Show Us Your Bits

Screenwriter, radio script writer and best selling author, Veronica Henry joins us from North Devon to discuss her career, her life and her special pieces of jewellery. Having written well over twenty novels, her latest 'One Night At The Château', is out in paperback today. Warm-hearted and page-turning, it has all the hallmarks of her writing that has earned her a legion of loyal fans. Refreshingly honest and down-to-earth, Veronica talks about her writing process and how, having been through a divorce, covid, bereavement and the menopause in her fifties, is now in a new phase of her life. She says she feels simultaneously super-wise and sorted and then bewildered, but she says there comes a time when you can't be shy anymore. She shows us her the beautiful art deco ring that belonged to her flamboyant grandmother, a lobster necklace from her sons, a mushroom necklace that represents friendship and some glitzy earrings which she says are her armour at any party. She calls them the jewellery equivalent of a line of cocaine. She says her life hack is to get yourself a signature dish. Hers is crab linguine, but she's passed on some wisdom from Anthony Bourdain and has taught her sons to make a great omelette. Find her latest novel at all good bookshops and supermarkets and online on Facebook and Instagram @veronicahenryauthor www.poshtottydesigns.com

Chelsea Green’s ‘Felt’ is one of London’s original mini boutiques. Founded by our guest Eliza Poklewski Koziell and fashion director Jayne Pickering, Felt is favourite of editors and celebrities alike. Eliza curates an eponymous collection that is a must for magpies searching for fabulous costume jewellery,fine jewellery both contemporary and vintage and even ditsy diamond studs.  Eliza talks candidly about the challenges of running an independent small business and keeping control. The trick is to recognise your skillset and to get people on board for your weak areas. Also, not to over-think it. She loves working and says she’ll be dealing until she drops.  Always on the move and gardening, Eliza shows us her robust ring with her family crest which has brought her love and support. She says people commission it off her hand. She also shows us cherished heirloom rosary and a classic watch.Dressed head to toe in vintage clothes, Eliza loves a knitted hat as well as her apron which she says is her comfort blanket. Visit Eliza at Felt London at 53 Godfrey Street (Tues-Sat) and online @feltlondon and www.feltlondon.com

Meet Brighton-based healer Georgia Morse who is passionate about women’s health. A trained nurse, Georgia talks about her fascinating journey into energetic and somatic healing, via a youth initiative programme in Sweden, and her work with refugees in Calais. After graduating as an NHS nurse on a respiratory ward during Covid left her burnt out, Georgia became an apprentice of The Boulderstone Technique. She found her path into women’s health when working with Afghan Refugees, helping the women to process their trauma. Now, a new mum, she’s interested in holistic approaches to healing conditions such as hay fever and working with women’s hormone imbalances. Georgia shares her wisdom on the menopause and the importance of pausing and to create space and breathing-room in midlife. If we sit still l, we tend to know what we need she says. Not a ‘things’ person, Georgia shows us her ancient citrine quartz crystal which her Dad found in an antiques auction, which helps her feel grounded in her clinic.  Bees are very precious having after a bee-keeping course in her teens changed her life and Georgia shows us her beautiful bee necklace and earrings as well as a handmade silver bracelet. For more information on Georgia’s work, find her on instagram @sistersofthemoon_uk and at www.sistersofthemoonuk.com 

Meet Will and Alice Crone, the new owners of luxury chocolatier Audrey’s, the biggest supplier of English handmade chocolates to Fortnum and Mason.The husband and wife team are passionate about preserving the traditions of their chocolate factory and shop in Hove which has been there since 1948 and is much-loved by its loyal clientele. Alice and Josie enjoy a mouth-watering tour of the building, seeing how the flavoured creams, fondants, caramels, pralines, and nut clusters that make up the beautiful selection boxes are lovingly hand crafted by their artisans, so that each box of chocolates really is like opening a box of jewels. Settling their young family into Hove, Alice and Will talk about working together and share their keepsakes associated with their romantic engagement in Cornwall, plus a very funny reason why they collect elephants. For something very special, visit Audrey’s chocolates in Holland Road, Hove, or online at audreyschocolates.co.uk or follow their insta @audreyschocolates. poshtottydesigns.com #poshtotty

Spring is here and Alice and Josie are on the beach, with a natter about their latest beach antics and are getting excited about the Brighton festival. Josie is fresh from a Spring cookery course in the old kitchen at Parham House with friend-of-the-podcast Valentina Harris, whilst Alice has given her shop an entire makeover, thanks to a colour scheme invented by her new best friend, Chat GPT. Join us for a lively debate about AI, and a look forward to our fabulous guests this season from the world of fashion, beauty, the environment and, of course, the festival. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, or know anyone who would like to be, please do get in touch with us @showusyourbitspodcast on Instagram and Facebook. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes each Friday. @poshtottydesigns @josielloydwriter

