The Untold

The Jago is one of the few black-owned clubs left in Dalston, East London. When Kwame took it over in 2018 his idea was to make it a space for community – whether giving grassroots musicians and DJs a place to start nights or providing a food bank for local residents. But as the cost of living starts to bite, a noise complaint that could cost thousands to resolve makes Kwame wonder whether he can afford to keep the club open while staying true to his values.

Zoe's not entirely sure how to make sense of the last couple of years. But she's going to give it a go. This is her story of the good, the bad and the ugly everydayness of life with Long Covid. Via life-saving phone calls, cloud-gazing park walks, homeschooling squabbles, summer holidays that don't feel like summer holidays, and lots of lying in bed. And now it's December 2022, over two and a half years after Zoe first got ill. Life is not all Christmas chocolate boxes and Ding Dong Merrily on High. It's still really hard sometimes. But it is getting easier. There is singing and music-making again. There is hope. Programme image by Zoe's daughter Clara, age 9. Produced by Becky Ripley.

Richard Gamble believes God has given him a mission: to build a huge national monument, made from a million bricks, each representing an answered Christian prayer. It seems an impossible task for a sports chaplain who has no experience of construction. And yet over the past eight years, he's managed to pull together a project team, raise thousands of pounds and launch a global design competition with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). But before a single brick can be laid, they need to secure a site to lay it. Richard hopes lie in the Edmistons - a family multimillionaires and evangelical Christians, who own extensive land in the West Midlands. Will his hopes be realised? Will he find a home for the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer? Producer: Becca Bryers

Concluding a sequence of stories offering three different perspectives of the cost of living crisis. In Whitehaven, West Cumbria, Neil receives an update on whether a new coal mine will in in the town. He and his son both aspire to work there if the pit receives approval. Fighting for the mine to be rejected is Maggie, an environmental activist who has dedicated years of her life to opposing the project. A Barrister Aisha adjusts to a new reality following strike action and in Eastbourne, East Sussex, the customers of a pawnbrokers face up to using the shop as financial support for the coming winter. Producers: Neil McCarthy, Sarah Bowen and Sam Peach

Continuing three parallel stories of the cost of living crisis. Join a striking barrister, a miner hoping to work again and the customer of a pawnbroker's as they make ends meet.

Over the coming weeks, the Untold follows three individuals as they experience the cost of living crisis this autumn. We hear from a barrister in Manchester who is stepping out on strike action for the first time. We visit a pawnbroker's and her customers as they part with their belongings to pay the bills; and a father praying for a coal mine to open in Cumbria and provide jobs for his community to rely on. Producers: Sam Peach, Sarah Bowen and Neil McCarthy

Finding the long-lost pink-headed duck has been Richard's obsession for twenty years.

In 2011 Lindsay McKenna was running corporate workshops from her farm in Ross-on-Wye. An animal lover as a child, when Lindsay came across a raccoon living in squalid conditions she offered to take it. But this was just the beginning. As word spread, Lindsay discovered more and more exotic animals in trouble. Today her farm is home to almost 200 exotic animals including Lemurs, Lynx, Mountain Lions, Coatis and Servals. Lindsay gave up her corporate work to look after these animals, but with food and energy costs on the rise things may need to change. Toby Field joins Lindsay as she prepares her feed mixes, and finds out why she refuses to let these animals become exhibits. There's a close encounter with a Mountain Lion, and some Capybara provide an unlikely backdrop to discussions about barn insulation and growing your own produce. Toby watches as Lindsay and her colleague Adrian capture Rudy the Wallaby for a trip to the vet, and Lindsay's husband Frank and daughter Caitlin talk about the origins and future of this extraordinary place. Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Toby Field.

