1063 Diary Entry – Goodbye Skype Transcript

So, it’s official: Skype is shutting down.

I stared at the announcement for a few seconds longer than necessary, then exhaled — that kind of slow, quiet sigh you make when something ends that you didn’t realise you still cared about.

For most people, it’s probably no big deal. They’ve moved on to Zoom or Teams or whatever platform makes sense now. But for me — for those of us who started teaching English online before it was trendy, before the world locked down and “virtual” became normal — Skype wasn’t just software. It was a classroom. It was a lifeline. It was my job, my tiny digital schoolhouse, open to the world.

I taught my first Skype lesson in 2012. A teenager in Turkey, nervous and excited, who called me “teacher” with such reverence I didn’t know where to look. My first webcam lesson. My first shared screen. My first time realising: this works. This really works.

What followed were thousands of hours of teaching — sometimes in pyjamas, often with tea, occasionally with a cat walking across the keyboard. I taught kids in Moscow and doctors in Seoul, Korea. I had early mornings with Brazil and late nights with Japan. Skype turned my living room into a little United Nations of hope and grammar and laughter.

Skype was glitchy. The audio would cut out mid-sentence. Students would freeze with their mouths open and eyes closed. We’d spend ten minutes just trying to hear each other. But somehow, that made it more human. Less polished. More real.

I remember one adult learner from Syria who practised his job interview with me every week. I remember the quiet teenager from Spain who barely spoke for three months, then suddenly recited a poem. I remember a student in Ukraine during a blackout, sitting in near darkness, reading from a worksheet lit only by candlelight. All of it over Skype while she worried about her pet tortoise.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was personal.

In the early days, there were no fancy scheduling apps or built-in whiteboards. I used Word docs, email attachments, the “share screen” button like it was magic. We worked with what we had. And what we had… was enough.

Skype made language learning intimate. One-on-one, face-to-face, across oceans and time zones. Sometimes I’d be the first English speaker someone ever had a full conversation with. Sometimes we didn’t even finish the lesson — we’d just talk, about life, about dreams, about homesickness or hopes or how to pronounce “though.”

And now, it’s ending.

I opened it one last time this morning. The icon still sitting there on my desktop like a relic. Same soft blue. My old status still set to “Available.” My contact list — dozens of names, now silent. I scrolled through old chats. Homework links. Encouraging words. The occasional “Thank you, teacher. I passed.”

It’s strange, mourning a piece of software. But I think what I’m really mourning is the era it represents. The beginning. When this whole online teaching thing was new and exciting and fragile. When Skype was the bridge between strangers who wanted to learn and teachers who wanted to help.

I still teach, of course. On other platforms, with better tools and smoother tech. But nothing else has felt quite like Skype did. It was imperfect, yes. But it let me teach from anywhere, and let my students learn from anywhere, and that — that still feels like magic.

So here’s to Skype.

You brought the world into my home.
You introduced me to hundreds of people I never would have met.
You helped me grow into the teacher I am now.

Thank you.
You did good.

1062 The History of LBC Radio (podcast transcript)

Hi, everyone. Welcome again to another Teacher Joseph podcast….

…and today, we’re going to look at the history of LBC radio, now LBC… I’m always telling you all that you should listen to LBC because it’s a natural flowing radio station.

It’s a call-in 24 hour service where anyone can call them and discuss anything that they want. So Leading Britain’s Conversation is LBC radio. It wasn’t always like that. When I was a boy listening to LBC, it was the London Broadcasting Company and it wasn’t even national. It was just a London radio station. It’s very influential and and it’s kind of evolved into a national platform for people to have their views but of course, you know the kinds of people who call radio stations during the night are always a little bit strange. So some of the opinions that come up aren’t always reflecting how the people feel but its history reflects the changing landscape of British radio, shifting away from the very posh, uptight BBC “Hello” into something much more usable and practical because up until 1990, in any radio station in the UK you had to have the Queen’s English, whereas now anybody can produce a programme on radio if they are employed to do so. It doesn’t matter what they sound like, as long as they sound fairly clear. LBC was launched on October the 8th, 1973. Apparently it was the first legal commercial radio station in the UK. Well, I’m not sure about that because I know Radio Clyde here in Scotland was also launched around that time. I’d have to check to see which one was actually first. Yeah, in those days we had AM and FM.. and to be honest with you, I think I might be buying a radio after the power failure in Spain last week. I want to make sure I have one just in case …

I remember it’s early presenters Douglas Cameron, Bob Holness. Oh, they had very, very Polish accents. Yes. “Hello yes. LBC here”. Yes, very unlike today and it also pioneered the use of rolling news because it set up some kind of news service that other radio stations could use. They… they kind of like all joined LBC on the hour for the news through a service which was called the Independent Radio News network. Very interesting. However, with LBC, its journey with radio wasn’t always smooth. There was a time when it had financial difficulties and it was sold off to different companies and was split up but eventually I think it reformed and regrouped back into one station… very interesting though, if you like radio as I do, it’s fascinating thing.

