South West Londoner

The SWL Formula 1 Podcast is back for a brand new season, as we take a look at the opening 2023 races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.   The team discusses Red Bull's dominance, the Aston Martin surprise, Ferrari and Mercedes underperforming, with a view to the Australian GP.   Hosted by Max Carter Keall along with Charlie Patrick, Alp Salfur and Alex Meechan.

The SWL Six Nations podcast returns to review the 2023 edition of the tournament, which saw Ireland win a Grand Slam and England limp to just two wins. The panel discuss the controversial sending off of Freddie Steward as Ireland secured their third Six Nations Grand Slam and look at why some players struggle to live up to their club form in an England shirt. With Cam Stephens, Elise Hamersley, Oscar Ress and host George Simms.

With the first international break since the World Cup on the horizon, the South West Londoner previews the matches England and the Republic of Ireland play this month. The road to Euro 2024 starts here… With Aisling Hannon, Dom Smith, Matthew Cox, Oli Gent and host Ben Palmer.

Have you ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes of some of the UK'S leading industries? Well, this podcast explores exactly that, plunging into the troubles they face, their current achievements and finally their next steps. In this three-part series, we will each be focusing on one of three sectors that are trying to overcome their failings in sustainability. We will be speaking to multiple professionals at the forefront as well as people with outside perspectives, to hear what's changing and what the future holds. Producers: Jess Little, Julius Lawless-Master and Holly Brencher In this episode, the team explore the theatre industry. This episode will explore one of the biggest industries and their problems. THEATRE! Today the industry is struggling more than ever after the Covid Pandemic, the pandemic caused a huge amount of change for the theatre. Ticket sales and pricing are the lifeblood of the industry. Trying to please the audience with reasonable ticket prices and provide a gob-stopping performance. And we will also explore how theatres are becoming more sustainable. The guest featured in this episode is Paddy Dillon and April Hall. Host: Holly Brencher

Have you ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes of some of the UK's leading industries? Well, this podcast explores exactly that, plunging into the troubles they face, their current achievements and finally their next steps. In this three part series, we will each be focusing on one of three sectors that are trying to overcome their failings in sustainability. We will be speaking to multiple professionals at the forefront as well as people with outside perspectives, to hear what's changing and what the future holds. Producers: Jess Little, Julius Lawless-Master and Holly Brencher In this episode the team explore the restaurant industry's impact on the environment and the efforts it is making to become more sustainable. We will be exploring the current innovation taking place within this sector and speaking to experts about what still needs to be done to fix its problems. Featuring interviews with Tom Hunt, a food educator, award-winning chef and author, and Douglas McMaster, the owner of Silo, the world's first zero waste restaurant. Host: Julius Lawless-Master

Have you ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes of some of the UK's leading industries? Well, this podcast explores exactly that, plunging into the troubles they face, their current achievements and finally their next steps. In this three part series, we will each be focusing on one of three sectors that are trying to overcome their failings in sustainability. We will be speaking to multiple professionals at the forefront as well as people with outside perspectives, to hear what's changing and what the future holds. Producers: Jess Little, Julius Lawless-Master and Holly Brencher In this episode the team explore the fashion industry and the negative impact it has on multiple factors such as the environment and labour workers. We will be looking at how these issues have managed to develop and speaking to experts about how the industry can adapt to become more sustainable and improve overall for the future. Featuring interviews with Jay Kerr, an activist from the No Sweat campaign, and Trewin Restorick, the founding CEO of hubbub and environmental campaigner Host: Jess Little

Welcome to our four-part podcast series, Paranormal Paranoia, where we uncover the dark history of London's most haunted hotspots and investigate whether supernatural beings actually exist. Is it the paranormal, or are you just paranoid? ** In this episode, we dive into the haunting tales and dark past of the Clink, a medieval prison that stood on London's southbank since the 12th century ** Producers: Stuart Allen, Holly Nichols, Ruby Smith, Izabella Thornley Interviews: Dr Drew Grey, Fiona Patterson ** Outro music produced by Louie Zong (https://youtube.com/@everydaylouie) Background music by PurplePlanet Sound Effects by Pixabay

