Podcasts about in bristol

//The Wire//1900Z August 19, 2024////ROUTINE////BLUF: UNREST CONTINUES THROUGHOUT ENGLAND. KURSK OFFENSIVE CONTINUES. SMALL ARMS SKIRMISHES REPORTED AT TEXAS MILITARY BASE.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-United Kingdom: Violent attacks continue as before. In Manchester, three people were stabbed Sunday night. One woman was killed in the attack, and two others wounded with life-threatening injuries. An unidentified male was arrested in conjunction with the attacks.In Kent, a man (who has been identified as Ernestas Juska) fatally stabbed a woman Saturday night. Authorities have also charged the assailant with committing crimes (which are too graphic to describe) against the victim after her murder.In Bristol, a man was stabbed in Victoria Park over the weekend, resulting in the arrest of two unidentified men.Throughout England, authorities continue to prioritize the policing of speech crimes among the indigenous English population. So far, over 1,100 arrests have been made, most of which appear to involve alleged speech crimes. In response to this increase in detainees, the British Ministry of Justice has activated Operation EARLY DAWN, a plan to allow British police to detain captives in temporary holding cells for longer periods of time than normally allowed by law, until space in a prison is made available. This operation also authorizes cutting most currently incarcerated prisoners' sentences by up to 50%, to free up space for those convicted of speech crimes. Local media reports that up to 5,500 convicts currently serving their sentences are expected to be released over the next month under this program.Russia: The Kursk offensive continues to remain kinetic. Ukrainian forces have gained some ground over the past week, though the front line remains fluid. On the western axis of advance, Ukrainian forces took the town of Visnevka over the weekend. Ukrainian forces have also prioritized targeting the bridges over the Seym River, greatly impacting the Russian freedom of maneuver throughout the area.-HomeFront-Texas: Saturday morning, multiple small arms attacks were reported at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. The first pre-dawn engagement took place at approximately 0215S via a drive-by shooting targeting the Entry Control Point (ECP) at the Chapman Training Annex. A few hours later, at approximately 0430S another vehicle approached the same gate, engaging security personnel with small arms fire. During the second skirmish USAF Security Forces reacted to contact, engaging with small arms, before the attackers broke contact and egressed from the area. No arrests have been made regarding either engagement. No casualties were reported on either side.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Many details regarding the JBSA-Lackland attack remain unknown. It is not clear as to if two separate vehicles were involved, or how many militants were in each of the vehicles. It's also not clear as to if this is a reflection of routine crime resulting in protracted small arms engagements with security forces, or if this was a higher-level terrorist attack. Of note, following this first shooting the security posture of the installation was raised, and additional Security Forces deployed to the installation ECPs. This did not deter the second, more protracted assault indicating that if this was a terror incident (and not a local gang shooting), it probably wasn't an instance of Recon by Fire, but rather a more deliberate assault. Of note, the Chapman Annex gate is located across the street from an Elementary School.In Ukraine, though somewhat obvious to most parties at this juncture, the American involvement in the Kursk Offensive is palpable. Ukrainian forces, after years of warfare, suddenly did not become experts in combined arms and maneuver warfare without substantial help, nor did Ukrainian forces suddenly become ex

//The Wire//2030Z August 6, 2024////ROUTINE////BLUF: UNREST CONTINUES TO WORSEN IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. RIOTS CONTINUE IN BANGLADESH AS SOCIAL VIOLENCE ESCALATES FOLLOWING COUP.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Middle East: Preparations continue among western powers to prepare for Iran's counterattack. Several nations have made substantial preparations for the evacuation of their citizens from the region. In Cyprus, local media has highlighted the pre-staging of military aircraft at bases in Germany, which are being prepared to use facilities in Cyprus to evacuate German citizens if necessary. Sweden has also made similar efforts, closing down their embassy in Beirut and shifting their diplomatic mission in Lebanon to Cyprus.Throughout the region combat actions continue. Harassing fires from Hezbollah have remained sporadic but fairly regular, alongside Israeli bombings in kind. Yesterday insurgent forces conducted a rocket attack on Al Asad Air Base in Iraq, which resulted in 7x US service members wounded.AC: Despite the time frame for an Iranian attack being inaccurate (as in, it did not occur Monday evening), western powers are still convinced that an attack will take place imminently. None of the information that they are basing decisions on is in the public arena, so no independent corroboration can take place with any accuracy. Iran could attack five minutes after this report is posted, or it could be weeks from now.United Kingdom: Unrest continues as certain factions take advantage of the chaos to conduct operations. In Bristol, last night pro-Palestine activists again breached the perimeter of an Elbit Systems factory, gaining entry to the facility and destroying equipment within. AC: As a reminder, pro-Palestine (or at least, anti-Israel) groups have targeted Elbit Systems facilities over the past few months due to Elbit being a major Israeli defense contractor.South Asia: The situation in Bangladesh remains extremely kinetic following the overthrowing of the Prime Minister. Somewhat belatedly, the U.S. State Department has raised the travel warning for Bangladesh to Level 4, Do Not Travel. Cultural conflict has escalated significantly, as Hindus and Muslims take advantage of the chaos to attack one another. AC: Right now, it's not clear as to who's actually in charge of the country. So far, the Chief of the Army has been addressing the media as most politicians throughout the nation enter the “stuffing suitcases full of money and getting on a helicopter” phase of governance. Considering the demands of the student-led riots that overthrew the Prime Minister, it's likely that Muhammad Yunus (Bangladeshi banker and political figure) will lead some sort of interim government, though at this time it's not certain what that may look like.-HomeFront-Southeast: Several hundred thousand people are without power throughout the region as the now Tropical Storm Debbie made landfall as a Category 1 Hurricane overnight. Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina appear to be bearing the brunt of storm damage, with widespread flooding expected over the next few days.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: With the staggering amount of information warfare that the world has been subjected to for years, it is hard to imagine anyone genuinely believing in anything at all without being pushed or pulled to one narrative or another. As such, when any genuine feelings erupt, they are immediately dismissed as simply coming from someone who has “fallen” for the latest narrative, entrapment operation, or the like.While many will debate who holds the marionette strings regarding the unrest in the western world, it's easy to forget that sometimes, in certain situations, real sentiments and feelings do exist. Sometimes paranoia and excessive caution are extremely valid, but after a while, it obfuscates the reality of the situation o

