Best Stuart McLean Podcasts (2025)

1
Car Trouble – Driving Lessons & Car Wash 34:32

23h ago34:32

34:32

"Thank God, he thought, help has arrived.” Today on the show, Jess shares a back story about a Vinyl Cafe tour bus adventure. Plus two Dave and Morley stories about more car trouble.“ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Freddie Steward: Red Roses Grand Slam, Marcus Smith Rivalry & World Cup Run | Stick to Rugby EP 14 56:25

3d ago56:25

56:25

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, welcomes Freddie Steward to the panel alongside Lawrence Dallaglio, Katy Daley-McLean, Tom Shanklin, and Scott Quinnell for an exclusive deep dive into his England career, the Red Roses’ Grand Slam, and life at Leicester Tigers. Steward opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of E…

1
Stories from Way Back - Walking Man & Why I Buy 8-tracks 38:06

9d ago38:06

38:06

“Dave was going to see Morley. He was trying to find the courage to ask her to marry him.” Some vintage Stuart McLean this week with two stories from way, way back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Translating retrofit for normal people, with retrofit influencer Judith Leary Joyce (Eco Home Retrofit) 1:27:38

10d ago1:27:38

1:27:38

This episode is a window into the consumer side of domestic retrofit that’s full of lessons for everyone involved in the retrofit sector. We speak with retrofit influencer Judith Leary Joyce about the experience of undergoing a deep retrofit and learning how to communicate about the subject with normal people. She talks us through her journey from …

1
Embodied carbon and how sustainable is MMC? With Richard O'Hegarty (RKD, UCD) and Oliver Kinnane (UCD) 1:26:46

11d ago1:26:46

1:26:46

Returning champions Richard O'Hegarty and Oliver Kinnane join us to discuss a recently co-authored paper: Understanding the embodied carbon credentials of modern methods of construction (MMC). Get ready for a long meandering discussion that gets into what they learned and what they think about accounting practices for embodied carbon, as well as pl…

1
Stuart Pearce: Health Scare, Rugby League Love & Paul Gascoigne Stories | Stick to Rugby EP 13 1:06:06

10d ago1:06:06

1:06:06

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, welcomes football icon Stuart Pearce to the panel alongside Lawrence Dallaglio, Katy Daley-McLean, Tom Shanklin & Scott Quinnell for a no-filter crossover into rugby, football, and everything in between. Pearce opens up about the terrifying mid-air health scare that nearly ended in d…

1
Obsession - Blood Pressure Chair & Dave’s Truck 40:04

16d ago40:04

40:04

“It was not as if they *needed* a 1948 red panel truck…” On today’s episode, two hilarious Vinyl Cafe stories that highlight Dave’s tendency to, let’s say, really commit to the things in his life. In the first story it’s his health, in the second, a special new purchase. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Phil Vickery: First Lions Tour, Battling 'The Beast' & Personal Recovery! | Stick to Rugby EP 12 1:08:07

18d ago1:08:07

1:08:07

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, welcomes World Cup winner Phil Vickery to the panel alongside Lawrence Dallaglio, Katy Daley-McLean, Tom Shanklin and Scott Quinnell for an emotional, hilarious and no-holds-barred look at life in and out of the game. Vickery opens up on the fear of failure that fuelled his career, h…

1
Mechanical Mutiny - The Jock Strap & Dave and the Vacuum 31:15

23d ago31:15

31:15

“Morley thought she was the Athletic Support” We’re all about equipment failure on this week’s pod. Those everyday items that make life easier – until, suddenly, they very much don’t! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Joe Marler: Eddie Jones Era, World Cup What-Ifs & Celebrity Traitors? | Stick to Rugby EP 11 1:07:10

25d ago1:07:10

1:07:10

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, features a no-holds-barred chat with Joe Marler as he opens up about life after rugby, retirement, and the Celebrity Traitors rumours. In this big sit-down since stepping away from the game, Joe gets candid about why he “couldn’t go on,” his unexpected call to Jimmy Bullard, the real…

