Life Of A Female Tradie

The Singing Brickie: Stage Lights and Building Sites with Female Bricklayer Holly Hudson

Episode 24

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0:00 | 54:46

This episode takes you inside the life of Holly Hudson, the singing brickie, who shares her inspiring journey from performing on stage to becoming a bricklayer and opening up about the challenges of working on sites as a woman in the trades. From family influence and overcoming doubts to navigating mental health, COVID-19, and workplace dynamics, Holly brings honesty and humour to every topic.

We explore the importance of mental health awareness, the Lost City movement, and how social media shapes modern life. Holly also reflects on her experiences in the music industry, balancing performance with personal wellbeing, and raising a family in the digital age.

Holly offers encouragement for aspiring female bricklayers, reflects on how education shapes the trades, and discusses the importance of community and connection.

The episode wraps with quickfire questions, future aspirations, and practical recommendations for anyone navigating work, family, or creative expression.

Key Takeaways

  • Holly Hudson successfully balances her careers in singing and bricklaying.
  • Mental health awareness is crucial in the trades, as highlighted by the Lost City movement.
  • Encouraging women to enter trades is essential for breaking stereotypes.
  • Holly enjoys the diversity of her dual career, finding fulfillment in both singing and bricklaying.
  • Parenting in the digital age presents unique challenges and requires open communication.
  • Holly believes in the importance of recognizing the strengths and limitations of women in trades.
  • Social situations can be challenging, especially regarding alcohol consumption.
  • The construction industry is evolving, with more women entering and making their mark.

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Follow Guest: 

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Chapters

00:00 Holly's Journey: From Singing to Bricklaying

01:53 Family Influence and Overcoming Doubts

04:20 The Joys and Challenges of Bricklaying

07:08 Mental Health Awareness in the Trades

09:51 The Impact of COVID-19 on Work and Life

12:21 The Lost City Mental Health Movement

14:54 Social Media's Role in Modern Life

17:38 Closing Thoughts on Mental Health and Support

18:16 Navigating the Conversation Flow

18:37 Advice for Aspiring Female Bricklayers

19:56 The Role of Education in Trades

21:53 The Joys of Performing and Connecting with Audiences

23:38 Experiences in the Music Industry

25:50 Challenges of Being a Woman on Site

27:09 The Dynamics of Family in the Trade

29:38 Reflections on Alcohol and Performance

36:54 Networking and Community in the Trades

38:36 Creative Chaos: The Art of P

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Holly Hudson (00:10)

Hi everyone, my name's Holly and I am the singing Brickie

 

Laura (00:13)

thank you very much for giving me your time today, Holly, for the Life of a Female Tradie podcast. It's great to have you a question that's burning in my mind, but I like to get to know more about the guest and where you started, but I do wanna know what came first, singing or bricklaying? Did it.

 

Holly Hudson (00:33)

This singing, I've done

 

that like all my life. So when I left school at 17, I had to get a note off my mom, because I mean, he's looking at 20 odd years ago, that I was able to go and work for Haven up at Hagerston Castle. So I lived there as well and doing all the shows and stuff, and I did that for three years. And then I moved to Scarborough and we did like pantomimes and things like that.

 

Laura (00:49)

Wow.

 

wicked.

 

Holly Hudson (01:01)

But in

 

the meantime, like the seasons tend to run from like February to November. So then in the other times I would get like a job. So I worked at like Boots during the winter and stuff when I was younger and stuff. Yeah. And then went after, after I did the pantos and stuff. That's when I came home and I started doing like the working men's clubs. Now before, before I did them, my sister's always done them. was like,

 

Laura (01:11)

Did you?

 

Holly Hudson (01:29)

⁓ I never do. I never want to do the work in men's clubs. because it's very different on holiday parks, you've got an audience that they want to be entertained. And then in clubs, some people are just there for the bingo and the raffles. And they just want to have a little catch up with the pals. That's how I felt about the years ago. Now, I absolutely love it. I love all the people that I meet. Like so

 

Laura (01:53)

See ya.

 

Holly Hudson (01:57)

So many different characters around the clubs and I still do some holiday parks and that which is great But it's the travel and I'm older now and I can't be staying awake for like you drive in like three four hours there Doing two 45 minute sets and then driving back. I just yeah Definitely Yeah

 

Laura (02:05)

Yeah.

 

Yeah, that's long, isn't it? That's a lot. So where did bricklaying

 

come into things then?

 

Holly Hudson (02:21)

Well, my dad's been a bricklayer all his life and he's 78 coming up and he's still there five days a week.

 

Laura (02:29)

Wow.

 

Holly Hudson (02:30)

came back years ago doing the clubs and stuff, but I also had a day job. So I worked in Goldsmiths for selling lovely diamonds and high-end watches and stuff. But there was something that was So when my mom got poorly, yeah, that was just kind of like the right, That's it.

 

Laura (02:37)

Okay.

 

Okay.

 

Holly Hudson (02:51)

And my

 

dad and my brother who runs our little squad, they were like, no, definitely not. It's not a place for women. And my dad had said that years ago before I'd moved away, when I said I wanted to be a mechanic or can I come on site with you. was like, no chance. He's not from Yorkshire. He's not from Yorkshire. I don't know why I just did that voice. But yeah, that's it. But after my mama died, was kind of like, do you know what?

 

Laura (03:08)

You've brought that home from me gig!

 

Holly Hudson (03:21)

go and get your health and safety, go and do this and that and then we'll consider it. Obviously they thought I wasn't going to do it. So then yeah, I was like, do-de-de-de, got my card. ⁓ And I think, to be honest, I think a lot of my family probably had bets on how long I would last because I started in the winter as well. it was grim. But I feel like I'm one of them people where if someone says you can't do something, I'm like, I'm going to...

 

Laura (03:30)

Ha ha ha!

 

Ooh,

 

Holly Hudson (03:47)

show you like I will do And then here we are six years later and I love it. It's very different though I know for a lot of people they might say well it's just you know it's monotonous it's the same thing all the time but like it's been like a bit or I don't know if it's because I work with family but like when my nephew came in and he was doing

 

Laura (03:49)

Yeah.

 

Wow.

 

Holly Hudson (04:09)

going through his apprenticeship, I kind of stepped back a little bit and did a lot of the laboring, which I also love. I don't know that makes it sound crazy, but I love organizing stuff, and it feels like a little bit of a gym session as well. So the last job we were on, I think, like was for over a year, and I think I did the laboring for about a year. And then like still jumping in when stuff was sorted, but I didn't.

 

Laura (04:14)

Okay.

 

No.

 

Yeah.

 

phone.

