Hello You 132: 'Every woman's got a story about their bits'

‘All of us are terrible parents at some point’Mothers. We’ve all got one, or had one, and our relationships with them can be loving, fraught, empowering, frustrating … and even creative.All Roads Lead to Mother is the title of an exhibition of work by mother and daughter artists Sam Pooley Stride and Daisy Pooley Tolkien Williams. It was shown recently at Shrewsbury’s Swan Hill Studios, a space that Sam Pooley Stride believes is part of an explosion of artistic activity in our county town. ‘This is a moment … I do feel there’s a renaissance here, something’s happening to this town’In this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast, Sam Pooley Stride shares the story of Swan Hill Studios, and also unpacks some of the themes behind her and Daisy’s exhibition.Boob wallpaperThey’d been talking about putting on a show like this for quite a while, but perhaps extra urgency was added by the recent loss of Sam’s mother, Daisy’s grandmother. Sam Pooley Stride reveals stories about her mother’s past, including an affair and an elopement to South America, her mother’s adoption - ‘for the sum of ten shillings’ - and the revelation that Sam’s adoptive grandmother had a hysterectomy at nineteen years of age, but craved a child so much she was tempted to steal one.I hope you enjoy this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast. Let me know by sending me a message? Please share it with your friends - maybe with your mother or daughter? - by clicking this button: And join in the conversation with other members of the Hello You family in the comments: The privilege of avoiding the newsAt the start of this episode I mention an article I’d read which reminded me that I’m lucky to be able to limit my news diet.Not everyone can turn away from the news, because often their lives are the news.This is the article in question. Please read and share it?Thank you for being part of the Hello You familyPlease help to spread the word about Hello You the Shropshire podcast by sharing this episode, or just by talking about it. Mention Hello You in conversation with your friends, colleagues and family? Take care of yourself?Take care of the people around you, and I hope that they’re taking care of you, too. Hello You - the Shropshire podcast from Jim Hawkins is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimallthetime.substack.com/subscribe