Did you know you need to be a UK homeowner to act as guarantor for you child's rent outside of halls of residents? In Bristol you do! I never knew it was an issue until now.  Low income families with bright children going to university be aware. Starting a degree is not the issue but continuing to the end can be the challenge.   Links below for more research so you can be prepared or campaign for change. Links for further reading:https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/oct/29/parents-who-wish-they-knew-more-about-universityhttps://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/20/student-housing-what-you-need-to-know-as-a-guarantorBristol - https://my.housinghand.co.uk/register?code=bristolunUCAS Hub for parentshttps://www.ucas.com/discoverPodcast contact: parenttalkwithbev@gmail.com

In Bristol werden die Kirchenfenster ausgetauscht, die einen Sklavenhändler verewigten. Mehr und mehr wird im Vereinigten Königreich die Kolonialgeschichte aufgearbeitet.

The roads and byways of the British Isles are home to a new generation of travellers. Alongside the traditional Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities there's a booming sub-culture of van dwellers who prefer the open road to bricks and mortar. For some it's a lifestyle choice. They spend the summer moving from festival to festival, picking up casual jobs as they go. They celebrate their light touch on the planet and those who can afford it take the snowbird route for the winter, heading south through Spain. For increasing numbers, however, there's less glamour in 'van life'. Rapidly rising rents force them into vehicles and a long, cold winter searching for welcoming roadside stops with toilets and taps. Travel writer and broadcaster, Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent has spent many months living out of her own battered VW van. She understands the fantasy and the practical difficulties. In the New Nomads she hears about both sides of van life and discovers new challenges on the horizon. For many travellers- traditional and new- the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act of 2022 feels specifically designed to make their lives as difficult as possible. It creates a new offence of “residing on land without consent in or with a vehicle” and makes it easier for the police to remove unauthorised encampments. Fresh ideas are helping the increasing number of van dwellers. In Bristol, brownfield areas are being turned into temporary spaces for vans and caravans. The residents are happy with these cheap and cheerful campsites but demand far outstrips supply. Unless more affordable homes are built it seems inevitable that more and more young people will have little choice but the open road. Producer: Alasdair Cross