 

Holly Hudson (04:38)

it would have felt wrong to be like, howay Charlie, you've got to do this as well when he had his apprenticeship like near the end, so he needed as much trowel time as he could. yeah, it's like people say, you've got it easy because you work with family, but do you know what? It's not. With family, there's no filter. If someone's got something to say, it gets said. You know, like in a normal work environment when it's not with family.

 

Laura (04:45)

Okay.

 

Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (05:03)

you watch your p's and q's a little bit. You're bit more diplomatic about how you word things, not with family. No. If you're being a, I'm not gonna swear. I'm gonna try not to swear on the podcast, but there's lots of swearing happens during the day, which is wild because growing up, I didn't really hear my dad swear at all. Now, absolutely. And I've loved like,

 

Laura (05:05)

Mm.

 

Yeah, ⁓ my gosh.

 

He saved it for the site work then, didn't he?

 

Holly Hudson (05:31)

I've got a totally different relationship with my dad now to what I did before I started working with him because he's not just dad. He's a normal working man as well. And it's been lovely to see. But from a lot of childhood, like a lot of memories of my dad getting back from work and just like sleep, like being totally zonked. When we used to have like, we never went abroad when we were kids.

 

Laura (05:51)

Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (05:56)

and we would have like little caravan holidays and a lot of the time we'd go up to Berwick which is it's not that far away and my dad would would go there and he would go to work during the day as well. It's yeah even when we were on holiday I mean there was four four of us kids so it was must have been a bit of pressure but yeah he just loves the game and I'm dead proud of him.

 

Laura (06:09)

wow, okay.

 

Aww.

 

It's nice when you can get to see your parents in that different light, isn't it? Like when I was a kid slash early teens, I used to go to work with my dad on and off in the family business that was. yeah, you do feel proud, don't you, ⁓ of seeing your parents just like owning their space and yeah, just running a business that's just like, wow, you're impressive.

 

Holly Hudson (06:26)

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

Definitely.

 

Yeah.

 

Laura (06:48)

I love that.

 

So you say your brother's in the business and what is your nephew now on board or is he still doing his apprenticeship?

 

Holly Hudson (06:56)

He finished it this year. So yeah, from back a little bit more on the trowel which has been lovely. And we all just get mucked in apart, Well, see, my brother's the fastest. And then, and then obviously my dad, I would never expect him to load out. So it's a little bit like the labor inside of it's left with me and Charlie, because it's so difficult to find a decent laborer who's going to be there on time or who's going to actually turn up.

 

Laura (06:58)

wow, cool.

 

Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (07:25)

But yeah, it works. It's good.

 

Laura (07:27)

Yeah.

 

What is it about bricklaying that you love so much?

 

Holly Hudson (07:32)

 

Laura (07:32)

Hehehehe

 

Holly Hudson (07:34)

It's a difficult one because I think I got into it. There was probably a bit of a part of it when I lost my mom that was like, I need to spend as much time with my dad as I can because he's like, he's about eight, nine years older than my mom anyway. So it's a bit of a fear thing. And this is going to sound really weird, but when I first started, I almost enjoyed the pain of how I was aching from head to toe, but I felt like

 

Laura (07:44)

Okay.

 

Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (08:02)

on some weird level, I needed to feel that. A bit like, you know, when something traumatic happens and then you get a tattoo, or maybe this is just me, to like, to feel. And yeah, like even now, there's some days I'll get up and I'm like, I'm aching. But then I'm like, but I've worked for that. Like, it's good. I like the feeling of just, yeah, I know that I'm, and I feel like I've saved so much more.

 

Laura (08:06)

Okay.

 

Yeah. No, no.

 

Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (08:30)

since doing this job because I know how hard I'm working for my when I was at Goldsmiths, I worked with the best people. They were hilarious and stuff. But sometimes, you might get five customers in a day. Five customers in an eight hour shift. And you stood there and there's only so many times you can polish a ring or rearrange the stock.

 

Laura (08:42)

Yeah.

 

Cabinet, yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (08:53)

But actually, my nephew said the other day, he said, I don't know how you do this. I mean, it was a terrible day and we were like, it was all sludgy on site. And he was like, I don't know how you do this. And then do what you do on a weekend as well. And I said, thing is, think had the brick laying came first, I don't think I would do the singing as well. But because the singing's always been there and I don't go out. So it's a little bit like me social life as well.

 

Laura (09:16)

Mmm.

 

Holly Hudson (09:23)

Then the brick lanes just kind of spotted in and I don't sleep either like I probably get four or five hours sleep a night, but that's That does me. I'm not a good sleeper. So I've got to be busy all the time If we have a rained off day, I'm sat in the house. I'm like I need to do something productive I can't waste the day And then at the same time but then at same time it's like I really need to do nothing

 

Laura (09:32)

Really?

 

I know what mean. Yeah. I get like that.

 

Holly Hudson (09:51)

like but it's it's difficult.

 

Laura (09:54)

It is, it's very difficult when you are that kind of productive person and you get all of a sudden a day to yourself. like, well, I need to do something like this is unusual. Like you feel like you're wasting time, don't you? If you just sit in there recovering. But, you know, sometimes we need to acknowledge that our body just needs to rest. Don't you think? Because I think especially in the trades, we're bad at that across the board.

 

Holly Hudson (10:05)

Yeah.

 

Yes?

 

Yeah.

 

Laura (10:22)

about recovery and just days off you know, cause people do work seven days, six days a week. And yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot.

 

Holly Hudson (10:22)

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

think COVID was a big factor as well. I remember everything had obviously shut down. So I'd started literally a few months before COVID. And then there was the whole thing where the trades were allowed back on site when everything else was still locked down. But when it was locked down, the thought of sitting in this house all day was like, I just couldn't do it.

 

Laura (10:42)

Really? Okay.

 

Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (10:55)

other singers were doing lives and stuff like that and I was like, no, ⁓ I can't. So I went and got a job at Sainsbury's, know, like doing the packing people's shopping and stuff. Yeah, I actually enjoyed that, you know, it was, it was something to do, you know, and then we went back on site and then everything opened up again, but there was restrictions. So at Gigs people weren't allowed to clap they weren't allowed to cheer.

 

Laura (10:59)

 

Did ya?

 

Yeah.

 

Yeah, yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (11:20)

Even like when it is very early open back up, there was some people were making these clear perspex screens to sing behind and it's like, ⁓ God. So after COVID, would kind of then in my mind, I was like, it's just got to like, I've got to just work while I can. Who knows what could happen again.

 

Laura (11:28)

my goodness.

 

Yeah. Did you struggle for materials during Covid?

 

Holly Hudson (11:40)

You never know.

 

No, to be honest I've only ever done site work so it's not something I've ever had a like source. Yeah so the contractors are whoever will already have that on site.