…and then in 1996, it actually lost its licence, because here you have to bid money to operate a radio station…if you want to be on air in our AM and FM spectrum and they lost their licence and I don’t know exactly how they got it back. I know it was rebranded as News Direct and then (in)2003 I think it came back again, but it had been bought over again by that point by Chrysalis Radio and they decided to make it just 24 hour call-in.

Then it was bought by Global Media, which its owned by today. They have a lovely app. If you download the Media app, Global, you can see and hear all kinds of podcasts from all of their radio stations. They have dozens of the things. It’s really exciting if you like British accents and Global also own Capital Radio, Heart, Radio, Classic FM. Oh, there’s tons of them… tons. Yeah, I think in 2014 they changed from being London only into a national broadcaster yeah, so they they were known as the London Broadcasting Company, then they became London’s Biggest Conversation. Then they became Leading Britain’s Conversation but we were all listening to them online anyway. I mean, it was known that it was one of the best. People like me who enjoy English media, I used to listen to them all the time and many people do.

So it became the UK’s first National talk radio station. But again, I would dispute that because there was one before. Which didn’t last long. I think it was….. It eventually became a sport radio station, but it used to have a 24 hour call-in and I can’t remember the name. Of it but I don’t think LBC was Britain’s fast National Call-in station. I could be wrong.. If you don’t know it…. It has names like Nick Ferrari, James O’Brien very very well known people. And yes, they’re always interviewing prime ministers and these these kind of people. And so yeah, it’s a vital part of the UK’s media ecosystem that has space for robust debate, critical journalism. Participation. Yeah. So if you’re looking for a radio station today to be listening to, I do recommend LBC.

These days there’s probably lots of commentary about war celebrations. I was listening to it this morning and they’re saying, there are street parties and celebrations to remember the end of the war. Not where I am, there isn’t. I don’t know where these parties are, but they’re certainly not in my neighbourhood. There’s none here. So I would say if you are listening, their focus probably is on the London area. If they’re thinking of war celebrations, because our Royals, of course, and governments are pushing this because we were, after all, the winners. Had we lost the war, I don’t think they’d be celebrating quite so much. Anyway. Most of us really don’t care. It’s another day we’ll be working… there’s a 2 minute silence at 11 AM, (tomorrow) which probably will be ignored by most of us. I don’t know. It’s a a strange thing. We need to remember the lessons of democracy, but yeah.

Anyway, that’s it.

See you. Bye.

 

 

1061 Feargal Sharkey – A Good Heart, Song Lyrics Transcript

Link to song

Hi, Everyone.

Welcome again to another podcast from Teacher Joseph…. and today we’re going to go through some song lyrics from Feargal Sharkey and his song “A Good Heart”.

Now in case you’re wondering the name Feargal… It’s an Irish name fairly common around the UK. Originally it comes from Gaelic “fhear”, meaning man and “gal”, meaning brave. Feargal Sharkey……(Feargal) quite a common name for a boy in both parts of Ireland, North and South….. Feargal, he came from the Northern part of Ireland. And his song that we’re going to hear about today is called A Good Heart. So let’s begin then…. This is Feargal Sharkey’s song called “A good heart”.

So Feargal tells us:

I hear a lot of stories, I suppose they could be true… all about love and what it can do for you.

High is the risk of striking out. The risk of getting hurt and still I have so much to learn….

….and in case you’re wondering what “to strike out” means there. That’s a term from American baseball, which I believe means to start over, to restart, to begin again.

Feargal tells us:

Well, I know. ’cause I think about it all the time, I know that real love is hard to find.

And then Feargal takes us on to the next verse, he says:

And a good heart these days is hard to find. true love, the lasting kind.

A good heart these days is hard to find. So please be gentle with this heart of mine.

That’s actually the chorus for the song. Feargal repeats that a lot. He was quite popular here in the 1980’s. The song was from the mid 80s. Let’s see what else Feargal tells us.