Gloria has always dreamed of becoming a singer. Growing up in a Pentecostal Christian family near Blackpool, music was always part of her life and she spent her childhood summers performing on the pier before heading off to university to study business, finance and economics. But the siren call of music remained strong, with Gloria eventually moving to London and recording vocals for house music producers. Often unpaid and feeling overlooked, Gloria was close to giving up until she met Gaika, a musician and visual artist who encouraged her to find her own sound. She released her first EP as GLOR1A, starting to find her creative voice and a more experimental sound and look. Things were going well. So well, in fact, that she quit her day job in February 2020. Four weeks later the world shut down and with it all her gigs and income disappeared. With no money coming in, she reluctantly left London and moved in with her dad. Two years later with her savings depleted and no home to call her own, Gloria gave herself an ultimatum; six months to get her music to a level where she can find a label to back her, try and get a publishing deal and build back the momentum she needs to make singing a sustainable career. Now the six months is nearly up, can she do it or should she give up her dreams? Produced and presented by Emily Dicks

GLOR1A has always dreamed of becoming a singer. Growing up in a Pentecostal Christian family near Blackpool, music was always part of her life and she spent her childhood summers performing on the pier before heading off to university to study business, finance and economics. But the siren call of music remained strong, with GLOR1A eventually moving to London and recording vocals for house music producers. Often unpaid and feeling overlooked, Gloria was close to giving up until she met Gaika, a musician and visual artist who encouraged her to find her own sound. She released her first EP as GLOR1A, starting to find her creative voice and a more experimental sound and look. Things were going well. So well, in fact, that she quit her day job in February 2020. Four weeks later the world shut down and with it all her gigs and income disappeared. With no money coming in, she reluctantly left London and moved in with her dad. Two years later with her savings depleted and no home to call her own, GLOR1A gave herself an ultimatum; six months to get her music to a level where she can find a label to back her, try and get a publishing deal and build back the momentum she needs to make singing a sustainable career. Now the six months is nearly up, can she do it or should she give up her dreams? Produced and presented by Emily Dicks

We've all done it, at some point: You walk past a shabby, ruined building, with boarded up windows and peeling paint, and you think: 'That could be really beautiful if we could only fix it up'. It's a very human kind of fantasy. To take something shabby, and broken, and neglected, and make it beautiful, and loved once again. Whether it's your local crumbling church, a dusty old cinema, or a pub that's seen better days, we've all thought about buying it up, turning it around, and making it a focal point for a community who could come to love it. For most of us though, these are just passing fantasies, idle daydreams on a daily walk. But some people turn that dream into reality… Abbe is a musician and music teacher, in Exeter. Just behind her house is a small but very beautiful Georgian park, with pristine lawns, a rose garden, and a 100-year old wisteria archway. It's also got a Gatehouse; a beautiful old building at the entrance to the park. But it's covered in graffiti, with boarded up windows and rusting railings. The local kids smash the roof-tiles for fun, and mould creeps up the walls. It's been out of use for decades, but Abbe sees so much potential in it, and dreams of what it COULD be: a sweet little community cafe, and a meeting-hub for local groups. Abbe is a busy woman; juggling her career, her band, and now a new baby. Can she take on the mammoth task of restoring the Gatehouse too? Produced and presented in Bristol by Emily Knight

When P&O Ferries suddenly fired its staff on the spot on 17th March, there was an outcry from politicians, unions and the press with widespread scathing condemnation of the company. P&O claimed it had made huge losses during the pandemic and that its current business model was unsustainable. It offered severance packages but the nearly 800 staff who accepted them also needed to agree not to make any legal claims against P&O or talk to the media. Sous chef John Lansdown was the only staff member to reject the redundancy offer and to fight P&O, and their Dubai-based parent company DP World, in the courts for 'Unfair Dismissal'. As the only person speaking out, John was quickly thrown into the media spotlight for a rollercoaster ride he wasn't prepared for. He's also been navigating his legal options and coming to terms with the abrupt end of a relationship with P&O - which he joined as a 16 year old an apprentice chef - and a crew which was his second family. Untold producer Neil McCarthy follows John through the ups and downs of these turbulent 8 weeks as he prepares for a lengthy battle. With additional recording by Sara Parker