 

Laura (11:45)

No.

 

Okay, yeah.

 

⁓ see ya, ya.

 

Fair enough, gotcha. Yeah,

 

I mean, for COVID-wise, my life didn't really change. I was in a security job at the time and the only thing that changed for me was there was less traffic on the roads. So yeah, it's interesting hearing other experiences with that time we all went through.

 

Holly Hudson (12:09)

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

It's crazy, isn't it? think that even happened.

 

Laura (12:21)

know and it seems

 

so long ago as well.

 

Holly Hudson (12:23)

I know. Mad.

 

Laura (12:24)

Yeah,

 

totally mad. dear. Right. I saw you were involved in the Lost City mental health movement last year. Can you tell us a bit more about that? if are you still involved in it?

 

Holly Hudson (12:34)

Yep.

 

so there's a lot of there was a lot of people involved with that but I think now it's just anyone that can get involved will get in touch with the relevant people and I would do anything for that charity I think it's so good that they're recognizing what's going on and I think there's like a deeper level so I think it's not everybody it's not all trades and stuff but I think there's a lot of maybe

 

Laura (12:47)

Okay.

 

Holly Hudson (13:07)

misuse of drugs or alcohol which can have an effect and when people are working so hard all week in not very nice conditions or whatever and then that's a really I think it's just a bit of a cycle. Not everybody, some things can happen at home but getting behind that campaign was so good. I mean we did think we were going to get arrested. Putting them signs out.

 

Laura (13:17)

Yeah.

 

Did ya?

 

Holly Hudson (13:32)

I mean, when Connor had rang and said, are you up for this? There's a slight chance you might get arrested. I was like, sod it, yeah, absolutely. Like this cause is so, so important though, mean, I feel like I struggle all the time with my mental health, but I'm at a point in my life where I'm able to deal with it. I can recognize the signs.

 

Laura (13:33)

no.

 

Bit of excitement.

 

Holly Hudson (13:58)

but I do think that's also why I work so much but then it gets to a point where I'm working so much. Have you seen the film Wreck-It Ralph?

 

Laura (14:06)

No I haven't, you know. No.

 

Holly Hudson (14:09)

No.

 

So in Wreck it Ralph there's this little computer character and she glitches. Sometimes I feel like I'm glitching. it's really odd and that's when I kind of feel like I need to, I do need to have a day off or a night off. But it's just life's busy, isn't it?

 

Laura (14:16)

Okay.

 

Yeah.

 

It's just a nonstop roller coaster for everybody. Not even just at the moment. Life just is busy now, isn't it? And I think the demand on everybody's time to earn more money and be here and be there, and then you can't be there, so you stress out about that. And yeah, it's...

 

Holly Hudson (14:40)

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

And then there's this side of it as well, isn't there? There's this social side of it. And I see people like yourself and others that are smashing it with, like, I know that I mentally don't have the capacity to be able to edit videos and, you know, make reels daily. But I absolutely, I love watching the people that can. Just at this time in my life, you know, my daughter, she's got...

 

cadets twice a week, she does drama, there's, my dad comes up for tea twice a week, I mean, it's no excuse because really I could do stuff in between sets at my gigs. But, but yeah, I think there's a lot of pressure now on socials as well to be posting or scheduling and stuff like that. yeah, like sometimes I just have to have a few weeks where I'll just, I won't even go on.

 

Laura (15:23)

Wow.

 

Present. Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (15:48)

just like a little bit of a reset But then it is nice when I go back on and I'm like, yeah, they've done that and all that's finished and I wonder what they're doing.

 

Laura (15:50)

Yeah.

 

haha

 

Yeah, social media does play a huge part in everybody's life nowadays. mean...

 

Technology is just becoming more and more required in our everyday life now, isn't it? And social media, unfortunately, I think sometimes it replaces socializing because you feel connected to people through their posts and stuff, but then, you know, there's a plus and a minus from that, I think, like a positive and negative from that, because...

 

Holly Hudson (16:09)

Yep.

 

Yeah.

 

100 % yeah

 

Laura (16:30)

You almost pull away from meeting in person sometimes, don't you? it just, I don't know, can almost become a bit scary meeting in person, can't it? Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (16:43)

Yeah, no,

 

you're right. But it is like, just you do feel like you're pals with people because you're looking at their stuff all the time. I mean, just going back to the Lost City, our industry about two years ago, we lost Richie to suicide. And blonde, blonde, and his socials, was amazing. Really amazing on his socials.

 

Laura (16:49)

You do.

 

Was he?

 

Holly Hudson (17:11)

really funny lad, loads and loads of thousands of followers and he committed suicide and it's like obviously you don't know what's behind behind the fun videos that people post the pressure that they're actually feeling to to upkeep where they've reached but yeah I think about him often like it's sad really really sad

 

Laura (17:21)

You don't.

 

Yeah. Yeah.

 

sometimes those louder characters are the ones that are struggling the most, Because they are putting on a brave front. But I think we've just all got to be mindful of genuinely asking, how are you? And don't let the, I'm fine, I'm good, responses kind of shrug you off. Repeat it, because sometimes it...

 

Holly Hudson (17:44)

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

Laura (18:06)

that person needs it. And I kind of try and do that with my friends and I just hope, you can only hope that they would open up and know that there'd never be a burden with sharing their genuine feelings. Yeah, it's a tough one, isn't it? Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (18:16)

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

definitely.

 

Laura (18:28)

What advice might you give a fellow female who's looking to get into bricklaying or being a brickie? Where should they start?

 

Holly Hudson (18:37)

Well, I don't think it's for everyone. think it's you've got to have a certain mindset and I think me getting into it, I was 34. So I've got a bit more life experience in dealing with people. But I would say like any other trade will say, just go for it. That's all. Like you have to try. And if it's not for you, then not for you.

 

Laura (18:47)

Okay.

 

Holly Hudson (19:05)

But you'll never know if you don't try. I love it. I love the diversity of the two jobs that I've got. They're very different. Like actual horror during the day. then it's nice. I mean, I'm still a horror on a weekend, but it's nice to be able to have makeup and stuff on. it's almost like being two different people. But I do strongly think that girls need to do a little bit more.

 

Laura (19:19)

Hahaha

 

Yeah.

 

Mm.

 

Holly Hudson (19:31)

it

 

needs to be implemented from a younger age that it's not that's the boys, that's the girls. Because that's what we had when I was at school. The women were pushed more into the hairdressing and the admin side of things and the boys were more for the engineering and the woodwork. So I think there's got to be like, it's for everybody. You can't keep doing what was done years ago.

 

Laura (19:39)

Yeah.

