Travelling Through... London, the World and Life

BUSTER BIRCH is an English jazz musician from humble beginnings. Jazz has been Buster's life from before he was born - as you will learn – and he began gigging at 16 years old. Music in the form of teaching and performance have been Buster's only profession, and sole form of income, so when Covid hit in 2020, and all music gigs were cancelled, schools closed, and all face-to-face teaching deemed impossible, Buster’s income stream went to zero in less than 24 hours. Buster’s response? Create and build an online presence fast, learn zoom as quickly as possible, and find a way to reach his audience and re-engage with his students. In this podcast episode, Buster talks about his journey from offline to online, the opportunities it has created, and how hard work, belief, and the consistent creation and publication of quality content has been key to him finding a presence online from where he has been able to stretch and grow in ways that he could not believe were possible before 2020. To find out more about Buster, appreciate his FREE content, join his VIP members group, BUY his books and SIGN UP to a course, please go to his WEBSITE: https://www.busterbirch.co.uk/ Or https://linktr.ee/busterbirch and find links to other events, Facebook and Instagram. YouTube Channel: @BusterBirch https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxAlq7hjO7Zao0a_yfUECIQ   To find out more about Emma - your podcast host and author of Driving Tito: Through The Balkan Backroads with a Celebrity - go to https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk   Thank you as always to Mariska Martina at: https://www.mariskamartina.com for creating our lovely travelling through podcast jingle!    

"Writing and walking are good ways to live your life." JOANNA PENN also known as J F PENN is a British author of both fiction and non-fiction. Jo runs a successful podcast called THE CREATIVE PENN, has another podcast called the BOOKS AND TRAVEL podcast - currently on hold but with loads of great episodes - and on top of all this, Jo is an international professional speaker. These collective skills earn her a six figure salary as a creative entrepreneur. I met up with Jo in Bath for a walk alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal to Bathampton. And as we walk, we talk about writing, pilgrimage, the darker side of life, and Jo reflects on the choices she took to earn herself the freedom to travel and have a career where she would no longer be tied to the office, commuting, and the stress which comes from working in the corporate world. Although Jo's six figure author's income did not happen overnight, Jo refutes "the myth of the starving artist, that’s what some people want it to be, but that doesn’t have to be how it is ..." Jo talks about writing for therapy and how it can help one process whatever it is that's going on in your head. She loves thrillers and the horror genres. In her words they are "actually about hope and the triumph over difficult circumstances which is what we all face at different points in our life." Jo's most recent publications are Pilgrimage (a non-fiction memoir taking you on a personal journey across Portugal to Santiago de Compostella in Spain), and Catacomb (an action adventure horror novel set under the streets of Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh). We hope you enjoy our podcast chat, get inspired, and reflect on how you value your creativity! "If you value yourself then other people will value you."   To find out more about Joanna Penn, listen to her podcasts and BUY HER BOOKS in whatever format you read or listen, do visit: Jo's websites: https://jfpenn.com/ AND https://www.thecreativepenn.com/ Instagram: @jfpennauthor Twitter: @thecreativepenn "We need to value creative work."   To find out more about Emma - your podcast host and author of Driving Tito: Through The Balkan Backroads with a Celebrity - go to https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk   Thank you as always to Mariska Martina at: https://www.mariskamartina.com for creating our lovely travelling through podcast jingle!

This episode is a wake up call for us as humans to consider taking more responsibility for ourselves as individuals, especially when it comes to what foods we are putting in our mouths. For example, if you think fat free products are the healthy choice, you've definitely got to listen to this podcast episode. My guest REBECCA RIVERS proves that we can reverse ill health through making the right food, exercise and lifestyle choices. She did it and reversed her Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome diagnosis. And now Rebecca shares her story with us in this episode. Through her health and beauty shop Rivers' Remedies, Rebecca is hoping to set up a series of talks and YouTube recordings in the near future to advance the awareness of what we can do to improve our health span through food, exercise and lifestyle wherever we are in the world. In the meantime, if you are in London, do visit Rivers' Remedies in Lower Marsh, London SE1. Rebecca and her team provide one to one customer assistance with all kinds of beneficial vitamins, potions and organic products at their finger tips for you to purchase. The choices are there, and, as Rebecca says, "if you want a different outcome, you have to make different choices." The Travelling Through Podcast series continues in 2023 with the theme... Make new choices. Redefine who you are.   To KNOW MORE ABOUT REBECCA and RIVERS' REMEDIES go to: Instagram: @riversremedies Facebook: Rivers-Remedies Email: [email protected] Phone: 07780 112226 Website: https://rivers-remedies.co.uk/ TO KNOW MORE about EMMA - your podcast host and author of DRIVING TITO: Through The Balkan Backroads with a Celebrity - go to https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk THANK YOU as always to MARISKA MARTINA at: https://www.mariskamartina.com for creating our lovely travelling through podcast jingle! THANK YOU to LAMBETH PALACE LIBRARY for (unknowingly) hosting this podcast episode. https://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/exhibitions/enslavement-voices-from-the-archives/

