The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast is brought to you by:

True Tone Media – Business video without the cringe.
https://truetonemedia.carrd.co/

Rob Francis is Vice Chair and Treasurer of the Bishop’s Stortford History Society, which now has more than 100 members and runs monthly talks on the town’s past. In this conversation, he talks through the society’s role in launching Bishop’s Stortford’s official blue plaque initiative.

The idea began after Rob visited other towns and realised Bishop’s Stortford had no official plaques marking the people who shaped its history. Working alongside the History Society, the Town Council, the Civic Federation and the museum, the group secured funding, gathered public input and commissioned the first plaques.

Rob explains how the first five names were chosen, why those individuals mattered, and how the project is intended to create something more permanent than a one-off talk or event. The episode also opens a wider window into the town’s past, from the Stort Navigation to the families, industries and institutions that helped shape Bishop’s Stortford over time.

Website
www.bishopsstortfordhistorysociety.org.uk/

“Treat yourself!”

Rob says this message is aimed at the older generation in town. His view is that many people contribute quietly to the community and deserve to stop, enjoy themselves, and have a little treat.

The Firs

Rob highlights The Firs as one of his favourite walks into town, especially for the trees, birdsong and sense of calm. He also points out its historical link to Sir Walter Gilbey.

Castle Park volunteers

Rob shines a light on the volunteers connected to Castle Park, praising the work they do in all weathers and encouraging more people to cross the road, visit the park and appreciate what has been created there.

You can support The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast through The Giving Lottery.

Every ticket helps fund equipment, recording time, and the ongoing work of telling local stories while also supporting good causes.

Support here:
https://www.givinglottery.org.uk/support/bishops-stortford-community-podcast-cic

The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast is brought to you by:

Takeley Chiropractic – Helping local families move better, feel better, and live pain-free through expert chiropractic care.
https://www.takeleychiropractic.co.uk/

Lindsey Williams is part of the team behind Townhouse Ceramics, a ceramic studio and art space that opened in Bishop’s Stortford at the end of October. Based in a converted townhouse in the middle of town, it offers ceramics classes, art classes and a space for adults to reconnect with creativity.

The idea grew out of Lindsey’s own journey into pottery after years working in IT, and from a community that first came together through classes with local potter Trevor Allen. After his sudden death, that group kept going, and eventually the idea emerged to create something permanent in town. The result is a studio that feels both personal and practical, giving people somewhere to learn new skills, meet others and make things with their hands.

In this conversation, Lindsey talks about the appetite for creative space in Bishop’s Stortford, with more than 300 people already through the doors since opening. She reflects on why so many adults drift away from creative hobbies, and why pottery and art can offer calm, focus and a break from the noise of daily life. She also shares what is coming next, from one-off pottery sessions to watercolour, lino cutting and specialist ceramic masterclasses.

Website
https://townhouseceramics.co.uk/

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/townhouseceramics

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/TownhouseCeramics

Email
[email protected]

“Find a new hobby, learn new skills”

A message aimed at adults who may have drifted away from creative interests and need a reminder that it is never too late to start again.

Cafe Dada- https://www.instagram.com/cafedada

Lindsey highlights Cafe Dada on North Street as a favourite local place, praising the team, the food and coffee, and the feeling of being known when they remember your order.

AbFab Fit Club - https://www.instagram.com/abfabfitclub

Lindsey gives a mention to AbFab Fit Club for the community it creates and the support it offers women looking to get fitter and feel better.

Loyal Candles - https://www.loyalcandles.com/

Adam at Loyal Candles and says she would love to collaborate with the business in future.

You can support The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast through The Giving Lottery.

Support here:
https://www.givinglottery.org.uk/support/bishops-stortford-community-podcast-cic

The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast is brought to you by:

Takeley Chiropractic – Helping local families move better, feel better, and live pain-free through expert chiropractic care.
https://www.takeleychiropractic.co.uk/

Jas Bahra is an audiologist and the founder of Your Hearing Clinic, an independent private hearing care practice based in Stansted, just outside Bishop’s Stortford. After spending around 15 years working in Harley Street, she has brought that experience closer to home, offering a wide range of hearing and ear care services for local people.

In this conversation, Jas explains why hearing health is still too often overlooked. While most people accept the need for regular trips to the dentist or optician, hearing checks are often delayed until there is already a problem. She talks about the stigma that still surrounds hearing aids, the way modern devices have changed, and why untreated hearing loss can affect far more than just your ears.

The episode also touches on children’s hearing, glue ear, noise exposure, headphones, live music and the long-term impact of everyday listening habits. It is a practical and accessible conversation about a part of health many people rarely think about until it starts affecting daily life.