 

totally agree. Yeah. I think the education system is a massive topic in the trades and building a better platform for the youngsters to get into it. Not only just through apprenticeships, because from what I hear,

 

Holly Hudson (20:15)

Yeah.

 

Laura (20:16)

it seems the apprenticeship route is the only route. I could be wrong, but that doesn't suit everybody.

 

Holly Hudson (20:25)

No, not at all. My nephew went that route and there's lots of things that you just have to learn on site. You have to learn by doing. You can't be really taught in a classroom. So, yeah, but I think if it's like more eyes on it from an early age, not just when children are in year 10 or 11.

 

Laura (20:34)

Yeah.

 

Definitely.

 

Holly Hudson (20:49)

I think if they see more of it being younger, I don't think they're going to change that. ⁓

 

Laura (20:49)

Mm.

 

Well, no, I mean, it's been in, like,

 

when do government ever change anything that's worth our while?

 

Holly Hudson (21:00)

Definitely, mean, I see my daughter getting stressed about some like aspects of school and things and there's a part of me that wants that if she gives me a specific thing and I know that I also was taught that I'm at school and I think to myself that hasn't came into my life. I haven't needed that bit of information whatsoever yet they're getting so stressed about like all these things or they're getting yeah I just think

 

Laura (21:06)

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (21:27)

They've got, they should be, it should be broader for the different types of children there are.

 

Laura (21:29)

Yeah.

 

Definitely. And

 

more relevant. Like you say, half the stuff you learn at school you never use.

 

Holly Hudson (21:37)

Yeah.

 

⁓ absolutely.

 

Laura (21:42)

Yeah,

 

we could go on and on and on about that, ⁓ dear. So obviously we've touched on your singing. Your duo with your sister, did you say?

 

Holly Hudson (21:45)

Definitely, yeah.

 

Yeah, so I do solo, but then I do the duo with my sister. So she's like seven, eight years older than me. We're quite different. So it just started off years ago, 2007, I think we started the duo. It's just like singing. But then certain things were, she's always been funny, but then certain things would happen during the show or we'd say certain things and we were like, we're keeping that in. Like that's.

 

Laura (22:14)

Yeah

 

Okay.

 

Holly Hudson (22:23)

But we've always made it look like it's off the cuff. But we have a right laugh. Like our first set's more comedy. Like she proper takes the mick out of, we take the mick out of each other, but out of men and she's getting amongst the audience and stuff. it's, yeah, it's just lighthearted fun. But again, with gigs, you get people come up that are like, do you know what? I've just lost this person in my life. And thank you for just making us forget for an hour.

 

Laura (22:27)

Yeah.

 

Hmm.

 

Holly Hudson (22:53)

or putting a smile back on my face. The people we meet at gigs are just brilliant. Like you could do like a big hall where everyone's dressed up like really fancy and stuff and then the next day you could be doing somewhere where you're thinking my god is the gear going to be okay or is it going to get smashed up. again the diversity of the gigs is so like so vast. mean the

 

Laura (23:11)

Ow.

 

Holly Hudson (23:19)

There's sometimes things happen and I'm stood there like waiting for Jeremy Beadle to walk around the corner. Like where's the cameras at are you? But no, I do love it.

 

Laura (23:29)

It does sound fun. And whereabouts, like, do you have a radius that you tend to travel or do you literally go pretty much anywhere?

 

Holly Hudson (23:38)

we'll go anywhere obviously if it's further away we would then try and get another gig next to it the next day so it makes it more worthwhile ⁓ but yeah i mean there's some so the parks we do now they'll give you accommodation they'll be like doing some food this is for the holiday parks not the clubs but there was one company where they just they changed this holiday company changed everything so you might have a gig 200 miles away

 

Laura (23:39)

Yeah.

 

Okay.

 

Okay.

 

Holly Hudson (24:05)

There's no

 

accommodation for you. have to go and source your own. Bear in mind, they've got thousands and thousands of lodges and caravans. And then you've just got to sit backstage after you've set up. So they might stipulate that you have to set up by four o'clock. You're not on stage until nine. And then your second set, you're not coming off until half 11, quarter to 12. You've got to pack down and then drive home. I think it's little things where,

 

Laura (24:22)

What?

 

Holly Hudson (24:32)

you can feel appreciate it. So we don't do those holiday parks anymore. Just because it it just leaves a bit of a bit of taste in your that, like I said before, I've only ever done site So a lot of the time I'm the only woman on site. Now when I first started, was when I go to work and my hair's up,

 

Laura (24:47)

Okay.

 

Holly Hudson (24:53)

Under my hat I've got me like snood on. I'm not, very much just no one would know that I was there, really. I'm not like, yay, I'm a woman on site. I just, I like to just crack on and get, like get work done. But the only thing that's always a bit like, oh, is having to go to the site manager and be like, how is there a key for the ladies' toilets?

 

Laura (25:02)

Yeah.

 

You

 

Yep.

 

I knew you were gonna say that.

 

Holly Hudson (25:24)

And honestly, right?

 

sometimes you can see them, they're a bit like huffy and they're like getting it out of their drawer. It's not in the care cabinet, it's in their drawer because let's face it, that's what they're using normally. The site managers will use the ladies toilet because they don't want to go to the toilet where the heathen's go. But what I will say is the site that we're on now for Vistry and Vistry have been brilliant. So the last job

 

Laura (25:40)

Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (25:51)

with Vistry and they just said, there's a key. You keep it, don't lose it. Brilliant. And then this site, the keys in the cabinet and the site manager would said, anything you need, just let us know. And then within a few days of us being on site, there was then a cabinet put in the ladies' toilets and I'm probably not gonna use this stuff, but you know what? They had like loads of sanitary products in there. I just thought, yeah. And I was like.

 

Laura (25:53)

Ugh.

 

Cool.

 

No way!

 

Holly Hudson (26:18)

wow, I've done this for six years and this has never... Some toilets you're like, oh God, I've got to go in the vents to get a toilet roll. Or like, there's no, and it's just like... But I've never like said to them, eh, thank you for that. But I just thought that's a, what a lovely touch. I'll probably never use it, but it's nice to know that they've had a little bit of forward thinking. So yeah, that is good. But yeah, I was like, ah.

 

Laura (26:26)

Yeah.

 

Absolutely. That's brilliant.

 

Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (26:45)

Buzzin

 

a bit with it because the fact that the case just there for me to get I'm not chasing someone around the site. Going, have you seen the female toilet key. Okay. And even that in itself is like when you haven't a go to the person like can I have the key for the toilet please? It's a bit like, ⁓ right. You know that I'm weeing now.

 

Laura (27:03)

Like you're back it? Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (27:09)

So we work for

 

a company called King Brothers and we subcontract through them. Yeah.