Feminist Question Time with speakers from Brazil, USA, UK and Spain Women's Declaration International (WDI) Feminist Question Time is our weekly online webinars. It is attended by a global feminist and activist audience of between 200-300. The main focus is how gender ideology is harming the rights of women and girls. You can see recordings of previous panels on our YouTube Channel. WDI is the leading  global organisation defending women's sex-based rights against the threats posed by gender identity ideology. There is more information on the website womensdeclaration.com where you will find our Declaration on Women's Sex-based rights, which has been signed by more 30,000 people from 157 countries and is supported by 418 organisations. This week's speakers: Isabella Marques - Brazil - Experiences about Elas Definem (campaign to ask female candidates their definition of women) - 1.where the idea of creating the Elas.Definem profile came from 2. Attempt to block our page 3.Reflection about answer from some candidates Bio: I am a teacher, graduated in Letters and pos-graduated in Education. Research about Feminist Pedagogy. Participate in the Brazilian feminist movement: World March of Women. I am one of the founders of the Elas.Definem profile. I am also in the construction of the Feminist Front for Women and Children. Nancy Haigh - USA - The Erasure of Women's Space - The Women's Music Festival that I had organized and produced and the process by which it grew and yet later was taken down. Bio: Hello My name is Nancy. I grew up in a supportive background of faith, love , music, higher education and advocacy for others. The 60's song ‘He Is My Brother' was our anthem. My parents gave all they could to provide for my understandings in life and safety. And yet, I experienced my feelings for girls. Without anyone to affirm me in that era , I was completely alone, not knowing if I would ever belong. The male world was full of sexual domineering straight expectations of me. And then I as well as many other young girls had our consensual choices taken from us; I learned not all boys kept me safe. Going to the Michigan Festivals, gave me such immense gifts of togetherness, belonging and safety, where I no longer ever felt alone. Throughout my life as a social worker, a lover of all people and animals, I have attempted to give back to life the many good things my parents and others have given me. This summer I planned a music festival, let me tell you this story. Louise Somerville - UK - Bad Policy Watch Bristol - Bristol City Council recently passed a Motion to enshrine gender identity ideology throughout its services. To encourage the teaching of gender identity ideology in schools, and ensure they avoid contracting services from organisations with gender critical perspectives. In Bristol, gender reigns supreme, whether that's in the office; or the showers. They have clearly stated their intention is to go beyond the law. Bad Policy Watch Bristol reckon they have broken the law. The Council has a public consultation open. You are invited to make your views known. Bio: Louise is a committed and innovative feminist, activist and campaigner. Over the last two decades she has launched, won, and collaborated on, a broad range of environmental campaigns. She lives in the southwest of England, where a local council have decided to remove the rights and language of women and children out of the city. Louise is going to talk about what the council have done, are planning to do, and how this could impact us all. Amparo Domingo - Spain - Spain is on fire - Very quick changing of laws Rad fem Berlin report video Disclaimer: Women's Declaration International (WDI) hosts a range of women from all over the world on Feminist Question Time (FQT) and Radical Feminist Perspectives (RFP) and on webinars hosted by country chapters – all have signed our Declaration or have known histories of feminist activism - but beyond that, we do

In Bristol, 1957 in the middle of a heatwave and a young brother and sister leave home to visit a nearby field to look at the horses and ponies. When they don't return home their parents are worried and immediately call police. The children are missing and it seems they have disappeared without a trace. Their disappearance sparked one of the biggest searches ever in England. Thousands of people came and offered help. Get bonus content on PatreonSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/crimepedia. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week's episode is recorded at Bristol Old Vic, where Freddy and Nessa Bird - of Little French, Little Shop & Pantry and Buxton & Bird - talk to Ian Downs and Martin Booth about their new pop-up at the theatre, Little Vic.Also on this week's episode is artist RTiiiKA, who is behind 'Mural Alleyway' in Brislington, which has seen a former drab thoroughfare transformed into an explosion of colour.And Olivia Tripp introduces us to her new new guidebook, In Bristol, which features more than 100 of our city's best independent businesses, inviting visitors and locals alike to eat, drink, shop, dance, do and stay.

Zakiya McKenzie, one of the first writers in the forest for the Forestry Commission, talks with Sheree Mack, The Earth Sea Love Podcast's host about: Embracing sweet moments in each day The value of sleep Becoming a writer of the forest The barriers for Black and People of Colour within white establishments  An arboretum, a collection of trees  Unravelling plant history Colonialism Comparisons between Jamaican and British landscapes Forest ecologies Childhood experiences with nature Black and Green Bristol Experiences in nature for Black people Working in partnership with other organisations to provide opportunities PhD in Journalists from the Caribbean during the Windrush generation Racism within the PhD system The balance between creative and academic writing Future publications and events Bio: Zakiya McKenzie is a PhD candidate with the Leverhulme Trust-supported Caribbean Literary Heritage project at the University of Exeter researching Black British journalism in the post-war period. Zakiya is a writer and storyteller and was the 2019 writer-in-residence for Forestry England during its centenary year. In Bristol, she was 2017 Black and Green Ambassador and is a volunteer at Ujima Community Radio station. She regularly leads nature, art and writing workshops, including one on Caribbean storytelling for primary schools. Her work has featured at the Cabot Institute for the Environment at the University of Bristol, the Institute for Modern Languages Research at the University of London, the Hepworth Wakefield Gallery, the Free Word Centre, at Cheltenham Literature Festival, on BBC's Woman's Hour, Farming Today and Inside Out West. She has written for Smallwoods Magazine, the Willowherb Review and BBC Wildlife Magazine.   Website - Zakiya M Twitter - Zah - KEY- yah TESTIMONIES ON THE HISTORY OF JAMAICA VOL 1 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jack Blanchard abandons Westminster for a week and explores the hidden costs of lockdown, by delving into the postbags of two MPs in different parts of the U.K.Tory MP Robert Halfon explains the struggles families face in his corner of Essex, and warns of rising domestic abuse during lockdown. And one of his constituents explains how abuse victims are repeatedly failed by Britain's secretive family courts system. In Bristol, Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire talks about the impact lockdown has had on the city's legendary nightlife, and the broader arts scene. And nightclub owner Marti Burgess tells of her fears that some of the city's premier cultural nightspots may never return. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dan Saladino meets some of the people who turned to seeds and grew food in the lockdown. As well as supermarket panic buying, seed sellers also saw huge spikes in sales. Seed producer David Price describes how, as lockdown approached, orders from customers increased by around 600 per cent. The impact Covid-19 has on food supplies explains some of this. Many farmers who supplied restaurants had to quickly start growing different types of food which they could sell into markets that hadn’t been shut down. Veg box schemes were also seeing unbelievable levels of demand and needed access to more seed to ensure future supplies. Lockdown also meant that people gardens were spending more time in them and perhaps experimenting by planting seeds to grow food for the first time. Seed producers became aware that many customers were being motivated by a desire to become more self-sufficient and escape the growing supermarket queues. With the help of gardener and writer Alys Fowler Dan finds out more about our changing relationship with seeds and the power and autonomy seed saving provides. Phil Howard, Associate Professor at Michigan State University explains how the global supply of seed now rests in a small number of corporate hands. In Bristol, Dan meets people who are striving for a new form of food independence during the pandemic, and beginning to grow their own. Another seed producer Fred Groom of Vital Seeds argues that more of us should be saving seeds, growing food and helping to save diversity. He's setting up an online course this summer as a way of recovering some of these lost skills (to find out more go to https://vitalseeds.co.uk/. For decades, helping to keep the seed saving flame alive in gardens and allotments have been various communities around the UK who have continued to rely on them for fresh food. Among them are people who arrived from the Caribbean in the 1950s. Dan meets two inspirational Jamaican growers, Mr Brown and Leon Walker, both are evangelical about the power of seeds to shape our lives. Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