He says:

My expectations may be high. I blame it on my youth, soon enough I’ll learn the painful truth.

I’ll face it like a fighter, then boast how I’ve grown.

Anything is better than being alone.

Oh, dear. Yeah. Feargal is struggling a little bit there in his teenage years. And then he tells us again:

Well, I know ’cause I learn a little every day.

I know ’cause I listen when the experts say that a good heart these days is hard to find true love, the lasting kind,

A good heart these days is hard to find. So please be gentle. With this heart of mine,

So these lyrics are all quite straightforward so far, and striking out was the only phrase so far. I think that we didn’t know. Right, let’s go on.

Fergal tells us:

As I reflect on all my childhood dreams, my ideas of love weren’t as foolish as they seemed.

If I don’t start looking now, I’ll be left behind and a good heart these days, it’s hard to find.

And then Feargal tells us:

I know it’s a dream I’m willing to defend. I know it will be worth it in the end.

And then he tells us again:

A good heart these days, it’s hard to find… true love the lasting kind.

Yeah, I think this song really does reflect the searching in the 80s. It was a very confusing time, a lot of kids just grew up empty and we were kind of promised by Hollywood that meeting somebody would make our lives complete, which of course, as we all know, especially if you’re in your 50s, that… that just isn’t the case.

So this song was kind of highlighting the fact that we were empty and we were looking for our completion in our other half and even today some people talk about their wives or their girlfriends: “Oh, yeah, my other half doesn’t like that”. “My other half said that…”, you know, it’s quite common. In fact, I was listening to two of my neighbours arguing the other day. And one apparently said to the other something about. “Yeah, well, my bird…my bird. You don’t say that to my woman. Don’t talk to my woman like that”. I thought we were past those days of possession. Clearly not. But anyway, anyway. That’s the song for today. It’s called a good heart by Feargal Sharkey from 1985. And do have a look at the the video clip. I’ll try and post the link along with the lyrics, it’s very good. It’s very good. I mean it brings back good memories of a time… I mean, I never enjoyed my teenage years. Oh, no. Now, hopefully yours were better than mine. For me, it was a time of, uh, real confusion about most things. Yeah. So uh, yes.

A good heart by Feargal Sharkey. There we are. Right. That’s it. For me, I hope you have enjoyed this… very straightforward lyrics. Nothing difficult there, but a lovely song for today. And we often talk about striking out, which was the phrasal verb which was borrowed from soccer, right. The gas man is coming today to service my boiler. That’ll be a bundle of laughs, I’m sure. So I better go and empty the cupboard. For some reason in the UK, we always keep the boiler in a bedroom cupboard. Across Europe, it’s usually in the kitchen, isn’t it? Next to the sink? So I have no idea why we have it in a cupboard, but it means I’ll need to empty the cupboard to let the guy in to fix it. Well, I’m assuming it’s a guy these days. It can be anybody.

And that’s it from me.

Take care. Bye.

 

 

1060 Film Review: Love at First Bite (1979) Transcript

Love at First Bite is a comedy film from 1979 that mixes romance, horror, and humour. Directed by Stan Dragoti and written by Robert Kaufman, it offers a light-hearted version of the Dracula story. Instead of being scary, this Count Dracula is charming, funny, and completely out of place in modern-day America. Starring George Hamilton in the lead role, the film invites viewers to see the famous vampire in a whole new way.

The story begins in Transylvania, where Dracula is being forced to leave his castle. The Communist government wants to turn it into a training centre for gymnasts. With no other choice, Dracula decides to move to New York City. He hopes to find his true love, who has been reborn as a fashion model named Cindy Sondheim (played by Susan Saint James). However, life in America is not as easy as he expected. He has to deal with fast food, busy streets, and Cindy’s jealous boyfriend—who happens to be a descendant of Dracula’s old enemy, Van Helsing.

George Hamilton’s performance as Dracula is one of the film’s greatest strengths. He plays the character with style and confidence, giving the vampire an elegant, old-fashioned charm. Unlike traditional horror films, this Dracula is not frightening. He’s polite, well-dressed, and always looking for love—not just blood. His thick accent and romantic manners add to the humour, especially when he tries to understand American culture.

The film’s comedy comes mostly from this cultural clash. Dracula is confused by everyday things like taxis, phones, and disco clubs. One of the most memorable scenes shows him dancing at a nightclub with Cindy, surrounded by flashing lights and loud music. The use of the popular disco song “I Love the Nightlife” makes the moment even funnier. These scenes highlight the differences between Dracula’s world and the fast-paced life of New York in the 1970s.

