Hearts of Oak Podcast

Dr. Gavin Ashenden joins Peter to explore Jesus’ prayer for unity in John 17 and why the Catholic Church uniquely preserves the one Church Christ founded through apostolic authority, the Mass, and Petrine headship. 
He contrasts this with Protestantism’s proliferation of denominations and reflects on his own journey into Catholicism in 2019.  
The conversation turns to the upcoming March for Life UK, the Catholic Church’s unbroken opposition to abortion from the earliest Christian writings, and Gavin's personal awakening to the scale of terminations in Britain. They also discuss righteous anger, the muted Christian public witness in the UK, demographic and cultural change, the loss of shared Christian memory, and why only a coherent, unified Church can effectively confront today’s ideological pressures.  
Gavin Ashenden began life intending to become a lawyer but was instead ordained as an Anglican priest, serving ten years in London parishes. After postgraduate work in the Psychology of Religion, he spent 23 years as a university chaplain and senior lecturer, with a PhD on the Oxford Inklings, teaching literature, psychology, and monotheistic mysticism.
In the 1980s he smuggled Bibles and medicine to dissident Christians behind the Iron Curtain, including Catholic seminarians in Czechoslovakia, and endured arrests by Communist security services.
He served on the Church of England’s General Synod for twenty years, was Chaplain to the Queen for nine years, and presented a BBC Faith and Ethics radio programme for four years.He became a Catholic in 2019 and served as Associate Editor of the Catholic Herald. Influenced by recusant English Catholics, St John Henry Newman, and G.K. Chesterton, he has written for The Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, and other outlets, and spoken at conferences across Europe and America.
Connect with Gavin...𝕏                         @gavinashenden https://x.com/gavinashendenSUBSTACK              https://drgavinashenden.substack.com/
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*Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast.
Check out his art theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com and follow him on 𝕏 x.com/TheBoschFawstin
   

We are delighted to have Nick Freitas join us to discuss his move to Blaze TV, the Christian faith that shapes all his work, and why he is fighting for Christendom rather than a secular vision of Western civilization. He shares insights from his book The Man Book on manhood, fatherhood, marriage, generational stewardship, and building lasting family legacy, along with practical thoughts on public speaking and reflections from his time in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Nick Freitas is a former U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Beret) combat veteran, conservative leader, author, and media host.After enlisting following high school, he served with the 82nd Airborne and 25th Infantry Divisions before joining the Green Berets, completing two combat tours in Iraq and rising to the rank of Sergeant First Class. Honorably discharged in 2009, he later served with distinction as a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 2016 to 2026.A devoted Christian, husband to his high-school sweetheart Tina, and father of three, Freitas is a leading voice on faith, family, biblical masculinity, and personal responsibility. He is the author of The Man Book: A Point-by-Point Guide to Sucking It Up and Getting the Job Done and hosts the popular shows Making the Argument with Nick Freitas and The Why Minutes. In 2026 he joined Blaze Media, where he continues to champion strong families, individual liberty, and the principles that built America, reaching millions through his platforms.
The Manbook: A Point-by-Point Guide to Sucking It Up and Getting the Job Done – A No-Nonsense Guide to Mental Toughness and Professional GrowthBUY ON AMAZON https://a.co/d/0d7xOkY5
Connect with Nick...𝕏                  @NickJFreitas  https://x.com/NickJFreitasBLAZE TV       https://get.blazetv.com/nick/YOUTUBE      https://www.youtube.com/@NickjfreitasINSTAGRAM   https://www.instagram.com/nickjfreitas/
 
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*Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast.
Check out his art theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com and follow him on 𝕏 x.com/TheBoschFawstin
   