The call to remove statues and place names that honour racist figures from history is gaining momentum. In Bristol last weekend a statue of slave merchant Edward Colston was thrown into the harbour by Black Lives Matters protesters. And here in New Zealand a statue of Captain John Hamilton was removed from Civic Square in Hamilton after pressure from local iwi. Kaumatua Taitimu Maipi, who had threatened to remove the statue himself, described the battle of Gate Pa leader as a "murderous arsehole". Are these actions erasing history, or simply correcting it? Charlotte Lydia Riley is a historian of contemporary Britain at the University of Southampton who's writing a revisionist history of post-war imperial Britain called Imperial Island.

Statuen wurden meist dann gestürzt, wenn Systeme im Umbruch waren. Der gewaltsame Tod von George Floyd hat weltweit Demonstrierende dazu bewegt, Statuten abzutragen: In Bristol die des Sklavenhändlers Edward Colston, in Belgien die des brutalen Kolonialherren Leopold II. Die Debatte hat jetzt das Repräsentantenhaus der USA erreicht und im Update sprechen wir darüber. Und: Die Spree wurde grün eingefärbt. Aktivistinnen der Klimabewegung Extinction Rebellion wollen damit gegen die Wasserverschmutzung durch Kohleabbau demonstrieren. In den kommenden Tagen soll es noch mehr Aktionen geben. Was noch? Die Leipziger Polizei dealt mit gestohlenen Fahrrädern. Moderation: Fabian Scheler Redaktion: Pia Rauschenberger Alle Folgen unseres Podcasts finden Sie hier. Fragen, Kritik, Anregungen? Sie erreichen uns unter wasjetzt@zeit.de T-Shirts, Tassen, Turnbeutel: "Was Jetzt?"-Merchandise gibt’s hier: https://shop.spreadshirt.de/zeit-podcasts/was+jetzt?idea=5e6f7a6d5fd3e41db0da9d93 Weitere Links zur Sendung: Statuen https://www.zeit.de/2020/25/bristol-proteste-edward-colston-grossbritannien-kolonialismus Wie wurde im ersten Quartal 2020 der Strom in Deutschland erzeugt? https://www.destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2020/05/PD20_189_43312.html Die Leipziger Polizei und ihre Fahrräder: https://www.tag24.de/leipzig/dealer-in-uniform-korruptions-skandal-erschuettert-sachsens-polizei-1543186

In Bristol wird eine Rassisten-Statue vom Sockel gestürzt. In Bremen taucht die anonyme Plastik eines alten Mannes in den Wallanlagen auf. Wer entscheidet eigentlich in einer Demokratie, welche Werke öffentlich zu sehen sein sollen? Im Dlf fordert der Kunstkritiker Hanno Rauterberg neue Kriterien. Hanno Rauterberg im Gespräch mit Jörg Biesler www.deutschlandfunk.de, Kultur heute Hören bis: 19.01.2038 04:14 Direkter Link zur Audiodatei