With Easter upon us, Alice and Josie wrap up Season Six with a look back at the fabulous guests they've had on the podcast, and talk about some of the special bits they brought along. There was a bit of a foodie theme, with season highlights including the fabulous chef and cookery writer, Elisabeth Luard, as well as Valentina Harris, whose life hack - "just don't ever give up sex, girls" - was the best. There were some adventurers too. Nick Pulley described his journey from Brighton Pavilion to the Taj Mahal by train, whilst Dragon's Den star and hugely successful entrepreneur Sarah Willingham talked about rescuing Brighton's icon i360 and her plans to put the heartbeat back into the middle of the prom. Check out all the photos and highlights @showusyourbitspodcast on Instagram.

Straight-talking, inspiring entrepreneur Sarah Willingham tells us about being a curious child, but when her Dad wouldn’t let her have a gap year, she set off to pursue her love of food and international travel in business. After learning the ropes at Pizza Express, she realised she wanted a large family and  that she’d have to create her own career to make her life work with small children. She says she loves chaos and having four children in four years has meant she’s had to accept that having it all has to be a giant compromise. After recording Dragon’s Den she took off around the world with her kids and Michael her husband for three years and found clarity once the adrenalin had left her system. She says her life hack is to get back to nature and she walks to empty her mind.Now settled in Brighton, she runs Nightcap, a big hospitality business, with Michael, but when the opportunity came just before Christmas to buy the i360, she stepped in at the last moment and bought the iconic landmark, saving it from being dismantled.  Sarah is passionate about regenerating the i360, particularly the building beneath the tower and she’s buzzing with plans. Fresh from the amazing Brighton marathon weekend, Sarah says the middle of the prom deserves to be activated and we couldn’t agree more. Whilst she’d be happy living in a caravan herself and not being at all materialistic, Sarah shows us a special ring that reminds her of her soul mate, Richard, and a romantic small red book she made for Michael. Follow her on instagram @sarahwillingham @poshtottydesigns

Chef, broadcaster, food judge, teacher and prolific writer with 56 cookbooks to her name, Valentina Harris joins us for a mouth-watering chat about her extraordinary life and career. Full of wit and wisdom, Valentina shares her love of regional Italian food, the importance of not serving an Italian an incorrect dish and her fury at the current trend of frying gnocchi. Called the ‘Queen of Risotto’, she shares her secrets of Italy’s iconic rice dish, as well as answering many other foody questions, although her experience with roasted stuffed horse penis was somewhat hair-raising! Her special keepsakes include her first award for cookery writing, her grandmother’s jade balls used for hand exercises, a note from Stanley Tucci with his recommendation of a recipe for the spectacular ‘Timpano’ dish as well as her mother’s unusual silver bangle. We were ready to pack our bags for Italy straight after our chat. Fortunately, Valentina runs cookery courses closer to home in the old kitchen at Parham House. For more details join her on instagram @chef_valentina@poshtottydesigns

With Mothering Sunday upon us, we’re talking about our mums today. We’re joined entrepreneur and mum of two, Georgie Harris who describes how she had a fantastic job at Burberry, but then her world changed when her son was born with a rare genetic condition, Russell Silver Syndrome which affects growth. After a harrowing pregnancy and birth, Georgie then discovered herself navigating the SEN system and becoming a primary carer, negotiating support for her child’s complex needs. After her second son was born in 2023, she started looking for jobs, but couldn’t find one, let alone one that could fit in with her life. Then, at a kids birthday party, she met Bex who suggested a skills swap and Mums Who Build was born. With a non-mumsy vibe, Georgie and Bex’s networking organisation has the aim of closing the wealth gap and reducing the impact of the motherhood penalty. The MOB (for short) helps Mums at all stages develop skills and confidence through workshops, events and meet-ups based on the three pillars of wellbeing, connections and financial education. With new found sense of purpose and having been on a healing journey through the connections she’s made at The Mob, Georgie says her ambition is to have Mums Who Build around the country. She says she wears her jewellery the whole time, including some personal bangles from her family and shows us her inspirational late grandmother’s engagement ring, who she describes as the glue of the family. She also shows us a dainty gold child protection charm from her husband’s Kurdish heritage. If anything has seen her through, Georgie says it’s not overthinking things and seizing the day. Find out more on Instagram @mumswhobuild