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce joins us to discuss the upcoming March for Life UK on 5 September in Westminster. She details the morning Life Fest programme, including the pro-life family summit on the theme “abortion hurts the family,” a new youth summit for 18–35s, age-appropriate sessions for children and teens, and a hall of pro-life organisations. Isabel and Peter cover abortion’s wider impact on mothers, fathers, siblings and relationships, the importance of church involvement, UK abortion law (pills by post and the recent decriminalisation vote), the power of careful language, and an update on her ongoing legal case over silent prayer near an abortion clinic.
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce is Co-Director of March for Life UK and Campaign Director of 40 Days for Life Birmingham. A longstanding Catholic pro-life advocate and crisis-pregnancy volunteer for over 20 years, she has helped organise peaceful prayer vigils and practical support for women, while building the annual March for Life into one of the UK’s largest pro-life gatherings. Known internationally for her quiet courage in defending both the unborn and the fundamental freedoms of thought and prayer, she continues to lead with clarity, compassion and unwavering commitment to the dignity of every human life.
𝕏            @IsabelVSpruce  https://x.com/IsabelVSpruce                @march4lifeuk https://x.com/march4lifeuk
WEBSITE                https://www.marchforlife.co.uk/INSTAGRAM           https://www.instagram.com/marchforlifeuk/YOUTUBE                                https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmUBF1SGVxQh9QPox8gZ8WQ
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*Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast.
Check out his art theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com and follow him on 𝕏 x.com/TheBoschFawstin
   

Grant Stinchfield joins Peter to discuss his investigative reporting background, accountability for Anthony Fauci over COVID-era decisions and private communications, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and efforts to address institutional challenges in Washington, the Jones Act waiver and its impact on American shipping, the conflict with Iran, prediction markets versus traditional polling in the context of Texas politics and the midterms, and the question of fairness in women’s sports.
Grant Stinchfield is a four-time Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist, conservative radio/TV host, podcaster, NRA Life Member, and small-business owner based in the Dallas area.He spent roughly two decades as a reporter and anchor at NBC-owned stations where he was among the first journalists at Ground Zero on 9/11. His investigative series earned multiple Emmys and contributed to policy changes and legislation, such as Texas identity-theft reforms.After leaving local news, he hosted talk radio (including The Stinchfield Report on KLIF in Dallas), helped launch NRATV, hosted a primetime show on Newsmax, and co-hosted The Morning Answer on AM 870 The Answer in Los Angeles (he departed that role in late 2025). He currently hosts Stinchfield / Stinchfield Tonight on Real America’s Voice and the independent Stinchfield podcast. He describes his mission as exposing “idiocracy” and is a vocal MAGA/conservative commentator.
Connect with Grant...𝕏                                @stinchfield1776  https://x.com/stinchfield1776INSTAGRAM               https://instagram.com/stinchfield1776RUMBLE                     https://rumble.com/c/GrantStinchfield
 
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*Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast.
Check out his art theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com and follow him on 𝕏 x.com/TheBoschFawstin
   

Alex Phillips - Faith, Farage and Division on the Right
Alex Phillips discusses how her Christian faith continues to shape her life and public work, including prayer, recent experiences of recommitment and confirmation, and the personal events she sees as evidence of God’s involvement. The conversation then turns to politics, covering the Clacton by-election, Nigel Farage and Reform, tensions with figures such as Rupert Lowe, immigration policy, and the risks of division on the right.
Alex Phillips is a broadcaster, former and future politician, champion of women, speaker of truths, would-be 21st century Boudicca. Here to help change the world with her own little contribution.
Connect with Alex𝕏                                               x.com/ThatAlexWoman @ThatAlexWomanSUBSTACK                               www.thatalexwoman.com/
 
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*Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast.
Check out his art theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com and follow him on 𝕏 x.com/TheBoschFawstin
   

