Episodes

Plastic Free July is a global movement, urging us all to do our bit for cleaner streets, oceans and communities. So, who better to talk to about the scourge of plastic in our environment, than Jason Alexander, founder of award-winning social enterprise, Rubbish Walks. In this episode, Lesley Dolphin heads over to the banks of the River Orwell to chat to Jason about the impact rubbish is having on the environment; from drinks bottles and cigarette butts to lesser-known nurdles and bio beads. Know...

This week on the Suffolk Money podcast, we’re talking about funerals. Our guest, Anne Beckett-Allen, is someone who knows the industry inside out, having started out in the family-run business when she was just 16. She is now one of the top funeral directors in the country and talks to Colin Low about her role in the family-run business, Rosedale Funeral Home. From very humble beginnings in 2004, Rosedale has gone from strength to strength and now has four funeral homes in Norfolk and three in S...

Motivated by positive ageing and the benefits of slowing down to enjoy the journey, Siobhan Daniels is leading her own retirement rebellion. In this week’s episode of Suffolk Money, Colin chats to Siobhan, a retired television and radio journalist who, in 2019 sold most of her possessions and put her old life into storage. She then hit the road in her new motorhome to begin travelling the country, defying stereotypes and spreading a positive-ageing message. As mistress of her own destiny, Siobha...

In this week’s episode of Suffolk Money podcast, Lesley Dolphin speaks to Patsy Johnson-Cisse, Managing Director of the charity Brave Futures, about the phenomenal work they do and the support they offer to young people who have had the worst start in life. Brave Futures is a support service for children and young people up to the age of 18 years who have experienced sexual abuse. They work throughout Suffolk and Norfolk, providing a safe place for children and young people to make sense of the ...

There’s just over a week to go until the Suffolk Show takes place, on Wednesday 31st May and Thursday 1st June, at Trinity Park near Ipswich. So, in this week’s episode of Suffolk Money, Colin Low is delighted to be joined by organisers John Taylor (Honorary Director) and Nick Watts (Deputy Show Director) who explain how the Show remains hugely important in bringing the community together; sharing their love of farming, the countryside and, of course, our county. John and Nick are both passionat...

In celebration of this year’s Suffolk Walking Festival (which launches on Saturday 13th May) for this week’s episode, Lesley Dolphin laces up her walking boots and takes her dog for a stroll with Festival Director, David Falk. As they walk along the banks of the River Deben, Lesley and David take in the sights and sounds of the estuary and its wildlife, whilst chatting about what makes Suffolk such a special place to walk. David explains how the Suffolk Walking Festival began back in 2008 as a m...

With a lifelong passion for everyday nature and a champion of the joy to be found from the wildlife on your doorstep, Christine Luxton (chief executive of Suffolk Wildlife Trust) is a true inspiration when it comes to the protection and future of Suffolk’s wildlife and countryside. In this week’s episode, Lesley Dolphin chats to Christine about our county’s nature charity – the only organisation dedicated to safeguarding Suffolk’s wildlife and countryside. From the cycling shed at the Trust’s HQ...

On this week’s Suffolk Money podcast, we talk about libraries and, if you haven’t been in one lately, you’ll be amazed what’s changed. Colin Low’s guest is Bruce Leeke, chief executive of Suffolk Libraries and he explains about what has happened since Suffolk Libraries became the first council library service in the country to become an independent charity. Although the main driver behind the change in 2012 was financial – with the spectre of library closures looming – Suffolk Libraries, the cha...

Best-selling author Louis de Bernières knew from the age of 12 that he was going to be a writer. But success didn’t come overnight and, in this fascinating chat with Colin Low, Louis talks about how he got to where he is now. From his early education through to university and the many varied jobs he’s taken to support his writing (including landscape gardening, carpentry and teaching) Louis has had a remarkable life. His big success came in the 90s with the publication of Captain Corelli’s Mando...

The words abandonment and destruction may seem negative to most, but not to Jake Slinn; a young Suffolk entrepreneur who has built a very successful business, disposing of unwanted or illicit cargo. Jake’s story is one of drive and resilience, and in this week’s episode of Suffolk Money he chats to Lesley Dolphin about how he saw a gap in the market for the salvage and safe disposal of abandoned products that come into our ports. Having always had a keen interest in waste and scrap, Jake took a ...

Thomas Gainsborough was one of the greatest artists of his age and is renowned throughout the world for his portrait and landscape paintings. In this week’s episode, Lesley Dolphin visits the house in Sudbury where Gainsborough was born and lived as a child, and is now a national museum and gallery. Mark Bills, Director of Gainsborough House, takes Lesley on a fascinating tour of the new-look museum, which celebrates the life and art of this treasured Suffolk artist. Lesley sees for herself the ...

In this week’s Suffolk Money podcast, Colin has a lovely chat with his new co-presenter, Lesley Dolphin, finding out about how Lesley came to live in Suffolk and her love for this special county. Having grown-up in rural Norfolk before studying at Bradford university, Lesley has now lived in Suffolk for most of her life. She joined BBC Radio Suffolk when the station launched in 1990 and has since become one of the best-known presenters in local radio. Now enjoying retirement, Lesley is doing the...