Website
https://www.yourhearingclinic.co.uk/

“When did you get your last hearing checked”

A direct message to the wider public, encouraging people to treat hearing health as something worth checking before problems become harder to ignore.

Home and Eat https://www.homeandeat.com/

Jas highlights Home and Eat for its unusual mix of homeware, café culture and events. She describes it as a unique local spot with real character.

TouchPoint - https://www.thetouchpoint.org/

Jas gives a shoutout to TouchPoint in Stansted for its community wellbeing work, including Foodshare, community walks, café support and help for people who may be lonely or new to the area.

You can support The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast through The Giving Lottery.

Every ticket helps fund equipment, recording time, and the ongoing work of telling local stories while also supporting good causes.

Support here:
https://www.givinglottery.org.uk/support/bishops-stortford-community-podcast-cic

The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast is brought to you by:

Takeley Chiropractic – Helping local families move better, feel better, and live pain-free through expert chiropractic care.
https://www.takeleychiropractic.co.uk/

Craig Hoare is Sales and Marketing Manager for Toro UK Limited, based in Spellbrook. While the business now sits within the wider Toro group, it still manufactures Hayter mowers on the same site where Doug Hayter started the company back in 1946. In 2026, the business is marking its 80th anniversary.

In this conversation, Craig reflects on the heritage of Hayter and the role the factory still plays locally, from manufacturing and warehousing through to research, development and engineering. He talks about the balance between keeping the character of a long-standing British brand while benefiting from the investment and backing of a larger parent company.

The episode also looks ahead. Craig explains how battery technology, automation and sustainability are shaping the future of groundcare equipment, while also pointing to the skills and trades that remain vital. It is a useful reminder that behind a familiar local name is a business designing, building and testing products for customers far beyond Bishop’s Stortford.

Website
https://www.hayter.co.uk/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/haytermowers

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/haytermowers/

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-toro-company/

BBC iPlayer
Inside the Factory

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002qwyl/inside-the-factory-series-10-lawnmowers

“Someone please build a hotel in Bishop's Stortford”

Craig’s message is aimed at anyone with the power to make it happen. He says the town is missing a hotel in the centre, which makes it harder to host visiting customers and guests despite everything else Bishop’s Stortford has to offer.

Pircio - https://www.pirciorestaurant.com/

Craig says it is one of his favourite places in town and the first choice when taking customers or visitors out. He highlights the food, the atmosphere and the fact it always feels lively without being impossible to get a table.

The Welbeloved Club thewelbelovedclub.com

Craig highlights The Wellbeing Club in Sawbridgeworth, which is Toro UK’s charity of the year. He points to the support it gives older people through day sessions, activities and opportunities for company, especially for those who might otherwise feel isolated.

You can support The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast through The Giving Lottery.

Support here:
https://www.givinglottery.org.uk/support/bishops-stortford-community-podcast-cic

The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast is brought to you by:

Takeley Chiropractic – Helping local families move better, feel better, and live pain-free through expert chiropractic care.
https://www.takeleychiropractic.co.uk/

Stuart Trow is a financial columnist, personal financial coach and author based in the Bishop’s Stortford area. His latest book, Young Poor and Totally Screwed, explores how economic policy and long-term structural decisions have left younger generations facing weaker wages, fewer opportunities, and a much harder path to building a stable life.

In this conversation, Stuart talks through the gap between how economics is often discussed in theory and how it plays out in real life. He reflects on wage stagnation, housing, youth unemployment, investment, and the pressures facing younger workers as AI and automation begin to reshape the labour market again.

The episode is broad in scope but grounded in practical concerns. Stuart argues that if the UK wants a fairer future, it has to invest properly in its young people, its infrastructure and its productivity, rather than relying on short-term fixes or headline-grabbing policy ideas.

Website
www.stuarttrow.com

Financial coaching
pensionman.co.uk

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/stuart.trow/

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-trow-71786915/
Young Poor and Totally Screwed on Amazon

https://amzn.eu/d/0cDGTXfe

“Invest in our youth”

A message aimed at anyone shaping the future, from policymakers to parents, with a warning that failing younger generations will store up bigger problems later on.

The countryside around Bishop’s Stortford, including villages and pubs such as The Catherine Wheel in Albury

Stuart highlights the wider area around the town and the value of being able to step out into the countryside and enjoy the villages, pubs and green space nearby.

Chris Hinchliff MP, Michael and Donna Ring

Stuart gives a mention to Chris Hinchliff for his support of rural life, local schools and environmental issues.

He also highlights Michael and Donna Ring for the quiet work they do through their karate club, helping young people build confidence and discipline over many years.

You can support The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast through The Giving Lottery.

Every ticket helps fund equipment, recording time, and the ongoing work of telling local stories while also supporting good causes.

