AarBalls
We all work. Some of us enjoy it. We've collected people's work stories here - first jobs, worst jobs, and all the different ways you can get fired from working in a pub.
Episodes
End Of Year Review
To mark the 50th episode of Aarballs, we look back on our first year of great guests. There's also the countdown of the Top 10 Most Downloaded Episodes!The moment almost nobody has been waiting for!Thanks to all the kind folk who agreed to be our guests over this year and thank you also to everyone who has given us a listen. Happy New Year!contact: aarballs2023@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast
The Racing Driver
Jason Pribyl is a Chicago-based racing driver currently competing in the UK’s Formula Ford category. At only 19 years of age Jason has over a decade of racing experience. At age 7 he won his first ever kart race, and since then, has gone on to win countless championships in both karts and cars. We talk about those early go-kart beginnings, the importance of Cars the movie, and the similarities and
The Fishmonger
Mike Warner is a Suffolk fisherman, fishmonger, food writer, and chairman of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain He talks to us about the decline of a once thriving fishing industry, its causes and possible solutions. We hear of fisherman's tales, the history of herring, and some delicious seafood recipes. You can find Mike's film Silver Darlings at https://www.apassionforseafood.com/movies
The Jailer
This week we talk to Carter who has recently started working on a small county jail in Oklahoma. We hear all about what life inside an American jail is like, how he was thrown in the deep end in terms of training, and the important things he’s learnt already on the job. A lovely guy and a fascinating chat!Please send your ideas and recommendations for guests to aarballs2023@gmail.com. You can also
The Ukrainian Drone Pilot
An extraordinary episode this week in which we hear from “Lito”, a Ukrainian drone pilot on the front line in the war fighting the Russian invasion. We hear his extraordinary personal story of joining up, of daily life in the front line, and how all those years playing video games turned out not to be a waste of time after all. He also gives fascinating insights into Ukraine’s long-term plight, hi
The Climate Change Warrior
Pallavi Sethi is a Policy Fellow at the Grantham Institute, part of the London School of Economics which focuses on climate change and the environment. Her work centres around trying to combat the misinformation and lies which attempt to undermine the science of environmental crisis. We chat to Pallavi about what drives media such as The Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and The Sun to peddle lies
The Croupier
Are you feeling lucky? Gabor has worked as a croupier for 11 years and talks to us about spinning the roulette wheel, the biggest wins and the biggest losses. We hear about chips and cheats, card counting, and how to ban yourself when the gambling gets too much!aarballs2023@gmail.comhttps://www.instagram.com/aarballs/http://www.youtube.com/@Aarballshttps://open.spotify.com/show/7tUlryttCVAetrw6uB1
The Makeup Artist
From early days with Bros, to working with many of the biggest names in music, Kate Strong worked as a make-up artist to the stars for 24 years. The list of artists she worked with is far too insanely long to list here but includes The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Dire Straits, Oasis, INXS, Billy Joel, New Kids on The Block, Peter Gabriel, Radiohead, Depeche Mode, Sheryl Crow and Mel Gibson (!)
The Theatrical Composer
Marc Teitler is an award-winning musical theatre composer whose works include Baddies, The Grinning Man, and The Magician’s Elephant. He was kind enough to chat to us here about his journey to becoming a composer, the distortion of fairy tales, why children love darkness, disagreeing with good reviews, and working on a retro-futuristic Gepetto. He was also kind enough to let us some of his wonderf
The Conservationist
We’ve been to some far flung corners of the globe on this podcast but none have been flung further than Ascension Island, a lone rock in the middle of the Atlantic, and home to this week’s guest Kashmir, who works on the island as a conservationist. She takes us on a captivating journey from Margate to Madagascar, via the Amazon jungle, to life on one of the most remote islands in the world.
