Jim grew up in an old mill in Walkmills near Leebotwood, and worked hard helping his father on the farm. Today his success in business can be put down to his parents instilling in him a strong work ethic, and his general happiness is partly attributed to keeping donkeys.

He talks about the mills which operated along the valley, and about his ‘water-powered’ childhood. And if anyone ever wondered what the courtroom in the old Shire Hall in Shrewsbury used to look like, they can see a lot of it in the drawing room of Jim’s house.

If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us.

Find us online

https://thestrettonspod.com/

email us: thestrettonspod@gmail.com

Support the podcast https://buymeacoffee.com/thestrettonspod

Producers

Sian Lovegrove, Pete Johnson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy new year from Sian and Pete. This week we’ve been stroking hedgehogs at a rescue centre in Edgton and been to see the monument to the last sin eater in the churchyard at Ratlinghope. We look back and forward to 2026 and see what events are coming up in the next two weeks.

Hedgehog Rescue

Martin And Tanis Jordan, email tmjordan559@gmail.com

Midland Gliding Club cafe franchisee enquiries

Tim Murphy email secretary@midlandgliding.club

Timings

Last Sin Eater 02:17

Hedgehog Rescue 11:10

What’s On 23:21

If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us.

Find us online

https://thestrettonspod.com/

email us: thestrettonspod@gmail.com

Support the podcast https://buymeacoffee.com/thestrettonspod

Producers

Sian Lovegrove, Pete Johnson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Hill from Batchott talks about the family he worked for all his life, his love of tractors and lost opportunities. Poignant memories of family members he has lost coupled with stories of teenage trouble-making paint a vivid picture of what life was like growing up in Batchcott on the Long Mynd.

If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us.

Find us online

https://thestrettonspod.com/

email us: thestrettonspod@gmail.com

Support the podcast https://buymeacoffee.com/thestrettonspod

Producers

Sian Lovegrove, Pete Johnson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 2 of Pete's selection of his favourite bits from 2025.

Timings

Tom Norris 2:28

Bug hotel. 8:07

Brian Pope 13:56

Lucinda the potter 21:15

John Sankey 27:35

Terry Davies. 35:58

If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us.

Find us online

https://thestrettonspod.com/

email us: thestrettonspod@gmail.com

Support the podcast https://buymeacoffee.com/thestrettonspod

Producers

Sian Lovegrove, Pete Johnson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pete's selection of his favourite bits from 2025.

Timings

Steve Paige 2:10

Losing my religion 6:53

Anne Morris 10:10

Snailbeach Mine. 15:08

Nick Churton. 21:34

Ragleth Fidget menu 26:24

If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us.

Find us online

https://thestrettonspod.com/

email us: thestrettonspod@gmail.com

Support the podcast https://buymeacoffee.com/thestrettonspod

Producers

Sian Lovegrove, Pete Johnson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ruth Lawrence was brought up on Womerton Farm, educated in Cardington and then sent to a boarding school near Shrewsbury. Her love of farming brought her and her husband Tony back from New Zealand to take on the family farm on the Long Mynd, where she still lives today.

She tells us about the characters who lived in the area when she was young, the fun she had with her friends, exploring the hills on their ponies and why BBC television wanted to follow her and Tony as they built their new house.

If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us.

Find us online

https://thestrettonspod.com/

email us: thestrettonspod@gmail.com

Support the podcast https://buymeacoffee.com/thestrettonspod

Producers

Sian Lovegrove, Pete Johnson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve been around all the shops asking what shoppers can buy there for Christmas. We’ve taken the chutney we made from our foraged blackberries and paired it with different cheeses at Saxtons. We also found a couple of people waiting for the bus on Beaumont Road, both heading to Ludlow but for different reasons and we learn all about cookies - the computer type - what are they, are they harmful and do we really need them.

Contact Graham Giugh if you have time to help out with Santa's Sleigh in Craven Arms or Church Stretton

email him: caradoc131@gmail.com

Timings

Chutney and cheese 0:45

Where to shop in town this Christmas (1) 1:06

The jug collector 13:20

The geologist 15:06

Tech corner, cookies 16:50

Where to shop in town this Christmas (2) 22:39

Soundscape, children crafting 29:14

If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us.

Find us online

https://thestrettonspod.com/

email us: thestrettonspod@gmail.com

Support the podcast https://buymeacoffee.com/thestrettonspod

Producers

Sian Lovegrove, Pete Johnson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Brain grew up in and around Minton where he still lives today. He tells us about riding ponies on the Long Mynd as a young boy, about hurtling down the hill on a piece of tin sheeting,and what it was like living next door to Hollywood actor, Pete Posthlethwaite. He tells us how Pete gave him his first experience of air travel when he took him away on a film shoot to Ireland, and lets us into the secret of what he wore in bed!

If you know someone we should speak to for the podcast, please get in touch with us.

Find us online

https://thestrettonspod.com/

email us: thestrettonspod@gmail.com

Support the podcast https://buymeacoffee.com/thestrettonspod

Producers

Sian Lovegrove, Pete Johnson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.