Hearts and Handlebars is a school‑run parenting podcast recorded in real time on a Dutch cargo bike. BBC foreign correspondent and mum Anna Holligan and her nine‑year‑old daughter Zena share unscripted, honest conversations on the way to school – about parenting, work–life balance, kids’ emotions and everyday family life in The Hague.

No studio, no scripts: just curious, real‑time, relatable and often messy chats from the bike lane. Follow @heartsandhandlebars for a ride‑along reminder that showing up exactly as you are is already enough.

.

Zena limps to school. Mum skips shower to save time. Join the morning chaos, hit follow, and ride along for imperfect routines, parenting moments, and everyday observations from the bike lane.

A frantic Dutch school run, a mum with 47% battery, and a daughter who turns a damp December bike ride into a conversation about fireworks bans, conscience and the pink‑and‑blue winter sky. In this pilot episode of Hearts and Handlebars, journalist Anna and her Year 5 co‑host Zena race to make the gates on time, talk about kids leaving early for cheaper flights, and wonder what it means to “do the right thing” when term‑time rules and real life collide.​

You’ll hear real‑time faff — ugly caps, wobbly bike locks, dog wrangling and bakery FOMO — alongside big feelings about growing up, seasonal school parties and that strange in‑between stage of being not‑quite‑primary, not‑quite‑secondary. If your own mornings feel more chaos than green‑juice‑at‑5am, this is your invite to ride along and remember that showing up exactly as you are is more than enough.​

In this episode Anna prepares to visit a newborn to report on Dutch kraamzorg for the BBC, reflects on Zena's dramatic birth and reveals how a tragic air disaster still touches their lives — a reminder that imperfect routines and showing up are more than enough.

A chaotic school‑run parenting chat from our Dutch cargo bike in The Hague, about kids’ privacy and boundaries, sneaking toys into school and the unexpected magic of Dutch cycling culture.

It’s raining, Zena has forgotten her beloved troll, and on this real‑time ride we’re plotting something sneaky while talking about privacy, trust, acting and parenting. We cover why Zena refuses to let me tell the parent WhatsApp group about annoying kids, and what happens when a nine‑year‑old draws the boundary instead.

We get into “Operation Troll Smuggle” – a real‑time plan to sneak a toy into school in a snack box – and an 80‑year‑old woman cycling fast through the rain, as we ask why Dutch cycling infrastructure keeps people mobile for their whole lives. There’s ACT School (Zena’s idea for a theatre‑school project), why acting builds imagination and confidence, and why losing your special troll is genuinely important when you’re a kid – especially if your parent actually listens.

Between meeting friends at statues, forgotten homework and making it all work anyway, this is a ride‑along for anyone who’s ever snuck something into school, wondered why Dutch people still cycle in impossible weather, or wanted to hear what happens when a child changes a parenting conversation by saying “no”.

🎧 Tap follow, share with a friend who gets school‑run chaos, and come say hi on Instagram @heartsandhandlebars.