Cindy Sondheim, played by Susan Saint James, is a strong and independent character. She is modern, stylish, and not easily impressed. Her relationship with Dracula is both romantic and comedic, as she tries to decide between him and her current boyfriend, Dr. Jeffrey Rosenberg (played by Richard Benjamin). Rosenberg adds more comedy to the film. He is nervous, jealous, and always trying to prove that Dracula is dangerous—even though no one takes him seriously.

While the film is entertaining, it also shows its age. Some jokes rely on stereotypes that may seem outdated today. The style, music, and references are all from the 1970s, which might feel strange to modern viewers. However, if you enjoy retro fashion, disco music, and classic comedy, you will likely find it amusing.

Visually, the film offers a modest but effective aesthetic. The contrast between Dracula’s gothic attire and the gaudy excess of New York’s disco scene is used to strong comedic effect. The cinematography isn’t especially stylish, but it supports the story well, and the limited special effects are enough for the film’s light-hearted tone.

Love at First Bite was a box office success when it was released and remains popular with fans of classic comedy. It may not be as well-known as other horror parodies like Young Frankenstein, but it has its own charm. The idea of a vampire trying to live in New York City is funny enough, but George Hamilton’s performance makes it even more enjoyable.

Conclusion:

Love at First Bite is a playful and humorous take on the Dracula story. It’s more of a romantic comedy than a horror film, and it uses the contrast between old traditions and modern life to make the audience laugh. While some parts feel dated, the film still has plenty of charm. If you’re looking for a funny and unusual vampire film—and you like disco—this is a great choice.

1058 Indigenous Languages in the UK Transcript

When people think of the United Kingdom, they often imagine a place dominated by the English language. Yet beneath the surface lies a tapestry of indigenous languages—living links to the islands’ ancient past and cultural identities. These languages—Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Cornish, and Scots—tell stories of communities, landscapes, and traditions that have shaped the UK in ways that are often overlooked. Though many have faced long periods of decline, today there is a growing awareness of their value, and efforts to keep them alive are filled with passion, creativity, and hope.

Welsh (Cymraeg) is a shining example of language resilience. A Celtic language with roots stretching back more than 1,500 years, Welsh has faced many challenges, particularly during times when English was promoted at the expense of local languages. Despite this, Welsh has held on—not just in remote valleys, but in cities, schools, and homes. Today, it’s not unusual to hear children playing in Welsh on school playgrounds, or to see road signs proudly printed in both English and Welsh. The language has been given real support, especially since devolution, with the Welsh Government committing to the ambitious goal of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050. As of the 2021 census, around 18% of the population in Wales reported being able to speak Welsh, and many more are learning it as part of a national revival that feels both urgent and full of possibility.

Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) tells a more fragile but no less powerful story. Once spoken widely across Scotland, especially in the Highlands and Islands, Gaelic suffered greatly following events like the Highland Clearances and the suppression of Highland culture after the Battle of Culloden. Generations of Gaelic speakers were made to feel ashamed of their language. Yet even now, in the face of declining speaker numbers—around 1% of the Scottish population—Gaelic lives on. From traditional songs passed down through families to modern Gaelic-medium schools and television programming like BBC Alba, the language continues to evolve. For many, learning or speaking Gaelic today is not just about communication; it’s an act of connection and care, a way of honouring ancestors and re-rooting identity in the land.

Irish, spoken in Northern Ireland as well as the Republic of Ireland, also belongs to the UK’s indigenous language family. While Irish faces political sensitivities in Northern Ireland, it is also embraced by growing communities who see it as a symbol of heritage and belonging. Language classes, cultural festivals, and Irish-speaking groups have brought new energy to what was once seen by some as a relic of the past. Cornish, though it had largely died out as a spoken language by the 18th century, has seen an inspiring revival. With passionate community involvement, it is being taught in schools, sung in choirs, and even spoken in some households once again.

And then there’s Scots—a language often debated for its status but spoken every day by thousands across Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster. With its own rich literary tradition, from Robert Burns to modern poets and novelists, Scots offers a way of speaking that feels earthy, direct, and deeply expressive. It’s a language that carries humour, affection, and identity, often in the everyday rhythms of conversation.