On this week’s Suffolk Money podcast, we’re delighted to welcome experienced interviewer and broadcaster, Lesley Dolphin to the team. Lesley talks to local historian Jean Macpherson all about her new book, The Felixstowe Floods of 1953 – Never to be forgotten. Although these floods are by far the biggest disaster that has ever happened to Felixstowe, it’s amazing that not many people really know about the events of that treacherous night and the devastation it caused. Even Jean, who grew up know...

In the words of David Attenborough, 'Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?' Our guest this week couldn’t agree more and, in her chat with Colin, Hannah Debnam demystifies the unusual art of taxidermy. Having always preferred the company of birds and animals, Hannah shares her life with what she describes as her ‘little zoo of live birds’. She talks to Colin about how her love for the bea...

Today, it’s something different, as we look back on some of the memorable moments from 2022. Our thanks to all the guests who joined us last year. The one thing that they’ve all had in common is that they’ve been inspiring; our contributors invariably showing huge determination and spirit to overcome the hurdles placed in their path. We are indebted to each and every one of them. Amazingly, we’ve now produced over 60 podcasts since we launched the podcast nearly two years ago now; all support by...

In our last Suffolk Money podcast of 2022, Colin Low is on location to meet the dedicated team at Ipswich-based UK charity Tools With A Mission. The warehouse is a hive of activity, as volunteers collect and refurbish a vast array of unwanted tools, before sorting them into trade kits and sending them to the developing world for livelihood creation. The group’s chief executive Mike Griffin explains how by recycling unwanted tools, not only are they able to create sustainable livelihoods that tra...

The delicate subject of divorce is the focus in the latest Suffolk Money podcast - supported by Kingsfleet - as two experts in family law talk to Colin Low about striving for resolution not confrontation. Juliet Harvey is a Legal Director at Birketts and Melanie Pilmer is a Partner at Greene & Greene and both are very experienced in helping to resolve family disputes, in the most calm, amicable and effective way possible. As members of Resolution (a community of family justice professionals who ...

By any measure, it’s been a turbulent few weeks for the economy, so for the latest Suffolk Money podcast, supported by Kingsfleet, Colin Low is joined by two experts, Adrian Game of Resolute Mortgages and Daniel Zipfel of Kingsfleet. Together they talk through the issues that have arisen over the last few weeks and months and try to assess what it all means for mortgages, pensions and savings ... ultimately stressing that it’s always good to talk, especially for the sake of your mental health. F...

In this week’s Suffolk Money podcast, Colin talks to Amanda Bloomfield about her work at the wonderful Gatehouse in Bury St Edmunds. A small, independent charity, Gatehouse is based on the western side of the town. They carry out all their projects from this building and help people not only in the nearby community, but also far and wide across other counties in the region. As Amanda explains, Gatehouse is unique because they’re always looking for different ways they can assist the community and...

For this week’s Suffolk Money podcast, Colin Low has been chatting to Olly Magnus, CEO of logistics company Magnus Group, who was recently awarded Director of the Year at the Suffolk Business Awards. Olly describes the moment he won this award as the proudest moment of his life, not least because this provides closure on a very difficult chapter of his life. Having overcome massive life challenges to get to where he is today, Olly attributes his drive for success to wanting to prove himself to t...

In this week’s episode of Suffolk Money Podcast, Colin is joined by Kate Higgs from Ormiston Families; the East of England’s leading family charity. Kate tells Colin how the charity began, when a charitable trust was created in 1969 to honour the memory of a young woman called Fiona Ormiston Murray, following her tragic death. Now known as Ormiston Families, this trust was established to help children and families in need, and has since stayed true to its vision and mission. Ormiston Families su...

In this week’s episode of Suffolk Money, Colin talks to Carole Burman, founder and owner of one of our region’s leading HR consultancies, MAD-HR. Like many great things, MAD-HR came from small beginnings, with Carole launching a new business from her kitchen table back in 2014. As Carole explains to Colin, prior to this she was in a very successful corporate HR role, but when her mother became unexpectedly ill, Carole felt compelled to rethink her working approach and spend time with her parents...

In this week’s episode of Suffolk Money, Colin talks to Carole Burman, founder and owner of one of our region’s leading HR consultancies, MAD-HR. Like many great things, MAD-HR came from small beginnings, with Carole launching a new business from her kitchen table back in 2014. As Carole explains to Colin, prior to this she was in a very successful corporate HR role, but when her mother became unexpectedly ill, Carole felt compelled to rethink her working approach and spend time with her parents...

In this week’s episode of Suffolk Money, Colin talks to Carole Burman, founder and owner of one of our region’s leading HR consultancies, MAD-HR. Like many great things, MAD-HR came from small beginnings, with Carole launching a new business from her kitchen table back in 2014. As Carole explains to Colin, prior to this she was in a very successful corporate HR role, but when her mother became unexpectedly ill, Carole felt compelled to rethink her working approach and spend time with her parents...