Big Skies and Small Ponds...with Drew Baxter
Big Skies and Small Ponds… with Drew Baxter.
Come in… sit a while.
This is a storytelling podcast with quiet reflections, real moments and the sort of thoughts that tend to arrive when life slows down.
Each episode is a chapter - a small pond holding a very big sky.
Stories drawn from real life — from memory, from people and from the moments that shape us.
Some are gently humorous, some are thoughtful, and some may touch on grief, love, and what it means to be human.
There’s no rush...just come in and see what you find.
Warm wishes....Drew Baxter
Written and Read by Drew Baxter
Episodes
13 episodes
Bonus Chapter - Small Pond on a Large Pond
Bonus Chapter –Small Pond on a Large PondWe often imagine that travel is about seeing bigger places and grander sights. But perhaps that’s not quite right.Join me aboard a ship in the Norwegian fjords as I discover tha...
Chapter 10 - Big Skies
A childhood memory. A distant tragedy. Seven stars in the night sky. A light passing silently overhead.In this final chapter of the first series, Drew reflects on horizons, wonder, perspective and the curious way understa...
Chapter 9 - The Ceiling Tile
Chapter Nine – The Ceiling TileIn 2009, Drew found himself lying on a hospital trolley, staring at a cracked ceiling tile and wondering if it might be the last thing he would ever see.It wasn't.In this deeply pe...
The Sea
Chapter Eight – The SeaSome places stay with us forever.For Drew, it's the sea.From childhood days on the Norfolk coast to standing beside the Pacific Ocean, from rivers and books to cruise ships and poetry, this chapt...
Grandad
Chapter Seven – Grandad"My grandfather always thought I should be a vicar.I've often wondered why". In this chapter, Drew reflects on the life of Frederick Baxter: farmer, parish councillor, First World War surviv...
Paprika
Chapter Six – PaprikaSupermarkets are curious places.You go in for butter, yoghurt, or perhaps a missing jar of paprika... and somehow end up collecting stories instead.In this chapter, Drew reflects on chance e...
Chapter 5 - Pause
Chapter Five – PauseWe spend much of our lives labelling things.Objects. Places. Memories.People.In this chapter, Drew reflects on names, silence, kindness, loss, and the small but important space between se...
Chapter 4 - Masks
Chapter 4 - MasksThere are moments in life when we realise that fitting in and belonging are not quite the same thing.In this chapter, Drew reflects on faith, anxiety, identity and the roles we play for the world aro...
Between Chapters - Not The Hero
Between Chapters – Not The HeroThis week, a shorter and more personal pause between chapters.Drew reflects on storytelling, memory, ego, kindness… and the strange reality that when you write about your own life, you can never ful...
Chapter Three - The Blue Suit
Chapter Three – The Blue SuitIn this deeply personal chapter of Big Skies and Small Ponds, Drew Baxter reflects on the quiet emotional weight carried by those who stand at the front of a funeral service.Through the story of a hi...
Chapter Two - That Voice
A small note before we settle in… this chapter touches briefly on sudden death and police experiences, and includes one or two moments of strong language where they belonged to the story.Big Skies and Small Ponds – Chapter Two - That Vo...
