a bit back and when she recovers all her energy she will be looking to getting back in the workplace and volunteering her services to the community. Today Bench talk comes from a bench in one of Yelenis treatment rooms where Beth has had her 6 free treatments as well as joining others for restorative chats with friends who have gone through the same. Strangely we are sitting in front of a large wall covering of a peaceful sea; and we couldn’t be further from the sea in the middle of Herefordshire, but it’s very calming!

Vicky Nicolson-James is the mother of lovely Clementine. 18 year-old Clemmie has profound and multiple physical and learning difficulties and has been looked after assiduously by her mother and father, as well as being at Westfield Special School in Leominster. Having a disability of any sort makes life difficult for the individual and of course the rest of the family especially when out and about trying to do the everyday things we all take for granted; as well as visiting tourist attactions. Vicky is making it a project to improve awareness in the community with her Accessible Herefordshire campaign – imagine if you can’t take the family out because there’s nowhere suitable to change your child. This podcast will make you realise how lucky you are – if you know nothing about living with a disability, or with a person with a disability this podcast will give you an understated view and help you appreciate the resilience needed and so well displayed by this lovely lady. It is particularly poignant for me as I had a sister Nicky, who was very similar to Clemmie, and was one of the early pupils at Westfield, so I well understand the daily struggles. Today our bench was in the quiet kitchen of Westfield Special School.

Please welcome my oldest podcastee! At 90 years old Alan Blake was inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore to go the extra mile. And so he has. Living on the banks of the River Wye in Hereford he decided to walk round his garden enough times to be the equivalent of the steps taken to to climb Mount Everest. That’s 556 circuits of his steep riverside garden - incredible! His wife Valerie suffers from Parkinsons so this is an obvious charity for Alan to support along with the Hereford Rotary and the parish of Burghill where he lived for many years. I first walked with him at the beginning of my tenure, so it was wonderful to be with him on the day he finished. Our bench today is at his house, at the top of his garden, looking onto the River Wye just downstream of the Victoria Bridge - a good place to relax following his exhausting climb!

Daniel Lister was the “Covid Mayor” of Ross.  His redemptive story shows us all how if you make good choices in your life you can find your way to a respected way of living.  For Daniel it was not always thus.  Brought up in East Anglia, Daniel fought his way through his teens and twenties (literally and metaphorically) where his life involved leaving home as a teenager, dealing drugs, couch surfing, some sexual abuse and difficult family relationships.  Listen to him talk about the troubles of his early life and how he found his way into employment and then to becoming a town councillor for Ross, and eventually becoming Mayor. But this isn’t all he does – his firm opinion is that doing positive things in the community really helps you get over all the difficulties that you may have confronted in your past and in turn you can help others as he has proved in his current job. And his volunteering around the community is non-stop – amazing he has time to sleep!   Today our noisy Bench is in the Tap House in Ross on Wye – a micropub of great local renown and Daniel’s regular watering hole.

Today I am talking to Jonathan Bland who is just 14, but already a mover and a shaker in the world of volunteers. I met him when he was nominated as a Young Good Citizen by the local Safer Neighbourhood Police Team. Jonathan is very busy - he volunteers at the local food centre, has a mediator role at adoptive families weekends’ he is a climate change activist and is a young leader at his local Messy church. He loves Leominster (of course, we all do!) and I guess he also goes to school! Today Bench talk comes from the Leominster Priory – again we started outside on a church wall, but retreated inside as the cold rain started coming down.

For my Christmas podcast it seemed appropriate to talk to Sarah Brown, the new Dean of Hereford Cathedral. Please take time to listen to her – she talks ghosts and dog collars; and of an errant past, calling herself a “dangerous beast”, how she found God, how the church needs to open its doors and encourage more people in, how many volunteers support the Cathedral community, the past challenge of Covid, the present challenges she has which are the everyday challenges we all have, the challenges that face everyone at Christmas and of course how God can be our redeemer. But don’t be put off, she is definitely not pious! Although only recently arrived Sarah offers some thoughts about the overall stunning beauty of Herefordshire, how welcoming and warm the people are, and how delicious the food and drink can be. We all agree! Our bench is in Hereford Cathedral with the organ being played in the background by one of the organ scholars. Our voices echo around this beautiful building as we chat away about her new life with us here.

Today I am talking to Andy who is a volunteer with the Hereford Wildlife Trust. Born and bred in Herefordshire and although spent a few years away at university, he has always lived here. Andy talks about suffering from mental health problems over the years and other challenges that presented themselves. Just two years ago his lovely wife Helen died and left Andy with two sons and anxiety. Although his sons’ school had a collection for him and many were really helpful his anxiety did not improve. Following taking some medication and having some counselling Andy started volunteering and joined The Building Better Opportunities programme. Listen to our chat about how his mental health improved, how the stigma of admitting to mental health problems for men is often part of the problem and how he is now feeling more positive and more self-confident. (Subsequent to our interview Andy has now been appointed in a job for the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and “he’s getting there”.) Although the photo shows Andy and me sitting on a bench in Queenswood, I have admit to it pouring with rain at that time so we went inside the offices to do the chat!

This podcast is not so much a chat, but a lecture – so called the “Shrieval Lecture” – an annual event that is hosted by the High Sheriff usually with the help of a legal professional. This time HH Daniel Pearce-Higgins, Honorary Recorder of Hereford and ex-circuit judge co-hosted Dominic Grieve QC. Dominic is ex Attorney General, MP and is a British barrister and former politician who served as Shadow Home Secretary from 2008 to 2009 and Attorney General for England and Wales from 2010 to 2014. He served as the MP for Beaconsfield from 1997 to 2019 and was the Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee from 2015 to 2019. A liberal conservative, Grieve was a central figure on Brexit and frequently used his experience as a lawyer to propose amendments on the issue, with his interventions often being at odds with government policy. A prominent Remain supporter on Brexit, Grieve called for a second referendum on EU membership, and before being expelled had said that he and other Conservative rebels would support a vote of no confidence to bring down a Conservative government, if that were the only way to block the “catastrophic” damage from a bad Brexit. In spring 2019, Grieve was threatened with deselection by his local party after losing a confidence vote by members. In October 2019, following removal of the whip, Grieve announced that he would stand as an independent candidate in his constituency’s seat at the next general election. It was announced that the Liberal Democrats would stand aside to help him, but to no avail, as he lost his seat. Today his talk is entitled Populism and the Rule of Law (to be feared or applauded) and is rather legal than political and highlights historical examples around populism, as well as reaching conclusions about how populism and the law are inextricably linked and indeed need to work together for successful government. Our “bench” is the Town Hall in Hereford and with an audience of Herefordians and pupils from the sixth form college and Hereford Cathedral School whose attendance was sponsored by Gabbs solicitors. Tanners Wine Hereford generously gave the wine! The Q and A is not recorded here, but the lecture provided for some interesting and lively discussion. References: Hereford Sixth Form College Welcome to Hereford Sixth form college Hereford Cathedral School A personal welcome from the Headmaster | Hereford Cathedral School (herefordcs.com) Gabbs Solicitors Gabbs Solicitors Hereford Tanners Wines Hereford Hereford | Tanners Wines (tanners-wines.co.uk)