1
Parents 29:29

30d ago29:29

29:29

More about parenting and family life this week, with two moving essays by Stuart McLean. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Red Roses Win, Owen Farrell Lions Call-Up? & Quinnell & Dallaglio Hug It Out! | Stick to Rugby EP 10 50:10

1M ago50:10

50:10

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, welcomes Welsh legend Scott Quinnell to the panel alongside Lawrence Dallaglio, Katy Daley-McLean, and Tom Shanklin for a rollicking ride through rugby’s past, present, and future. Quinnell talks about his unmatched Welsh rugby bloodline, the moment he nearly dropped the ball before …

1
Kids - Susan is Serious & Sam Goes Green 50:00

1M ago50:00

50:00

“I think I have an alien.” This week, two wonderful stories about kids… and their parents. And Jess admits to a surprising source of inspiration for her own parenting journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Ellie Kildunne: World Player of the Year, Women’s Game Growth & Social Media | Stick to Rugby EP 9 59:06

1M ago59:06

59:06

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, welcomes World Player of the Year Ellie Kildunne to the panel alongside Katy Daley-Mclean, Lawrence Dallaglio, and Tom Shanklin for a wide-ranging and inspiring chat on stardom, pressure, and what’s next for the women’s game. Ellie opens up on the whirlwind journey from A-Levels to b…

1
Can we meet the skills gap the way we currently deliver training and what is the purpose of education? With Nathan Gambling (BetaTalk and BetaTeach) 1:12:15

1M ago1:12:15

1:12:15

For this episode we were joined by Nathan Gambling. For those that are new to him, he's heating engineer of some repute, a renowned educator, and a fellow podcaster. The episode revolves around the nature of education and learning, the skills gap—specifically focusing on heat pump and retrofit education—and a post that Nathan put up a few weeks ago…

1
The Power of Song - Dave's Last Kind Word Blues 39:26

1M ago39:26

39:26

“He didn’t understand that the organic confusion that’s at the heart of the Vinyl Cafe is, in fact, the thing that makes it work.” Is there anything that cuts to the heart quicker than music? On the pod today, we’re talking about the power of song. Jess shares a script Stuart wrote for the radio show, about a song that moved him to tears. And we ha…

1
England’s BIG Win, Joe Marler on Retirement & Marlie Packer Losing Captaincy | Stick to Rugby EP 8 52:28

2M ago52:28

52:28

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, sees Joe Marler & Marlie Packer join Lawrence Dallaglio, Katy Daley-McLean, and Tom Shanklin for a no-holds-barred breakdown of the Six Nations, mental health in rugby, and the realities of life after the game. Marler and Packer reflect on England’s emphatic win over Wales and whethe…

1
Stealing - Sam Steals & Emil 40:14

2M ago40:14

40:14

“Crimestoppers. It’s synonymous.” We’ve got two of Stuart’s older stories on today’s episode. One from the very early days of the show; it’s one you may not have heard before. These two stories are both about…stealing! But, as Jess observes, they’re also about parenting, and love, and respect. And they’re both hilarious! Hosted on Acast. See acast.…

1
Warren Gatland: Wales Exit, Captaining Warburton & Has Rugby Gone Soft? | Stick to Rugby EP 7 59:50

2M ago59:50

59:50

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, welcomes Warren Gatland to the panel alongside David Flatman, Lawrence Dallaglio, Katy Daley-McLean, and Tom Shanklin for an exclusive deep dive into his Wales exit, coaching highs, and the future of rugby. Gatland opens up about the emotional decision to return to Wales, the brutal …

1
There is methodology for defining what ‘net zero carbon’ means for buildings in the UK and it looks great, with Jess Hrivnak (RIBA), Jane Anderson (ConstructionLCA), and Julie Godefroy (CIBSE) 43:13

2M ago43:13

43:13

This time around we're talking about the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (UKNZCBS) with three of its architects: Jess Hrivnak (RIBA), Jane Anderson (ConstructionLCA), and Julie Jodefroy (CIBSE). The UKNZCBS is the first cross-industry standard for net zero carbon-aligned buildings, albeit in a pilot form. The standard has been developed to en…

