Hearts and Handlebars

Have you ever seen those 5am “Green Juice” posts and thought, absolutely not my life? This episode of Hearts and Handlebars is the opposite: a raw, real-time school run on the bike with a journalist and her daughter — toothbrush meltdowns, missing hairbands, a stolen rain cover and a cold, wet dash to school. Zena answer kids’ questions, debates Dutch theme-park choices, while Anna recalls an encounter with a kind stranger offering to help with recycling, and reminds you that showing up exactly as you are is more than enough. Hit follow and join the ride.

Hearts and Handlebars is a school-run podcast recorded on a cargo bike. Anna Holligan, a BBC foreign correspondent, and her nine-year-old daughter Zeno share unscripted, honest conversations on the way to school—covering parenting, work-life balance, emotions, and the everyday moments that matter. No studio, no scripts: just curious, real-time relatable & often messy chats. Follow @heartsandhandlebars for a ride-along reminder that showing up exactly as you are is more than enough.

Have you ever seen those 5am Green Juice perfectly curated posts and thought, absolutely not my life? Hearts and Handlebars is the opposite: raw, on-the-bike school-run chats between a journalist and her daughter—real-time rush, a sprained ankle and cultural identity and dog poo. Join the morning chaos, hit follow, and ride along for imperfect routines, parenting moments, and everyday observations from the bike lane.

A frantic Dutch school run, a mum with 47% battery, and a daughter who turns a damp December bike ride into a conversation about fireworks bans, conscience and the pink‑and‑blue winter sky. In this pilot episode of Hearts and Handlebars, journalist Anna and her Year 5 co‑host Zena race to make the gates on time, talk about kids leaving early for cheaper flights, and wonder what it means to “do the right thing” when term‑time rules and real life collide.​ You’ll hear real‑time faff — ugly caps, wobbly bike locks, dog wrangling and bakery FOMO — alongside big feelings about growing up, seasonal school parties and that strange in‑between stage of being not‑quite‑primary, not‑quite‑secondary. If your own mornings feel more chaos than green‑juice‑at‑5am, this is your invite to ride along and remember that showing up exactly as you are is more than enough.​

Hearts and Handlebars captures raw, real-time school-run conversations between a journalist and her daughter — bike rides, spilt coffee, last-minute costumes and sweet goodbyes. In this episode Anna prepares to visit a newborn to report on Dutch kraamzorg for the BBC, reflects on Zena's dramatic birth and reveals how a tragic air disaster still touches their lives — a reminder that imperfect routines and showing up are more than enough.