Welcome to our four-part podcast series, Paranormal Paranoia, where we uncover the dark history of London's most haunted hotspots and investigate whether supernatural beings actually exist. Is it the paranormal, or are you just paranoid? ** In this episode we will explore if the Jack the Ripper victims of the Ten Bells Pub in Spitalfields still haunt the location today. ** Producers: Izabella Thornley, Stuart Allen, Holly Nichols, Ruby Smith Interviews: Russell Edwards @Russelledwards_jacktheripper and Sarah @Dominus.mysteria ** Outro music produced by Louie Zong (https://youtube.com/@everydaylouie) Background music by PurplePlanet Sound Effects by Pixabay

Welcome to our four-part podcast series, Paranormal Paranoia, where we uncover the dark history of London's most haunted hotspots and investigate whether supernatural beings actually exist. Is it the paranormal, or are you just paranoid? ** In this podcast episode we'll be exploring the history of London Bridge from 64AD to the present day. Through these historical tales expect to learn why the bridge is a haunted place. ** Producers: Ruby Smith, Stuart Allen, Holly Nichols, Izabella Thornley Interviews: Henry Muller, Brian Laythe, Jillian Usher ** Outro music produced by Louie Zong (https://youtube.com/@everydaylouie) Background music by PurplePlanet Sound Effects by Pixabay

Welcome to our four-part podcast series, Paranormal Paranoia, where we uncover the dark history of London's most haunted places and investigate whether supernatural beings actually exist. Is it the paranormal, or are you just paranoid? ** In this episode we will explore the Tower of London's gory past and unravel the haunting history and ghostly tales of this great landmark. ** Producers: Holly Nichols, Stuart Allen, Ruby Smith, Izabella Thornley Interviews: Megan Clawson, Annie Howlett, Professor Chris French ** MOUSE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmqPABUnV9U ** Outro music produced by Louie Zong (https://youtube.com/@everydaylouie) Background music by PurplePlanet Sound Effects by Pixabay

In this special edition of the Londoners Rugby Podcast, the team interviewed Red Roses Amy Cokayne and Lucy Packer about their experiences at the World Cup, what it's like being back at their club, and if they are any good at darts. With Ben Fleming and Elise Hamersley.

In the second of the Londoners' World Cup quarter-final podcasts this week, our panel review Saturday's quarter-finals and throw-forward to tomorrow's second semi-final. It was heartbreak for England, as Harry Kane's missed penalty proved decisive in their 2-1 defeat to France despite an overall strong performance from the Three Lions against Les Bleus. But it was jubilation for Morocco in the other quarter-final, as they became the first ever African side to reach the World Cup semi-finals as they saw off Portugal 1-0 thanks to a goal by Youssef En-Nesyri. With Aisling Hannon, Ben Palmer, Dom Smith and host Ben Fleming.

In the first of two of the Londoners' World Cup quarter-final podcasts this week, our panel review Friday's quarter-finals and throw-forward to tonight's first semi-final. Both quarter-finals went to penalties, as Neymar's stunning goal wasn't enough for Brazil, as they crashed out to Croatia with the superstar forward in tears as he didn't get to take a penalty. Then, Argentina and the Netherlands fought on and off the field in an ill-tempered but enthralling 2-2 draw, that saw Lionel Messi's side make it through when it went to spot-kicks. With Alex Meechan, Charlie Patrick, Oli Gent and host George Simms.

The Londoners reporter Stuart Allen is joined by performance psychologist Daniel Wheeler to preview the World Cup in Qatar. The pair discuss England's squad and chances, the impact the World Cup will have on players who are taking part and how injuries ahead of the World Cup will affect the tournament.

The World Cup team previews Groups E and F ahead of the first matches on Wednesday, as Morocco face Croatia at 10am, Germany battle Japan at 1pm, Spain take on Costa Rica at 4pm and Belgium close the day against Canada at 7pm. The panel previews the two groups and give their opinions on where they think the sides will finish in the group stage, while giving context to their squads and histories in the World Cup. With George Simms, Oli Gent, Aisling Hannon and James Moultrie. You can listen to the full World Cup preview podcast below and on Spotify.

The World Cup team preview Groups G and H ahead of the first matches on Thursday, as Switzerland face Cameroon at 10am, Uruguay battle South Korea at 1pm, Portugal take on Ghana at 4pm and Brazil close the day against Serbia at 7pm. The panel previews the two groups and give their opinions on where they think the sides will finish in the group stage, while giving context to their squads and histories in the World Cup. With Elise Hamersley, Ben Palmer, Rachel Higgins and Alp Salfur.