1
The Movies – Sam’s First Kiss 40:46

2M ago40:46

40:46

“Of all of the theatres, in all the complexes, in all of the towns, she walks into mine.” This week on the pod we’re at the movies, basking in the light of the silver screen. We have Stuart McLean’s Ode to the Movies, recorded at the glorious Capitol Theatre in Port Hope; including a fascinating story about a celebrity interview (with Peter O’Toole…

1
Cadan Murley: England Debut, Taylor Swift Love Story & Marcus Smith Experiment | Stick to Rugby EP 6 56:12

2M ago56:12

56:12

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, welcomes Cadan Murley to the panel alongside David Flatman, Lawrence Dallaglio, Katy Daley-McLean, and Tom Shanklin for a deep dive into the Six Nations, England’s tactics, and Murley’s whirlwind debut. Murley opens up about the highs and lows of his England debut, from scoring with …

1
Deception - Dave and the Sourdough Starter & A Day Off 30:20

2M ago30:20

30:20

“I have a genealogy, said Carl. Of the starter. Like a family tree. I have it in a frame in the den.” A pandemic favourite on this week’s episode: Dave and the Sourdough Starter! And we have two more stories for you, stories about deception! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Six Nations Fallout, Rugby’s Dark Arts & Bold Lions Predictions | Stick to Rugby EP 5 1:04:41

2M ago1:04:41

1:04:41

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, gets stuck into the dark arts of rugby—who are the true masters of the game’s most controversial tactics, what really happens at the breakdown, and how far teams will go to get an edge. Then, it’s all about the Six Nations fallout—was Scotland tactically better despite the loss? Are …

1
People from the Past - Whatever Happened to Johnny Flowers & Morley and the Century of Wind Theatre Company 49:14

2M ago49:14

49:14

“In celebration of 100 years. Big Narrows, Cape Breton. Centennial Baby.” In our first story this week, Dave is jolted back in time by a sudden reminder of someone from long ago, someone he hadn’t thought about for years. And Jess shares the surprising reason why it took so many years to release our second story. You can find our latest CD, So Long…

1
Jodie Ounsley: Rugby vs Gladiators – What’s Tougher? | Stick to Rugby EP 4 48:32

2M ago48:32

48:32

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, sees Jodie Ounsley join David Flatman, Lawrence Dallaglio, Katy Daley-McLean, and Tom Shanklin for an inspiring and hilarious conversation about her unique journey—from rugby to Gladiators and everything in between. Jodie opens up about growing up deaf, the challenges she faced in ru…

1
A 'global' standard for residential retrofit? With Paul Bagust (RICS Head of Property Standards), Steven Lees (RICS Senior Specialist - Residential Survey), and Robert Toomey (RICS Senior Public Affairs ... 1:22:50

2M ago1:22:50

1:22:50

Last year the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) released its residential retrofit standard. Given that they're one of the construction industry's oldest, largest, and most influential institutions this felt significant. Importantly, the RICS organisation has a global footprint, so it has the potential to influence good behaviour far a…

1
Love – Love Never Ends 32:09

3M ago32:09

32:09

“It’s funny the things that you miss.” For you love birds out there, we’re playing one of our most requested love stories today. The chocolate bar story! And Jess plays an entertaining story exchange and reflects on the somewhat less romantic side of Valentines Day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Eddie Jones: Coaching the Lions? England Regrets & What He’d Do Differently | Stick to Rugby EP 3 1:12:12

3M ago1:12:12

1:12:12

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, sees Eddie Jones join David Flatman, Lawrence Dallaglio, Katy Daley-McLean, and Tom Shanklin for a brutally honest chat about his coaching career, England exit, and what he’d do differently. Eddie opens up about his time as England head coach, reflecting on the highs and lows, why th…

1
Cape Breton Tales - The Black Beast of Margaree & The Roundabout 48:47

3M ago48:47

48:47

“I didn’t know you were a fan of Mr. Bond…” On this week’s episode we’re spending time in Dave’s childhood neighbourhood: Big Narrows, Cape Breton. Our first story is a hilarious tale of literary adventures, while the adventures in our second story are of the vehicular variety. And Jess shares the inspiration behind that story, inspiration from clo…

