Days

It's Star Wars Day, and Ian and Amanda are back in the studio after a 3-year hiatus, ready to geek out. Ian unleashes his inner nerd, while Amanda gamely dons Princess Leia buns. The duo welcomes special guest Quizmaster 3000, a Star Wars trivia bot, who puts their knowledge to the test. May the Fourth be with them!

Episode Links

1. Our previous episode from June 2021: International Day of Yoga
2. Star Wars Day
3. QuizMaster 3000, available for you to use if you subscribe to ChatGPT Plus
4. The Star Wars Saga: Introducing Machete Order
5. Phineas and Ferb Star Wars episode, including my favourite number from the show "In The Empire"
6. The pink Motorola Razr, and the much less pink Star Trek communicator.

After some initial confusion on Ian’s part, the crew gets together with Yoga teacher and all-round awesome person Marie Burns to celebrate the UN’s International Day of Yoga. Marie explains how anyone who can breathe can do yoga, Amanda explains why she used to like playing Sleeping Lions, and Ian makes some rash promises.

Episode Links

• Yoga with Marie, where you can sign up for her amazing classes - remote or local!
• UN International Day of Yoga
• Yoga music by Ian, with special guest vocals from George, and inspiration from the Ilkley train.

Links

• Swastika stone
• "Tell them of us"
• iPhone Ordnance Survey app
• Golf balls at RAF Menwith Hill

It’s Mole Day, and Ian & Amanda have to figure out which of the many meanings of the word “mole” they are supposed to be celebrating. Fortunately, scientist Dr Anna Watson from CHEM Trust is there to help. The resulting conversation contains almost no moles, but does have some top tips for keeping Bad Chemicals at bay.

Links

• CHEM Trust, where Anna works.
• The weight of a mole of water, a mole of alcohol, and of the animal.

Links to more information on the harmful chemicals and substances mentioned in the episode:

• New investigation finds harmful PFAS chemicals in UK food packaging (CHEM Trust)
• Briefing on parabens (Breast Cancer UK)

It's World Postcard Day, and Ian and Amanda talk to John Sheehan from Ghost Postcards, who tells some great stories about old postcards, and shares how he has been able to reunite some of them with the relatives of their original senders and recipients. So have a listen, send a postcard for World Postcard Day, and if you haven't received one for a while then... well we have that covered too! Listen to find out more.

• The World Postcard Day website, and their Official Postcard.
• Links for Ghost Postcards:
  • John's first postcard, from his Ghost Postcards Origin Story.
  • Other postcards referenced including The Evolutions and the Mirror Writing postcards one, two and three.
  • The mysterious Spy Postcard.
  • Ghost Postcards on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
• Ian's Grandad on a Tower of London postcard.
• Postcard from the Past Twitter account
• Pete Doyle on Twitter
• Hartleys Auctioneers and Valuers in Ilkley

Arrrr me hearties, it's International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Ian and Amanda get a whole new perspective on pirates from special guest Alex Barker from Be More Pirate. They talk about causing good trouble, challenging the status quo, and why we think pirates sound like that. Arrrr.

• Be More Pirate by Sam Conniff
• How To: Be More Pirate by Alex Barker and Sam Conniff
• Be More Pirate website.
• Robert Newton on IMDB and playing Long John Silver in the 1950 movie version of Treasure Island.

It’s Roald Dahl Day, and Ian and Amanda are celebrating in the Grove Bookshop in Ilkley, with manager Mike Sansbury. Amanda shows off her vintage book collection, Ian explains why he spends so much time in the loo, and Mike tells us which Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film is the best.

Links

• 1970s cover for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as owned by Amanda.
• Episode of Jackanory from 1974 featuring Kenneth Williams
• Find The Grove Bookshop on the web, and like and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Ian & Amanda celebrate International Bacon Day, and are joined once again by Farmer Jan from Muckleton Meats who schools them in how to cook a full English breakfast.

Links

• Pershore Plum Festival
• Mastication
• Homeground Podcast - Kendal
• Muckleton Meats

In this mini-episode, Ian and Amanda's banana splits are judged and found wanting.

Links

• Banana split
• Silly time lapse video of Amanda and Ian making banana splits

In this bumper episode, Amanda and Ian have a wide ranging conversation with photographer Mark Waddington, who picks just one of his shots to share for World Photography Day, where we are all encouraged to share a single photo with a simple purpose: to share our world with the world.

Links

• World Photography Day
• Flickr - almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world
• Mark Waddington on Flickr
• Ian on Flickr
• Mamiya C330 Twin Lens Reflex Camera
• Five Times Bigger Than Full Frame at a Fraction of the Cost: The Mamiya RB67
• Heber’s Ghyll Waterfall by Mark Waddington
• How to Use Ansel Adams’ Zone System in the Digital World | Fstoppers•
• Cyanotypes
• Ilkley Toned Cyanotype by Mark Waddington