 

Laura (27:11)

Okay. ⁓ gotcha. Okey

 

dokey. And is it, it's obviously like new builds that you're putting together. Yeah. Wow. It just, does fascinate me bricklaying. It's one thing that I tend to watch more and more of on social media and cause you just don't really think about it. as an everyday person outside of the trades.

 

Holly Hudson (27:20)

Yeah.

 

Yeah, it's good.

 

Laura (27:36)

You just look at houses and you just think, ⁓ yeah. You don't actually think someone physically used their hands and built that. It's mad!

 

Holly Hudson (27:40)

Yeah.

 

I mean

 

at the minute we're on timber frames so sometimes you've got a hammer in your hand more than more than you trowel But yeah it's I love it I really do but the timber frames you feel like you just it's every it happens a lot faster so when I hear people going no them houses have been thrown up well the timber frame kits like already there so it's just the brickwork there's no block work to to go into it and stuff but

 

Laura (27:47)

yeah.

 

It does sound fun.

 

Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (28:09)

But yeah, I just don't post enough and I should. spoke to Chippy Em at the end. I always call her Chippy Em, know. I'll never just say it. I'll never say it. I spoke to Emily. So I spoke to Chippy Em at the On The Tools and she was like, you just need to set up a camera and just go for it. I was like, oh, I know, but. Like I say to other people like Darcy and Louisa and Demi and Ellie and Katie and like, I love watching their stuff and they're absolutely.

 

Laura (28:17)

I know, I do still.

 

Holly Hudson (28:39)

smashing it like i think you should definitely try and get darcy on here she yeah i think she i think she'd be brilliant and she does all the tick tock stuff as well like i haven't ventured into tick tock ⁓

 

Laura (28:43)

Yeah? Okay.

 

Ah, I'm kind

 

of dipping my toe. It's a whole nother thing to try and understand. Yeah, I mean, it is and it isn't. think once you post a couple of times, you kind of get used to it, but yeah, it's just something else to get your head around, isn't it? Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (28:57)

Yeah. is this?

 

Yeah, that's it. I

 

except my dad, for us, he can't get his head around technology. So with his mobile phone, I'm like, I've showed you this 100 times. Like, I don't know how you're not getting it, but his interests are literally bricks That's all he does. And I think like for him, being the age he is, and I think he's a bit scared to retire.

 

Laura (29:17)

Okay.

 

Yeah, ha ha, bless him.

 

Okay.

 

Holly Hudson (29:38)

because it doesn't need to work. He's got plenty of money, his house has paid off. But he's seen that many people over the years where they have retired and they've died, not long after. So I think he has that routine that he's had for 61 year. It just keeps him going. I think the banter and stuff, like, cause we're very much treat them. We don't treat them like he's an old age pensioner. We treat them like we treat each other.

 

Laura (29:48)

Yeah.

 

Wow.

 

Yeah.

 

That's good. Yeah, no, that's great. I totally understand what you're saying, definitely, because it has got to be scary kind of saying to yourself, I'm going to retire and my whole life that I know is going to change. it's almost like, why would you choose that if you don't have to? So.

 

Holly Hudson (30:07)

He gets called out on stuff as well, like...

 

Yeah.

 

Yeah, well

 

that's it because he doesn't really have any hobbies or anything so that would be him just probably sat in the house. I mean when I do solo gigs on a Sunday he'll come with us. It doesn't come with a duo gigs because of the nature of some of the content. I think he'd be a bit embarrassed by how Jackie goes on. But no, so I'll be going to collect him soon. He's gonna

 

Laura (30:33)

Okay.

 

Aww.

 

⁓ bless him.

 

Holly Hudson (30:57)

come with us

 

and I'm like, I'm like, dad, but you've seen me show like a million times, but he's he's still there. Still loves it. Still tries to tell us how to do my job. I'm like, stick to, stick to laying Bricks, John boy, right? I know what I'm doing with a singing game.

 

Laura (31:03)

Loves it.

 

Aww.

 

Brilliant.

 

Holly Hudson (31:16)

Because it's

 

not just singing though, you've got to build that rapport with the audience. So you've got to be watching for, and if something happens that you can mention. And I love just having banter with the audience and stuff. Like honestly, when you're stood on stage, you see everything. It's like see arguments brewing or you'll see people that again, they probably shouldn't be together.

 

Laura (31:20)

Yeah.

 

Ooh.

 

 

Holly Hudson (31:42)

But I think the gigs and stuff is one of the reasons that I don't drink. Because you see people in it like a total d- I mean I say I don't drink, it's maybe once or twice a year. But-

 

Laura (31:46)

Okay.

 

Yeah, it's pretty much

 

like I do. Yeah, I don't drink. I probably will have a tiny bit at Christmas and that's about it. Or on a holiday, I might have a tiny bit, but yeah, I can.

 

Holly Hudson (32:00)

Yeah.

 

Yeah, I think

 

it's because when you say people and you would have in your old job as well the vulnerabilities and the how people can get I just like to be on the ball in case something happens you never know when something's gonna happen. But I envy those people though I really do that are a bit more carefree and I feel like I'm risk assessing everything this is just in my normal life as well.

 

Laura (32:10)

Yeah.

 

Mm-hmm.

 

ah

 

Holly Hudson (32:30)

I don't know if there's maybe something wrong with this, maybe there is. But I'm always risk assessing. like, well, if I'm, for me, I might have an odd Guinness throughout the year, but I'm like, yeah, I get a bit scared when I see how vulnerable people can be with alcohol.

 

Laura (32:44)

Yeah.

 

I think, do you think that maybe came after you stopped drinking? Like you kind of got used to how you would feel in social situations, not having alcohol in your system and then realizing how different it does make you. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? Like...

 

Holly Hudson (33:08)

Yeah, so when

 

I was when I did work away on the holiday parks, I was drinking a lot

 

Laura (33:13)

Okay.

 

Holly Hudson (33:14)

I think I've got a little bit of an addictive, like addictive personality. So I know that if I don't drink in the house, I've got a cupboard full of alcohol there that's been bought for us. It's never going to get drunk,

 

So yeah, it's, it's one of those. it's like, I used to be a really heavy smoker. I'm talking like 20 odd a day, but back then, like 20 odd year, yeah, 20 odd year ago when I started.

 

Laura (33:37)

Okay.

 

Holly Hudson (33:44)

as teenager like yeah it's it's weird to think that but then I started I got addicted to smoking and then even with this singing I'd be like oh I can't not smoke because then I'll not be able to sing the rock stuff as good like it was ridiculous like I do have a bit of a gadgy voice anyway but I quit about I don't know seven or eight years ago when my mom got her lung cancer diagnosis and

 

Laura (33:53)

Yeah.