Support here:
https://www.givinglottery.org.uk/support/bishops-stortford-community-podcast-cic

Fashion & Fizz Tickets available here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/grovecottage/2068656

Mina Pandya and Claire Causton return to the podcast to talk about Fashion and Fizz, a fundraising evening in support of Grove Cottage. The event brings together local businesses, volunteers and supporters for a night centred around fashion, hospitality and community, with funds going towards the charity’s work with children and adults with learning disabilities and complex additional needs.

Grove Cottage is marking 60 years in Bishop’s Stortford and has recently opened its new building, bringing its services together under one roof for the first time. In that context, the event feels like both a celebration and a fundraiser, with local boutiques, suppliers and volunteers all contributing their time and expertise.

Claire explains how the evening has been put together, from venue and styling through to photography, DJ, catering and interactive shopping. Mina reflects on the wider support surrounding Grove Cottage and the way local people and businesses continue to show up when needed. The episode also becomes a wider conversation about the town itself, with both guests highlighting the businesses, projects and local figures they believe deserve more attention.

Fashion and Fizz tickets
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/grovecottage/2068656

Cafe Thyme https://www.instagram.com/cafethyme_/
Mina gives a heartfelt mention to Hannah at Cafe Thyme after the business was broken into again. She describes Hannah as part of the heart of Bishop’s Stortford and encourages people to go in, support her, and show some love.

Bailey Hills Estate https://www.instagram.com/baileyhillswine/
Claire says she is rooting for Bailey Hills, praising the atmosphere, the venue, and the wine. She sees it as something different for Bishop’s Stortford and a place that adds to the town’s appeal.

Save Water Lane Hall https://www.facebook.com/groups/1327583637996526
Mina highlights the campaign to save and restore Water Lane Hall, saying the building now needs practical support, fundraising and local expertise to bring it back into use for the community.

Richard Townsend and Hammond & Smith
Mina suggests Mayor Richard Townsend, saying he has a strong overview of what is happening in the town and is a great supporter of Grove Cottage. She also recommends the team at Hammond & Smith, describing them as community-focused, charity-minded and full of personality.

Katie from ThisIsBS.CM23
Claire suggests Katie, who runs the This Is BS CM23 Instagram page, for the way she consistently supports and spotlights local businesses across the town.

You can support The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast through The Giving Lottery.
https://www.givinglottery.org.uk/support/bishops-stortford-community-podcast-cic

The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast is brought to you by:

Takeley Chiropractic – Helping local families move better, feel better, and live pain-free through expert chiropractic care.
https://www.takeleychiropractic.co.uk/

Dr Graeme Smith is part of Friends of Water Lane Hall, the group campaigning to save and restore the old hall tucked behind Waitrose car park in the centre of Bishop’s Stortford. After years of uncertainty around the site and the threat of demolition as part of the Old River Lane development, the project has now moved into a new phase.

Following a public vote in which more than 80% of respondents backed saving the hall as an arts and community venue, East Herts District Council has indicated it is prepared to transfer the building to the group, subject to conditions around progress and fundraising. That means the campaign has shifted from protecting the hall to proving it can be brought back into use.

waterlanehall.org

[email protected]

Graeme and the Friends of Water Lane Hall are looking for volunteers prepared to roll their sleeves up in:

• Fundraising - large and small - to help us get to our funding targets of over £3M
• Project Management - planning, tracking - strategic, and also from a construction perspective to help us organise ourselves and our renovation project
• Architects - to help vision and plan our future Arts Centre
• Surveyors - to help plan and sequence the building work
• Tradespeople - to help re-wire, re-plumb, fix the roof, fix the drains etc
• Web Support - to develop and host a new home page and updates for the hall
• Social media support - to help us on our communications and messaging
• Lawyers - to help us form the CIC / CIO, set up our purchase agreement with EHDC, set up hiring contracts with users of the hall
• Accountants - to help us pull the books together, track income/costs, set up bank accounts
• Book Keepers - to help us keep on top of our finances
• Business Planners - to keep and maintain our business plan up to date and ensure we are following the plan
• Compliance - to ensure that we are doing things by the book and have the necessary controls in place to manage multi-million pounds of funding.
• Designers - for leaflets and posters and a new logo

Bishop’s Stortford Independent

Graeme says he is rooting for the Bishop’s Stortford Independent and encourages more people to support it. He talks about the value of local independent journalism and why communities often only realise what they have once it is gone. https://www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/

Thorley Lane East Woods Action Group

Graeme highlights the group for protecting local woodland from development pressure. He points to their success in pushing back against planning applications and says these kinds of small, community-led action groups matter because they stand up for places people care about.