The covid-19 lockdowns were brutal for small businesses. They were particularly tough for barbers. In an industry when getting up-close and personal is the only way to get the job done, the business of hair-cutting was simply unworkable. Phil, a barber in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, knows that the gentleman's shaves, haircuts, skin-fades and beard-trims he offers can be so much more than just personal grooming - they can be a much needed self-esteem boost, a chance to chat to a sympathetic ear, or a moment of peace on a tough day. In March 2020, finding himself shut down like the rest of the industry, Phil was keen to find a way to stay connected to his customers, haircuts or no haircuts. He took to facebook and - reluctantly at first - started hosting live chat sessions... just a chance to connect, chill out and have a chat. As the world went in, then out, then back in to successive waves of lockdowns, Phil felt he was making it work. Weathering the storm, and making the best of a bad situation. But June 2021 was to bring a shock that no-one could have predicted, and which might just be the final straw. Produced in Bristol by Emily Knight

If you look out to the horizon from the coast of South Wales or North Somerset, you see two bumps on the horizon - one tall and one flat. These are the islands of Steep Holm and Flat Holm - the former is English, the latter Welsh. Since 2018, Mat Brown has been the warden of Flat Holm - an island of just 500m across, mainly populated by gulls. He is responsible for the island's nature reserve, its buildings (which include a lighthouse, a foghorn cottage, a Victorian barracks and a ruined cholera hospital), its tiny museum and its tinier pub. With the help of a team of volunteers, he welcomes daytrippers and conservationists to the island and maintains the natural and built environment. After four years of island life, he's decided that it's time to return to the mainland. Who will take on this very unique job and how will they fare? Produced by Mair Bosworth for BBC Audio

Will a woman be elected to the all-male Western Isles Council? Catrìona Murray on the Isle of Lewis is going to try. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) is the local authority governing the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. 5 May 2022 will see local elections across the UK and local government is particularly important to life on the islands. The council is traditionally male dominated and currently there are no female members, but Catrìona Murray wants to change that. This year she is running as an independent in her ward of Loch A Tuath. There are only a handful of women running across the whole of the islands and only time will tell if one of them will be elected. Catrìona, a university lecturer, already juggles her job with community leadership. Now, she is campaigning on a range of issues to bring a different voice to the council, hoping to make it truly representative of the people it serves. Produced and Presented by Sam Peach

In 2019 Abhi Gotadki came to the United Kingdom from New Zealand to pursue his dream of becoming a GP. This meant leaving behind his wife and daughter but they decided it was best for all of them for Abhi to complete his training. In March 2020 with the Covid pandemic gathering pace New Zealand introduced some of the strictest border controls anywhere in the world leaving Abhi in the UK with no means of seeing his family. Now with New Zealand's borders open once again Abhi has booked his flight home. It will be the first time he's seen his wife and daughter in over two years. Producer Toby Field follows Abhi during his final weeks in the UK and finds out how he turned this situation around and put his energy into helping others. Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Toby Field.

The staff of Cornwall Airport Newquay prepare to receive President Biden and other world leaders for the G7 summit in June. The stakes couldn't be higher for airport boss Pete Downes. This is President Biden's first foreign trip since taking office and receiving a huge aircraft like Air Force One presents a big challenge for this tiny airport. Preparations begin months in advance. Pete and his team must oversee the construction of a whole new parking area for the world leaders' aircraft, as well as a brand new building. Then they must seamlessly coordinate the arrival and departure of scores of aircraft carrying prime ministers, presidents and their entourages. For a weekend, the eyes of the world will be on Cornwall. Should anything go wrong, the team know it will be international news. Producer: Laurence Grissell

