Sipping a brew and speaking to those who served in the Armed Forces is where we spend the latest episode of the Parched Pea Podcast.
John 'Gilly' Gillmore takes the microphone along to the Sandbags café.
Taking place each week at St George's Church in Lune Street it gives military veterans a safe space to come together, share memories and make friends.
Gilly meets Jack Kendall - the man who holds the standard for all the military events in the city.
The 44-year-old joined the forces in 1958 and trained at Fulwood Barracks. He reflects on the impact the experience made on his life serving in the 1st Battalion The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and further training in Singapore before then having a career in the Royal Mail.
We also hear from Colonel David Waters, born and bred in the city, who is one of the driving forces behind establishing the café.
He talks about the difference Sandbags has made since it launched in April last year to tackle loneliness and isolation - for those who leave the military and lose the sense of camaraderie.
Col Waters also touches on the importance of Fulwood Barracks to the city and the history of military service in Preston.
Gilly also chats with Reverend David Craven about the use of the church in hosting the café and the wider work they do in supporting the city’s homeless community too,
We also hear from Preston City Council's Armed Forces Champion councillor Melanie Close about what the city is doing to support veterans and to highlight the role of the Armed Forces in Preston.
Cllr Close speaks about how people often think military veterans relate to First and Second World War, but the term covers anyone who has served in the Armed Forces regardless of age or conflict served in. Plus what’s planned for VJ Day commemorations in Preston this summer.
The Parched Pea Podcast is a collaboration between Blog Preston, Lancashire Post and Central Radio with Gilly exploring the people and places which make the city tick and will be available on Spotify, Apple and all other major podcast apps via Podfollow with new episodes being released every other Wednesday between April and July - subscribe to the podcast on your listening platform of choice to always be first to hear of new episodes.
The podcast has been supported by Cosy Homes in Lancashire, who work to keep homes in Preston and beyond warm and energy efficient.
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