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by producers Walter and Nicole, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality Michelle Gross, Bronx Liberation Center organizer Dari Rodriguez, Philadelphia MC for Saturday Mecca Bullock, ANSWER LA organizer Kameron Hurt, and journalist Neil Clark.Peaceful demonstrations against police violence and racism continue to spread around the country and the world. Altogether several million were estimated to be in the streets with protests held in more than 100 cities and towns around America. The Minneapolis City Council, by a veto-proof margin, voted to disband the police force there and restructure it. Similar demonstrations took place around the world, all in solidarity with anti-racism and anti police violence protesters here. Tens of thousands of people joined demonstrations across the UK yesterday, marching against racism and police violence. In Bristol, marchers pulled down the bronze statue of a 17th century slave trader and threw it in the harbor. In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including . Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Today’s “Education for Liberation” is education for liberation at a time of mass uprising. Our guest has been fighting for economic, racial, and social justice in the streets for decades. Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author or co-author of many books, including “About Becoming A Teacher” and “You Can’t Fire the Bad Ones: And 18 Other Myths About Teachers, Teachers Unions, and Public Education,” and a 1960s central national leader of Students for a Democratic Society, who’s at www.BillAyers.org.Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state--where this week they focus on the technologies and surveillance tactics that the government has already been using at all levels to suppress the protests for Justice for George Floyd, manipulate the narrative, and criminalize dissent. This is your guide to what’s going on behind the scenes of the nationwide protests demanding justice for George Floyd and the countless people killed by police. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show with John.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets this weekend as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. In Bristol, a statue of the slaver Edward Colston was toppled and thrown into the city's docks. But are we now seeing a change in the government's response? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth. Get a subscription to The Spectator as well as a copy of Lionel Shriver's book, all for free here (https://subscription.spectator.co.uk/?prom=A571G&pkgcode=03) .

Thousands of protesters took to the streets this weekend as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. In Bristol, a statue of the slaver Edward Colston was toppled and thrown into the city's docks. But are we now seeing a change in the government's response? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.  Get a subscription to The Spectator as well as a copy of Lionel Shriver's book, all for free here (https://subscription.spectator.co.uk/?prom=A571G&pkgcode=03) .

 Melodic Beats Podcast #17 is courtesy of The prog Lab creator, Jawjee. Hailing from Cheltenham Jawjee has developed his passion of all things progressive into the highly successful, The Prog Lab events in Bristol. With regular parties In Bristol, he attracts the biggest names to his sold out events, along with various other festivals and events in the gloustershire area. We welcome Jawjee to melodic beats podcast, where he has provided us with a true journey of music, which we love. This finely curated mix is a true expression of what the prog lab are all about….1 - Stereo Underground - Empire Of The Soul [Plattenbank]2 - Stelios Vassiloudis - Supermodel [Balance Music]3 - Clarian - Into The Unknown [Last Night On Earth]4 - Barbour - Alpine [Click Records]5 - BOg - Corso [Bedrock Records]6 - Studio Apartment - Club Lonely ft. Joi Cardwell (Hallex M Instrumental Remix) [N.E.O.N]7 - Alex O'Rion- Around Us [Evocative]8 - Henry Saiz - Voice Of A Gentle Breeze [Last Night On Earth]9 - David Hasert, Thales Boutroumlis - Quief [KATERMUKKE]10 - Luke Chable, DJ Samer -Immortal feat. Dani Ivory (Luke Chable Remix) [Pangea Recordings]11 - boys be kko -TYPE A [Atomnation]12 - Dmitry Molosh, Michael A - Integral [Replug]13 - Mononoid, Weekend Heroes - Maasai [Movement Recordings]14 - Henry Saiz - Iridescent [Last Night On Earth]15 - Hacobb - Cosmic Marcos [High Tide Recordings]16 - Hacobb, Ewan Rill - Clear It {Hacobb Remix) [Groove 9]17 - Luka Sambe - Dhaka [BABICZSTYLE]18 - Kamilo Sanclemente - From The Sky [Freegrant Music]19 - Sam Goku - Orchids Rapture [Atomnation]20 - Hacobb - Kompromat [High Tide Recordings]21 - The ReLOUD - Rollercoaster (Stomp Boxx Remix) [Other Side Records]22 - Konstantin Sibold - Mutter [Running Back]  

In Bristol, in the south-west of England, motorbike theft is rife, and criminals use social media to brag about their exploits and even extort money from their victims. But some bikers, sick of losing their treasured possessions, have started to take matters into their own hands. They’ve formed a Facebook group to try to hunt down stolen motorbikes. And using the tips from group members, they try to hunt down the stolen motorbikes and reunite them with their owners. But will their plan work? Presenters: Jonathan Griffin, Natalia Zuo Producer: Anisa Subedar Studio Manager: James Beard Photo Caption: Volunteer motorbike hunters Martin Bailey and Domonik Wojcik of Stolen Motorcycle Recovery Bristol prepare to track down stolen goods Photo Credit: BBC