Why do these languages matter today? It’s not just about preserving old words. Language carries the way a people sees the world. Each of the UK’s indigenous languages holds within it unique ways of thinking, storytelling, and relating to the land. When a language fades, something irreplaceable is lost—not just for the community that spoke it, but for all of us.

Thankfully, attitudes are changing. Across the UK, more people are recognising the beauty and importance of linguistic diversity. From government support to grassroots activism, the movement to keep these languages alive is growing stronger. The path ahead isn’t easy—reviving a language takes more than policies; it takes people, communities, and love. But as long as even one child grows up singing songs in Welsh, or a family learns Gaelic together, or a poet writes in Scots or Cornish, these languages continue to live—and to speak not just of the past, but of the future too.

1057 Song Lyrics -The Carpenters, Rainy Days and Mondays.

Hi, everyone. Welcome again to another Teacher Joseph Podcast, and today we’re going to go through some song lyrics from the Carpenters and their famous song Rainy Days and Mondays.

If you don’t know the Carpenters, you really should. They…. they represented a style of music which doesn’t really exist anymore. A kind of ballad, softly spoken. A Canadian brother and sister, Karen Carpenter and her brother, Richard, and like all creative things and creative people, of course, there was a dark side. You know, whenever something beautiful comes out, there’s usually…well, there’s usually a dark side hiding and Karen Carpenter sadly died of anorexia after giving us this beautiful, beautiful range of musical songs.

So let’s go through the lyrics of rainy days and Mondays.

Karen tells us:

Talking to myself and feeling old

Sometimes I’d like to quit

Nothing ever seems to fit

Hanging around

Nothing to do but frown

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

So there you can hear Karen saying…. Well, the first part is quite clear. Talking to myself and feeling old, sometimes I’d like to quit. So she just means give up, there. Sometimes she’d like to give up. Nothing ever seems to fit. Yeah. You know, when things go wrong, we often say nothing ever seems to fit. It’s like we’re banging our head off a brick wall sometimes with certain colleagues or family members. Karen then tells us hanging around. That’s what we do when we’re bored. Oh, I’m just hanging around today. Nothing to do but frown. Frown is when you don’t smile, you do the opposite. You look kind of sad.

Then Karen tells us what I’ve got, they used to call the Blues… the Blues, meaning sadness. You know, sometimes you might hear someone saying, hmm, I feel quite blue today. There’s a famous Dutch song called Mr Blue. I don’t recall who sings it, but it’s a good song. Then Karen tells us that nothing is really wrong, just feeling like I don’t belong. You know, we all have days like that. We don’t fit in walking around… some kind of lonely clown. Good metaphor. Sometimes clowns, they tell us, are the loneliest, aren’t they? These beings that are supposed to make us happy, and then Karen tells us again, Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

And then Karen has her moment of love. She tells us funny, which means strange, but it seems I always wind up here with you. Wind up in this case means end up, she says. It’s nice to know somebody loves me… funny, but it seems that it’s the only thing to do. Run and find the one who loves me. So she’s saying on a day when she doesn’t… feel that she fits in or belongs, she finds the man who loves her. Well, I’m assuming it’s a man. And then of course, uh, she says, you know, funny, but it seems I always wind up here with you. Nice to know somebody loves me. Karen then tells us what I feel has come and gone before. No need to talk it out. Yeah. To talk out something. It’s a phrasal verb its to talk… to talk until you’ve made someone understand what you mean, she says. We know what it’s all about. Hanging around, nothing to do but frown rainy days and Mondays get me down.

Yeah. You know, some of the happiest days before the Internet came, of course, were days at my grandmother’s house. And, you know, before the Internet, we all had times we felt really bored, but in that boredom, there was something content. It wasn’t a longing, it was just a nothing to do-ness. And we don’t have that any more because there’s always something to do now. But it’s, it was some feeling of completion, but being bored at the same time.

And then Karen goes over the same lyrics again. She tells us about her lover, whoever that is. And then at the end she tells us again what I feel has come and gone before. No need to talk it out. We know what it’s all about, hanging around, nothing to do but frown rainy days and Mondays always get me down. Ohh. Lovely. I love Karen Carpenter. It’s the kind of music for a day when you want to just dream and forget about the world, you know, lovely song.

I can imagine. Looking out at the rain, saying… talking to myself and feeling old. Long before I had health problems or had too many websites to look after, or thousands and thousands of English students, there were days when you know, you just had nothing to do. You just….well…… It was just nice, wasn’t it? Well, that’s the song for today. Karen Carpenter, part of the group the Carpenters. Her and her brother Richard reminding us that ah, Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

Thanks very much, everyone. Good phrasal verbs, Sir. Wind up was one of them. Talk out was another one. So enjoy.