In 2005 Zoe McQuade and Pat Evans set-up the Little Bramley Farm Sanctuary in Polegate, Sussex, caring for sick, abused and unwanted horses. In 2020 they were told that their lease on the land was coming to an end and they would have to move on. Zoe and Pat have dealt with numerous challenges in the past, but for the first time they face the prospect of having to close the sanctuary down. Grace Dent and producer Toby Field follow Zoe and Pat as they weigh up their options and consider what future they can provide for their horses, like Chandler who was brought in and given less than five days to live, or Hope, a Shire with a cleft palate and a neurological condition that makes it difficult for her to walk. Toby meets volunteers who help at the stables: Tim, an operations manager who after bringing his daughter to the Little Bramley quickly found it helped him cope with the stresses of work and dealing with his ADHD; and Claire, a nurse who found her own sanctuary, away from the pressures of dealing with Covid patients and the effects of lockdown. Will Zoe and Pat find a new home for the sanctuary? Presented by Grace Dent and produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Toby Field

Nick has an unbearable tooth ache and has tried, and failed, to extract the bad tooth himself. He's homeless and, like many others, can't access NHS dental care. When a mobile dentist van arrives at a homeless support centre, Nick joins the queue. He's desperate but he was too late putting his name on the list. Will he get an appointment? The charity van roams Britain with a dedicated brigade of volunteer dentists, filling in wherever the need is greatest. As it parks up outside the support centre in Hastings, we hear the stories of those seeking help. There are many hoping to be seen. Presented by Grace Dent and produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Eliza Lomas.

On 22 March 2017, 25-year-old Will Dyson was walking along Westminster Bridge, when a vehicle mounted the pavement and hit him from behind. The Terror Attack left five people dead and more than 50 injured. Will was one of the injured. In the lead-up to the year anniversary, producer Georgia Catt followed Will as he faced up to his changing views of the incident. She also witnessed him receive the devastating news that his doctors weren't happy for him to take part in the Hackney Half Marathon, a long-held personal goal. Three years later Georgia meets Will again to find out how life has been in the intervening years, and watch him finally taking part in the Hackney Half. Produced by Georgia Catt and Ellie Bury

Bally, a fisherman on the West Coast of Scotland, navigates a year of Brexit, Covid, an environmental crisis and a broken down boat. Bally fishes off Isle of Skye and has been doing so for decades, but this year has been his most challenging yet. Having survived 2020 and the global pandemic, January 2021 brought a new lockdown and the departure of the UK from the EU. This changed everything for Bally. He fishes for langoustines, or prawns, and for these shellfish there was an entirely new set of legislation to adjust to overnight. The result was confusion and crashing prices in an industry already damaged by coronavirus. This edition follows Bally as he tries to make ends meet and adjust to the new world. He's not only got to look out for himself but also 24 year old Hayden, his crew. He's passionate about the environment and worried about the damage he has seen over his time on the water. If he can make if through a turbulent few months, what will be the future ahead of him? Produced by Sam Peach

James 33 and Courtney 28 were fed up of struggling to make ends meet and decided on a radical solution: they swapped their rented house for a bright orange sprinter van which they've converted and affectionately christened DeeDee. Instead of working longer hours, they've halved their working week and still think they can pay off their debts and save enough for a place of their own. Producer Sue Mitchell hears what happens as they put their plan into action and set off on the open road. They made their decision just before covid hit and as many people grappled with remote ways of working, James and Courtney were one step ahead. Their life transformation had entailed reducing their work commitments and ensuring that they could do everything online, with DeeDee's excellent internet capabilities allowing them to work from the most remote locations. The move to this lifestyle has brought challenges of its own and particularly with their new travel companion, a Spanish rescue dog called Sally Sausage. Their adventures embrace storms, floods, frantic dog searches and costly breakdowns. But throughout it all their goal keeps them going and as covid restrictions lift they find themselves with difficult decisions to reach. The debts have been paid off and they've managed to save, so what will they do next? Courtney says the lifting of their financial woes has given them both a sense of empowerment: “making the decision to get the van was the catalyst for a complete mindset change, seeing the world is the bigger picture. We were both in full time employment earning a lot more and we couldn't save. Now we are in part time employment we are able to save 1,000 a month. “We've designed our life around it. The life we had before wasn't for us and I think the decision now isn't about going back to that life. The idea of having a base to go back to that's ours that feels like our home, is one we want. At the moment home is wherever we park our van, so I can see us having that base to put down roots and then we won't have to carry everything with us. There are decisions ahead but we've proved that we don't need lots of stuff to enjoy life.” The couple are also recording their travels for their You Tube Channel https://youtube.com/c/CourtsMeeks & Instagram Https://instagram.com/courtsandmeeks, Courts and Meeks, with thousands of followers tuning in to share in their adventures.