The World Cup team are previewing Groups A and B ahead of the tournament's opening on Sunday - as hosts Qatar take on Ecuador before Senegal take on Netherlands. Then it's the turn of England and Wales, who face Iran and the USA respectively. The team predict who they think will qualify from two difficult groups to predict - with Senegal and Ecuador battling for qualification from Group A, and a wide-open field in Group B. With Alex Meechan, Cam Stephens, Charlie Patrick, Dom Smith and Oscar Ress.

The World Cup team preview Groups C and D ahead of the first matches on Tuesday, as Argentina face Saudi Arabia at 10am, Denmark battle Tunisia at 1pm, Mexico take on Poland at 4pm and France close the day against Australia. The panel previews the two groups and give their opinions on where they think the sides will finish in the group stage, while giving context to their squads and histories in the World Cup. With Max Carter Keall, Patrick Ardill, Matt Cox and Ben Fleming

The Rugby World Cup team are back for one final podcast - as they look at the big stories from England's devastating 34-31 defeat at the hands of New Zealand. The panel look at the crucial decisions that cost the Red Roses, the brilliant lineout steal that won the match for the Black Ferns and what an ultimately exciting and successful tournament, which saw a record 42,579 sell-out Eden Park crowd for the final. With Ben Fleming, Elise Hamersley and James Moultrie.

The panel take on the Brazilian Grand Prix - the penultimate race of the Formula 1 season. It was a fun race, full of drama, as George Russell won the first race of his career, Max Verstappen clashed with teammate Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen took a surprise pole. With Alex Meechan, Alp Salfur, Charlie Patrick and host Max Carter Keall.

The SWL Formula 1 podcast returns and this week our panel tackles the Mexican Grand Prix. Max Verstappen won yet again, breaking the record for the most race wins in a single season - a record that the panel try to contextualise. The team also talk about the circumstances around Red Bull's victory - and their penalty for breaching the cost cap. With Alex Meechan, Alp Salfur and Charlie Patrick.

With the second round of fixtures at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand done and dusted, our panel looked at the big stories from the weekend in this special edition of the SWL rugby podcast. England made it two wins out of two with a narrow 13-7 victory over their biggest pool rivals France, whilst Australia beat Scotland in a nail-biter and New Zealand thrashed Wales. With Ben Fleming, Elise Hamersley and James Moultrie.

The SWL boxing podcast digests the news from a huge weekend in boxing as Claressa Shields became undisputed middleweight champion by beating Savannah Marshall via unanimous decision. Shields v Marshall headlined a major night of female-led boxing at the O2 Arena and the panel discuss not just the big fight but the other fights on the card, as well as some of the broader issues around the event including the future of women's boxing. With Aisling Hannon, Oli Gent, Rachel Higgins and host Ben Fleming.

With the first round of fixtures at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand done and dusted, our panel looked at the big stories from the weekend in this special edition of the SWL rugby podcast. Favourites England got off to a record-breaking flier as they pummelled Fiji 84-19, hosts and defending champions New Zealand saw off Australia 41-17. With Ben Fleming, Elise Hamersley and James Moultrie.

The SWL Formula 1 podcast returns and this week our panel tackles the Japanese Grand Prix. Max Verstappen sealed his second World Championship title in controversial and confusing circumstances at a soaking wet Suzuka. However, the real story was Pierre Gasly's near miss, eight years on from the death of Jules Bianchi in similar circumstances. The panel also discuss the driver news of the week as Gasly was confirmed to fill the empty spot at Alpine. With Alex Meechan, Alp Salfur, Charlie Patrick, and host Max Carter Keall.

The SWL Formula 1 podcast returns and our panel tackles the Singapore Grand Prix. Max Verstappen failed to win the World Championship after finishing seventh, but looks set to clinch the title in Japan this weekend. Elsewhere, the fight for second hots up, spots on teams for next year's competition are still there for the taking and there's a cost cap controversy brewing. With Alex Meechan, Alp Sulfur, Charlie Patrick, and host Max Carter Keall.

With the Women's Cricket World Cup starting tomorrow and England the defending champions, SWL's Ollie Slack, Kit Shepard and George Lovatt discuss the tournament and construct two potential best XIs of the tournament.