Don’t forget to have a look at the lyrics. They’re all on my website. See you soon. Bye.

 

 

Podcast 1056: (At the Supermarket Transcript)

Hello, everyone. Welcome again to another Teacher Joseph podcast.                                                        

Well, today I’m in the supermarket and I’m walking around deciding what I’m going to have for dinner. Now, you might think that sounds like quite an easy thing but actually, you know what? For me it’s not the easiest thing in the world. I have to say.

Oh delicious. What’s this? Spicy dough Pepperoni (Pizza). I don’t even know what pepperoni is. That’s sausage, isn’t it? Well, I’m not going to have that. I am supposedly vegetarian.

Let’s see what else they have here. Umm, two beef and vegetable…. Oh, no, no, that’s beef. I don’t want that. What’s this? Loin steaks? No, that’s pork. I’m not going to have that either. Yeah, I’m just looking for something delicious, you know, to have tonight. And I also want to buy some sugar. So that’s why I’m here wandering around.

I’m in one of these frozen food stores where everything is frozen and you might think that sounds a bit strange, but perfectly normal here. Fresh food is hard to come by in a place like this …so…

Oh delicious…. what’s this? Bounty bars…. oh I haven’t them in years… Bounty bars? Yeah, I’m going to have some of those. They’re delicious. It’s basically a chocolate bar. Coconut, covered in chocolate. But really, if if I’m going to have something sweet, I want to have the doughnuts and I’m just eyeing them up as I’m walking around. So let me see where I can find them.

Let’s see. Yeah. So I’m still looking for something else for tonight’s dinner as well. There’s nothing jumping up and hitting me. OK, here’s the chicken frozen food aisle. Everything is in like cabinets, so it’s gonna be easy to peer in. Just to see what they have, let me have a little look.

Yeah, delicious. There’s more pizzas. Ohh, lovely. What’s this? Vegetable pasta bolognese pre packed. Well, that’s kind of tempting, isn’t it? That’s a keeper. Let’s see. Breast fillet, sesame chicken. Well, I could make that at home. I’m looking for something a little bit different, a little bit easier. A snack box. Oh, no….at this rate, I’ll be making something myself. Well, maybe I’ll get some bread anyway, because I’ve not had a proper loaf of bread in a long time, so it’s always nice to have, isn’t it? So let’s see. Yeah, I’ll just take the sliced bread and I’ll carry on looking for my thing for tonight’s dinner.

OK, let me see… chicken chow mein. I love these, these kind of like frozen food shops. OK, it’s not Fresh, but within seconds you could be eating something which is quite good. Oh, delicious. Oh, ham and pineapple pizza. I know that upsets Italian people. Sorry if you’re Italian, but it is very common here.

A four cheese pizza. Yeah, I’ll have that. I mean, I could make one, but today I don’t have time because I’m busy revising for my Gaelic exam which is coming up on Friday and that’s my last exam of the year. Well, last exam of the semester, so….

Oh delicious, I love that… Doctor Ohkter’s pizzas. They’re always nice aren’t they. A bit more pricey as well, I think. I’ll stay with my four cheese pizza, I think.

Yeah, oh delicious. I still haven’t seen the doughnuts. I’m still trying to find them. They must be here somewhere. Let me just have another look. No… I can see biscuits and cakes, but let’s see…. I don’t see doughnuts. I’m gonna try the biscuit aisle because I need to have them. Do you know I was talking to someone last night about Swiss chocolate, and after that I just became really hungry. So I got up so early this morning, determined to disappear and get to the shops, you know?

Right, here’s the biscuit (aisle). Oh delicious. What’s this? Still in the frozen part… Cadburys Dairy Milk, creamy vanilla ice cream. Oh, so these are ice lollies. Oh, lovely. Delicious. I love those. What else do we have here? Oh cheesecake. Ohh strawberry gateau. Oh lovely. I do like a bit of em…. All right, here’s the…. here’s the biscuits. zero… slims no sugar. Oh, no. I don’t want some of those. I’m looking for hardcore doughnuts here. No……. Oh Wagon wheels. So lovely. Ohh Toblerone, how much is that? That’s a bit pricey, but. After talking about Swiss food last night, I’m very tempted. I won’t. I won’t.