1
England Run Out Of Gas & Shaun Edwards Untold Stories | Stick to Rugby EP 2 1:08:10

3M ago1:08:10

1:08:10

The latest episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, dives straight into the chaos of the Six Nations opening weekend. David Flatman, Lawrence Dallaglio, Katy Daley-Mclean, and Tom Shanklin break down England’s loss against Ireland—did Borthwick’s side run out of gas, or is there more to it? Meanwhile, France made a statement against W…

1
Can we address the decarbonisation of homes by focusing on health? With Jenny Danson (Healthy Homes Hub) 1:06:04

3M ago1:06:04

1:06:04

Can we address the decarbonisation of homes by focusing on health? That's the mission that Jenny Danson has set for herself in establishing Healthy Homes Hub, and it's a question that manages to subvert Betteridge's Law of headlines, too. Healthy Homes Hub is a network, built around an online platform, that's dedicated to transforming the way peopl…

1
The Neighbourhood - Kenny Wong’s Contest & Late Date 40:50

3M ago40:50

40:50

“How could he explain skulking around their property when he was supposed to be inside eating” Oh Dave, how do you manage it! This week, two more hilarious stories from Stuart McLean, stories about good intentions gone awry. Plus, an exciting announcement about an upcoming project (hint: you’ll finally get to meet Dave). Hosted on Acast. See acast.…

1
The First Ever Stick to Rugby with Martin Johnson! 1:07:02

3M ago1:07:02

1:07:02

The first-ever episode of Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender, kicks off with an all-star lineup as David Flatman, Lawrence Dallaglio, Katy Daley-McLean, and Tom Shanklin sit down with none other than Martin Johnson. Flats opens the show with a deep dive into the weekend’s events, including his birthday celebrations and the best and worst gi…

1
Postcards from Canada - Whitehorse & Annapolis Royal 35:16

3M ago35:16

35:16

We’re on the road again! On this week’s episode, two of Stuart’s popular postcards from Canada, from two memorable spots across the country that we visited with the Vinyl Cafe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
INTRODUCING: Stick to Rugby with Dallaglio, Flatman, Shanklin & Daley-McLean 1:29

3M ago1:29

1:29

🏉 Welcome to The Overlap Rugby! 🏉 We’re launching a brand-new channel with Stick to Rugby, brought to you by Defender. Join rugby legends Lawrence Dallaglio, David Flatman, Tom Shanklin, and Katy Daley-McLean as they share real stories, fresh perspectives, and dive into everything you love about the game. We'll have legendary guests from ex-pros, t…

1
Innovating and maturing: Loco Home Retrofit is an "emerging" retrofit one-stop-shop, with co-founder Chris Carus 1:08:28

3M ago1:08:28

1:08:28

Joining us on Zero Ambitions this week is Chris Carus co-founder of Loco Home Retrofit, a Glasgow-based 'emerging one-step shop'. Loco Home Retrofit is a retrofit operation that's most interesting for its approach to developing a viable retrofit offer, focused on building trust in communities and with its supply chain as a means to catalysing the d…

1
Growing up - Dream Bunnies & Sam is Home Alone 47:08

4M ago47:08

47:08

“It’s a tricky thing to negotiate, the war of independence” Today on the pod, Sam and Stephanie step towards independence, while Dave and Morley learn to let go. And Jess shares a backstory about the inspiration behind Stuart McLean’s story, Dream Bunnies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Winter – Minnedosa & Jim’s Toboggan 42:48

4M ago42:48

42:48

“Two men who should have known better, climbing onto an old wooden toboggan” Happy New Year and welcome back to Season 5 of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe! We’ll be with you all the way to summer. But right now, summer is the last thing on our minds: this week’s podcast is all about winter and the joys and perils of winter sports. Hosted on Acast. See…

1
Eliminate construction waste – Loop Your Spare instead: circular thinking and platform technology that reduces the cost of construction for everyone, with Jay Stuart 1:13:11

4M ago1:13:11

1:13:11

The first episode of January 2025 marks the long overdue, first appearance of Jay Stuart, a long-time friend and colleague of Jeff and a firm fixture of the green building scene in Ireland. Jay joined us to talk about his latest project: Loop Your Spare. It’s a SaaS platform designed to match 'spare' construction materials with projects that need t…

