Returning from the holiday hiatus, your heroic hosts hunker down to hark back at the various highlights and happenings that surrounded our various trips h’away with the ladies.  Both parties experienced sniffles whilst away but we still found plenty to extol and share of our adventures abroad.

Safely ensconced back home, we share our ramblings as we settle back into our island life and continue where we left off with coffee stops and breakfast bites from around the island.  

The title hints apart, you’ll hear us wax inexorably on a multitude of subjects that take our, and hopefully your, fancy as we warm up our podcasting muscles for the autumn/winter phase of our third season.

Where else will you be taken from party politics to OnlyFans; from ferries to elephants on the roof; and from Scotland at the United Nations to David Bowie’s summer season as a drummer in an island music venue?

We quite like making this podcast and we hope you quite like listening to QWightLike. A Podcast.  Let us know what else you’d like us to cover as we oil up our wheels and set course for some content-on-the go in the weeks and months ahead.

Thanks for listening.

Rory and Tim

A frustrated period of post-production on the podcast comes to an end with a Scottish nose thumbed up at a new technology offering which failed to perform as advertised, thus delaying the release of this twelfth episode of topical chat from series the third.  Mentioning no names, your team reverted to traditional methods of episode production despite trialling a new tool to record.  The grand plan was to bring you video of your two hosts dualling over an online recording session, but in the end, with time at a premium and the impossible user interface of the trialled tool failing to perform we are left with the audio, slightly enhanced, if a little “metallic” in places.  So, with apologies for a few days delay we are proud to bring you our ramblings and musings from events over the last few weeks.

From holidays off and on the north island, to visitors bringing happy times to our island homes, and through trips and visits to experiences and hospitality right on our doorsteps, we can declare that the prize is Wight, for residents and visitors alike.

From boat trips, to theme parks, via coffee stops and breakfast shots, we cover a lot of ground, literally and metaphorically, within our budgeted 60 minutes.

A new listener requests section is kicked off with a discussion on the St George’s flag phenomenon making sporadic appearances across England, and with sensitive politics requiring delicate handling, we veer towards less controversial chat concerning the Thursday Murder Club, the cricket Hundred, Women’s Rugby World Cup, whilst going “potty” about a visit to Keith Brymer Jones’, Pwllheli home whose refurbishment was covered on a recent TV documentary.

So, another three weeks and a bit, has passed, and with more holiday experiences to share in the weeks ahead, we leave you to enjoy the dozenth episode, with more offers ahead ready to bake for your delectation and delight.

Our tremendous two have spent the summer channelling the exciting adventures of the Famous Five and the Secret Seven, and promise to bring you more in the weeks and months ahead as we rustle through the fallen leaves for more stories to tell.

Thanks for listening.

Tim and Rory

We’re back after a busy few weeks with so much to say, and so little time to say it in, that we do our best to cram in as much as we can to this hour of honest hokum.  As with all best laid plans, we perhaps set out to cover much more material than our diverse ramblings can facilitate, and so find ourselves with more to pack into this shopping bag of chat than you can bear within an hour of your lives.

Never ones to miss out on a corny segue, we spend time pondering holidays ahead, the lure of the road trip, and the accompanying sound-tracks for the miles of highway rolling out ahead of us.

As we prepare to pack for said holidays ahead we take the opportunity to unpack our much vaunted man bags, beloved of both Rory and Tim, discussing the purpose and objectives of the aforementioned portmanteaus.  As Van Morrison’s gravelly tones emerge from the dust of the discussion on hand bags and man bags (Ed - Or is it glad rags?) we swerve into the dangerous territory where we compare the domestic roles undertaken by the respective sexes.  This analysis of the task divisions within couple-dom finds your fearless fellows, treading on eggshell-strewn minefields as we “manfully” attempt to manoeuvre around these multifarious mouchoirs finding mirth as much as the measure of the subject.

With so much to say, and so much at risk of remonstrative reaction, we steer towards the simpler pleasures found in a good cup of coffee, and a brilliant breakfast at favourite establishments on our holiday island.

Tune in to find out what we squeezed out of our editorial long list in addition to the above.  As promised there was too much to fit in one carrier bag, and perhaps this podcast episode will split, like an overloaded supermarket placky bag, spilling our bon mots all over your digital floor.

