Meta Manchester

  In this episode, Liam Croker, lead singer of WINACHI, talks about: - when he thinks new artists can call themselves professional musicians - the current indie music scene in Manchester - playing live and touring - visiting Los Angeles for the first time - and how he has sustained a career in music for over a decade --      --      -- -LISTEN TO THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE- Or read a selected excerpt below. --     --     -- ➤ When you meet someone new and they ask what do you do how do you respond?  I tell them I'm a musician. Yeah I'm a working musician, a professional musician. That's what I'll say. That's been quite tricky over the last 18 months. I've almost felt like I'm lying a little bit at times but yeah I've stuck to my guns and if people ask me what I do - I'm a musician. Yeah that's what I do. ➤ I understand exactly what you mean. When you feel like, ‘Am I qualified to say it now?’ like, when do you fe...

In this episode, language consultant and film festival co-founder Paul Fletcher speaks to me from his home in (what some might describe as) the hippest part of East London! I have such a strong interest in both of those topics - language and film festivals - I decided that I needed two separate episodes to hear Paul's stories. So here in this first episode, we talk about how Paul co-founded (together with wife Liza) the Walthamstow International Film Festival 11 years ago. -LISTEN TO THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE- Or read a selected excerpt below. --      ▇▇▇      -- ➤ When was the last time you lived in Manchester? Well the last time I lived in Manchester was ‘89. Wow! 32 years ago. I've lived in the south longer than I lived in the north. ➤ Do you still consider yourself a northerner? It's a bit complicated because I think in my heart it's the north but I can't see myself living there again. I like to visit, you know what I mean? I think in my DNA it's...

In this episode my guest is an old friend, Georja Calvin Smith who is a TV journalist and producer currently based in Paris, France. Here she talks about: - her relationship with and favourite memories of Manchester - her first experiences on the bus - her thoughts on chips & curry - how she bla... I mean navigated work situations that required French language skills before she had French language skills - and how she communicates her story of being from Manchester and more broadly coming from the UK when in international situations. -LISTEN TO THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE- Or read a selected excerpt below. --      ▇▇▇      -- ➤  This is exciting because I'm speaking to somebody who does this for a living. So now I'm a little bit, you know, I feel inferior. No you don't! [laughs] ➤ I do, because this is what you do. This is your thing! I do nothing like this whatsoever. I sit down, I prepare my scripts, I spend a long time working out [how] to all...