Jill Gill
Thorley Lane East Woods Action Group

Paul Winspear

Bishop's Stortford Independent

The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast is brought to you by:

True Tone Media – Business video without the cringe.
https://truetonemedia.carrd.co/

Chris Ford is a Bishop’s Stortford-based 3D visualiser who creates CGI imagery for office design projects, mainly for clients in and around London. After working in the industry for more than a decade, he set up his own business two years ago and is now building it from his base in town.

His work helps design and build companies bring office concepts to life before anything is physically built. Working closely with designers, he turns finishes, layouts, furniture and lighting into realistic visual images that help clients understand what a space could become.

In this conversation, Chris talks about how he found his way into the industry, what the job actually involves, and how AI is beginning to reshape the future of 3D visualisation. He also shares why he wants to grow the business locally and open up opportunities for junior talent from Bishop’s Stortford and the surrounding area.

www.untoldcgi.com

https://www.instagram.com/untoldcgi/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/untoldcgi-ltd/

“Back Bishop's Stortford, back local businesses”

A message aimed at local residents and businesses, encouraging more people to support independent businesses in town.

Chris highlights the walk near St James at Thorley as a peaceful local route with personal meaning, as it is also where he got married.

Everyone

Chris gives a nod to the wider local community, saying everyone deserves a pat on the back for keeping going when things are tough.

You can support The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast through The Giving Lottery.

Every ticket helps fund equipment, recording time, and the ongoing work of telling local stories while also supporting good causes.

Support here:
https://www.givinglottery.org.uk/support/the-bishops-stortford-community-podcast

The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast is brought to you by:

True Tone Media – Business video without the cringe.
https://truetonemedia.carrd.co/

Julie Creffield works across business strategy, innovation, consulting, speaking and writing, while also working as an Innovation Director supporting companies inside one of the UK’s largest innovation-space providers. Her work sits where practical business problems meet new technology.

In this conversation, she explains why many businesses are approaching AI the wrong way. Rather than chasing tools, she argues that business owners should start with the everyday frustrations in their work, the tasks that waste time, drain energy, or create unnecessary friction, and solve those first.

The episode also explores the human side of technology. Julie talks about trust, accountability, and why in-person relationships still matter in a world increasingly shaped by AI. She also shares the thinking behind her latest book, You, Me and Chat GPT, which looks at what remains distinctly human as more expertise gets handed over to machines.

JulieCreffield.com

You, Me and Chat GPT on Amazon

“Let’s all just be a bit kinder.”

A message for everyone in town.

Bishop’s Stortford Museum in Southmill

Julie highlights it as a fascinating local place that deserves more attention.

Between the Wines

Julie gives them a mention for creating a welcoming book club that brings people together in different places around Bishop’s Stortford. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1597673440389840/

You can support The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast through The Giving Lottery.

Every ticket helps fund equipment, recording time, and the ongoing work of telling local stories while also supporting good causes.

Support here:
https://www.givinglottery.org.uk/support/the-bishops-stortford-community-podcast

The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast is brought to you by:

True Tone Media – Business video without the cringe.
https://truetonemedia.carrd.co/

Ilaria Pareto is a high-performance coach based in Bishop’s Stortford who helps ambitious women build successful businesses without burning themselves out.

Originally from Italy and now living locally for around 20 years, Ilaria works with female founders who already have established businesses but feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unable to grow in a sustainable way.

In this episode, Ilaria shares how losing a corporate role during the pandemic led her to fully step into coaching, and why she focuses specifically on supporting women who are balancing ambition, business growth, and family life.

She explains how coaching differs from consulting or advice, the importance of learning to trust your own instincts in business, and why many founders unknowingly become the bottleneck in their own growth.

Ilaria also reflects on the strong sense of community among small business owners in Bishop’s Stortford and how collaboration and networking have played an important role in her journey.

Website:
https://www.glisteningcoaching.co.uk/

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/glisteningcoaching/

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilaria-pareto/

Stortford Spotlight

Billboard in Jackson Square

“What would I do if I wasn’t my best?”

A reminder to pause, shift perspective, and approach challenges from the mindset of your best possible self.

Secret Spot

Unique Hair Design – A long-standing family-run hair salon in Bishop’s Stortford known for its warm atmosphere, great coffee, and genuine care for clients and the local community. https://uniquehairdressing.com/

Local Legends

Karen and The Residence Co-Working – Creating a welcoming space in town where entrepreneurs, freelancers and small business owners can work, collaborate and build community together. https://theresidencecoworking.co.uk/

Support the Podcast

You can support The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast through The Giving Lottery.

Every ticket helps fund equipment, recording time, and the ongoing work of telling local stories while also supporting good causes.

Support here:
https://www.givinglottery.org.uk/support/the-bishops-stortford-community-podcast