Until next time, and like Rory’s man bag, we will make sure we use the correct till lane and try to restrict the running order to 8 items or less.

Thanks for listening.

Rory and Tim

Summer has been teasing us with long hot days, festivals, and hosepipe bans, so what better place to start than a meander through the many magnificent moments we’ve already experienced this summertide and a tantalising glimpse at the many more to come.

A debrief on our very own Isle of Wight Festival which took place as we released episode 9 gives an insight into how to enjoy days out as does a mention of Goodwood’s Festival of Speed which took place this last weekend with the island enjoying a couple of Red Arrows flypasts right over Rory’s West Wight abode en route to the Sussex slopes.

Life changing decisions, life affirming events, and life enhancing habits confirm, in our minds at least, that life is to be lived to the fullest extent possible by your means, and time available, because as the old truism states … you’re a long time dead.  We discuss this concept in some detail so tune in to find out our conclusions.

So, thanks for listening, and we hope you enjoy our rousing ramble through recently riveting recreational repose.

Tim and Rory

Another enforced lengthy gap between episodes sees us fire out of the blocks with some gusto with our chat guns set to share. From perfect beach days bookended with work commitments and snooping air fryers, to island artisan food producers, purveyors and places, we pull you through a whistle stop tour of great stops for breakfast, lunch and a bit of cheeky retail therapy.

Gardening joy tumbles from our lips as we recount the seasonal successes of our respective plots.  Raised beds, have raised hopes, of raised yields and we don’t disappoint.  Are you witnessing the sowing of seeds of a new segment for the podcast, where we can share tips and tricks from our respective plots?  Tune in to find out.

Coffee, breakfast, lunch, beer, cake, and gin - probably in that order - all make an appearance in our gazetter of good gaffs to grace with your presence.

We hope you enjoy our gentle topical chat and are inspired to return to each helping served up for your listening pleasure.

So, thanks for listening.

Tim and Rory

As we settle into a 3 week cadence between episodes to increase our planning time and to decrease the competitive pressures on your listening choices, we take time to celebrate activities enjoyed on and off the island.  After all, we qwight like the Isle of Wight and we quite like lots of places off-island, especially, as it makes coming home a further bonus.

From the Duver by Bembridge,  to the whiff of fete at Riverfest in Newport.  From the pirate shantys and cannon volleys off Ventnor and Bonchurch to the Higher Grounds of a new immobile coffee destination in Ryde.  From the Needles to the Nab Tower, we serve up a smorgasbord of things to do on the island.

Meanwhile, plans for a French sojourn in Brittany and reports of Wembley winners, wrap up another episode of topical chat and stories to entertain and inform.  Galleons of tea and coffee were consumed in the making of this podcast in tribute to those that have gone before us.

Wrapping up with a sprinkle of political drama with dead heats, casting votes, and friends of the podcast playing all the major roles, we slip this episode into Spotify’s loading tray with a sense of accomplishment, and with pressing deadlines, a hint of relief.

Thanks for listening

Tim and Rory

A cheeky title for this episode, the motive for which you will have to listen in to understand.  Sharp-witted humour and spicy chat is served up as a condiment to complement your diet of speech podcasting. 

We weave between rivers of nostalgic reminiscences and the pleasure of mapping out future plans, in our very own conclave as we ruminate on potential exciting outside broadcast scenarios from buses to cycle paths.

We chant our way through gardening stories as we are surrounded by friendly weather leading us and our other halves into the great outdoors to do battle with bindweed and horse tail.  Listen in to find out how a gardening festival will be battling with an island sporting event.

We wrap up an eclectic mix from your chatty men with tributes to musical heroes and advocate for campaigns to keep vital local services alive and kicking.

Whatever the weather, we hope you enjoy your gardens, and make the most of opportunities to engage in cultural experiences.  After all, this is what fuels our podcast.

When you are reading this, the English partial local election night will be over, votes will have been counted and we’ll analyse those results next time out.

Thanks for listening.

