This week on the Grass in the Sky podcast, we are joined by the inspiring Steve Smith. We discuss how his life of unrest and criminal activity led him to become an inspiring change-maker for communities and individuals across the UK.  

His parents were part of Windrush and left their children behind. It took 6 years before all the kids were back together in which time the parents had more children in the UK. This caused family tension, racism and a lot of anguish.  

Steve quickly became known as Crucial, firstly for his musical endeavours later this name would follow him into a darker chapter of gangs. From a young age, Crucial was a leader and a feared name. After his wheelchair-bound mother was punched in the face by police, Steve (Crucial) attack and injured several officers with a baseball bat thus beginning the life of crime.  

After being sentenced to a total of around 18 years, on 12 separate occasions and serving 9 and half years, Steve began to change his life. His time inside had allowed him to educate himself in areas that interested him and he quickly became respected in the community rather than feared. 

He started many business from Record Shops to Business Advice for startups but his passion and enthusiasm lay in helping others. Helping those with similar upbringings to his, kids that have been excluded by the system and society. 

Steve has worked tirelessly for years to deliver the assistance and guidance to those who need it most through an array of programmes, projects and foundations. Whether he is helping someone start their own business, community gardening, litter-picking, Steve’s goal is to help others and empower them to feel worthy. 

Steve worked for the council as community training organiser which led him to become a trainer and the Director of the National Academy of Community Organisers. Through this work Steve can carry out his wishes to help those who are dismissed feel listened to, so they can feel good about themselves and change their life for the better.  

As if all of that wasn’t enough, unfortunately Steve’s mother lost her battle with Dementia, which is why Steve is now a Dementia Champion, host sessions to help those dealing with the care of their loved one. 

What a man, what an interview. Take a listen.  

Resources mentioned:

Steve Smith 

Dementia Friends 

Nottinghamshire County Council  

National Academy of Community Organisers 

FUEL (First Universal Enterprises Limited) 

Nottinghamshire Together

Community Friendly Nottingham

Welcome back to the Grass in the Sky podcast and our sixth episode, how time flies when you’re having fun talking to amazing and incredible people. Today we are joined by Nottingham-born Cliff Bull, a professional footballer with Manchester United from the age of 15, signing just days before the tragic Munich air disaster in 1958.  

We chatted to Cliff about his footballing days for many clubs, including Nottingham Forest and Manchester United. Cliff explains his experience of the disaster as a young boy at Manchester United, his ultimately career-ruining injuries and how his interest in women, or lack of it, was turned on its head by one woman in particular, Janet. 

This episode is a truly incredible love story that isn’t without its unwanted tragedies. A 58-year marriage, 3 daughters, 7 grandchildren and 2 labradors, a stint in France, a Pride of Britain win, a knighthood and an enormous amount of family love to guide Cliff and his loved ones through the best and worst of times.   

Resources mentioned in the show:  

• Clifton Leisure Centre 
• Nottingham Forest  
• Wolverhampton Wanderers 
• Manchester United  
• The Cliff 
• Bert Wally 
• Munich air disaster 
• Nobby Styles 
• Jimmy Nicholson 
• Nobby Lawton 
• Bury FC 
• Chris Harker 
• Brian Clough 
• Dr. Burkei 
• Jimmy Murphy 
• MeningitisNow 

Welcome back to the Grass in the Sky podcast and our fifth episode, this week we’ve stayed local. Marisha and Andy run Eartharmony, a vegan, zero waste shop in Belper. Their journey started on March 4th 2020, sound familiar? They moved into the shop on the day that Mr. Johnson locked the country down for the first time. How’s that for timing.  

We discussed their shop and how it all came about, how they support the local community and creators, a more sustainable and mindful way of life and of course a little more about what makes Marisha and Andy tick as people. Family, holidays, hobbies, passions and we are also joined by a few customers and deliveries as it was actually recorded in the shop. 

Resources mentioned in the show:  

• Eartharmony 
• Matthew the Baker: Fieldfare Bakery 
• DeBraidelei Shopping Village 
• Nestle 
• Galaxy 
• Pingle Produce 

Welcome back to the fourth episode of Grass in the Sky podcast. This week we are joined by the lovely David Murphy. David is an incredibly interesting and kind man who runs a pub in Netherfield, Nottingham, called It’s Inn The Bank - a pun on the fact that the building used to be a Lloyd’s bank. 

David has been in the pub, bar, nightclub and restaurant scene for many years, and is considered an icon within his community thanks to the many people he has met over the years and the stories he has to tell 

In his own words, he has met a lot of colourful characters and seen it all. His first experience within the nightclub world was as a glass collector, and he immediately fell in love with the trade. 

