The Phil Swallow Podcast
By Phil Swallow
The Phil Swallow PodcastApr 13, 2019
#170 Where to go next?
YouTube Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/@philswallow
(Originally broadcast live on my YouTube Channel)
In this episode:
- Live Broadcast - get involved!
- Videos Live - Save Sanderstead Library and Limpsfield to Titsey Airstrip W&T
- March Stats: 7,098 views, 668 hours watch time, 44 new subscribers
- Cleared out some old content on YouTube
- Transcripts - general + now on Apple Podcasts
- Haven’t finalised walks/talks for April yet
- Drone flight today
- EV car target
- Trip to TNA
- Contact with Benjamin Beeson’s grandson
- New talk progressing
- LiDAR talk at The Bourne Society
#169 Forward, March!
YouTube Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/@philswallow
(Originally broadcast live on my YouTube Channel)
In this episode:
- Live Broadcast - get involved!
- Benjamin Beeson talk - full house 😀
- Video Live - Sanderstead Revisited W&T
- February Stats: 8,600 views, 840 hours watch time, 56 new subscribers
- Meeting with YouTube
- Video Planned - Titsey Area
- Family Wedding - drinking & dancing
- Car tyres £££
- Did I mention the fine? “Healthy School Streets”
- FOI update - trip to TNA planned
- New talk to be worked on
- Bourne Society Council
- Caterham Valley
#168 Is It Spring Yet?
YouTube Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/@philswallow
(Originally broadcast live on my YouTube Channel)
In this episode:
- Live Broadcast - get involved!
- Benjamin Beeson talk this week
- Video Live - Horse Racing in Croydon
- Video Live - Botley Hill Loop (more to come from this area)
- Sue in “not a performance” - Kimberly Akimbo
- New Crystal Palace manager and a win!
#167 Up & Running
YouTube Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/@philswallow
(Originally broadcast live on my YouTube Channel)
In this episode:
ERROR - I stay 2023 when of course I mean 2024!
- Live Broadcast format - get involved!
- Marden PARK not Lodge
- January Analytics
- Prepping for Benjamin Beeson talk
- Bomb Mapping - East Surrey
- East Surrey Museum talk to be arranged
- Video Live - Haliloo & Slines Oak area
- Filming soon in Woodside area
- Country walk for Feb mapped & ready
- Hamsey Green walk with CNHSS: https://cnhss.co.uk/our-event-programme-for-2023-4/
#166 Happy New Year!
YouTube Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/@philswallow
(Originally broadcast live on my YouTube Channel)
In this episode:
- Live Broadcast format - get involved!
- Bourne Society Talk - went well, great subject
- Booked a talk for 2025
- Social media video on Sanderstead Court
- Filmed/released South Croydon video
- Walk update - Haliloo & Slines Oak area
- Marguerite video going well
- Research idea pooling experiences
- Deeper research on some strong stories that I am excited about
- Crystal Palace won a game
#165 Year End Review 2023 (Audio from Live YouTube Broadcast)
YouTube Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/@philswallow
In this episode:
- Target achieved - thank you!
- Now to continue and improve
- Some stats from the last 365 days:
- 71,106 views (up 30%)
- 4,839 watch hours (up 33%)
- 391 new subscribers (up 54%)
- Top 5 full videos:
- LA to San Francisco - 10,460
- Croydon Airport - 7,938
- Croydon How It Is 2023 - November - 2,254*
- Kenley Aerodrome - 2,227
- Warlingham Then & Now Part 1 - 1,712
- The secret is to find what works and keep doing it, but what works best?
- I have more planned for Croydon area
- I want to find stories that can link local history to significant stories from wider history
- The art is in the telling and this is a developing process
- Weather is a factor this time of year, have thought about VoiceOver videos but keep deciding against them - any thoughts?
- Some WW2 related stories in the pipeline
- I will continue with one country-related walk per month
- The research is enjoyable but can grow arms & legs
- A guest presenter will join me in 2024 for a Biggin Hill follow-up
*Pleasing as it has only been live since November 18th
- Six face-to-face or public talks in 2023, four already planned for 2024
- Occasional client work comes in, that is always top priority
#164 - Huge Channel Milestone Looming
YouTube Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/@philswallow
In this episode:
- The title - can you help by sharing?