Rory and Tim

Another hour of topical chat starts off with a nostalgic foray into the world of the trade fair.  Recollections of times gone by, when sales were made, hangovers earned and swag gathered, are brought right up to date as Tim inventorises his plunder from an event at Birmingham's NEC.  Stationery stocked up for the year ahead, we discuss how trade fairs have evolved, and evaluate if the Isle of Wight could be turned into a floating offshore exhibition venue.

How to spend our downtime fills the middle portion of our ponderous ponderings, and we wax polemically, on the choices we have to read, to listen, to watch, or to experience.  We choose the podcasts we consider to be the fount of all human communications and share some embryonic ideas about nostalgic tech and gadgets with a promise of a future special.

Political lunches and Bob’s Bread Circle wrap up our fortnightly ramble as we flesh out plans for future podcast specials and assess the island ferries as being the equivalent of a rocket ship launch when leaving the island, and a safe, gentle re-entry with splashdown upon returning.

Stick with us as summer vibes start to take hold in the joyous life-affirming discourse captured in our hour of inspirational outpourings.  If not you, then whom.

Thanks for listening

Tim and Rory 

Early season holidays for musical farewells and tributes,  nostalgic interventions, mysteries and discoveries both near and far set us off on a magical tour of road trips and amazing destinations.

Listen to find out how we mesh all these themes together in a rolling chatathon covering the last few weeks on and off the Isle of Wight.  Time to consider booking your ferries and accommodation so you, too, can enjoy the sights and sounds of the island this Spring and Summer.

Don’t be strangers … we’re waiting … inside the podcast and waving a warm welcome quayside.

Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you all soon.

Tim and Rory

Back to the fray after an extra week away ready to engage with you and our mission is sharing topical chat and community commentary to wile away an hour or so … or perhaps will away all hope.  Seriously, it's with our pleasure that we bring you a fast paced episode covering all the ground from Totland Bay to Ryde Pier Head as well as the trans-Atlantic stand-off between serious world leaders and the US President.  When the fog lifts from these challenging times the early morning mist that shrouds the dingly dells dotted across the Isle of Wight will still be there to cause our jaws to drop and our make our collective gaze to go … well … misty.  We share our experiences of these exceptional meteorological conditions which create remarkable, photogenic views to enjoy across our island.  Tune in to see if we do it justice.

Our previous episode launched a co-host competitive challenge activity which we coined the Charity Shop Challenge.  For a spend limit of £5 find out which of our brave browsers returned to the studio with the best purchase.  Will it be Tim, the old Zen master of charity shop enlightenment, or will it be Rory, the trainee grasshopper, rubbing his thighs together in celebratory glee?  We’ll let you know and in the process we’ll reveal what we find from our respective searches, with top tips about what to expect inside the stores of our favorite charity fundraising retailers.  Jumble sale or contemporary retail experience?  Listen to our retail analysis and make sure you get out to find out for yourselves to try your own £5 charity shop challenge.

Off island adventures contribute to the conversation albeit transplanted to another island, Hayling Island, as Tim and his wife Ella, experienced childhood nostalgia on a well earned break at Sinah Warren’s Warner Leisure hotel.

As the 47th President of the USA dominates many conversations we do not disappoint and give a nodding acknowledgement to the guy’s ability to attract attention.  Our final conversational cliffhanger is which Meghan TV series to focus on …  With Love, Meghan or the US lawyer series, Suits? Are your gallant co-hosts fans or not?

With so much to contemplate at the moment and trips for both of us seeing us reaching for our suitcases and ferry loyalty cards, we’ll be back in 3 weeks time with updates and further ponderous procrastination for your pleasure.