The Whisky Guru
After more than 20 years working with the biggest names in whisky, Ken Grier has now set up his own company, De-Still Creative, driving a wide range of drink brands. He talks to us (ignorant novices) about all things whisky – casks, history, glasses, prices and much more. He also discusses his collaboration with some of the world’s most famous photographers, including Rankin and Annie Leibovi
The Genealogist
This week we chat to Gemma Simms, a frontline police sergeant of 17 years service, who is also professional genealogist with a special interest in genetic genealogy, and a tutor in adult education teaching courses in family history and DNA for genealogy. Gemma talks to us about moving to Cornwall from Surrey and the differences that brings in terms of policing. We discuss how perceptions of “skele
The Miniaturist
Ffion Morgan is an incredibly talented artist, creating miniature replicas of houses and other amazing projects. Before listening to this week’s episode make sure you first check out her creations on her Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/ffimini/ Ffion very kindly talked to us about abandoning the bus driver plan, making rocks for Dr Who, Shackleton’s boat, big plans, and worrying about mo
The Radio Presenter
As always, our overly reductive episode titles do not do our guest justice - for Claudia Hammond is not ONLY an award-winning broadcaster who presents All in the Mind on BBC Radio 4 covering psychology, neuroscience & mental health AND the weekly global health show Health Check on BBC World Service,.but she is also the author of numerous fascinating books (see links below) in which she shares
The Conservative MP
In addition to having gone to the same school as Aarballs Podcast's very own Aar and Bailles, Richard Fuller's main achievement is to have become the MP for North Bedfordshire and the current Chairman of the Conservative Party. He was very kind in giving up his time to talk to us about how and why he moved into politics, bringing US-style campaigning strategies to Bedford, his cross-bench work wit
The Anti-Poaching Ranger
Nyaradzo Hoto is an original member of Akashinga, an all-women anti-poaching team in ZimbabweShe explains to us the fantastic positive impact the team has had, not only on massively reducing poaching but also in the broader context of empowering women in a traditionally male-dominated society. She also tells of her two favourite species and the best ways to survive if you encounter elephants, lion
The Wedding Florist
From the Appalachian Mountains, Madelaine moved from starting off in science and agriculture to setting up her own wedding floristry company in Durham, North Carolina. She talks to us about some of the most memorable displays she's designed, the escalating scale of American weddings, and why she now yearns for dark snug English rooms. You can check out Madelaine's incredible work at https://www.mo
The Priest
After becoming a nun in (the then shabby) Notting Hill, Anne became a teacher, working mostly in challenging schools in London’s East End. Joining the St Hilda Community, a group pursuing the ordination of women as priests, Ann was present at the eventual success of the movement when the first women were ordained at Bristol Cathedral in 1994. Three years later, Ann became a priest herself, has sin
The Stoat Detection Dog Handler
The Aarballs Award for Best Job Title 2024 goes to Chantel who works as a Stoat Detection Dog Handler on the Orkney Islands. Chantel tells us how she broke into conservation working with newts at Froglife, before taking on the dream job of combatting invasive species in the far northern island of Orkney. We hear about life on this remote archipelago and of Skye her fabulous working dog. Pleas
The Expedition Leader
Ex-soldier and expedition leader Rory talks to us of the perils of RAF trousers, joining the army at 18 and rising from the ranks to become an officer, cuddling toffs on the moors, running expeditions for young people in Asia, Africa and South America, his experiences of living in Borneo, the camaraderie born of leeches and ticks, and dodging roos at dawn.Please help us grow by following on Instag
The Rhino Runner
Top good egg Lizzie Simmonds talks to us about her incredible achievements in fund raising, through marathon and ultra-marathon running and epic walks often while dressed as a rhino! We also hear of Lizzie’s other work for charity and worthy causes and about an extraordinarily altruistic decision she made. To support Liz on her latest epic feat of fundraising please visit https://www.justgiving.co
The Library Music Composer
Diogo talks to us about getting started in Dave Stewart’s kitchen, the correct music for penis-shaped pasta, prising royalties out of Italy, being urban (but not that urban), forays into gangsta rap with Spoonface, recording orchestras in Budapest and Prague, the pecking order of composing, marrying into rock royalty, and hanging out with some Beatles, doing backing vocals for U2, and failing at w
The Rugby Player
Sacha Harding talks about breaking into professional rugby, the highs and lows of his career and the skills gained from sport that have been useful in establishing his physical training company. We also talk about how the sport of rugby has or hasn’t changed, both in terms of its surrounding culture and in the way the game is played. We also hear his thoughts on who should captain the British Lion
The TV Producer