This episode is about self-belief and a man who through his love of travel, and particularly walking, set off along a creative writing path away from high finance and from wearing a smart suit in the City of London. I sat down with author STEPHEN MARRIOTT on the (almost) eve publication date of his third book Diego's Guitar, and through a candid discussion Steve reflects on how easily our choices can build habits both good and bad. He believes that by looking back at the choices we've made, reveals our character and that it's not always easy to break our habits. How about you? Tune in to get inspired on how you too can redefine yourself and make a choice to do it your way. Stephen R. Marriott is the author of The Reluctant Pilgrim series, a trilogy set against the backdrop of three camino routes across Spain. The story follows Diego through ten years of his life, from a directionless young man in his early twenties with a talent for playing flamenco guitar and his climb to fame followed by the challenges he faces when it all comes tumbling down. TO KNOW MORE about STEPHEN MARRIOTT go to https://www.stephenrmarriott.com To PRE-ORDER DIEGO'S GUITAR go direct to Amazon - where you can find all Stephen's books, ebooks, and audible books OR go to any good bookstore where you live. Other podcast episodes I have recorded with Steve are 067, 060, 044, 032, 022. TO KNOW MORE about EMMA - your podcast host and author of DRIVING TITO: Through The Balkan Backroads with a Celebrity - go to https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk THANK YOU as always to MARISKA MARTINA at: https://www.mariskamartina.com for creating our lovely travelling through podcast jingle!

This episode celebrates the determination of one woman to achieve her dreams through the choices presented to her at different times of her life to date. SHOBHA DAS with whom I was fortunate enough to catch up with in London last month, embraces an incredible life-changing challenge to build a house in the mountains above her Keralan homeland in India alongside her husband Chris Collinson - with whom I also recorded a podcast episode (ep. 027) over two years ago. Shobha is straightforward and unflinching in her recollection of choices she has made in life, reminding us that although some choices can be challenging ones to make, it is important to remain realistic yet not afraid of the decisions one takes. To learn more about Shobha and her housebuilding exploits in India please tune in to her YouTube channel - if this link does not work go to my website podcast page shownotes. You can connect with Shobha at [email protected] To learn more about your podcast host EMMA go to my website https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/ or to Instagram for my Sicilian travels @ontheroadwithRhoswyn or @travelling_through And as always, a big thanks to MARISKA Martina at https://www.mariskamartina.com/ for creating our wonderful podcast jingle!  

SARAH WOLFERSTAN of ALIVU SICILY grows and produces extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) alongside her Sicilian husband Paulo Guarino. Their olive groves are located in the very centre and heart of Sicily on the opposite hills to Enna. From their land, and very much in the distance, you can sometimes see smoke rising from Mt Etna. I had the privilege of joining Sarah, Paulo, friends and family for this year’s harvest – something I have wanted to do since Sarah and I recorded our first podcast in February 2021 (episode 033). “At the heart of every olive there is a wild olive.” As we picked olives, I wired up Sarah for sound and I recorded our discussion about olive tree varieties, growing olives, the importance of olive oil, and choosing quality EVOO (ensuring its three main qualities are present). Sarah talks generally about Sicily, the necessity to farm regeneratively, and the importance of us all to consume food and olive oil conscientiously. By the end of our conversation you could be lured to this land to grow olives and live a different kind of life full-time or part-time, or at least pay Sicily a visit. Alivu Sicily aims to help and educate people about olive oil, food, heritage, the environment, nature and sustainability through what they are doing in Sicily. Sarah advises that generally “the best olive oil is fresh and local.” If you want to get in touch with Sarah and Paulo you can find out more here: Website: https://www.alivusicily.com/ Instagram: @alivusicily https://www.instagram.com/alivusicily/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alivusicily Email: [email protected] Some of the other organisations and people mentioned in this podcast are: Anna Tasca Lanza Sicilian Food Culture – cook the farm in Sicily https://annatascalanza.com/ Farm-Ed – olive oil talks. https://www.farm-ed.co.uk/ Women In Olive Oil, UK - https://www.womeninoliveoil.org/ Citizens of Soil. https://www.citizensofsoil.com/ “Olive oil is not a silver bullet but do eat as much good evoo as you can. Put it on your soups, dip your bread in it, pour it over salads and reap the health benefits.” In the UK we consume (per head) 1 litre a year whereas in Italy it is 15 litres. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do! To learn more about your podcast host EMMA go to my website or to Instagram for my Sicilian travels @ontheroadwithRhoswyn or @travelling_through https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/ And as always, a big thanks to MARISKA Martina at https://www.mariskamartina.com/ for creating our wonderful podcast jingle! p.s. this is the third and final recording from my recent travels in Sicily

DANNY McCUBBIN is the founder of The Good Kitchen an inspiring social enterprise project in Mussomelli, Sicily. Danny has a background in digital consultancy, he is a speaker, and a food campaigner. He worked for the chef and campaigner Jamie Oliver for 17 years while also spending much time for “promoting food-focused social enterprises and helping diverse businesses create social value, with the belief that food has the power to transform lives.” Away from the busy world of London, here I am podcasting with Danny in his new home, Sicily. We are sitting in a small hilltop town in the centre of Sicily talking about food, community, and purpose and Danny has plenty to say on all these subjects. This podcast episode will inspire anyone searching for their own purpose or indeed interested in visiting Sicily to taste its food, meet its people, and absorb the very special and unique layers of culture and history that all contribute to making this a fascinating land. This is the second of three podcast episodes recorded while travelling in Sicily. Enjoy! To learn more about DANNY go to https://www.goodforgood.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannyforgood/?hl=en @dannyforgood Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danny.mccubbin Learn more about your podcast host EMMA go to my website or to Instagram for my Sicilian travels @ontheroadwithRhoswyn or @travelling_through https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/ And as always, a big thanks to MARISKA Martina at https://www.mariskamartina.com/ for creating our wonderful podcast jingle!