 

Good.

 

Holly Hudson (34:14)

like yeah, And now when I smell smoke, I'm like, bleh.

 

Laura (34:15)

I know what you mean. Yeah.

 

It takes some strength though, I'll give you that, in being in the environment you choose to put yourself in with your singing and not falling into having a couple of drinks before or after, you know? So good on you, that takes some strength. I bet you do, yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (34:26)

Yeah.

 

yeah.

 

I mean, we get offers. We do get offered all the time. can I get you a

 

drink? Do you want a drink? And I'm just like, nah. Plus, I do most of the driving for the gigs. So, yeah.

 

Laura (34:46)

There you go. Yeah, that was one of the main factors for me stopping drinking was going back into self-employment and, you know, having a few pints the night before and then you tootle into work in your van and all of a sudden you get randomly pulled over. Breathalised, your van's gone, living's gone. You just can't. don't, it's not worth the risk in my head. Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (34:48)

you

 

Yeah?

 

Absolutely not.

 

I think for some people it must be like a confidence thing. But yeah, I couldn't.

 

Laura (35:15)

Yeah.

 

I think

 

It is a totally different experience going out and socializing sober though. It's a different beast. Absolutely. mean, the summer just gone. I went to a couple of festivals locally with some of my old mates and it was the first time we'd all been together and I didn't drink. And another one, funnily enough, one of my other mates had...

 

Holly Hudson (35:28)

⁓ yeah.

 

Laura (35:45)

had stopped drinking as well. So luckily I had a pal. But

 

Holly Hudson (35:49)

Yeah.

 

So my sister, she will have a few pints or whatever at the gigs And when we're finished, that's me, I wanna be out of there, but she's very chatty. Like she's just, we're quite opposite. I'm like, have a very select few friends. She's got like tons of friends. She's like a sort of butterfly. And people just like gravitate towards her. So at the end of the night, I'm like, come on.

 

Laura (35:55)

Okay.

 

is she

 

Okay.

 

Holly Hudson (36:16)

got to pack all the gear down and get in the car and she's like yeah two minutes she's not like she'd never get she would never get drunk or anything at a gig but yeah it is different when you're having one or two

 

Laura (36:28)

Yeah, definitely.

 

You mentioned our mutual friend, Chippy Em a moment ago. You obviously, met at the On The Tools Awards in October.

 

Holly Hudson (36:40)

Yes,

 

I was so pleased we got sat next to each other. So I know she was she did the Lost City as well and we've spoke on socials a little bit but yeah, we're buzzing when I got to sit next to her.

 

Laura (36:51)

Awesome. How was that awards night. It looked amazing.

 

Holly Hudson (36:54)

it's brilliant. Honestly, what on the tools do for the industry, not just the lost city that they do, everything, even just bringing people together and how they check in, make sure people are all right. It was I mean, I've said on the post, it was lovely to catch up with people, but it was very brief catching up. Like, how are you? Are all right? How's it going? How's the family? So the only people that I'd say I've really got to like

 

Laura (37:20)

Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (37:23)

chat properly with was probably Chippy Em Carl Ladd, the lads from Super Trowel, what on our table, but yeah, it's just nice. mean, my brother was like, you're gonna go all the way to Birmingham for like a night out and you're not even gonna have a drink and enjoy yourself. I'm like, no, I will, I will enjoy myself. But because I don't go out very often, I love little events like that where I can just.

 

Laura (37:30)

Okay.

 

you

 

Yep.

 

Holly Hudson (37:51)

sit back, take it all in, watch like people in the trades, especially the women like Gina and Sy winning these awards and it's like, yeah, it's great. And Rachel, like a fabulous, fabulous tradeswoman.

 

Laura (37:56)

Yeah.

 

Yes!

 

was quite jealous you know, yeah, it looked really good and it would be nice, hopefully, hopefully, it would be nice to get amongst all the other trades because obviously I've always just been amongst the decorating people at the decorating show, And...

 

Holly Hudson (38:11)

next year.

 

Laura (38:23)

Yeah, next year is going to be my year where I'm going to go to the other trade shows and hopefully meet some other tradies. Yeah, I'm looking forward to that. ⁓

 

Holly Hudson (38:33)

Yeah,

 

I mean I couldn't do what you do mind. Honestly, I I tried painting the downstairs toilet a few weeks ago and I think I messaged Foxy, I was like, I don't know how you do it. I was like, for fuck's sake. Like I've got no, you've got to be precise and you've got to be patient and I think you've got to have a certain kind of demeanor where I don't know, I just don't know how you do it. I was getting really annoyed. I was.

 

Laura (38:36)

No?

 

Did ya?

 

Holly Hudson (39:01)

I more like loads of paint splashes on my glasses. It was in my hair. Like it was just it was just everywhere. I was like, wow, I don't know how they manage this and make it look so like smooth and stuff. I'm like, oh, there's line marks. It's OK. I'll put a vase there. That'll hide it. Yeah.

 

Laura (39:03)

Aww.

 

Yep, I did. It'll be fine. Only you know it's there.

 

Brilliant. awesome. so have you got anything exciting coming up? Any big gigs or have you got gigs over Christmas?

 

Holly Hudson (39:25)

that's right.

 

But...

 

Loads, yeah so when it tends to be the quiet time for let's say site when you might be rained off more I'm not really losing work because that's December is my busiest time for the singing but I think it's the right word desensitized when people mention the gigs and stuff I think because I've done this for so long it's just like yeah whatever

 

Laura (39:35)

Have ya!

 

 

Okay.

 

Routine.

 

Holly Hudson (39:59)

But people are like, oh my god, that's amazing. Like you did that venue. And I'm like, aye, it was canny. because it's just work to me. But sometimes I'm shy people are like, oh, where have you been at the weekend? And I'm like, erm. And they must think that I'm lying when I say that I'm singing. I'm like, yeah, I can't remember. Because they just all roll into one.

 

Laura (40:06)

⁓ haha.

 

Yeah.

 

Yeah, bet they do.

 

Holly Hudson (40:26)

because it's the

 

same routine and yet it's just a different venue. I'm like, where was I? they'll be like, ⁓ yes, I was XYZ. But yeah, love them. I love old people. Old people are the best. And they're crafty as well. They can sit there all sweet and innocent and they're not. They've been there, they've done that. They're worse than us on some levels.

 

Laura (40:34)

Okay.

 

awesome. Do ya?

 

Amazing.

 

Yep.