Alex Trenchard is the founder of Standon Calling, a 17,000 capacity festival that takes place every year in Hertfordshire. The festival brings together thousands of music fans and hundreds of talented workers who together are part of putting on something spectacular. But when festivals disappeared at the start of the pandemic - many of us didn't realise just how much they meant to us. Over 85,000 people in the UK are employed by the festival industry, and for many the first few months of 2021 left them in limbo, not knowing whether they were going to have a job come summer. After Alex was forced to cancel the festival in 2020, the festival was left almost bankrupt. Alex faced loosing his business and his livelihood. But as the vaccine programme progressed and case numbers for COVID-19 started to fall, it brought hope that the festival might be able to return for 2021. And so Alex started planning. Our producer Robbie Wojciechowski has been following Alex and some of the voices that make the festival industry happen over the last few months as they fight to go ahead. For bands and artists, festivals this summer will be their first live performances in 18 months. And for Alex, if he manages to run, he'll be one of the first independent festivals to do so. But it's a mammoth task, as variants of the virus spread, and case numbers continue to rise. We find out what it took to get the festival industry and live music back on track. Produced by Robbie Wojciechowski

Andrew is a school refuser. He hasn't done a full day of school since 2019. "He will just refuse to get dressed. He will hide under his bed. And if you physically try and get him out of the house, he is not a violent child in any way, but he will hurt you to get away from the situation." His parents are trying to pursue their careers but, even if they can coax him through the school gates, they often get a call an hour later to pick him up. Everyone has tried to understand why he won't go. He has recently been diagnosed with autism which may be a factor. But Andrew can't tell them. And no-one knows the answer or is suggesting a solution. Andrew has been blissfully happy in lockdown without the option or pressure of being made to go in. What will happen when restrictions are lifted and schools open again? Narrator: Grace Dent Producer: Sarah Bowen

A year of lockdowns has made a lot of us re-evaluate our lives and our priorities. For busy people, especially busy people who actually like their work, it can be a challenging thing to slow down. What happens when the thing at the centre of your life – the thing that makes your life make sense – ceases to be there? And what might that make space for, if you let it? Maybe you'd start to notice other things that you had overlooked, because you were so busy all the time… Grace Dent tells the story of a Leicester secondary school teacher whose life has been radically changed by a year of lockdowns. Produced by Mair Bosworth in Bristol for BBC Audio

Greg and David are desperate to get on the ladder. They rent a small flat together in Greater Manchester and have spent the last year of lockdowns living on top of each other. The dream is to get somewhere with a bit more space. A place of their own. It feels beyond their budget until they realise they can afford a new build house under the government's Help To Buy scheme. The scheme works as an equity loan, where the government loans the buyer 20% of the house price to go toward the deposit. The buyer only needs to contribute 5% from their own savings. Which suddenly makes it doable for Greg and David. In August last year, their Help To Buy application was approved, and their offer on a house was accepted. It was a dream come true. The thing is, the house is still not built. Across the country, construction sites face inevitable delays to the new coronavirus measures. And on top of that, the current Help To Buy scheme is soon to close. There's no way they can afford the house without the scheme. So the question is: will the house be built in time? Produced in Bristol by Becky Ripley.

