Anya Lautenbach is a gardener who I discovered on Instagram as anya_thegarden_fairy. From Poland originally, Anya moved to to the UK 17 years ago and has two boys aged 12 and 14.

We talked about the grief which Anya has experienced because of her sister having two sons with a rare genetic condition which turned out to be terminal.

Anya explained how every time she had bad news from home, she turned that into another garden border and has ended up creating a beautiful garden out of her ocean of grief.

We also talked about her ADHD diagnosis which came soon after her son’s diagnosis, and how gardening helps her to escape the overwhelming busyness of her mind.

Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jo-Ann D’Costa-Manuel is a charity pioneer. She received an OBE for her years of voluntary work raising the profile of hidden disabilities. She persuaded airlines to recognise green lanyards with sunflowers, as a symbol of a family member flying with a hidden disability. She was also behind the ‘quiet hour’ in supermarkets to help children like her own son, who is autistic, and needs a quiet environment to be able to do a food shop.

Jo-Ann now works for philanthropist John Caudwell to help raise money for children and youth projects, and she has just started her own podcast speaking to women over 40, called ‘It’s Your Time.’

Jo-Ann’s son is now 16, and her daughter is 19. And to Jo-Ann’s delight - and her daughter’s horror - they are often mistaken for sisters!

Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Francesca Amber is a successful entrepreneur, podcaster and author who turned her life around using manifesting after everything went wrong for her in 2020.

She has 3 daughters. Her eldest is 8 years old, and she has 4 year old twins who are starting school this September.

In lockdown she lost her beauty business and her income and then had her twins as a single mother. She says she had a savage 5 years. But now her new book 'Manifesting Like a Mother' is published the day her twins start school and we mulled over how the timing is on this is so dramatic. We discussed the terminology of 'manifesting' and how Francesca thought I might have manifested the success of Murder on the Dancefloor!

We agreed being a martyr as a mum is not a good thing, and Francesca described how she likes to schedule in quality time for herself, and buy herself lovely presents for her birthday and Mother's Day - and I've decided she should definitely treat herself to one of the tassley outfits I wear on stage!

Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.