- Croydon: How It Is 2023 filmed, edited & live
- Woldingham Walk & Talk live
- Filmed a local lady with a great life story
- Red Deer to Purley -Then & Now live
- Recce walk led to uncovering a story with huge historical interest
- Christmas preparations
- A Christmas Carol with Christopher Eccleston
- New toaster
- Bread machine
- Another Talk booked for 2024
- Weather inconsistency
#163 Then & Now
In this episode:
- Warlingham Then & Now Part 2 live & doing well
- Why I like doing these
- Future plans for them
- Client job - Can’t See For Looking
- Woldingham Walk & Talk in edit
- Conversation with aviation archaeologist
- Interview due soon
- Croydon annual revisit to be filmed
- Weather inconsistency
#153 I’m Going To Be On The Radio!
In this episode:
- Invitation to appear on the Griff Griffiths Drivetime Show on 365 radio on 21/08/23
- Mystery of 150 Limpsfield Road mostly solved
- Mystery of 139 Addington Road started and probably solved
- Story of Ashburton Fields in Addiscombe
- Tokyo editing advancing
- Transcriber - brilliant and only $39
- Plan to film at Caterham-on-the-Hill this week (weather permitting)
- Passed milestone of 800 subscribers
- Threads - seems ok
- Off to pick my Top 10 tracks for the show
#154 Caterham-on-the-Hill
In this episode:
- RAF Addington mystery solved
- Joined the library
- Filmed at Caterham-on-the-Hill
- Kenley Pen Nets success
- New MacBook Pro
- Micro research projects
#158 Tales from a Failed Shoot
In this episode:
- Planning vs reality
- Microphone failure
- Learnings - sound/route/feedback
- HG Loop W&T live
- Tokyo re-edit live
- Family History Show
- Family visit - special
- Stats - weird
- Brand - choice to like or dislike but make it clear
#162 My Radio Show Debut
In this episode:
- Griff Griffiths King of the Road Drive Time show on 365 Radio
- Brilliant fun
- Recording link attached
- Distinction between this and normal video
- Hythe:
- Three trips instead of one
- Great trip
- Good hotel/location
- Photography
- Railway
- Family
- Weather
- Met up with a subscriber/fellow history lover
- Prepping next few videos, severely hampered by the weather
#161 Summer to Autumn in 24 hours
In this episode:
- Frost last night
- Ryder Cup victory for Team Europe
- Woodside Talk given by John Hickman
- Bourne Society talk - mine!
- Played golf - scored well - Byron family connection
- Updated website with talk information
- Meeting about Caterham Spring Pumping Station
- McMillan Tea & Cake raising over £400
- GoPro debut - new video shows it
- Also new mic position, much happier with sound quality
- Met up with a subscriber at Addington Fire Station
- New iPhone
- Pygmalion at the Old Vic
- Prepping next few videos, one ready to go, others need more work
#160 Walks & Talks
In this episode:
- Open House reflections
- Giving talks (HG & Parkinson’s Group)
- Technical support for talks
- Stepping in - Bourne Society
- Haven’t tried new GoPro yet
- HG to Farleigh Walk live (mic placement learning)
- Great engagement- thank you
- Apple software update season
- Delay on new iPhone 🙄
- Illegal Eagles
- Magazine article to do
#159 Open House Festival
In this episode:
- St Mary’s Church, Addington
- Croydon Minster & Belltower
- Kenley Aerodrome (video live)
- Croydon Archives Tour
- West Wickham Library - Art Deco
- Crystal Palace Subway
- Croydon Almshouses - Hospital of the Holy Trinity
- Addington Village Walking Tour
- Numbers - YouTube overtaken Instagram
- Talks and technical support
#157 So Much To Tell
In this episode:
- Room moves and inevitable purchases
- Another hard drive failure
- HG Loop W&T editing
- Tokyo re-editing
- Football season started
- Pilates continues
- Big book purchase: The Royal Airforce Builds for War: A History of Design and Construction in the RAF 1935-1945
- Lime Meadow photos
- Richard Gardner visit
- Merlin Engine video live & feedback
- Kenley Flypast
- Biggin Hill History Walk Part 2
- Sue Filming
#156 Titsey Place to Tokyo
In this episode:
- Excuse the cold
- An unplanned plan to get back to Wednesdays?