1
Season 5 - Starting January 10th 0:42

4M ago0:42

0:42

Happy New Year everyone! Join us in 2025 for a brand new season of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe - featuring heartwarming and hilarious stories and essays by Stuart McLean. Plus behind-the-scenes back stories by longtime Vinyl Cafe producer, Jess Milton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Hanukkah - Dave’s Christmas Tree 30:48

4M ago30:48

30:48

“Light, said Dave, amidst the darkness.” An extra episode for the holidays with a special story about Dave and Sam out and about on a perfect winter’s night. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Christmas Preparations - The Christmas Card & Morley’s Christmas Concert 56:02

4M ago56:02

56:02

“There is something about sitting on a plastic chair several sizes too small for you that puts you in touch with feelings you never knew you had.” Ah, the trials and tribulations of Christmas preparations! On today’s episode we have two wonderful stories for you: our first is the final Christmas story Stuart wrote. Jess tells the backstory of the r…

1
All I want for Christmas… - Stephanie’s Mystery Book & Dave Makes Snow 48:04

5M ago48:04

48:04

“It will snow. And it will be deep and crisp and even.” Some alternate approaches to festive gift giving on this week’s pod. In our first story a mysterious parcel keeps the family guessing, while in our second, Dave will go to any lengths to give Morley her Christmas wish. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Speeding up external wall insulation installation and preparing a retrofit start-up for scale, with Max Bloomfield (VundaHaus) and Alex Whitcroft (KIN; VundaHaus) 1:11:18

5M ago1:11:18

1:11:18

What's it like trying to scale a retrofit start-up? This episode welcomes Max Bloomfield and Alex Whitcroft, two of the folks from VundaHaus, to talk about their product, its ongoing design and development, and their preparations to scale the business as they raise funds from investors. VundaHaus designs and manufactures a rapid-fit insulation solu…

1
Christmas Chaos - Mary Turlington and Polly Anderson’s Christmas Collision & Ferrets for Christmas 53:56

5M ago53:56

53:56

“He stuck his head in the dryer. It was not the wisest decision.” Today on the pod, two more stories of festive shenanigans. Mary and Polly try to outdo each other as the ultimate party planner, while the neighbourhood races to keep up. And in our second story, Sam smuggles home a fragrant guest for the Christmas holidays. Hosted on Acast. See acas…

1
Cape Breton Christmas - Morley’s Christmas Present & Dave’s Christmas Parade 49:21

5M ago49:21

49:21

“Genius should never be confused with desperation.” Woohoo! It’s time to play some Christmas stories. This week, two stories from Dave’s hometown of Big Narrows. In the first, Dave tries to find the perfect gift to win Morley’s heart; in the second, his homemade float causes chaos in the Christmas parade! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for …

1
Experiments in low-carbon retrofit for a high-status building (with a basement), with Natalie Black (Enbee Architecture + Design) and Toby McLean (Allt Environmental Structural Engineers) 1:22:39

5M ago1:22:39

1:22:39

This week's episode is all about the lessons learned in carrying out a low-carbon retrofit. Natalie Black (Enbee Architecture + Design) and Toby McLean (Allt Environmental Structural Engineers) joined us to talk through their experiments and experiences on the renovation of a derelict house in Muswell Hill, London that was shortlisted for the Archi…

1
Getting Older - The Cruise & A Case of the Dwindles 49:25

5M ago49:25

49:25

“Bad things happen at sea.” Today’s episode is all about aging – in the best possible way! Mistakenly booked onto a seniors’ cruise, Dave has more fun than he could ever have imagined. And in our second story Morley learns that her mom’s independence is something to celebrate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Jobs - Newsboy Dave & On-Stage Defibrillator 48:34

6M ago48:34

48:34

“The door to days gone by is a strange little door.” Today on the podcast, two stories about jobs and some of Dave’s more unusual work experiences. In the first, in a fit of nostalgia he gets a paper route; in the second story he gets a taste of life on the road with a ‘vintage’ rock band. For more information about our brand new album, SO LONG FOR…

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