In Bristol in 1799, a young man started to experiment with newly discovered gases, looking for a cure for tuberculosis. Humphry Davy, aged 20, nearly killed himself inhaling carbon monoxide. Nitrous oxide was next. It was highly pleasurable, ‘particularly in the chest and extremities’ and he began to dance around his laboratory ‘like a madman’, before passing out. By day, he gave the gas to patients, carefully noting their reactions. In the evenings, he invited his friends over to have a laugh (with assistants on standby to revive them with oxygen, as needed). The Romantic poets, Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge could barely contain their excitement. During one session, Davy noted that the gas numbed his toothache and suggested that it could perhaps be used during surgical operations. But it was another fifty years before nitrous oxide was used by doctors. Throughout the 20th century, it was widely used during dentistry and to numb the pain of childbirth. (Nitrous oxide is the gas in ‘gas and air’: the ‘air’ is oxygen) .And it still is today, but less so. (It’s a potent greenhouse gas that damages the ozone layer, it’s difficult to store and there are side-effects). But, just as medical use is diminishing, recreational use is on the rise. A new generation of pleasure seekers have started experimenting, just as Davy did, despite the associated risks of injuries caused by fainting and death by suffocation. Naomi Alderman tells how a gas that created ‘ecstatic lunatics’ came to be used as an anaesthetic, with help from biographer, Richard Holmes and anaesthetist, Kevin Fong. Picture: Humphry Davy and Anaesthesia, Credit: Science Photo Library

Laura’s first job was with the prestigious British supermarket Sainsburys. She tried to make friends with her co-workers (for she had few at school), but since most of them were into So-Solid-Crew and Arsenal she found that she had more in common with the numerous bottles of condiments and tinned non-perishables that she was stacking. From there she left her half-cockney/half-posh conservative town of Welwyn Garden City to seek music, arts and literature in the industrial city of Manchester. There she joined the Manchester University Creative Writing Society who brought out an anthology called ‘Tiny Minds’. There are not many copies of this book in circulation, but literature archaeologists believe that there is one copy in her parent’s garage, despite Mr and Mrs Fisher being unable to locate it. Laura then went on to live in Sheffield briefly and after she went Bristol for a duration, giving her an accent that is difficult to pin down and changeable depending on what mood she’s in. In Bristol she dedicated herself to a civic job unrelated to poetry where she joined a big, nation-wide team that served every member of the British public. The skills acquired in this role are appreciated on a global scale and this led Laura to the city of Melbourne. Alone and far away from home, Laura missed her many English friends. She thought particularly of the condiments and non-perishables from her long ago first job and their struggle to get from the storeroom onto the shelves. She started writing poems to tell their stories. Laura has also been inspired by nature, the universe, the perspectives of animals and the difficulties that arise when animals choose to poo in places that are inconvenient to humans. She is also working on her novel ‘Autumnal Equinox’ which combines Celtic folklore with contemporary characters struggling in a grossly unequal, class dominated society.

Inside one kitchen in Bristol, thirteen strangers from all over Europe gathered to share food and stories about food. The Food Programme was there to capture it all as the cooking got under way. As well as resulting in one of the most diverse menus ever assembled it was an event that explained why cous-cous can spark conversation, how a special Bulgarian dish can help tell your fortune and why a hippy commune in 1970's Exeter was ahead of its time in how we think about food.This unique event was the result of a project run by the Watershed arts centre in Bristol. The thirteen Europeans were taking part in a workshop to learn more about digital technology, food however, was the subject they would use to make this happen. In one day, participants from Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Turkey, France and the UK would come up with a dish that would help them tell their life stories. In Bristol they'd shop, cook, share their food and their stories. The progamme captured this special food event and a restaurant and menu that would exist for one night only.Hear the wonders of Bulgarian Banitsa, the pleasures of a Turkish Karnıyarık and the delights of a two hour meal over Algerian cous-cous.Producers: Dan Saladino and Hannah Briggs.