 

Holly Hudson (40:54)

I because of the generation, like when I was growing up, that generation, the parents weren't as on it as what we are now. So I got away with loads when I was a kid. My mum and dad just didn't have a clue. And like I said, don't get as well, there was four of us and like we were all, you know, a lot of work. But I've said to my daughter, she's 12 and I'm like,

 

you're not gonna get away with anything. I've been there, I've done it. I know all the little signs, like I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. I am quite strict. Well, I'd say I'm firm, but fair. You know, I like to, I don't wanna ruin our like fun, as we say, but I, yeah, but I want it to be safe because it's a scary world.

 

Laura (41:20)

Yeah.

 

Ha ha ha!

 

Okay. Yeah.

 

Being a child, yeah.

 

Well, this is it. was going to say, it's got to be very difficult being a parent to children that are growing up in this sort of like decade and surrounding times because everything is out there. There's no secrecy. Every kid has got a phone. Every kid is like pointing cameras and you can't get away with anything, like you say.

 

Holly Hudson (41:53)

yeah.

 

Laura (42:06)

⁓ and it's so different to when I think we were kids, cause you just, you go on your bike, round to your mates and knock on the door, wouldn't you? Or you pick the landline up and ring them and say, is, you know, such and such there, do they want to meet at the park? You would have been on of this texting or sending pictures or stuff, you know? Yeah, it's, it's a very different world. And I think it's both difficult for kids growing up now.

 

Holly Hudson (42:14)

Yeah? Yeah?

 

NUH

 

Laura (42:34)

and parents parenting because there's so many dangers out there. ⁓ And you want your children to be children and grow up learning what's right and what's wrong and making their own mistakes to help them grow as people. But at the same time, you feel like you have to limit those, I would think. Obviously I'm not a parent, but

 

Holly Hudson (42:39)

it's frightening.

 

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

Laura (43:00)

in. Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (43:00)

It's just making them aware because there's so

 

much good stuff online where they can learn so much, but then there's that darker side, isn't there? There's the online, there's the bullying as well. Like it's not just where it can be left in the school playground anymore. It can be brought back. It can be put in group chats. I've had like many conversations with her where she might be in a group chat and I might like, you know, say, can I have a little look at that? And I'd be like,

 

Laura (43:09)

Danger

 

No.

 

Holly Hudson (43:29)

this looks to me like that person maybe getting ganged up on a little bit and I might remove yourself from that group. I mean, my daughter, she's so lovely, but she might not necessarily see what I can foresee happening in groups and stuff. But even with her, there was a few times when she started secondary, and obviously that's when you've got all the different schools filtering into one.

 

Laura (43:34)

⁓ okay.

 

Yeah

 

huh.

 

Mm.

 

okay.

 

Holly Hudson (43:56)

but when she

 

started secondary, there was a few, a few things with like where she was getting, I wouldn't say bullied, but you know, you can sense something's bubbling up. So I just went back to the parents' houses and luckily there were decent people. And I just said, look, let's just nip this in the bud now. I don't want to have anything that's like getting dragged through school and once one kid starts something and then.

 

Laura (44:08)

Mm.

 

Yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (44:21)

it

 

becomes that sort that it's sorted because sometimes the schools are just a bit useless in sorting stuff not necessarily useless, but they've got hundreds and hundreds of kids to deal with. But it's that fear of thinking, if I try and sort this out with the parent, I don't know what door I'm knocking on here, who's going to open it? So you almost feel like you're ready.

 

Laura (44:27)

Yeah,

 

That's it. Exactly. Yeah.

 

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (44:46)

You don't want to be like, yeah, you're a kid. It's been so...

 

That's another thing with work. You've got to adapt how you are with people. So, like even some gigs, I'd be like, hi, how you? that all right? Like, singing. And then there's other gigs that you go to and it's like, hi, it's lovely to be here. Where do you want us to set up? It's like, you've really got to like change your persona. But yeah, having kids is another stress level in itself.

 

Laura (44:54)

Yeah.

 

⁓ yeah, different. ⁓

 

Well, it sounds like you and your daughter have got a very trusting relationship from what you've just said. yeah, it sounds great to me.

 

Holly Hudson (45:20)

⁓ yeah.

 

Yeah, we're close, but I mean, she did say, so when she was a few years younger, she was like, ⁓ I'm going to be a bricklayer, ma'am, when I leave school. And as she got older, she's like, I just don't think it would be for me, ma'am. I mean, you're always dirty and you're always knackered. well, yeah.

 

Laura (45:40)

Aww.

 

Fair play. Yeah,

 

you know, it's like you said at the beginning, it's not for everybody, but you know, she may come back around, who knows?

 

Holly Hudson (45:56)

Yeah, I'm a bit worried because I'm I'm 40 in a few weeks. Like women are built different to men. No matter what we say,  have equal rights and blah blah blah. Like, we're not physically, I wouldn't physically be able to do this job at my dad's age. Not a chance. No way. So, but I know that it's an industry that I definitely want to stay in. I love it. I love the crack. I love the people.

 

Laura (46:02)

Yeah.

 

No.

 

Holly Hudson (46:21)

It's just, yeah, I won't be able to do this forever, but...

 

Laura (46:24)

I know what you mean. I mentioned when I was speaking to Russ, the talking tradesman about going from working five days a week to four because physically it felt, it wasn't some, it's like you say, women are built differently to men. And yes, you may hear women in the trades talk about the want of recognition.

 

Holly Hudson (46:36)

I heard that you took

 

Laura (46:49)

to be more level between men and women, but at the same time, we have to acknowledge we are built differently. you know, men are built as like workhorses, they've got more muscle. Yes, women can build it, but at the same time, our bones and our structures aren't built the same. Effectively, biology-wise, we're built to have babies, aren't we? And nurture, whereas...

 

Holly Hudson (46:56)

Yeah, 100 %

 

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

Laura (47:16)

we

 

can adapt and build muscle and, you know, make us more.

 

Like sturdy, like, you know what I mean? Like, like tradie, like strength strong. But, you know, like you said, we may not as women be able to do the trade as long as men because of that reason. And,

 

Holly Hudson (47:24)

I don't know what you mean. Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

No. Yeah. I

 

mean, you get people like trolling stuff online. That'll be like, oh, well, if you can't lift it, then you shouldn't be doing the job. And I've even seen some women say that. But I've got no shame. I'm not going to put me back out, right? I love my job. I love what I do. But I'm not going to like, what's the phrase? I'm like, I'm not going to try and be a hero.

 

Laura (47:55)

Yeah!

 

Holly Hudson (48:02)

carry a heavy lintel on my shoulder when I just asked my brother to do it. There's no shame. There shouldn't be a shame in asking for help.

 

Laura (48:07)

Exactly.