Thanks for listening

With love, Tim and Rory

Our third outing of 2025 starts off with a review of the last few weeks on and off the island.  Tim has now concluded his course of radiotherapy in Portsmouth which involved mid-week hotels and further therapy in charity shops, which become are fast becoming a recurring theme and so stoke the competitive boilers of our co-hosts with a challenge for episode 4.  Tune in to play along with us.As you know by now we both quite like the Isle of Wight so we dedicate a portion of this serving of chat to discussing our recent experiences of the coffee shops scene here on the island.  In particular, we riff around the theme of competition between sit down restaurants and sit down coffee shops.  Let that percolate through the filter paper of your mind and make your own decision if our conclusions leave you feeling like a flat white or a frothy cappuccino.Similarly, from coffee shops to talking shops and much of the recent news from the Isle of Wight Council's Cabinet acceptance of the Labour Government's new local government initiatives has us frothing just like a cappuccino.Our recurring theme of medical ailments is this week propped up by news of a broken foot to complement the recent spate of attention grabbing diagnoses from your less than sturdy co-hosts.  News of the Beckham wannabe and the broken metatarsal allows us to march from comedy film titles such as Bend it like Dedman through other topical news events as we hobble towards the inevitable big discussion concerning events in the United States of America.  Should we be worried, amused or angry?  Probably a combination of each of these options will be the findings of our dissection of recent events as we bemoan once more the incessant march of populism that erodes the quality of life for all of us but the few who feed untruths into the popular discourse.Still, on that happy note, we’re glad that you’re here and contemplating listening to two guys (three guys short of a burger chain) putting the world to rights.  Come and join us.Thanks for listening.Tim and Rory

Hurtling into the momentum-fuelled, content-rich, world of QWightLike A Podcast, episode 2 of our third series brings you another panoply of pervasive ponderings, as your brave hosts lunge fully clothed into revealing discourses peppered with topical chat and other meanders.

Tim, is on the mainland being peppered with atomic particles whilst Rory remains on the island salting away ideas for future stories to share with Tim and regular listener(s).

The chat inevitably rolls around to what men do when left to their own devices on foreign shores and the episode bounces between the delights and cultural appropriations to be acquired over the threshold of the charity retail outlet.  Tim shares his top tips for how to make best use of the charity shop and Rory regales us with the density of charities purveying their well-gotten gains to the residents across the West Wight.

Inevitably, as men’s conversations typically do, the chat returns to the aches and pains experienced with the aging process and the discovery of unwelcome diagnoses countered by us marvelling at the treatment technology available to us all, even if it means weeks away in an all expenses paid hotel with swimming, pool, gym and free WiFi.

Lend us an hour of your time, and we’ll keep your mind occupied as we tiptoe tentatively from men’s health to the health of a nation, yes … that one!  The one with the President everyone swears about whilst gawping incredulously at his swearing in, whilst swearing we won’t let the same thing happen here.

We let the same thing happen here, in episode 2, and we’ll be back in a fortnight to swear a little more, if Tim gets his way, with episode 3, the next one, to shock you into thinking and talking about the world around us all.  We’re more interesting than we think we are.  All of us.

Thanks for thinking, and listening.

Tim and Rory

Greetings from the great diamond isle in the south … of England … as we bring you the 46th instalment of topical chat as we launch the 3rd series of QWightLike A Podcast.

We have been recording our chats for 2 years now and embark on this new year of opportunity and potential and so we indulge ourselves with a little look back over the last 2 series of the Pod and pick out some of our highlights.  We also chat about why we do it, and what motivates us to spend time grappling with the tech, the day jobs and the requirement to fill an hour of air time every fortnight with something of value that is worth listening to.  You are the judges as to whether we succeed.

Either way, we enjoy the process and the product we serve up and still feel there’s plenty to talk about.  So talk about it we will.

This edition follows our trademark unstructured perambulation through subjects as diverse as favourite numbers, male grooming, radio therapy versus radiotherapy and the imminent advent of the 47th US President’s term of office.

There’s always an angle for us to pursue, so buckle up, get your headphones or buds on, and in, and settle down to an hour of middle-aged chat fast approaching the beige slacks aisle in Marks and Spencers.

As always, thanks for listening.

Rory and Tim.

As our second season of podcasting draws to a close we release our 45th episode in time for Christmas 2025.  We focus once again on topical chat, which at this time of year typically means discussing arrangements, traditions and evaluating hopes and aspirations.

A run through seasonal preparations in anticipation of TV highlights, carols in the open air and trips off-island signal the home straight towards Christmas itself, looming just around the corner.  From carols on the Green in Rookley, across the island to carols in the Square at Yarmouth, your intrepid duo, belted out our respective favourites like the copper from Love Actually.  Tune in to find out Tim’s and Rory’s favourite, festive, choral classics.