Yeah, I don’t see any here. I’m just going to do another quick spin around the shop just to see, but I’m not seeing pre packed doughnuts anywhere. Which is a great pity, cause it’s exactly what..(*I want) they are delicious. Air fry southern fried chicken breast strips. I wouldn’t mind some of those…. Tea, well, I’ve got loads of that. I got a delicious box of tea bags a few days ago. Right, I’m back at the bread part just to see if I can find some doughnuts. Oh yeah, these will do. Croissant with chocolate filling. Well, if you buy enough of them, that will satisfy me, I suppose.

Umm. Yeah, I’m not really seeing what I want though. OK, no worries. Well, I have enough kind of like things to keep me going with the amount of sugar that I’ve got in my basket, sitting happily next to the pizza. And that’s it. Look, delicious. Ma Rayburn sweet pancakes. Well, I can make pancakes myself, so I don’t know why I have to buy them here, but… well, that’s it. So I hope you’ve enjoyed this and. I’ll catch up with you again soon and eh…

Yeah, I’m just going to have another quick spin over to the biscuits and then I’m done.

See you. Bye.

 

 

1055 – The Story of Maggie McTaggart

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to another podcast from Teacher Joseph.

Today I want to tell you a story about my ancestor Maggie McTaggart, who lived in south-west Scotland in 1920.

Maggie was just sixteen years old when this story takes place. She came from a lively, hardworking family — one of eleven children. Her father worked long hours in the steelworks, and her mother stayed at home, looking after the younger ones, cooking, cleaning, sewing, and somehow keeping everything running.

Life wasn’t easy for Maggie, but it was full of energy. Their small stone house stood at the edge of the town, close enough to the railway tracks that you could hear the trains rattling past at all hours. Inside, it was always noisy — children shouting, babies crying, pots banging, someone always rushing in or out. But there was warmth too, a sense that no matter how little they had, they had each other.

Maggie herself was bright and full of life. She had a quick smile, a love of singing, and a fierce determination to make the best of whatever came her way. Like many girls her age, she had started working young — not in the mills like some of her friends, but in a small bakery on the high street. Every morning before sunrise, she would tie back her hair, pull on her apron, and walk into town with the smell of fresh bread already filling the air.

The bakery was a busy place, especially in the early hours, and Maggie worked hard. She learned to knead dough quickly, to pack up loaves without squashing them, and to deal with all sorts of customers — from grumpy old men to tired mothers with crying children clinging to their skirts.

But Maggie didn’t mind the hard work. She liked being busy, and she liked knowing she was helping her family. Every Saturday, she handed over most of her wages to her mother, keeping just a few pennies for herself — enough to buy a second-hand book now and then, or a bright ribbon for her hair.

At home, Maggie helped raise her younger brothers and sisters. She mended torn clothes, told bedtime stories, and sometimes even led the whole group in games out in the fields after supper. She had a natural gift for finding joy in small things: the way the sun fell on the river, the sound of the church bells on a Sunday morning, the laughter of her brothers tumbling over each other in the long grass.

Sometimes, in the evenings, when the day’s work was done and the younger ones had finally fallen asleep, Maggie would sit by the window with a book on her lap, dreaming of what life might hold for her. Maybe, one day, she would save enough money to travel — not far, perhaps just to Glasgow or Edinburgh — and see the world beyond the grey streets of her hometown.

But Maggie wasn’t unhappy. She loved her family fiercely, and she loved the life she knew. There was music in her world — real music, played on battered fiddles and old pianos at dances in the village hall. There were friendships that had lasted since childhood, solid and dependable. And there was the deep satisfaction of knowing that, even with so many mouths to feed and so many worries to carry, her family never gave up on hope.

In the spring of 1920, Maggie’s life took a small but important turn. The bakery owner, impressed by her hard work and cheerful manner, offered her an apprenticeship to learn more about the business. It was an unexpected opportunity — and one Maggie seized with both hands. She began learning how to balance the books, manage orders, and even create new recipes.

It wasn’t just about the money, although that helped too. It was about the pride she felt every time a customer smiled and complimented her work. It was about standing a little taller, knowing she was building a future for herself, bit by bit.

That summer, there was a celebration in the town — a fair held in the fields just outside the church. Maggie went with her brothers and sisters, laughing as they ran from stall to stall, their pockets full of sticky sweets. She wore a blue dress her mother had helped her sew and danced late into the evening under the open sky.