 

And just because the norm is to work five days a week doesn't mean that working four days is wrong. You know, like who says what is right and what is wrong in that respects, you know, and if you can take up half a bag of mortar instead of a full bag, that's better than none, you know, or take up half a dozen bricks instead of two dozen bricks. You're still getting the work done

 

Holly Hudson (48:16)

Yeah, exactly.

 

Yeah.

 

Laura (48:34)

It's just people's mindsets need to be more open, don't they?

 

Holly Hudson (48:36)

That's it.

 

totally, totally. I mean, I do push myself and I will be like, but yeah, I'm not gonna be a hero at the same time and lift something that could potentially put me out of work for X amount of time. yeah, I have seen that, not on my part. I think I've been really lucky. I've never really had a lot of hate. I don't know if that's because I just keep myself to myself.

 

Laura (48:48)

Yeah.

 

That's good, yeah.

 

Holly Hudson (49:02)

and I'm not really putting controversial stuff out there, but I've never experienced, like I know a lot of women have, I've never experienced that on site. Whether or not that's because I am keeping myself to myself or the fact that my brother is huge and would absolutely kick off. But no, the people I've came across are lovely. They're just fellas working hard.

 

Laura (49:10)

you

 

Bats are anyone.

 

That's good.

 

Holly Hudson (49:32)

the families you know and but I will say when you're over here like conversations and stuff on site with like other squads or other trades men are bitchier than women.

 

Laura (49:45)

I know, I know, it's mad, isn't it? In my old job, I was the only woman in a team of like multiple blokes and I, yeah, totally agree with you. Men, sorry guys, but you are bitchier than women. I'm sorry when you get together.

 

Holly Hudson (49:46)

like that one right yes

 

Yeah, 100 %

 

They just love a winge don't they? Or it be a winge about the sandwiches that their wife's Shut up and get an eating. Or make your own.

 

Laura (50:07)

Don't they? Yeah.

 

She's made it, yeah. Yeah.

 

Brilliant. Goodness me. Right, let's get to this quick fire question round that I like to do with everybody. All right, you ready?

 

Holly Hudson (50:20)

Ayy, gosh.

 

Okay. Ready.

 

Laura (50:30)

Driver or passenger?

 

Holly Hudson (50:31)

Driver

 

Laura (50:32)

brick trowel or pointing trowel.

 

Holly Hudson (50:35)

brick trowel

 

Laura (50:37)

tea or coffee.

 

Holly Hudson (50:38)

coffee all day long.

 

Laura (50:40)

all day long. Bricks or blocks?

 

Holly Hudson (50:43)

Bricks. Unless it's thermalites then blocks. ⁓

 

Laura (50:43)

Dogs or... okay, there we go.

 

Dogs or cats?

 

Holly Hudson (50:49)

I've only just got a dog this year, I've always had cats so I'm like... dog.

 

Laura (50:54)

What dog did you get?

 

Holly Hudson (50:55)

Cocker Spaniel. Yeah, it's beautiful.

 

Laura (50:56)

Did ya? ⁓ wow. Is

 

he gonna be a site dog?

 

Holly Hudson (51:01)

no he's not. mean the cats are really annoyed with us and they still give me happy looks. They're like what have you done? What have you brought into this home? He's lovely.

 

Laura (51:09)

super cute.

 

Country or disco?

 

Holly Hudson (51:12)

country.

 

Laura (51:14)

a sparkly disco dress or a hard hat and high vis.

 

Holly Hudson (51:18)

Hard hat

 

Laura (51:19)

Lime mortar or cement mix.

 

Holly Hudson (51:23)

cement mix

 

Laura (51:25)

And I don't know if you're going to be able to answer this one, but singing or bricklaying.

 

Holly Hudson (51:31)

I can't answer that one. love them both equally, they both have their perks.

 

Laura (51:32)

That's okay, you don't have

 

Fair play. Love that.

 

Bit of a curve ball for you. Brilliant. So I do like to end each episode with a couple of questions And if you could be a different trade, what would you choose and why?

 

Holly Hudson (51:43)

⁓ definitely.

 

I mean again when I see Chippy Em and she's got a, all the bits like a joiner would be, I think find what they do fascinating, I really do. Yeah so probably a joiner, carpentry

 

Laura (52:00)

No.

 

Yeah.

 

Awesome.

 

Yeah, it's popular. I say it every time, it's popular. I think the likes of Chippy Em showcasing what she does so well, it makes it popular, doesn't it? absolutely. I like to ask who do you think I should have on next or what trade should I have on next?

 

Holly Hudson (52:13)

Yeah.

 

Yes, definitely.

 

Look, there is Louisa who's also a bricklayer, but she does painting as well. She does all these amazing paintings. There's Charlotte Electrics. She's very good. Yeah. I sat next to her On The Tools Awards a few years ago. The first ever one I went to when I was just like, sat there like scared.

 

Laura (52:35)

Okay, yeah.

 

Yeah, follow Charlotte. Okay.

 

Or did you?

 

Holly Hudson (52:54)

There's just so many, isn't there?

 

Laura (52:55)

I

 

know it's hard, it is hard. Exactly. That's

 

Holly Hudson (52:58)

But it's good though. It's good that there's that many now. ⁓

 

Laura (53:02)

Yeah, it's great. Awesome. It is, it is. So where can people find you, Holly? What's your social medias for your singing and your bricklaying?

 

Holly Hudson (53:03)

Its mad Yeah, it is good though.

 

So for singing it would probably be the Hudson Sisters on Facebook and for Instagram it's just the singing brickie

 

Laura (53:18)

Okay.

 

Holly Hudson (53:23)

I feel like I've put a bit of pressure on myself to post stuff, whereas I maybe just need to go back to just Holly Hudson. Do know what I mean? Yeah.

 

Laura (53:32)

Well, it's totally up to you, isn't it? I mean, I get

 

what you're saying about the pressure to then show more of your work, but at the end of the day, it's your page. You don't have to post regularly if you don't want to, you know?

 

Holly Hudson (53:42)

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

You are correct, Laura.

 

Laura (53:51)

 

Well, I will make sure that those two links for your Facebook and your Instagram are on the show notes for this episode so people can follow you. yeah, it's been absolutely awesome chatting with you. It's been so much fun.

 

Holly Hudson (54:02)

Aw, fab

 

Thank

 

you. I'm so glad that we managed to figure it out because I was like nearly having a panic attack before I was like how have I fucked this up again? my god. She's gonna think I'm a right like nimwit

 

Laura (54:16)

It's all right.

 

No, not at all, not at all.

 

Holly Hudson (54:23)

But thank you so much for having us on.

 

Laura (54:23)

So I've.

 

That's all right. You're welcome. I appreciate you giving you giving me your time before a gig as well So, yeah. Awesome. Thank you very much.

 

Holly Hudson (54:32)

it's fine.