The title of this episode is Moravians and Wesley.We took a look at Pietism in an earlier episode. Pietism was a reaction to the dry dogmatism of Protestant Scholasticism and the reductionist rationalism of Enlightenment philosophers. It aimed to renew a living faith in a living Christ.As a movement, it was led in the 17th C by Philip Jakob Spener and August Francke.Spener's godson was a German Count named Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, who even as a child bore a deep devotion to God.  His parents were devout Pietists and sent him to the University of Halle, where he studied under the Pietist leader Francke. Later he went to Wittenberg, a center of Lutheran orthodoxy, where he repeatedly clashed with his teachers. After travel and study at law, he married and entered the service of the Court of Dresden. There Zinzendorf first met a group of Moravians who changed the course of his life.Moravia lies in the southeast of what today is the Czech Republic. Moravians were Hussites; long-time adherents to the renewal begun by Jan Hus. They were forced by persecution to forsake their native lands. Zinzendorf offered them asylum. There they founded the community of Herrnhut. It so appealed to Zinzendorf he resigned his cushy post in Dresden and joined it. Under his direction, the Moravians became part of the local Lutheran parish. But the Lutherans were unwilling to trust foreigners who were also Pietists.In 1731, while visiting Denmark, Zinzendorf met a group of Inuit believers brought to faith in Christ by the Lutheran missionary Hans Egede.  This kindled in the Count an interest in missions that would dominate the rest of his life. Soon the community at Herrnhut was on fire with the same zeal, and in 1732 its first missionaries left for the Caribbean. A few years later there were Moravian missionaries in Africa, India, and the Americas. They founded the communities of Bethlehem and Nazareth in Pennsylvania, and Salem, North Carolina. In just twenty years a movement that began with two hundred refugees had more missionaries overseas than had been sent out by all Protestant churches since the Protestant Reformation a couple of centuries earlier.In the meantime, conflicts with Lutherans back home in Germany grew. Zinzendorf was banned from Saxony and traveled to North America, where in 1741 he was present at the founding of the Bethlehem township. Shortly after his return to home, peace was hammered out between Lutherans and Moravians. It failed to last. Zinzendorf agreed to become a bishop for the Moravians, from a spiritual line of ecclesiastical authority reaching back to Jan Hus. Lutherans didn't recognize Hus; they wanted the Count's authority to link to Luther. This is odd since Luther honored Hus as an influence in the development of his own ideas.A personal aside. What silly things Christians bicker over. Doesn't a person's spiritual authority rest in their being called by God, not man? What matter is it that it comes through this or that one-time leader? It's the original source that matters.Zinzendorf died at Herrnhut in 1760, and shortly after, his followers broke with Lutheranism. Although the Moravian church never had a large membership and was unable to continue sending so many missionaries, its example contributed to the great missionary awakening of the 19th C. Perhaps the greatest significance of the movement was its impact on John Wesley and, through him, the Methodist tradition.In late 1735, early ‘36, a group of Moravians sailed to North America hoping to preach to the Indians of Georgia. Onboard was a young Anglican priest, named John Wesley, whom the Georgia Governor Oglethorpe had invited to serve as a pastor in Savannah. The young Wesley accepted the offer and hoped to preach to Indians. The early part of the voyage was calm and Wesley learned enough German to communicate with the Moravians. Then the weather turned and the ship was soon in real danger. The mainmast split, and panic nearly ruined the crew. The Moravians, by contrast were utterly calm and sang hymns throughout the ordeal. Meanwhile, Wesley, chaplain of the vessel, came to the realization he was more concerned for himself than his shipmates. After the storm, the Moravians told him they were able to brave the storm and reality of death because of their conviction their lives were in God's hands, and should they perish at sea, they would but pass into the Hands of their glorious King. Wesley simply couldn't relate to that kind of peace born of faith in the God he served.Arriving in Savannah, Wesley asked one of the Moravians named Gottlieb Spangenberg for advice regarding his work as a pastor and missionary. He left a record in his diary of the conversation:Spangenberg asked, “My brother, I must first ask you one or two questions. Have you the witness within yourself? Does the Spirit of God bear witness with your spirit, that you are a child of God?”Wesley wrote, “I was surprised, and knew not what to answer. He observed it, and asked, ‘Do you know Jesus Christ?' I paused, and said, ‘I know he is the Savior of the world.' ‘True,' replied he; ‘but do you know he has saved you?' I answered, ‘I hope he has died to save me.' He only added, ‘Do you know yourself ?' I said, ‘I do.'Then Wesley adds, “But I fear they were vain words.”These experiences left Wesley both profoundly moved and confused. He'd always thought himself a good Christian. His father, Samuel, was an Anglican priest, and his mother Susanna the daughter of another. She'd been particularly careful in the religious instruction of her (get this) nineteen children. When John was five, fire broke out in their home. He was miraculously saved, and after that his mother thought of him as “a brand plucked from the burning.” There was little doubt in her mind God had a special plan for him.At Oxford, Wesley distinguished himself academically and in religious devotion. After helping his father's parish work, he returned to Oxford, where he joined a religious society founded by his brother Charles and a group of friends. Its members made a covenant to lead a holy and sober life, to take communion weekly, to be faithful in private devotions, to visit prisons, and spend three hours every afternoon, studying scripture and reading devotionals together. Since John was the only ordained priest among them and since he possessed an aptitude to teach, he was the group's leader. It didn't take long before other students mocked the group, calling it the “holy club” because of their methodical lifestyle è Leading to them being called “Methodists.”All that preceded his trip to Georgia. But now, he began to doubt the depth of his faith. Adding to this was the fact he failed miserably as a pastor. He expected his parishioners to behave as his holy club back in England. For their part, his parishioners expected him to be content with their attendance in church. John's brother Charles, also in Georgia serving under Governor Oglethorpe, was disappointed with his work as well and decided to return to England. John stayed on, only because he refused to