Alex Whiteley is joined on The Shrewsbury Biscuit Podcast today by Alice Nester who is on the show to talk about her journey through the discovery, treatment and recovery of a brain tumour.

This is a story of a girl who went through hell and back, yet here she is sharing it all in it's candid and real form. Alice doesn't hold anything back in her telling of her story in order to let the listener know exactly what she went through.

Alice is a star and this podcast episode was designed only with awareness in mind. If you need help while going through your own journey with similar health problems here are some handy links for you:

The Brain Tumour Charity: https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/

Lingen Davies: https://www.lingendavies.co.uk/

Shropshire Mental Health Support: https://www.shropshiremhs.com/

Thank you Alice for sharing your story. Hopefully this episode helps raise awareness the way you want it to. We will be back for part II.

Intro/Outro music: Talk by Ease the Artist

Today’s episode features long-time friend of the show, producer Luke Allen, who turns up with a mystery guest. Alex had no idea who was coming or where the conversation was heading.

That guest is Merryn Rae Peachey, an experienced script supervisor from the world of TV and film. Merryn joins Luke to talk openly about her decision to step away from the industry, and why meaningful change around inclusion still feels a long way off.

With movements like #MeToo bringing promised reforms around safety and fairness, the question remains: are these changes truly being implemented, or are they just industry optics? Luke and Merryn dig into the realities of working on set, the changes they’d like to see, and what true inclusivity should actually look like.

Merryn has since written a powerful parting piece titled Leaving the Dream, reflecting on her exit from the industry, which you can read on her Substack.

Big thanks to Luke for bringing a great conversation, and to Merryn — always nice to make a new friend. That’s what this podcast game is all about.

Intro/outro music: Talk by Ease the Artist

Join Alex Whiteley as he comes to you from Exotic Zoo in Telford, broadcasting from what will soon be their brand new palaeontology lab. Alex sits down with newly appointed palaeontologist Tom Moncrieffe to dive headfirst into the world of dinosaurs, mass extinctions and… trees?!

Yes, trees. Alongside big talk of extinction events, fossils and how we piece together Earth’s past, the conversation takes some wonderfully unexpected turns — including spiders the size of cars (slight Alex exaggeration) and how everything around us connects to the bones that will soon be studied in the very room this episode was recorded in.

We may not have time machines, but experts like Tom help bring the prehistoric world to life through decades of research, evidence and theory. And the best bit? When this lab opens, you’ll be able to get hands-on yourself at Exotic Zoo’s Young Palaeontologist Fossil Experience.

This ongoing creative partnership with Exotic Zoo is just getting started, and the possibilities are huge. Let us know what you’d like us to explore next.