Jane Lloyd talks about rising from runner to be a top award-winning TV producer. She chats about working with documentary-maker Asif Kapadia, trying to hide Roger Moore, being pestered by U2 and The Coors, supermodel seaweed, Noemi Campbell being lovely, accidents in remote Portugal, working with Taylor Swift, chasing Madonna down a beach in a golf buggy, and the Bulgarian New York.Please al
The English Language Podcaster
For 15 years Luke's English Podcast has been helping people from around the globe learn English, and currently has over 1,000 episodes. The talent Luke has for teaching English in a funny and engaging manner is reflected in the huge number of devoted followers he has around the world; at the time of recording this in early May 2024, his YouTube channel has 1.13 million subscribers.Luke talks to us
The Stunt Performer
Lucy Allen has worked as a stunt artiste for 34 years appearing in over a hundred films and TV shows, including Titanic, The World Is Not Enough, Skyfall, the Harry Potter series, Game of Thrones, Dr Who, The Batman, The Crown, Robin Hood, Hot Fuzz, and Braveheart. She talks to us about early days of striptease in Istanbul and becoming a circus performer, before getting her first stunt role on Cas
The A&R Veteran
Mike Smith, A&R man extraordinaire, was head of A&R for EMI music publishing before becoming Managing Director of Columbia Records, then Warner Chappell. Over this extraordinary career he signed an incredible roster of acts including Blur, Smashing Pumpkins, PJ Harvey, Supergrass, Arcade Fire, Manic Street Preachers, The White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, Mark Ronson, Calvin Harris, Chemical B
The Sheep Farmer
Ayrshire sheep farmer and YouTube superstar Cammy Wilson talks to us about joining the Police in Glasgow before moving home to start farming sheep, and the subsequent huge popularity of his two YouTube channels – The Sheep Game and The Shearing Season, and his podcast Fed By Farmers. Please help Aarballs Podcast grow by subscribing/following on the links below:https://www.instagram.com/aarbal
The Lifeboat Helm
Lorraine Galvin has served as an RNLI volunteer for 25 years at Wexford, Ireland, and she gives a fascinating account of her incredible service. She tells us of how a near-death experience at sea inspired her to help set up the lifeboat service at Wexford, of the scariest rescue and the confusion of too many Kellys, of dolphin rescue, of an invitation to Westminster Abbey, of her grandfather’s bra
The Interior Architect
Bev talks to us about his native Sicily, being Italian and staying calm, the 1980s – were they really so bad? –, the sexual specifications of a certain client, Japan, and delicious pasta recipes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Museum Manager
Sofia Hoas works as a Project Manager and Culture Heritage Advisor at Gotlands Museum, at Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland. She talks to us about the museum and its most popular exhibits, including Viking picture stones and hoards of buried silver, and the best ways to get kids interested in history. She also talks us through the incredible and unique mass graves of the Battle of Visby where
The Café Owner/Special Constable
Local legend and pillar of the community Libby Lionetti talks to us about growing up as an Italian in Bedford, working the door at legendary Sweetings nightclub, establishing his iconic café La Piazza, and serving as a Special Constable. We hear about national service in the Italian Air Force, chasing goats, and running the police cadets. And one day, we’ll get to the bottom of the Bruno Brookes b
The Comedian
Multi-award-winning comedian Heidi Regan talks us through comedy beginnings in Australia, early open-mic night nerves, hecklers and not judging Hereford, the correlation between Trump and Sharknado, touring support for the most wonderful man on earth, giving birth live on stage or your money back, rude Radio 4 colonialists, and Sam Campbell’s insane Edinburgh poster.You can find links to some of H
The Writer
Terence Blacker has worked as a writer for over 40 years, publishing novels, a biography, and children's books, and was a regular newspaper columnist for The Independent. He published 37 books for children, including the much-loved Ms Wiz series. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2017.Terence talks to us about riding as a jockey in his youth before moving into
The Psychotherapist
After 15 years in the police, Hannah Bailey transitioned into psychotherapy and set up Blue Light Wellbeing, offering therapy and support, particularly for those who serve or have served in the emergency services and the military.She talks here about the impact of cuts on the police force, of dealing with her own mental and physical illness, and how this led her out of policing and into psychother
The Royal Marine Commando
WO2 Alex talks to us about his 26 years in the Royal Marines. We hear about his reasons for joining, the drive that got him through selection (and naked fighting), his first deployment to Sierra Leone in 2000 where he was part of Operation Barras, his subsequent 4 tours of Afghanistan, and what a life in The Corps provides. He also answers our Old Fogey Colonel question about whether Gen Z are tou
The Visual Effects Guy
Joseph talks to us about how he got into working in VFX, on winning an Oscar and a BAFTA, and his work on Kingsman, The Jungle Book, Dr Who, Sherlock, Black Mirror, and other projects. We also talk about directors Jon Favreau, Edgar Wright, Ridley Scott, Tim Burton, and The Mystery Knob Who Cannot Be Named (can you guess who he is?). There's also discussion about Star Wars movies, the future of CG
