Mushrooms, rose hips and elderberries all feature in this week’s podcast. Rupert Waites of Buck and Birch came into the pod to talk about his great love of the outdoors larder we have on our doorsteps. With Marysia, he explains his journey into foraging and the base of his business. You will be inspired to look at Mother Nature differently.  For more information please visit the Buck and Birch website.  For safety information and guides to foraging, please visit the NatureScot website before venturing out.

I wonder if our listeners have any idea about the number of different species of whales and dolphins we have around our coastline. It is a lot more than we would probably imagine. In this podcast Pippa Garrard, Education Manager for the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust talks to David about the amazing work and research they carry out. David was highly amused by the fact that some of these animals are known to the trust and even have been given pet names and can be easily identified by individual characteristics. Wonder if the animals also recognise the staff! You can follow the work of the Trust at: www.hwdt.org

Or check their Facebook page for loads more interesting information.

In this week’s podcast, Dr Helen Taylor of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland talks about the Pine hoverfly. It’s only found in a small patch of the Cairngorms. It’s an endangered species and the subject of a restoration project which involves breeding the pine hoverflies in captivity. As you will hear, it’s no small task and there is some good news. It’s a fascinating story right on our doorstep. You can find out more details at the RZSS website.

Have you ever wondered what type of music your pet likes to listen to? Does your dog or cat prefer classical or rock? Gilly Mendes Ferreira from the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals explains  how they are using music to destress animals while they are in their care. You will also hear Gilly telling David about the society's education and digital learning programmes. Find out about the launch of an exciting new website called Animal WISE.

Have you got a moose in the hoose? Or need help with your computer?  Iain Couper from the Edinburgh based charity ACE IT came into the pod to tell Maria all about their work bringing IT coaching for the over 50s. It’s a valuable service for people who may be hesitant about going online. Iain has lots of information, help to offer and a few stories to tell about their successes. 

For more details you can

visit their website.

Or call their helpline 07737 738551

Or even email them [email protected]

Ever wondered about audio books? Ken Reid is an avid reader, blind and knows a lot about different types of audio books for the visually impaired. He gives us a quick guide to different options and with the help of mum Barbara and Jenny Agutter paints a very informative picture. For more information - the RNIB Helpline is 0303 123 9999 and there are these excellent sites to visit.

RNIB Books

Calibre Audio Books

Daisy Audio Books

The Children and Young People’s Commissioner’s main function is to promote and protect the rights of children and young people in Scotland. But what does the Commissioner actually do?  Who appoints the Commissioner? What do children and young people want? The Commissioner is Bruce Adamson and he kindly came into the pod to explain what his day job involves and answer some questions. It is a wide range of activities, interests and answers - you will be surprised as David finds out the details.

For more details - please visit Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland website.

The Retirement and Amenity Tenants Forum met on Wednesday 9 September online. Quite a few issues were discussed and we were fortunate enough to get David the Forum Chair and Anna from Castle Rock to give us a report from the meeting. Maria asked the tough questions. 

If you would like to contact David directly - his email is [email protected]

How do we keep safe in our homes? How do you charge your mobile phone safely? Do fire engines always gleam? And is there a special person firefighters always keep an eye out for?  In this episode Ruth talk to Watch Commander Elliot Whitson who is the Local Area Liaison Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and she gets answers. Elliot passes on some useful information on how to stay safe. The links are all below and the answers are all in the podcast.  

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Register My Appliance

Electrical Safety First

Bruce is a well kent face on the comedy circuit both here in Scotland and internationally. Currently his YouTube videos ( watch them here ), with their unique take on Scottish history, are receiving rave reviews. In this podcast David finds out about Bruce’s background and what sparked his interest in comedy. It is fair to say there isn’t a dull moment in this chat.