Walter Pancott, my mother's father, was a legit war hero and I'm proud to say his blood flows in my veins.

Today, 12th August, is his birthday. In Earth years he would be 106 now. Not an age he'd have been too bothered to reach, since he'd already crossed out all his dead pals in the phone book. 'Last man standing'.

This episode is to honour my grandfather and his fortitude, which I call on every day to sustain me through my own tribulations. It features some of him, some of me, and some of my mum.

There is generational trauma, afflicting us all. And there is generational resilience.

Generational curses and generational blessings.

The choice is ours, every single day.

Read more on my wee bloggo.

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For the sins of your fathers you, though guiltless, must suffer - Horace, The Odes

Pastor Ross Barrett is a husband, father, chef, fight coach and missionary. He is also my brother from another mother, as I found out earlier this year.

He was born in 1970, the year before my parents met. In his own words, Ross is 'nobody's dirty little secret'.

In this episode, we discuss his illegal 'adoption', his decision to trace his origins, and some of the grimness and gold in between and beyond.

My brother's blog can be found at Bad Boy Turned Good.

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This episode is a Podcast Polaroid, if you will.

A capturing of a moment in time that was an ending but also, as ever with endings, a beginning.

The episode cover photo features me and my friend from many lifetimes, Shay. You can see some of his art in there, and also some of the ethereal lights that danced around us every time we talked and laughed and cried while we lived together in separate wings of a glorious but cursed house in east London.

All of life was there, and quite a bit of it is in this episode too.

Farewell, Warhol Mansions. WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE FLEETWOOD MAC *fist pump*

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In this episode, holistic business coach Jemma-with-a-J and my bad self traverse the Devon countryside and talk about big stuff via the medium of myth and the inspirational bubbliness of a bitchin' hot tub.

Also featuring cows.

These are some words from the late John Trudell, poet, recording artist, actor and activist, which I feel speak perfectly to the spirit of Red Bead Road Trip:

All human beings are descendants of tribal people who were spiritually alive, intimately in love with the natural world, children of Mother Earth.

When we were tribal people, we knew who we were, we knew where we were, and we knew our purpose.

This sacred perception of reality remains alive and well in our genetic memory.

We carry it inside of us, usually in a dusty box in the mind’s attic, but it is accessible.

Enjoy :)

Instagrams:

• Dr Martin Shaw
• James McCrae, aka Words Are Vibrations
• Jemma bringing soul to business

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Empty your mind.

Be formless, shapeless, like water.

You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup.

You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle.

You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.

Now water can flow or it can crash.

Be water, my friend.

This episode is another longer one but I bet you a tenner you don't even notice when you're listening.

Islington boy Ivan was on track to be a professional footballer but life had other plans for him, including quoting Bruce Lee at wannabe boxers like me. In this episode we discuss the fundamental connection between the body and the mind, between physical and mental health, and the mystical stuff in between.

We also talk lots of deep shit about water (Bruce would be loving it).

Complementary content:

• The Rocky 4 No Easy Way Out montage (better than Prozac)
• Public Enemy, He Got Game (when hip-hop artists were the true poets and philosophers of our time)
• The course I mention in the intro is run by Bernhard Guenther and his wife Laura
• Niall, the boy who gave me my first boxing lesson: 1976-2011
• Follow Ivan and get the guns of your dreams!

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This episode is a longer one than average because an epic person speaking epically = simply epic content.

Georgina is pure London but she does the most legit Northern Irish accent I've ever heard and for this I adore her. She's a proud mum of four, three girls and a boy, and is in recovery from addiction. She wishes more people understood that trauma and painkilling are at the core of addiction, and that addicts deserve compassion not disdain.

She provided the name for this episode because, if she were ever to write a book about her journey on this orb, Who Will Love Me? is what she'd call it. When you hear a bit about her life and her heritage, you'll understand why.

Fun fact: You know that camp cleaning show on TV with 'the little scientist and the mad one' (Gina's words), the two ladies who go round people's filthy houses and blitz the gaffs while berating the owners? Well, Gina's eldest daughter's partner's mum is the little scientist. Epic trivia though.

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Meet Doreen, an East End legend living her best life at 85. She's known far and wide for her Hackney pet emporium which housed monkeys, ponies, a baby puma and a pot-bellied pig that she used to walk up the street on a lead. It all ended in 1997 when Big Tesco came along and took over her patch. She'll always have the stories.

That's not Doreen in the photo, it's Molly the poodle, who passed away peacefully at the age of 17 after living the kind of star-studded life of which you and I can only but dream.

This episode is dedicated to Buster Elvis Savage

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