Tracks of My Life with Jo Parsons

Tracks of My Life is a show on RNIB Connect Radio presented and produced by Toby Davey where he invites a guest to take us on a journey through their life, sharing the tracks that mark important moments which bring back memories to them.

Their chosen tracks of their life might include the first track they can remember hearing, the first track they bought, a number of tracks that mark moments in their life and the final track, a track that they would like to pass on which might give people hope for the future.

In this trimmed down podcast version of Tracks of My Life Toby is joined by visually impaired Chef Jo Parsons, who has worked in many professional kitchens over the years, now running her own catering business 'Jo’s Kitchen' from her home in South Devon as well as passing on her cooking skills to other visually impaired people through her 'Cooking with Confidence' classes.

In Jo’s Tracks of my Life we will start with Jo as a three-year-old little girl living in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham and Helping her mum to clean the  beautiful large pram ready for collecting her 8 week old baby Brother Simon. Who was being fostered by Jo’s Parents. Like Simon Jo was also adopted by her very loving and caring Mum and Dad Joan and Jim.

We then move to school days for Jo with happy memories of infant and junior school but not so happy times at senior school apart from Jo’s close group of friends.

Jo will then share some of the happy memories she had at senior school with her friends listening to the latest pop records on the steps outside the music room and not forgetting the mad dash on a Tuesday evening to get home for 4.25pm to catch the Bay City rollers TV programme Sangalang.

We will then move to Jo’s time at Catering College, forging good friendships again and of course the Classic French cookery training from Chef Bill Cahill. Joe will Then share some of the great catering jobs she  has had over the years including time running the catering at a large private golf club in Birmingham and working as both Chef and Manager at the RNIB concept conference centre in Birmingham which was both very rewarding for Jo and lots of fun too.

We will then hear from Jo about the first time she met her husband Brett back in 1980 in a Birmingham nightclub, dating for a while before they both went their own separate ways. Then meeting up again many years later, getting married, moving to South Devon and now enjoying their life together along with their four dogs.

Finally Jo will talk about the pleasure that comes from passing on her cooking skills to other visually impaired people through her bespoke  'Cooking with Confidence' classes. 

Do visit Jo’s Facebook page for more details of some of her fabulous dishes and bakes - https://www.facebook.com/joskitchendevon

You can catch the hour-long version of Tracks of My Life with Toby’s guest’s music tracks in full by tuning in to RNIB Connect Radio every Tuesday at 7pm, repeated on Thursday at 1pm and Sunday at 8pm. 

(Image shows Jo sat in front of a yellow/golden curtain at a brown table with her arms folded wearing a long sleeved navy blue top with navy blue flowers embroidered around the neck and half way down the sleeves. Her fingernails are painted burgundy and she is wearing a pearl necklace with matching earrings and smiling at the camera)