GABRIELLA BECCHINA is an educator, a Sicilian tourism expert, a forager, a chef and an all round encyclopaedia of knowledge relating to the history, culture and food of Sicily. She studied art history in Basel, and worked in New York but her formative years were in Switzerland with school holidays in Sicily visiting family. It was only when her Sicilian father retired to his Sicilian roots in Castelvetrano - establishing an olive grove and trailblazing the way to producing a more sophisticated and polyphenol rich extra virgin olive oil production – that Gabriella decided to come and join him and get involved. She founded a food and tourism venture, which blossomed and has now morphed into Gabriella’s Key To Sicily in which she takes her guests back to the heart of healthy eating, pairing foods, cooking, and foraging amongst other activities. It was with huge delight that I had the opportunity to meet and podcast with Gabriella over two days. This is an inspiring introduction in to a Sicily that many will not normally see, so get those headphones on and tune in!   To learn more about/connect with Gabriella go to links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keytosicily/ Instagram: @gabriellasicily https://www.instagram.com/gabriellasicily/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabriellasicily/with_replies Email: [email protected] We were visiting the beautiful Azienda Agricola Carbona for the olive harvest (the land of which was once managed by Gabriella’s grandfather in the 1950s. It is now owned by the wonderful Vito Di Benedetto. A big thank you to him for hosting one part of the podcast chat. To find out more go to https://www.agriturismocarbona.it/ Learn more about your podcast host EMMA go to my website or to Instagram for my Sicilian travels @ontheroadwithRhoswyn or @travelling_through https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/ And as always, a big thanks to MARISKA Martina at https://www.mariskamartina.com/ for creating our wonderful podcast jingle!

LUKE RICHARDSON is a thriller writer, DJ, and podcaster. He studied journalism at Nottingham University but DJ-ing became his central profession for a while before he changed direction into English teaching within a secondary school and the longer holidays allowed Luke to indulge his passion for travel from which came the inspiration to write. Luke writes thriller novels and has just launched a much awaited new series entitled The Ark Files – an archaeological thriller trilogy. His books are all based in exciting places around the world to inspire the reader while enjoying some armchair escapism. Luke has a podcast The Travel Now Podcast and continues to DJ to a lesser extent than before but with just as much enthusiasm. "The reader completes the process of writing. You don’t often see the other side. I am in control of writing the best I can. It’s an intimate thing sharing 6-7hours with someone through one’s writing. Readers are investing their time in reading something you’ve created, and that’s a real privilege, and an honour, and it’s something I don’t take lightly at all. It’s important that the stories are complete and as good as they can be."   Learn more about Luke Richardson by going to his author page on AMAZON (type in Luke Richardson) OR go to https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mystery-Luke-Richardson-Crime-Thrillers/s?rh=n%3A270408%2Cp_lbr_books_authors_browse-bin%3ALuke+Richardson OR BUY his latest books by clicking here: Luke's website is: https://www.lukerichardsonauthor.com/ Luke’s Instagram address: https://www.instagram.com/lukerichaa/ Luke’s podcast The Travel Now Podcast is on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0U8MgHTK3M8HamD9AVvOyc Learn more about your podcast host EMMA here: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/ And as always, a big thanks to MARISKA Martina at https://www.mariskamartina.com/ for creating our wonderful podcast jingle!    

While on the Isle of Skye recently with my partner Stephen Marriott enjoying a bit of van-life freedom, we happened upon the inaugural Hebridean Whisky Trail Festival. Never known to say no to a dram now and again, I was fortunate enough to take part in a whisky tasting from the distilleries involved, and to have a chat with NEIL MATHIESON – CEO of the Isle of Skye’s youngest distillery, Torabhaig. I also cajoled Steve to take ten minutes out of his time to reflect on our trip to the Isle of Raasay and its equally young distillery plus his overall impressions and thoughts on our trip to Scotland. Get those headphones on and raise a dram to the Hebridean Whisky Trail. Perhaps you’ll join it next year! In the meantime checkout the links attached... Learn more about the Hebridean distilleries here: https://hebrideanwhisky.com/ Learn more about Neil Mathieson here: https://mossburndistillers.com/ Learn more about Stephen Marriott here: https://www.stephenrmarriott.com/ Learn more about your podcast host EMMA here: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/ And as always, a big thanks to MARISKA Martina at https://www.mariskamartina.com/ for creating our wonderful podcast jingle!