We also spend time in a reflective mood as we share our personal health news like two old blokes approaching retirement [Ed: You are!] in training for afternoons at the bowling club, pub or community centre.  With domination of the lucrative gaming market in our minds we translate our respective ailments into scores on our planned development of a new Top Trumps set where the winning cards harbour progressively more serious conditions and treatments, on a black humour scale that most certainly declines to shake hands with political correctness.

Most importantly, it’s Christmas and we wrap up 2025 with our personal, selfish, hedonistic, aspirations for the season ahead.  What could two ageing gentlemen both under the monitoring of the NHS possibly wish for?

Thanks for spending some of your valuable time with us over the last year.  We’re intending to keep going as long as we have pods to cast.  We discuss exciting plans for an innovative new podcasting genre that is guaranteed to move you, and us, in 2025.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours.

See you in 2025.

Here we are again as we wrap up November, and  ready ourselves to unwrap Christmas.  We find ourselves somehow ruminating on the state of the social contract whilst discussing gateway drugs that introduce you to a lifetime of addiction to the festive season, as partners start topping up decorations, and the all important, and annual, new set of fairy lights

Weather, pannage pork and weird shaped members of the cauliflower family hint at light and frothy podcast content, where, once we’ve lulled you into a false sense of security, we hit you with weighty analysis of the farmer inheritance tax ripple of discontent or of a Trumpian, dystopian future, awaiting many following America voting against itself, blissfully unaware of this duo’s experienced (Ed. !) political insight.  The rest is (are) revolting.

Summing up on another short break, induced by medical interventions, we determined to leave you with a flourish of festive cheer as we began to discuss the onset of Christmas traditions and eager anticipation of the happy times ahead. 

As we hurtle towards our 50th episode which we’ll hit sometime early in 2025, we thank you once again for listening, to our asymmetrical brand of topical chat, local guidebook and commentary on diverse matters for which lack of qualifications have never been an obstacle.

Stay tuned for more Christmas crackers and seasonal snippets in the weeks ahead as we celebrate Love Actually, with only 5 weeks to go until until Christmas, the gateway drug to all the festive cheer you can stomach.  

Thanks for listening

Tim and Rory 

As the boundaries between light and dark, ‘twixt summer and winter begin to thin and fade, and as the warm, azure skies and glistening seas give way to crisp, cooler, autumnal hues QWightLike A Podcast returns to old friends and familiar themes.  Once again, we invited Dr Malcolm Schofield from the University of Derby to join us for a topical chat exploring all things Halloween.  Spirits are high and hauntings afoot as our conversation explores the themes of belief, the origins of the modern Halloween and through fascinating insights into the history of spiritualism we start to peel back the myths and legends that drive our modern day fascination with a good fright.

Dr Malcolm takes us through aspects of his research and how they relate to the popular celebrations of unpopular concepts, revealing insights into the human condition.

Jumping from island hauntings to the haunting prospects that an election on the other side of the Atlantic brings we touch on Conspiracy Theories and recommend a horror movie or 2 filmed on the Isle of Wight wityh Hollywood royalty, Calista Flockhart.  Tune in to find out the name of the movie … if you dare. 

Our thanks to our special guest for giving us some of his valuable time, allowing us to spend some of your time as we wrap up the episode with a discussion on our budget over here, and their election, over there.

As always its our privilege to spend an hour or so in your company, whatever you are doing whilst you listen to us, so thank you for listening.

Tune in next time, for more topical chat, tall tales and snappy one liners.

Tim and Rory

A week late, for reasons beyond our reasonable control, we surge onto the playing field to bring you another pitch perfect cast of the pod, hoping for a bite or two on Spotify, or wherever you fish for your chat content.

Invited by friend of the podcast, Ed Blake, who triples as a successful fisherman, local Councillor, and star player of Ventnor Rugby Football Club, Tim and I spent a charming afternoon dodging horizontal rain whilst marvelling at the entertainment served up, both in glass and on grass.  To coin a phrase, we’ll be back, to enjoy more convivial hospitality, the energy of a passionate sporting endeavour in glorious (Ed. apologies) surroundings.  Crunching tackles and towering giants set the scene for this clash of the titans sent into battle by Ventnor and Christchurch, as Godzilla scaled the cliffs below to arrive, dripping, on the touchline looking for a King Kong to toy with.

