The Parched Pea Pod

In this episode Gilly takes a stroll down Friargate in Preston and calls in to one of the oldest bookshops in the country and also speaks to the owner of That Comic Shop, also on Friargate, and hears about community events in the city.

In this episode our host John 'Gilly' Gilmore hears the remarkable story of Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines, known for being one of the "Winton children" rescued from Czechoslovakia by Sir Nicholas Winton before WWII.She was separated from her family at age nine and was put on a train bound for England to flee Nazi persecution, eventually settling in Preston.

The most Prestonian of podcasts is returning for Series 2 - and it's bigger and better.The Parched Pea Podcast is hosted by legendary city broadcaster John ‘Gilly’ Gillmore who gets out and about to speak with some of the fascinating cast of characters who make up the Lancashire city of Preston.This series is a collaboration between Lancashire Post, Blog Preston, and new for this series - Central Radio.Named after Preston delicacy Parched Peas, the podcast is being supported by Cosy Homes in Lancashire which aims to help individuals across the country to make their homes warm and keep energy bills down.

On this episode John chats to Christine Cort about the process of building Chew's Yard and her plans for the future to revamp the street and make it a beautiful, vibrant street open to everyone.The Parched Pea Podcast is a collaboration between Blog Preston and the Lancashire Post, with Gilly exploring the people and places which make the city tick and will be available on Spotify, Apple and all other major podcast apps via Podfollow with new episodes being released each Wednesday.The podcast has been supported by Preston Markets, where a number of the interviews were recorded, and Preston’s Business Improvement District.

John speaks with Adrian Livesey who has been on the market for more than two decades - what life is like, his regulars and more.Abigail Lewis and Karen See, artists and models, then join John to chat about how they've been involved with a new photography exhibition at the Market Hall.The Parched Pea Podcast is a collaboration between Blog Preston and the Lancashire Post, with Gilly exploring the people and places which make the city tick and will be available on Spotify, Apple and all other major podcast apps via Podfollow with new episodes being released each Wednesday.The podcast has been supported by Preston Markets, where a number of the interviews were recorded, and Preston’s Business Improvement District.

John takes us back to the 1980s when TV documentary Lovat Road focused on all things Preston, as he speaks with Lynn Eastham who appeared in the show.Plus one of the city's stalwarts, florist Margaret Mason, recounts her meetings with the Queen and how at 88 she has no plans for retirement.The Parched Pea Podcast is a collaboration between Blog Preston and the Lancashire Post, with Gilly exploring the people and places which make the city tick and will be available on Spotify, Apple and all other major podcast apps via Podfollow with new episodes being released each Wednesday.The podcast has been supported by Preston Markets, where a number of the interviews were recorded, and Preston’s Business Improvement District.

From murals to music, John explores who is sounding the right notes in Preston's artistic scene.He speaks with Shawn Sharpe who has quickly gained a reputation for brilliant murals across the side of city buildings.Plus we visit Action Records - a mainstay of the city's music scene over the past 40 years - and speak with owner Gordon Gibson.The Parched Pea Podcast is a collaboration between Blog Preston and the Lancashire Post, with Gilly exploring the people and places which make the city tick and will be available on Spotify, Apple and all other major podcast apps via Podfollow with new episodes being released each Wednesday.The podcast has been supported by Preston Markets, where a number of the interviews were recorded, and Preston’s Business Improvement District.

The first episode of the Parched Pea Podcast is all about Preston’s Food. John heads to Lune Street Chippy to talk to Fred all about his life owning a chip shop and working through Covid, and also pays a visit to the city's social media sensations The SpudBros who have amassed 2million followers on TikTok with their jacket potato antics.The Parched Pea Podcast is a collaboration between Blog Preston and the Lancashire Post, with Gilly exploring the people and places which make the city tick and will be available on Spotify, Apple and all other major podcast apps via Podfollow with new episodes being released each Wednesday.The podcast has been supported by Preston Markets, where a number of the interviews were recorded, and Preston’s Business Improvement District.