- Titsey Place visit with the Bourne Society
- Places that for some reason I never visited
- Tokyo video live - at last
- Eastbourne & Sovereign Harbour
- Highgate - Gatehouse Theatre, must visit during the day
- Internal moves
#155 RAF Biggin Hill
In this episode:
- RAF Biggin Hill visits
- Caterham on the Hill Walk & Talk video live
- Pilates
- TV - The Sixth Commandment & The Bear
- Oppenheimer
- Amazing YouTube comments
#152 The Joy of Researching
In this episode: * Sue appeared in a TV ad for Revitive: https://youtu.be/dEV6hh39b98 * Copyright claim * Radio show guest? * Gave my talk to Senior Moments in Caterham * Inquiry about another talk at a Rotary Club * Had an amazing connected success * Happy to return to video work * Weather changing
#151 Victorian Pumping Stations
In this episode:
- Gave my talk on Croydon Water History
- On the day that Thames Water hit the headlines
- Great visit to Crossness Pumping Station
- Victorians knew how to do things
- Participated in user input session for Epidemic Sound
- Tokyo ticking along
- Talk number 3 of 2023 is continuing
#150 Milestone Edition
<li>150th episode!</li>
<li>Birthday/Milestone present - new mic, Shure SM7B</li>
<li>Lots of things have happened in that time. </li>
<ul>
<li>Finishing work</li>
<li>Headshots</li>
<li>Covid</li>
<li>Switch to video (generally and on here)</li>
<li>Adding in speaking engagements</li>
<li>Having fun</li>
</ul>
<li>YouTube Partner</li>
<li>First talk almost ready to go</li>
<li>Second one being worked on</li>
<li>Tokyo video being worked on</li>
<li>Must do some gardening . . .</li>
</ul>
#149 Where is everyone?
- It has all gone very quiet!
- Part 3: Tokyo
- Met up with an old work buddy
- Enjoying the free travel
- Presentations
- Hot weather
- Watching the shenanigans in the US
#148 Japan, Part 2
- No emojis - they don’t always behave
- Part 2: Nagasaki, Miyazaki & Kochi
- Jet lag gone
- Another birthday celebration
- Editing
- Hard drive replaced
- 5 x speaking engagements this year, most still to do
- Golf
- Car
- Hot weather incoming
#147 What a Trip! 🇯🇵🛳️
- It started with BA cancelling the flight
- Cunard made sure we got there
- Brilliant ship, company, staff, service
- My birthday is one to remember
- First stop Kagoshima
- Second stop Busan
- More to follow in future episodes
- Video creation held up by hard drive failure 😣
#146 Fixing Failures 🔧😬
- Recognising when the output is not technically good enough
- Too many compromises
- Both Bluebell Walk & London Walk now taken down
- Experiment with native 360° video parked ftb
- Croydon Typhoid Outbreak video live - it’s been a long time coming
- London trip
- Packing
- Sue away
- No shows for two weeks, lots to tell after that
#145 Bluebell Walk in 360° 🔵🔔🚶🏻♂️
- Croydon Typhoid Outbreak Film - complex edit ongoing
- Bluebell Walk on Monday (MayDay) - 360° video now live
- Croydon Research Room
- Sue preparing for her filming trip
- Us preparing for our Japan trip - hence the room!
- Reviews online
- Oyster 60+ Photocard
- Tonight - A Country House at War - Marden Park
#143 Crunching the Numbers 💻📈
- Subscriber number profile - very strange
- #30in30 done - high level results (all Shorts)
- 6,336 views
- 19,928 shown in Shorts feed
- 271 Likes
- 32 Shares
- 10 subscribers
- Most views - Henry VIII in Addington (895)
- 3,737 views via Shorts feed
- 975 via YouTube search
- 10 different countries
- 5,221 Not subscribed
- 1,115 Subscribed
- Bluewater Shopping Trip
- Weather still a factor
- Prepping for Hols - eSim/Wi-Fi hotspot
- Long form filming asap
- CPFC march on
#142 Easter Break-ish 🐣💻
- Brilliant Headshot Session
- Sue shot me
- Great to use skills, techniques, software
- Counting down to the end of the Shorts exercise
- Thinking about my next 360° video
- Weather misbehaving - research rather than shooting
- Holiday prep - worth it though
- Meal out with Sue at one of my faves
- CPFC
#141 Analysing My Shorts 🧐🩳
- First grass cut of the year ✅
- A quieter week by comparison
- Crystal Palace recorded their first win of 2023
- Still doing daily shorts
- View profile is interesting
- It pushes the short based on algorithm
- Subject matter means many swipe it away (it tells you this)
- Some views have subscribed
- Some have disliked - CPFC example
- Proper 360° video
- Headshot prep & full gear test
#144 Filming Day! 📹🎤
- Sanderstead LHG Meeting
- Filming complete - Croydon Typhoid Outbreak
- London Metropolitan Archive visit
- Theatre trip surprise - Operation Mincemeat
- More detail on holiday
- Visas
#140 Trialling a Video Version 🎤📹
- Welcome viewers and listeners!
