Sunday, 1 February 2026
Real Voices of Happy Valley reaches 100
Update from Viv and Dave Boardman
The podcast Real Voices of Happy Valley has reached 100 episodes and has, in this format at least, come to an end.
We started Real Voices after creating Adventures in Retirement, chronicling our travels across Europe, North America and into Australia. In the English speaking countries when people discovered we lived in Hebden Bridge a common reaction was, "Is that where they made the Happy Valley TV series?".
When we returned, Adventures in Retirement ended and we considered what to do next. It became obvious to us that while we had thoroughly enjoyed Happy Valley we were fully aware that there were far more interesting people living in the valley than a TV series could show.
We chatted with people we knew – Roger O Doherty about his lockdown project photographing birds in his garden that turned into a calendar and raised money for foodbanks was an early one.
It is easy to come across people who are bringing benefit to their community and environment in Calder Valley, so we spoke to the group looking after High Hirst meadow behind Doddnaze where we lived, groups saving Badgers and buying the land the Bridestones are on above Todmorden.
We found people doing quirky, interesting and ultimately beneficial things like Winston Plowes who we came across in the woods; he was picking stones and sticks for his land art projects, turning found items into works of art. We met Sherrel and Dunc of Moonfull who were running sessions on foraging and subsequent wine making, Louise Heppleston who helps train dogs to find people lost on the moors and Leona Johnson on Forest School and Live Wild projects.
Naturally, Real Voices episodes included many musicians including drummers Jim Brierley and Ade Todd, the constantly evolving Des Horsfall and globetrotting John Armstrong. By far the most listened to podcast was Daniel Bath talking ahout the incredibly talents Lucy Illingworth's adventures on Channel 4's The Piano and her appearance at the current King's coronation.
Viv has a book-related radio show on Calder Valley Radio, which features interviews with authors, booksellers, book clubs and librarians, many of which have also featured on Real Voices of Happy Valley.
If you look through the series you can find campaigners. There is Nina Smith on railways, Leonie Nimmo and Beth Reeder on Palestine and Maggie Smallwood on the benefits of swimming. Many people work hard at bringing benefit to our communities such as Sara Robinson and others supporting refugees and asylum seekers at St Augustine's Halifax, people involved in food banks and Julie Thorpe, centre manager at Tod College, a great benefit to the area.
Real Voices of Happy Valley is designed to highlight those voices, not ours, we just ask questions and join them in conversation. There are far more people we could speak to and far more going on than we have highlighted, but we like to think we've helped show what an amazing, caring set of people live in this area.
Find Real Voices of Happy Valley (and Adventures in Retirement which became series one) at Real Voices of Happy Valley and various podcast platforms. You can also hear Viv and Dave's Allsorts, Viv and Jean's Bookends and Dave's World of Music on www.caldervalleyradio.co.uk live or on 'listen again'
Previously, on the HebWeb
HebWeb News: Real Voices of Happy Valley reaches 50 (Sept 2024)
HebWeb News: Daniel Bath talking about Lucy Illingworth (May 2024)
HebWeb News: Sara Robinson, Director of St Augustine's Centre (Feb 2024)
HebWeb News: In episode 10 of Real Voices of Happy Valley, Hebweb editor Chris Ratcliffe discussed the origins of Pennine Pens (Aug 2023)
HebWeb News: Viv and Dave talk with Kerry McQuade and Neil Diment about the High Hirst Wood Meadow Project. (Aug 2023)
HebWeb News report: Podcast: Real Voices of Happy Valley (June 2023)