When the stars came out, she sat with her friends by the riverbank, her bare feet dangling in the cool water. They spoke about dreams — of travelling, of owning shops or farms, of simply living good lives. Maggie listened, smiling quietly, her heart full. She didn’t know exactly what the future would bring, but for the first time, she believed it could be bright.

Maggie McTaggart never became rich, or famous, or travelled very far from the town where she was born. But she built a life of meaning — full of laughter, kindness, and hard work. She became a pillar of her community, a woman others turned to for help or advice, someone who always had a warm loaf ready for a neighbour in need.

And perhaps that’s the best kind of legacy to leave behind — not one written in grand histories, but in small, steady acts of love that ripple outward long after we’re gone.

Today, when I think of Maggie, I don’t picture tragedy or hardship. I see a bright-eyed girl with a ribbon in her hair, singing as she walks down a dusty road at sunrise, ready to face whatever the day will bring.

Podcast 1054: In the Piazza Shopping Centre – Transcript

Hello, everyone.

Welcome again to another podcast from Teacher Joseph. Today I’m inside the shopping centre and I’m going to describe for you what I can see and what’s here.

OK. So first of all, I’m sitting on some kind of bench, which they have in shopping centres. It’s covered in leather and it’s purple. So it’s a little bit odd…. it’s a little bit odd compared to other things you find in a shopping centre.

Yeah, this one is nice, but a bit impoverished. Not the best place. And they’re playing, they’re playing elevator music. That’s basically music, which you would kind of find in an elevator. It’s instrumental. It sounds a bit bland, not really making a statement of any kind, and it’s obviously very long. It’s not just one track, it’s just kind of hotel lobby music, you know.

What else can I tell you? Well… looking around….I’ve been sitting here for a little while, and now I’ve just stood up waiting to move. Looking around, I can tell you that this is very diverse. Lots of shapes and sizes, lots of different colours, as well as different diverse people. I cannot make assumptions about them of course, by their skin colour, but it certainly is a very diverse shopping centre, especially when I can see and hear  different types of people and hear different languages.

The main shop which is inside the shopping centre and open is selling greetings cards. As you know here in the UK we sell greetings cards for absolutely everything. I’m just looking in the window of this shop. Let’s see:

For someone special.

Happy birthday.

We have more here:

 Happy divorce.

 Happy Father’s Day…which is coming up on the 15th of June.,,,Different from other countries…our Father’s Day is not associated with any religious or Saints day as it is in the Mediterranean Countries and:

 Happy day that I met you.

Happy divorce.

Sorry. Your pet died.

Oh, my goodness me. We have cards for absolutely everything. Happy 18. Happy 21. Happy 40th. Wow, I didn’t realise we were such specialists with cards, but clearly we are. This would be a rather depressing shopping centre because the card shop is the only one that’s open. Ohh yeah, many of these shops are closed, some of them completely empty.

And …and in those windows there are signs which say “to let” to let means available to rent and you sometimes see that here outside shops, outside vacant apartments “to let” it means available to rent, there’s also a pop-up shop here. A pop-up shop is a shop that’s here, but it will not be here permanently. It’s only on a temporary basis. So that’s another way that shops can operate within shopping centres, they can just pop up.

I’m now passing a supermarket. It has some lovely pictures of food in the window. But the sign says “closed permanently”. Ohh. And looking in the window. Clearly another “to let” sign. “Please contact this company for further details.”….but it’s being used for seminars by charities, while it’s closed and one says here “experimental noise artist seminar coming soon”. So yeah, no longer a supermarket oh…. photo ID.,,,oh there’s a photo booth here if you want to pay £6  to get your passport photos.

All kinds of instructions on that little photo booth. And yeah, everything’s closed but lots of people inside. Let me just walk here on the outside.

Here we are. Yeah. OK. So now I’m outside and I’m able to see what’s around me. I’m in a town square. As you can probably hear…

And it’s around….. Well, as you can probably hear, it’s quite busy is what I wanted to say. You might be able to hear the clock chiming, which lets me know the time, which is around 3:00 and that’s it….. not a lot else to see or do here unfortunately. But I wanted to share this description with you and  now I’m going to buy some doughnuts, have a coffee and relax.

And yeah, very sad about the shopping centre. But these shopping centres, you know, they’re always marketed very well. This one’s called the Piazza, which makes it sound Italian. They always give them Italian names to make them sound glamorous. But once you go inside. Oh, no. Awful.

Well It’s windy, the rain is coming, so I’m going to have a coffee. Bye.