Grace Dent follows Cornwall Airport Newquay over the tough pandemic winter. The Untold has been tracking the fortunes of the airport since March 2020, when the regional airline Flybe collapsed. Since then successive lockdowns and travel restrictions have left the airport close to permanent closure. The Untold follows the airport's director and staff over the difficult winter months, as well as speaking to one of the airport's taxi drivers and the owners of the nearby airport hotel, the Smugglers' Inn. As winter turns to spring, finally there's some much-needed good news. Producer: Laurence Grissell

In an unexpected twist of Lockdown 3, sea shanties blew up on social media. Suddenly, everyone was singing ‘Wellerman', a mid-19th Century whaling song about life on-board a whaling ship. A song of hope and unity which brought people together via the power of the internet. JD, Dave, Andy and Robbie find themselves at the centre of this shanty storm. They are old friends who together make up The Longest Johns, a sea shanty band from Bristol. Back in 2018, they released a version of Wellerman on their second album, and now - suddenly - it's gone viral. They've been a band for years and they've never exactly been 'mainstream'. But now that 2021 has woken up to shanties, everything is about to change for them... Produced in Bristol by Becky Ripley.

John's mother thinks he is involved with county lines. How can she get him to stop? From a fun and gorgeous, football-loving youngster John has turned into an uncontrollable teen. He has had several run-ins with the police, has vast amounts of money in the house and sleeps with a knife under his pillow. Tanya and Antony are middle-class professionals and had big dreams for their son. Now they just want to keep him safe. “I went from academic expectation, to no GCSEs - then I got down to be alive, and actually not harm anyone else." They've reached out for years for support as John has special needs; they have had to fight his diagnosis, for his education and now they are struggling to find a way to keep him from a life of drugs and crime. They've tried every parenting trick in the book. “‘It's all about setting boundaries'. Yeah, right! We're kind of beyond boundaries.” Now they might have to deprive him of his liberty to keep him alive. Producer: Sarah Bowen Narrator: Grace Dent

Young entrepreneur Jack needs to earn big this Christmas if he wants to save his global company. Jack is only 27, but he's already CEO of his own firm. He left school to start up an online business, establishing a successful international trade in fancy dress costumes...until the pandemic hit. With everything he'd built under threat, he's decided to risk it all on a new venture: BargainFox, an online store selling discounted items. It's an industry full of big players, with whom he'll have to compete. He's invested a lot and expanded the workforce, including hiring school friends, but needs to see huge returns if they are going to survive. Grace Dent follows Jack and his team through the autumn and into a make or break Christmas season. Producer: Sam Peach

In March this year the musical 'City of Angels' was about to open in the West End. Sadie-Jean Shirley was one of the youngest members of the cast. As well as a key role in the ensemble she'd also been chosen as a cover for one of the leads. After years of training and earning her spurs in the business this was a real breakthrough moment for the 24 year old performer. And then lockdown. 'City of Angels' didn't even make it to the first night. Producer Tom Alban has been in touch with Sadie-Jean since the summer as she faced the continuing hardship of a profession that couldn't operate and the desperate need to find income. Sadie-Jean's plight has been shared by thousands of others but that doesn't make it any easier, and as a BAME performer in a world which is only recently seeing increasing diversity, there's a danger that people like her will not be able to afford the luxury of waiting for the theatres to re-open. And if she can hold onto her chosen career, will 'City of Angels' still be viable? Producer: Tom Alban

24 year old Khady Gueye loves the area of Gloucestershire she lives in but doesn't want her young daughter to grow up facing the same prejudice she has encountered over the years. In June, she and her close friend set out to organise a small event in Lydney, a town in the heart of the Forest of Dean, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Initially, they were granted the permissions they needed, but as word spread, so did local opposition. We follow Khady through the summer and into the autumn as she tries to make the demonstration happen. Can she manage it, and will it mean anything more long lasting? Produced by Mair Bosworth Introduced by Grace Dent