- YouTube suggests various things to help creators
- They have been pushing shorts 🩳
- Now they are pushing podcasts
- So a GoPro and an LED light and here I am!
- It might take a bit of adjustment but it will give me some more options to share visuals
- The audio versions will continue, same locations: Apple, Spotify and others
- So it’s a dual release
- 30in30 update
- Editing discipline
- Research speed
- Music selection
- Sharpness of workflow
- All of which will help when creating longer form videos
- Theatre Shoot 2
- Actor Shoot add-on
- Weather will be a factor in timing next main shoot - sooner rather than later!
- Always plenty of research to do
- And learning
#139 Multiple Successes! 🍾😁
<li>Covid for the first time </li>
<li>Sue’s success</li>
<li>Theatre Shoot 1</li>
<li>City of London changes</li>
<li>Headshot inquiry</li>
<li>700+ Subs</li>
<li>Pond 5 sales</li>
<li>Video research</li>
<li>Shorts</li>
<li>Mum</li>
<li>Crystal Palace</li>
</ul>
#138 Photography Focus 📷🎭
<li>Mum home from hospital</li>
<li>Filming 150 Limpsfield Road</li>
<li>Shorts - not progressed yet</li>
<li>Detailed planning for Typhoid film</li>
<li>Shoot week - main “focus” - prep gear etc</li>
<li>Holiday prep</li>
<li>Crystal Palace 👎🏻</li>
</ul>
#137 Now that was a busy week 🏥🦷
- It started calmly albeit Mum wasn’t well
- Friends came over on Tuesday morning
- By Tuesday afternoon the ambulance arrived
- Mum in hospital Tuesday evening
- Dentist on Thursday
- Whyteleafe video had a great week
- Short Warlingham Green Then & Now video released
- Bumped on Facebook and it took off!
- Holiday planning in earnest
- Whilst juggling visits, film planning and the usual stuff
- Booked a photography job!
#136 Sounds from a Croydon Garden 🦜✈️
This is a "special" episode, a bit different from the norm.
In February 2023 I recorded sounds from my garden in Croydon, UK and decided this would be a good platform to share it. The birdsong is quite beautiful but there are plenty of other sounds in the mix including many that are man-made.
If you can find some quiet time and some decent headphones you will be able to experience a typical suburban UK garden when spring is slowly starting to reveal itself.
I hope you enjoy it!
#135 Changing Things 📤📚
- Bringing a connection to the podcast
- Covering activities relative to my film output
- Evolution rather than revolution
- Links on here not working?
- Projector
- Peak District videos done
- Benjamin Beeson
- Whyteleafe Walk & Talk
- Lighter filming option this week
- Then back to “heavier” work
#134 I was Guest Speaker! 🗣️📽️
- My first episode of 2023
- Getting into the release “rhythm” I want for this year
- Delivered some more from the Peak District series
- An enjoyable walk from Addington to Farleigh on a crisp, frosty day
- Healthier start to 2023
- We booked a big long-haul holiday for my big birthday
- About this talk!
- Filming a spin-off this Friday🤞🏻
#133 2022 In Review 🎉🥳
- YouTube subscriptions up by 251 on the year
- Overall a positive year for film-making
- Some stills photography e.g. Wimbledon Tennis
- Research skills improving + benefits of networking
- Gear: DJI Pocket 2 & Insta 360 X3
- Rate of film release better but still room for improvement
- Royal Events
- Trip to Duxford, Holiday in Peak District
- Heatwave & snow
- Some paid filming work
- Trade Show
- Poor Dottie
- Car challenges
- Internet Challenges
- Happy New Year, 2023!