The Hostage
Peter Moore was kidnapped in Iraq in 2007 while working as an IT consultant. He was held hostage for 2 years 7 months and 1 day, during which he was subjected to beatings and mock executions. His security protection - four British ex-soldiers with whom he was kidnapped and held captive - were all murdered. He tells us his extraordinary story, and his inspiring approach to getting on with life sinc
The TV Cook
From scandalous days as aircrew to making packed lunches for DJs in Spain, Gemma Ogston talks to us about her Brighton-based cookery business - Gem's Wholesome Kitchen , her TV appearances on Saturday Kitchen and This Morning, and her best-selling cookbooks The Self-Care Cookbook and The Healing Cookbook. We also chat about how to make a "proper" British curryhouse korma, why dahl is the best, Ter
The Nurse
Marie takes us through the past 20 years of working for the NHS, important reasons to be cheerful, how to win brownie points as a junior doctor, why cardiac surgeons are the worst, and why she can't watch Casualty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Bookshop Owner
Lockdown quizzes, zombie cupcakes and The Guv’nor, childhood dreams of being an accountant, The Firth of Forth Bridge of Tintin, A’Level retake nostalgia, a discussion of satire within Petronius’ Dinner With Tremalchio, The Gods Themselves and flatmate Andy, parking David Seaman’s car and Chelsea toe training, Brentford unpleasantness, Hungarian bible Christmas challenge; sonny, do you know where
The Helicopter Pilot
Chris Chambers spent 16 years as a pilot in the Royal Navy before leaving to set up his own property business, then returning to the helicopter cockpit for the National Police Air Service.He talks us through hallucinating while being tracked by dogs, eating the fatty meats, finding a new use for the sleeve of his best naval tunic, the perils of flying in total darkness, and rescuing hypothermic hi
The Diversity Champion
Fashion catwalk model to diversity champion in The City, Deon relates the journey from his native South Africa to modelling in the UK, before entering the world of finance where he has become an advocate for diversity and equality. As well as some parrot talk, Deon also talks of the seedy side of the modelling world, of facing bigotry in the world of finance, of the many awards he has won, and the
The Fitness Coach
Mud, melons, and burpees.....................................................................................The very wonderful Jane, a fitness coach in Hertfordshire, talks us through early days of frozen fish pub disasters, when your mum crashes your Zoom class, Californian thongs, winging aqua-aerobics in a business suit and no music, envying office jobs, and Darth Vader megaphones. Hosted on
The Vet
Celebrities' pets and the dumbest breeds.Lara takes us through her journey to becoming a veterinary cardiologist - teaching small talk to Germans, finding a snake’s heart, Obama’s titanium-toothed attack dogs, celebrity’s pets, and playing with puppies and kittens. She also talks about struggling with Yorkshire accents, the differences between working in the US and the UK, troublesome breeds and w
The Pub Historian
Britain's finest pints and punts.Pub expert Luke talks all things pubs - from listing historic pubs, his own preferences and recommendations, and the future of British pubs. He also talks us through early jobs - from paper boy to wine porter to punt chauffeur - inappropriate Buddy Holly death announcements, getting framed in a shoe shop, mysterious urns on the Cam, shady scouse backstreet Appletis
The Music Engineer
Paul Weller, Brian Eno, Robert Wyatt et al.The very wonderful Jamie J entertains us with tales of early jobs – paperboy pornography, going slow as a postie, resisting the pies in a chippie, tough guys at Bejams, and eating all the icecream at the flicks – then how he fell into sound engineering and working for Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music. There are tales of diva Americans and melted kettles in th
The Massage Therapist/Headmistress
From headmistress to head massage.How many people have started off collecting chicken eggs, then became a head mistress, then, having turned a failing primary school into a phenomenal success story, moved on to become a qualified massage therapist? Oh…really? That many people? You surprise me.Anyway, none can be so lovely as our Vicky who regales us with tales of Indian head massage, Grandma Glady
The Photographer
Kurt Cobain's broken guitar.Tim gives fascinating insights into generously allowing Ricky Gervais, Martin Freedman, Stephen Merchant, and McKenzie Crook to have their careers; Sliding Doors moments with Radiohead; life as a photographer on a local newspaper; rehearsals with The Monkeys; working for the NME; his military heritage; going on tour with bands; driving over tents at Glastonbury; photogr
The Teacher
Hiding the naughty kids from Ofsted.Secondary school teacher Ed entertains us with tales of not actually being a Man of God, joining the misfit postman gang, becoming a park groundsman, litter picking at a landfill site, dealing with Noilly Prats, Alan Partridge driving gloves and selling electronics in the Black Country, the hidden treasures to be found in a Renault Leguna boot, inspirational tea
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The Daily