As the Six Nations moves into another two week break, SWL's Nick Powell, Ben Hart, Stefan Frost, Jess Tiplady and George Wilson round up the third week of fixtures and look at the state of play so far, as well as throwing ahead to the tournament's final two rounds. In the third weekend of the tournament, France solidified their position as Grand Slam favourites, with a thumping 36-17 win away at Scotland, Ireland took advantage of an early red card and obscure rule to pummel 13-man Italy 57-6, and England held off Wales 23-19 at Twickenham to keep their own tournament hopes alive.

In this special Winter Olympics podcast, SWL's Stuart Allen is joined by Finn Toal, Logan Forbes, Will Godley and Andreas Schoinarakis to discuss the big stories of the Games so far, including the controversy around Kamila Valieva, Team GB's disappointing performance so far and when the hunt for that elusive first medal might end for the British athletes competing.

With the second intriguing round of Six Nations fixtures in the bag, SWL's George Wilson, James Chittick Marcus Duncomb and Hugo Mirabel-Hardy discuss the weekend's games. It was another huge result for tournament favourites France, as they held off Ireland in Paris, Wales got their campaign back on track with a narrow home win over Scotland, and England secured a necessary statement victory over Italy in Rome. The team also look ahead to the next round of fixtures, and discuss whether it's time for the structure of the Six Nations to change in lieu of Italy's poor performances.

Have you mastered the art of persuasion? Can you convince anyone of anything? Find out what white skinny jeans, slugs, oranges and cheesy music have in common in a new episode of 'Convince Me', a game where a panel of debate enthusiasts try to convince the host of a strongly held opinion. Listen in as the arguments get heated... Thank you to Professor Richard M. Perloff for his academic insight into the history and theory of persuasion. Host: Dulcie Godfrey Panelists: Sam Ford, Blanca Schofield, Victor Jack, Will Macadam.

With the second round of fixtures for the Six Nations 2022 coming this weekend, SWL's Nick Powell and James Chittick preview the matches, as England travel to Italy, Wales face Scotland in Cardiff and France host Ireland. With additional analysis from Oliver Gafsen and George Lovatt.

Join SWLondoner on this remarkable journey as we follow Daryl Davis, a Black musician who has spent the last 30 years meeting more than 200 members of the Ku Klux Klan in search of an answer to a burning question, one that has come to define the course of his life: "How can you hate me if you do not know me?

The 2022 Super Bowl takes place on Sunday 13 February and sees the Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals at So-Fi Stadium in LA. SWL's Joe Acklam and Hugo Mirabel-Hardy talk to Bengals fan Stefan Frost and Rams fan and SWL Deputy Editor Tom Holmes about where the game will be won and lost, the two teams' histories in the event and the season as a whole, as well as discussing who will win MVP and what legendary quarter-back Tom Brady's legacy in the sport will be following his retirement.

With the first round of Six Nations fixtures done and dusted, SWL's Nick Powell and James Chittick discuss the weekend's games, as England fell to a narrow but damaging defeat at Murrayfield, Wales' title defence got off to a nightmare start as they were hammered by Ireland, and France comfortably saw off Italy. The team also look ahead to this weekend's games and what the results mean to the state of the Championship, even at this early stage. Featuring stats from George Lovatt and social media reaction from Jack Butler.

#BookTok is one of the most used hashtags on the social media platform TikTok, with book lovers using it to share and review books they are consuming, sometimes to millions of viewers. In this podcast, South West Londoner looks into the rise of BookTok and speaks to a BookTok influencer from London. Recently overtaking Google as the most visited website in 2021, TikTok has taken the internet and the world by storm. The app, which allows users to upload short videos, has already had a massive influence on music, fashion and culture since it was launched in 2017 which only looks set to grow. A slightly more surprising phenomenon to come out of TikTok is the huge influence it has had on users' reading habits. The hashtag #BookTok has over 34.5 billion views after it exploded during the pandemic. It features creators showing and describing their favourite books to viewers, and has helped see the meteoric rise of books like The Song of Achilles and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Host Ryan Hogg is joined by fellow journalists Elena Salvoni, Yasmin Choudhury and Rachel Muir to discuss what BookTok actually means, how it is influencing readers' book choices and what the trend might mean for publishers. Yasmin will also speak to Nina Athill, a 22-year-old BookTok influencer from Walthamstow whose account @ninasbookshelf has over 31.2k followers on the app. They discuss how Nina got into BookTok influencing, how her account made it big in the States and what she thinks the future of BookTok will be. Music credit: Purple Planet