Grace Dent follows a parent-led campaign to stop Ocado from opening a new distribution depot next to a primary school in North London. Yerbury Primary School in Upper Holloway backs onto a light industrial estate. Over the past year, Ocado has been developing a distribution centre at the site. With the Covid pandemic the demand for online grocery services has risen dramatically. But this has also led to a conflict with the school and parents who believe a depot like this, adjacent to a primary school, will be detrimental to the health of the children and the local community. Grace follows the 'Nocado' campaign from its early stages, through Lockdown, and into autumn as it tries to overturn the local council's permission for Ocado to operate from the site. Producer Neil McCarthy

Grace Dent follows Cornwall Airport Newquay as it fights for survival during one of the most difficult periods in aviation history. The Untold first visited the airport earlier in the year when the regional airline Flybe collapsed. Then the national lockdown forced the temporary closure of the passenger terminal. Now the terminal has reopened for business, but the airport continues its struggle to remain viable. The Untold follows the airport's director and staff over a tough summer, as well as speaking to one of the airport's taxi drivers and the owners of the nearby airport hotel, the Smugglers' Inn. Producer: Laurence Grissell

Grace Dent follows two young Hong Kongers over a crucial two weeks in their bid to make the UK home. Friends and housemates Chris and Louise have been living in the UK for the past two years. After the recent turmoil in Hong Kong, they now want to settle in the UK permanently. There's just one problem - Chris's visa is about to expire. The Untold follows them over a critical couple of weeks which will determine their future forever. Producer: Laurence Grissell

A year ago, when Sam graduated with a masters in Modern History, and headed back to his hometown near Bristol, he had no idea what the year would bring. But it wasn't this. Suddenly, something Sam's done has become an international news story. As he finished his degree, his friends convinced him to start up an Instagram page – rating public benches. It was a joke. But in the gloomy days of readjusting to life at home without a job, back sharing his childhood bedroom with his brother, it became a lifeline – something he bonded with his Dad over, and eventually, a hobby which got him a girlfriend. 180 benches later, he's never awarded a 10/10, but through the international trauma of 2020, his quest for the perfect bench has captured the imagination of the news cycle. With this unexpected fame, he's been faced with a dilemma. One of the marking criteria is whether the bench is dedicated to anyone. The page has become a touching tribute to deceased strangers he has never met. Now, bereaved relatives have begun contacting him, asking him to rate their loved one's bench. To Sam, it would undermine the integrity of the page, and he would never want to upset anyone by writing something which might disappoint. Yet, as a consequence of his principles, something remarkable happens. Presented by Grace Dent Produced in Bristol by Polly Weston

In the first of a new series, we hear the stories of people on different sides of isolation in the midst of the Coronavirus. OnHand is an app set up not long ago. Its purpose was to match older adults who needed help with verified volunteers in their local area. A way find someone to fetch the shopping, walk the dog or just come round for a chat. Then in March 2020, in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, everything changed. OnHand went from a source of help to a lifeline for vulnerable people. This episode follows its CEO Sanjay as he and his team adjust to taking on this challenge. Two users of OnHand offer different perspectives on our new world, from either side of isolation. Annie is 73 year old woman now required to isolate at all times and Nathan is a young volunteer in London looking to help those in need. Produced by Sam Peach

In Autumn last year AMIS, an organisation and helpline for Abused Men in Scotland based in Edinburgh, faced the prospect of closure. In spite of being busier than it had ever been in almost a decade of operation, a crucial element of their funding had been cut. It left them unable to pay for the office, phones and staff required to keep even the most basic Helpline service available. In the run up to Christmas Producer Joel Cox follows Iris, Alison and Elizabeth as they face the crisis while knowing that the service they provide is vital and not being covered by any other organisation in Scotland. Will crowd funding, grant applications and a raffle be enough to keep the lines open, and what does it mean to the women who strive to keep this unfashionable branch of victim abuse support running. Producers: Joel Cox and Tom Alban