Callum Smiles joins Hearts of Oak to report from his recent trip to Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on the North African coast, where he was filming with Fox Populi. Fresh from Gibraltar, he describes a migration situation far larger than expected: thousands of arrivals after the major influx on 31 July, with Moroccan migrants concentrated in the south and sub-Saharan migrants in the north. The Spanish-majority enclave effectively saw its population double in a short period. From above it looked attractive; at street level it was chaotic and unstable. Callum details the military response, overcrowding and fights at facilities built for far fewer people, migrants openly stating they wanted Europe’s wealth and a better life (encouraged by social media and eager to be filmed), and the wider implications for the EU, Schengen, and the necessity of border control.
Callum Smiles is an independent British journalist, formerly with Rebel News UK and now working under Callum Smiles Media while contributing to Vox Populi.. Known as “the unconventional journalist,” he specialises in on-the-ground reporting of mass migration, the World Economic Forum in Davos (where he has confronted figures including Tony Blair, Larry Fink and Greta Thunberg), and related issues across Europe and beyond. Based in the south of England, he self-films and edits his own work.The Week According to ... Callum Smiles
Connect with Callum...𝕏 https://x.com/FranklySpeakPhttps://x.com/vpopulimedia WEBSITE callumsmilesmedia.com
 
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*Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast.
Check out his art theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com and follow him on 𝕏 x.com/TheBoschFawstin
   

In this episode, Dr Joel Bohemier discusses his upbringing in a multi-generational chiropractic family, the principles of spinal care as a means of supporting overall neurological function, and the historical challenges faced by the profession. He explains how adjustments address more than musculoskeletal symptoms and shares insights from nearly 30 years in practice. The conversation also covers the founding of Stand for Health Freedom, efforts around informed consent and parental rights, and current developments in health policy, including support for initiatives associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
One of 46 chiropractors in his family, Dr. Joel Bohemier is passionate about natural health care and lives by and teaches the principles of honoring the innate wisdom of the body. A proponent of holistic living, he is often invited to share his views on such topics as organic foods, green living, and strategies for creating a healthy and resilient mind, body and spirit. In addition to serving as an advisor to Stand for Health Freedom, Joel also serves as an advisory board member of GreenMedInfo.com, the world’s most widely referenced natural health database.Joel received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manitoba in 1996 and his Doctor of Chiropractic from Life University in Marietta, Georgia, in 2000. He has practiced in Italy and Canada and currently maintains a private practice in Naples, Florida.
Connect with Joel  and Stand for Health Freedom...WEBSITE         https://standforhealthfreedom.com/X                      @standforhealth1  https://x.com/standforhealth1
INSTAGRAM         standforhealthfreedom/ 
 
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*Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast.
Check out his art theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com and follow him on 𝕏 x.com/TheBoschFawstin
   

Alan Miller joins us to discuss how public pushback helped stop the proposed digital ID scheme and why current expansions — One Login, the Gov.uk app, digital driving licences and wider digitisation — still risk building a biometric surveillance state. He covers the campaign tools that worked (petitions, protests, letters to MPs), the push of company directors and the self-employed into digital systems, the need to protect analog options, links to banking, cash and central bank digital currency, and why continued campaigning, free speech defence and signing the Together Declaration pledge remain essential.
Alan Miller started his career in the nightlife industry, co-founding London's Old Truman Brewery, the Night Time Industries Association and latterly #OpenForAll which was launched in response to the threat of vaccine passports. He is a writer, producer and director, appearing regularly on mainstream news channels, championing civil liberties. In his work in the hospitality and business sector, Alan has demonstrated an ability to change policy at the highest level of government. He has experience working with local councils, influencing mayoral leadership in various cities as well as lobbying the Home Office, the Treasury, DCMS and BEIS while ensuring mainstream media coverage. He brings this vast wealth of experience and is now working full-time with #together which he co-founded in response to the government's draconian covid measures.
 
TOGETHER DECLARATIONOrganisations, business groups, campaigners and professionals: Read and sign here https://togetherdeclaration.org/ OPEN FOR ALL CHARTERFor all licensed premises and events:Read and sign the charter here https://www.openforall.co.uk/
 
Connect with Hearts of Oak...𝕏                         x.com/HeartsofOakUKWEBSITE            heartsofoak.org/PODCASTS        heartsofoak.podbean.com/SOCIAL MEDIA  heartsofoak.org/connect/SHOP                  heartsofoak.org/shop/
*Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast.
Check out his art theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com and follow him on 𝕏 x.com/TheBoschFawstin