Interviews with the club secretary, James Morton, and the scorer of a stunning try,, Ed Blake, give this week’s episode a hint of the nostalgia of Grandstand with Rory channelling Bill McLaren, and Tim reviving a very passable David Coleman?

For the surrounding chat, we find ourselves eulogising for the recently departed Alex Salmond, one of Rory’s political heroes and great influences, and will no doubt find the themes of independence and efficient government returning to our running order in future weeks.  

Hunting moons, chasing sailing dreams, seeking comets, and celebrating the end of the island and New Forest’s CO2 nightmare, ease us away from the joy (Saturday rugby) and sadness (loss of a hero) of Saturday 12th October 2024.

Stay tuned for future episodes where topical chat and totally pointless endeavours combine to entertain and pass all our time in productive participation, in the great miracle that is life.

Thanks for listening.

Tim and Rory

Back from an enforced holiday break, the island’s longest, continually running podcast* (sorry Harriet), presents to you our 41st episode from our combined 2 series across 21 months, being broadcast come hell or high water.

We bring to you a follow-up from our outside broadcast for our 40th episode and related important sporting fixtures that draw threads together from as far afield as north east Hampshire and the south east of the Isle of Wight.  Listen to find out how these threads weave their way into our topical chat.

Sport, holidays, petting cafes and island hotspots share the billing with a very special guest, and friend of the podcast making a cameo appearance, telling tales of a short-lived career in the Forbes publishing empire.  No, not this one … that one!.

We gently meander through diverse subjects drawing from common themes, often celebrating our island’s rich and diverse culinary attractions.  The whiff of fete, hangs heavy over some, but we are able to showcase a number of exciting experiences that will leave you wanting to come back for more.  It’s just like listening to a popular podcast.  We ain’t no Mortimer and Woodhouse, nor Campbell and Stewart but we are Dedman and Forbes and we do gentle man talking.

Thanks for listening, we hope you are enjoying our musings and please do tell your friends not to miss out on the island’s longest continually running podcast*..

Tim and Rory

* This may or may not be true.

With the football (soccer) season well underway and with diary challenges perplexing your podcast planners, we found ourselves together instead, not in a cosy studio, but in Beatrice Avenue, East Cowes, one balmy, summer’s Wednesday evening, for an Isle of Wight cup and local derby clash.

Friendly rivals, Newport Isle of Wight FC , found themselves drawn against East Cowes Victoria Athletic A.F.C. with a crowd of 447 turning out for this Wessex League Cup clash. Fellow travellers in the Wessex League Division 1 they will meet again on Boxing Day in what is likely to be an epic, top of the table clash at Christmas.

We’ve wanted to take the podcast out on the road for some time, so this was an opportunity not to be missed, to test out our gear and our ability to hold a conversation whilst surrounded by crowd distractions and noise.

Tim managed to collar John Davies (we don’t know who John Hughes is), the Chairman of Newport, the “home” side for the evening clash between these 2 ground-sharing clubs.  An insider’s view as to how grassroots football operates was delivered in Tim’s half-time interview with John.

If you want to know the result, you’ll have to listen right to the end of this shorter-than-normal edition of the podcast.

We think it worked out quite well so stay tuned to your podcast provider, and our Instagram account for details of further QWightLike on the road trips in the near future.

Thanks for listening, folks.

Tim (manager) and Rory (kit man)

The boys are back in town after a short, medically-induced, break from the studios.  Nothing, it seems, can keep our dedicated duo from fulfilling our services to podcastery.  Cries of relief are heard all across the land, after all, where else can you eavesdrop on a conversation between 2 ageing men covering subjects as diverse as obscure Olympic sports, Liz Truss and the wonders of authentic Scottish confectionary, almost within the same breath?

The answer, of course, is right here on QWightLike A Podcast.  Listen in as Rory and Tim procrastinate on the best coffee, humourless politicians and the postural advantages of England’s finest sportsmen and women, whilst celebrating places to visit to quench thirst and sate hunger on the Isle of Wight, Alan Titchmarsh’s lugubriously described ‘Diamond Isle’.

As always, thanks for listening.

Until next time … stay tuned

Tim and Rory