He's played with the likes of Chuck Berry, BB King and even Bill Clinton. But how does an accomplished Black musician go from playing jazz and blues to befriending members of the Ku Klux Klan? For more than 30 years, Daryl Davis, 63, has met with more than 200 members of the Klan, and other white supremacists, in search of an answer to a question that has come to define the course of his life: "How can you hate me if you do not know me?" In this episode, we are joined by Daryl to explore his remarkable journey, and to unpick the events and encounters that inspired this internationally renowned musician to embark on a quest to heal division. We talk to former Klan member, Scott Shepherd, who, by meeting with Daryl, eventually disavowed his allegiance – and even publicly apologised to the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr for previous comments he'd made about the civil rights leader. We also hear from Yvette Williams MBE, Director of the Justice for Grenfell campaign, on the ways in which Daryl's message can be applied in London. Host: Oliver Murphy Guests: Daryl Davis, Scott Shepherd and Yvette Williams MBE Music: Purple Planet Archived Audio: CNN and TedX

The Six Nations kicks off tomorrow with three typically intriguing clashes. Ahead of another classic campaign, SWL took a look back at six of the most memorable matches from this weekend's fixtures on the Six Nations Rewind podcast.

Finding out what gift to give someone can be difficult. What does that person like? Should you regift something? Would they appreciate receiving an experience maybe? The Regifted Podcast, with Georgie McCartney, Imogen Willis, Louise Rasmussen and Richard Wheatley, tries to guide you through the pitfalls and joys of gifting and regifting. We speak to Dr Jackie Clarke, Reader in Consumer Behaviour and Marketing at Oxford Brookes Business School, about why humans give gifts across different societies in the first place, and hear about why experience gifts have become so popular over the past years. And of course, we share our own wonderful, disappointing, quirky, and memorable experiences with gifting and regifting.

Brooke Davies, Charissa Cheong, Meg Amin, Milly Isaacs and Perkin Amalaraj dive deep into the world of horoscopes, personality tests and how they compare, in order to answer the question once and for all: are our personalities written in the stars?

Journalists are in the fourth-least trusted profession in Britain, a yearly survey has found. Almost two-thirds of people asked said they don't trust journalists to tell the truth, according to the Ipsos MORI Veracity Index's December 2021 edition. Despite trust in journalism recording a rise from 2020 levels, the only professions ranked lower are government ministers, politicians in general and advertising executives. So why are journalists deemed so untrustworthy? Do the internet and social media have something to do with it? And how does this affect journalists themselves? Trainee reporters Iwan, James, Matthew and Marina are joined by former managing editor of the Sun Graham Dudman and news literacy project NewsWise's Sorcha Hughes to discuss distrust, disinformation and the news media. Music from purple-planet.com.

In a special edition of the SWLondoner tennis podcast, Dominic Hogan, George Lovatt and Marcus Duncomb, guided by host Tamara Prenn, look back on the Australian Open, debate which of the "Big Three" is the greatest male tennis player of all time following Rafael Nadal's victory and look at which of the talented young players coming through is likely to dominate the next decade of tennis.

It's a Monday morning, and you're sandwiched between a bunch of perfect strangers on the Northern Line. But something, or someone, catches your eye…. In our new podcast, journalists Mesgana Sintayehu, Callum Cuddeford and Elaine McCallig discuss all things love and lust aboard public transport in London. We delve into the murky depths of the Metro newspaper's Rush Hour Crush personal ads, and we hear from Hannah who tells us of how a chance encounter on a train led to her meeting her boyfriend of four years. We also chat to Dan Corsi whose band's 2000 hit single Love on the Northern Line melted the hearts of commuters everywhere. All aboard the Love Train! Destination? You decide?

The Health Gap is a brand-new podcast from South West Londoner about all things women's health. Presented and produced by journalists Lucy Carr, Emily-Jane Heap, Kirsten Grant and Madison Bentley, this series will explore gender inequalities across the UK health services. Each week will see The Health Gap hosts talk with experts to demystify concerns surrounding women's health issues, debunk age-old misconceptions about the female body, and bring to light the issue of misdiagnosis and dismissal of women's symptoms. This week's episode focuses on how the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified gender inequalities in the healthcare system. Topics of discussion include the widespread panic triggered by the AstraZeneca vaccine's potential to cause blood clots, versus the lack of discourse surrounding the Pill, which carries a comparatively higher risk of causing the same life-threatening issue. This week's episode of The Health Gap welcomes special guests Dr Elinor Cleghorn and Dr Nitu Bajekal. Dr Elinor Cleghorn is a feminist cultural historian who specialises in the history of medicine, focusing particularly on how those histories relate to women's bodies and illnesses. Dr Nitu Bajekal is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist with over 35 years of clinical experience in women's health.