David’s life within the industry also saw him go him oversees, living in Florida where he ran a bar and restaurant for two years. An avid football fan with a love for reading, there are many facets to David, and his conversational style just pulls you in.  

In this podcast, we discuss David’s life, his family, his hobbies, his work and the exciting experiences during his career, but also how his current pub coped during lockdown. 

We also hear how he and his wife Nikky constantly evolve and come up with great ideas to keep their business running; how they helped their local council during lockdown; and why they received the local Pride of Gedling award. Only people like David and Nikky would say the award should have really gone to their customers.  

This is another cracker of an episode. 

Resources Mentioned in the episode: 

• Manchester United 
• Soup Kitchen & Food Bank 
• The Pride of Gedling Award 
• Theatre Royal 
• The Playhouse 
• Trentham Monkey Forest 
• Lee Child – The Jack Reacher books 
• Michael Connolly – The Bosch books 
• John Connolly – The Charly Parker Books 
• Stephen Leather – Author 
• Anxiety 
• Jack Reacher Films – Tom Cruise 
• The Reacher – TV Series 
• Bosch – TV Series Amazon Prime 
• Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts Films 

Welcome back to the Grass in the Sky podcast and our third episode, Paul Ince. Our discussions this week are about Paul’s life. Starting on the student and hospital radio and struggling to find a role in radio after university Paul “got a real job”. Between NEXT and a tech company, Paul enjoyed his jobs until one day he wanted to do it for himself, hence LikeMind Media was born.  

As well as being a marketing genius, Paul co-hosts a podcast called Humans Exhaust Me with Phylecia Jones which was beaten last year to an award by the New York Times. We discuss the ins and outs of raising children with autism and Elizabeth’s involvement in autistic care. Why Paul started a business, what he gets from it, why Paul is thinking more about self-care and what people should be trying to take from work.  

It’s a real cracker of an episode.  

Resources mentioned in the show:  

• Likemind Media 
• Next 
• Humans Exhaust Me 
• Phylecia Jones 
• Pitch Lab at Podfest 2020 
• MarketEd.Live 
• Quill Podcast Awards 
• New York Times 
• The Autistic Spectrum 
• YouTube 

“Learn from your mistakes” 

Here we are for episode 2 of the Grass in the Sky podcast. Today we’re joined by the wonderful Charlotte Throssel, a truly incredible woman with an even better story to tell. Charlotte runs her Nottingham-based charity, Disability Support, which provides vital help and assistance to people living with disabilities, the elderly and carers.  

Adopted at the age of 10 months old, Charlotte’s life didn’t get off to the most ideal start and the challenges would keep coming thick and fast. Her experiences in facing these challenges led her to start Disability Support and make the lives of so many people that little bit better. Suffering the great loss of not one but two immediate family members, as well as dealing with the bullying and stigma surrounding disability, Charlotte’s attitude, enthusiasm and outlook on life is astounding.  

Here is a quote from Charlotte which we found very poignant: “If something different appears in front of you, you are going to look, you are going to ask questions, you know. It’s what you do with those answers that matters.” 

Resources mentioned in the show:  

• Disability Support 
• Basford Community Centre 
• Spina Bifida 
• Hydrocephalus 
• Loughborough College 
• Access Card

Pete Bell- “Football is just the carrot” 

Welcome to the first-ever episode of Grass in the Sky, a conversational podcast where we’ll chat to some truly incredible and remarkable people. The aim is simple. Engage in conversation to share the life stories of a wide array of people to learn from them and appreciate where life has taken them. Their hard work, struggles, success, setbacks, it’s all part of the journey that each of us takes in a very different way.  

Our first guest, born and raised on the Clifton estate in Nottingham, Pete Bell is a 55-year-old with some story. From his ‘goody-goody’ days as a boy and a burning passion for football and cricket through to the present day, Pete shares his story with Elizabeth with all the details. Discussing his time spent in prison, role models, atonement, regret, dealing with anger and loss, drinking, football coaching and even how Pete made it from “Prison to Parliament". 

Resources mentioned in the show:  

• Step Out Stay Out 
• Judge John Hopkin 
• Lillian Greenwood 
• The FA 
• Mansfield Town FC  
• Notts County FC 
• Oakwood Prison 
• Alliance of Sport 
• Forward Trust 
• Tony Adams 

Join us again next time, when we'll be joined by another incredible guest with a remarkable story to tell.