Grace Dent follows the story - through the autumn - of the owner of a family business at the crossroads over Brexit uncertainty. For John Shirley the stakes are high: he's put his house up for sale because he believes leaving the EU Customs Union will ruin his Dover based freight agency company. We follow the Shirley's - who have different views about leaving the EU - through Brexit deadlines and the General Election as John works out what to do. Producer Neil McCarthy

Niyi's eating disorder has stopped him coming home for Christmas. This year, after nearly losing his mother to a brain tumour, he wants to change that. Niyi is a young, successful Cambridge student with a bright future ahead of him. But for the past few years, he has struggled with an eating disorder. It has made him very conscious of eating with others and the pressure of being around the family dinner table at Christmas has been too much. So he stayed away. But this year is different. When his mother was taken to hospital with a brain tumour she nearly lost her life. Niyi was there for her when she was ill and he knows how much it would mean to her for him to make it home. He's starting a new course of therapy to help him work through his eating issues, it might give him the help he needs. Amidst it all Niyi is trying to keep up with the rest of his life. He's deciding the next step in his academic career and attempting to negotiate the dating scene. Produced by Sam Peach

The Alabama 3 singer and co-founder Jake Black died in May: as the next tour date draws near band members must decide whether they can continue without him and how they mark his absence on stage. The decisions on a way forward started within days of Jake's unexpected death and whilst his body was still in the mortuary - moulds were taken of his face and hands in the hope that a death mask might help recreate his presence on stage. In addition of the death mask, sound experts have painstakingly resurrected early out takes of Jake - otherwise known as the Very Reverend D Wayne Love. As preparations gather for the new tour, the forgotten tapes of the talented singer are a constant reminder of his huge talent. The mask is made from the moulds taken by band member Nick Reynolds. He's the son of Bruce, the great train robber and as well as playing harmonica he's also a sculptor specialising in death masks. He's convinced that immortalising him in this way will be cathartic for all of them: During the grieving process band members travel to a huge Sopranos Convention in New Jersey, with thousands of fans eager to meet the musicians behind the Sopranos theme tune, 'Woke up this Morning.' It is a bitter sweet experience for Rob Spragg, otherwise known as Larry Love, who formed Alabama 3 with Jake in 1996: "Jake was larger than life, a real fusion of what we stood for and being in America without him is very hard." Rob has made big changes in his own life following Jake's death, largely giving up drugs and alcohol: "It's so hard - he should be here with us and hearing him during rehearsals and performances is bringing so many tears." Produced by Sue Mitchell

In a community centre in inner city Bristol, next to the nursery, and the café and the hall for local meet-ups and yoga, sits a very special place. The BCfm – Bristol Community FM – radio station. From their studio next to Easton community centre's reception, 204 volunteer radio presenters broadcast to the city of Bristol and beyond. Dezzi Rankin (the resident Sunday morning reggae host), Shout Out (LGBTQ+), Silver Sound (for the older listener), Mid-Week Sports bar, Real Women – they're all here. Pat Hart has been the station manager for ten years – and also the station's breakfast presenter. “I don't think there's a single part of life in Bristol we don't represent.” It is always a struggle, but with grants drying up, the station has found itself living more and more of a hand to mouth existence. At the beginning of 2019 he found himself asking the council for more support, but nothing could prepare him for what was around the corner. “If I'd have had a crystal ball, I might have run away at the beginning of 2019.” One fateful day in August at 11am, Tony Johnson launched his 50th Anniversary of the Moon landings special with Telstar. “I plugged my MP3 stick into the usual slot… and then I smelt something strange. Looked to my left, and saw the smoke coming from somewhere behind the desk.” He did his next link, alerted the receptionist to the need for a fire engine, and then as the studio filled with acrid smoke, he queued up an hour's worth of music. “The radio host's worst nightmare is dead air.” Pat arrived to find the studio completely destroyed, the insurance documents illegible from fire damage, and his thoughts turned to the listeners. The longer the station is off air, the more perilous their situation becomes. Can Pat get the station back on air - and fast? Produced by Polly Weston