SW Londoner explores the issues that affect you in your local community and tries to simplify the complex issues surrounding them. This episode will look at the recycling that goes on in your borough and explain the complexity of waste management that faces London councils which leads to varying levels of recycling and confusion for residents in each area. We talk with Jon Long, Education Officer at Western Riverside Waste Authority and Green Party London Assembly member Zack Polanski about what happens to your waste and what the role of the London assembly has in local boroughs. Hosts: Connor McLaughlin and Shosha Adie Journalists: Ella Sagar and Marta Santivañez Music: Zen_Man from Pixabay

Join Emma Cole, Adefela Olowoselu, Alice Johnson and Alexandra Causer as they explore the journey of and reasons behind the persistent popularity of white trainers amongst women. The next time you're out and about you won't have to look far to see the sheer quantity of white trainer clad feet around, from Converse plimsols to Nike hi-tops and vegan Vejas. Listen in to feast your ears on an exploration into the evolution of women's footwear throughout history and its intertwinement with feminism and the sexualisation of women. Farfetch stylist Kate also discusses the undeniable rise of white trainers on the scene and their jump from practical sportswear to high-end fashion, and trainer collector Bijal shares why she loves trainers so much as well as the development of footwear fandom around the world.

In 2017 concerns were raised in European courts about the increasing presence of plant based dairy alternatives and whether it was appropriate to label them ‘milk'. Milk is defined by the EU as “the produce of the milking of one or more farmed animals”, but this definition brings up the question - what is breast milk? and if nut milk isn't milk, is it nut juice? If you want to know the answer, then listen to nut juice. Featuring Hollie Beale, Lucy Frost, Hannah Roberts and Joey Grostern.

Popular reality TV show Love Island and its love-seeking contestants have caught the eye of millions across the UK, so in this podcast SWL explores its role in the history of dating. Behind the beefy muscles, blindingly white teeth, and skimpy clothes, can we glimpse the legacy of courting strategies spanning hundreds of years? While murdering wildebeests may be out of vogue, the use of love tokens to relay affection and a gaggle of girls beautifying one another may not have looked amiss to our not-too-distant ancestors. Together with author of “A History of Courtship: 800 Years of Seduction Techniques," Tania O'Donnell, we explore how dating has evolved through the ages. Featuring Stephanie Stapleton and Matthew Chalmers with editing by Mason Quah and Michael Murphy. Music by JuliusH from Pixabay

Welcome to "The Cardamom Podcast" a one off special diving into a dish which has defined, and been defined by, contemporary Britain and its history. Join George Mathias, Siham Ali and Kieren Williams as they ask a simple question: what is a tikka masala, and what does it say about our country? With contentious histories ranging from the burning Indian subcontinent, in the ruins of a dying empire, through to rush hour Glasgow and disgruntled customers. These stories take you through the past, present and future, across the British empire and through migration to the place we all call home today. They ask some important questions, and some less important ones, lead by host Kieren, and dragged along by co-hosts George and Si, they answer the questions you never knew you had about one rather special dish.

Under the Weather is a podcast about local climate change issues featuring Jenna Abaakouk, Stevie Thomas, Eleanor Veness and Kate Eagles. In this week's episode they discuss the recent flooding in London, hearing from those directly affected by it and flooding expert Dr Carola Koenig. Hear them talk about what it's like to have your home flooded, how businesses have been affected by flooding and how likely we are to experience flooding in the future and what can be done to prevent this. Featuring guests Lucy Price, bar owner Sly Augustin and course director of coastal engineering at Brunel University London Dr Carola Koenig. Introduction music credit: purple-planet.com

To celebrate International Friendship Day on 30th July, our podcast is all about the power of friends. Friends you've known forever, making friends as an adult and how our friendships have changed over the pandemic – we hear about it all. International Friendship Day was first proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2011 as a way to ‘inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities', an idea which couldn't be more relevant to today. We talk to experts about our need for close friendships, how to make friends in the city and host a Mr and Mrs style friendship quiz with two lifelong best friends. Hosted by Catherine Meyer-Funnell, Lauren Russell and Ellie Shearwood.