#132 Hometown Filming 🏙️🎬
<li>RIP Dottie</li>
<li>Croydon Market Town</li>
<li>Croydon Old Town</li>
<li>Smart plugs</li>
<li>Sky install this week</li>
<li>Virgin Media Installation</li>
<li>Shell Recharge update</li>
<li>Volvo heater</li>
<li>World Cup</li>
<li>Postcards</li>
<li>Saving sessions</li>
<li>British Newspaper Archive + tip</li>
</ul>
#131 Hello Again, Hello 👋🏻🎤
- I took the plunge and bought an Insta360 X3 camera
- Haven’t yet had a chance to use it properly, particularly editing - loads of options
- Prepping for Sue’s Big Birthday events
- National Theatre production of Jack Absolute Flies Again
- Zoom meeting about Selsdon History
- Dottie the cat update
- Virgin Media Installation
- Sue’s Party
- Sue’s Day Out
- Shell Recharge - New YouTube Video
- Volvo Scheduled Charging
- Back to editing
#130 Education 📚📝
- Much quieter in terms of video releases
- Channel has gone quieter as a result!
- Opportunity to learn
- Iain Anderson’s excellent book: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/final-cut-pro-efficient-editing/id1527510084
- Using it to remove bad habits and gain valuable knowledge
- Peak District video will use the new learnings
- Visited the KitPlus Show at Twickenham Stadium
- 360° cameras?
- Funeral this afternoon, busy week, calmer next week
#129 Being Part of History 👑💂♀️
- A Queen the world will always remember
- An experience like no other
- Pageantry, professionalism, duty, honour, all on show and done incredibly well
- Four main experiences/events to this episode:
- The Proclamation - video live: https://youtu.be/PkIv6flzvIw
- The Procession (video in edit)
- The Queue - video live: https://youtu.be/CjgaVadjRQ4
- The State Funeral - watched on TV
- Mourning period throughout
- Now starting to get back to normal
- Farthing Downs Walk & Talk Special - video live: https://youtu.be/9gcbbXzyoJs
#128 Quick Update 🎤
<li>Sad news that Queen Elizabeth II passed away</li>
<li>Filming update</li>
<li>Peak District trip - fantastic</li>
<li>Weather now changeable</li>
</ul>
#127 A Huge Boost! 📈
- Weather is breaking
- Another great neighbour chat
- Addington Hills Fire Site video
- YouTube Boost via NextDoor app
- Airport Parking costs
- Poor Dottie
#126 Theatre Work Again 🎭🎥
<li>Weather pattern locked in</li>
<li>Interesting chat with neighbours</li>
<li>Football season started</li>
<li>Another theatre filming job</li>
<li>TikTok ticking over</li>
</ul>
#125 I’ve got a good excuse!🫢
<li>Blue - theatre filming, loved it!</li>
<li>Record breaking temperatures</li>
<li>TikTok update - 5,000 views in first two weeks</li>
</ul>
#124 Feelin’ Hot, Hot, Hot! ☀️🥵
<li>It always happens</li>
<li>Red warning next week - poss 40°C</li>
<li>We are getting better at managing it</li>
<li>2nd aircon unit purchased</li>
<li>Sports photography?</li>
<li>TikTok experiment</li>
<li>Golf</li>
</ul>
#123 Wimbledon, Twice 🎾🎾
- Went for my first visit to Wimbledon
- Made a vlog and uploaded it within 24 hours
- I loved it so planned a return
- Friday - Croydon research
- Weekend errands
- Tuesday, I returned to Wimbledon with proper camera
- Tired but worth it
#122 At Last!! 📹🛫
- Historic Croydon Airport video now live 😁
- View steady, good Twitter engagement
- Car could be fudged but not fixed, will need to go back
- Shell Recharge
- I have been asked to do a talk in January 2023
- Planning next shoots
- Uncovering old stories
- Meeting about Decoy Airfields and a series for the future
- Need to write a magazine article so must fly!
#121 Duxford Air Show ✈️🎤
<li>Scorching hot day to travel to Duxford 34°C</li>
<li>Journey time at its best = 1.25 hours. Us on Friday 3.0 hours</li>
<li>And the car’s Google system had a GPS breakdown that couldn’t be fixed!</li>
<li>Cooler on Saturday for the show, down to 12°C at one point</li>
<li>So much to see there, incredible actually, we will need to return just to see it all</li>
<li>The video is on its way to YouTube now</li>
<li>I enjoyed the challenge but it was far from easy</li>
<li>Great seeing the structure of the older hangars (Belfast Truss)</li>
<li>Saw a demo of the Concorde (yes, Concorde) now being tilted down</li>
<li>Stopped for McDonalds 😂</li>
<li>Slept brilliantly and came home in 1.25 hours</li>
<li>Car in garage for reset, please let it be good news</li>
</ul>