give up. Then he was forced to leave under messy circumstances. A young woman he'd courted but broken up with married another. Wesley, judging her fickle, denied her communion. He was sued for defamation. Angry at this treatment, though mostly self-inflicted, he returned to England, to the rejoicing of the people of Georgia glad to be rid of their depressed and depressing minister.At a low point and not knowing what else to do, Wesley contacted the Moravians. Peter Boehler became Wesley's counselor and confidant. He concluded while Wesley had the facts of theology down, he has yet to personally trust in Christ. He recommended that until John possessed the confidence he was indeed born again, he should stop preaching.Finally, on May 24, 1738, Wesley had the experience that changed his life. He wrote …In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ alone for salvation: And an assurance was given me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.Wesley no longer had any doubt of his salvation. The obsession he'd had before about wondering if he was saved was replaced by a confidence that freed him to turn his considerable intellect to other things. Mostly, to the salvation of others. He went immediately to visit the Moravian community at Herrnhut. Although inspiring, the visit convinced him Moravian spirituality was ill-suited to his temperament and involvement in social issues. In spite of his gratitude at the role they played in leading him into saving faith, he decided to not become a Moravian.While all that was taking place, another former member of the “holy club,” George Whitefield, had become a famous preacher. A few years earlier Whitefield was moved by an experience similar to Wesley's at Aldersgate. He now divided his time between his parish in Georgia and preaching in England, where he had remarkable success, especially at the industrial center of Bristol. Whitefield's preaching was emotional, and when critics objected to the way he used the pulpit he began preaching in outdoors; in the open air, as he had in Georgia where the rules about when and where pastors could preach were less strict than back in England. When the work in Bristol multiplied and he knew he'd need to soon return to Georgia, Whitefield asked Wesley to help by taking charge during his absence.Wesley accepted Whitefield's invitation. But Whitefield's fiery preaching was not Wesley's cup of tea. He objected to open-air preaching. Later he commented on those early days, declaring that at that time he was so convinced God wished everything to be done in order, that he assumed it a sin to save souls outside a church. Over time, in view of the incredible results and dramatic conversions, Wesley gave a reluctant nod to open-air work. He was also worried about the response to his preaching since it was so very different from Whitefield's. But people often exhibited the same kind of response to his preaching they had to Whitefield's. Some wept loudly and lamented their sins. Others collapsed in anguish. They'd then express great joy, declaring they were wonderfully cleansed. Wesley preferred more solemn proceedings but eventually decided what was taking place was a struggle between the devil and the Holy Spirit, and he ought not hinder God's work. Over time, these emotion-filled reactions of new converts diminished.Wesley and Whitefield worked together for some time, although Wesley eventually became the leader of the movement. They eventually parted due of theological differences. Both were Calvinists in most matters; but, on the issue of predestination and free will, Wesley departed from orthodox Calvinism, preferring the Arminian position. After several debates, the friends decided each should follow his own path, and that they'd avoid controversies. That agreement was kept well by their followers. With the help of the Countess of Huntingdon, Whitefield organized the Calvinist Methodist Church, the strongest in Wales.Wesley had no interest in founding a new denomination. He was an Anglican, and throughout his life remained so. His goal was to cultivate the faith of the populace of England, much as Pietism was doing in Germany among Lutherans. He avoided scheduling his preaching in conflict with the services of the Church of England, and always took for granted that Methodist meetings would serve as preparation to attend Anglican worship and take communion there. For him, as for most of the Church through the centuries, the center of worship was communion. This he took and expected his followers to take as frequently as possible, in the official services of the Church of England.Although the movement had no intention of becoming a separate church, it did need some organization. In Bristol, the birthplace of the movement, Wesley's followers organized into societies that at first met in private homes and later had their own buildings. When Methodist societies grew too large for the effective care of their members, Wesley followed a friend's suggestion and divided them into classes, each with eleven members and a leader. These met weekly to read Scripture, pray, discuss religious matters, and collect funds. To be a class leader, it wasn't necessary to be wealthy or educated. That gave significant participation to many who felt left out of the Church of England. It also opened the door to women who took a prominent place in Methodism.The movement grew rapidly, and Wesley traveled throughout the British Isles, preaching and organizing his followers. The movement needed more to share the task of preaching. A few Anglican priests joined. Most noteworthy among them was John's brother Charles, famous for his hymns. But John Wesley carried the greatest burden, preaching several times a day and traveling thousands of miles on horseback every year, until the age of seventy.Conflicts in the movement weren't lacking. In the early years, there were frequent acts of violence against Methodists. Some of the nobility and clergy resented the authority the new movement gave people from the lower classes. Meetings were frequently interrupted by thugs and toughs hired by the movement's opponents. Wesley's life was often threatened. As it became clear opposition did nothing to slow or stop it, they gave up.There were theological conflicts. Wesley grudgingly broke with the Moravians, whose inclination toward a contemplative Quietism he feared.But the most significant conflicts were with the Anglican Church, to which Wesley belonged and in which he hoped to remain. Until his last days, he reprimanded Methodists who wanted to break with the Church of England. They saw something he seemed unwilling to see, that a breach was unavoidable. Some Anglican authorities regarded the Methodist movement as an indication of their shortcomings and resented it. Others felt the Methodist practice of preaching any and everywhere, without regard for ecclesiastical boundaries, was a serious breach of protocol. Wesley saw and understood these concerns, but thought the needs of the lost trump all such concerns.A difficult legal decision made matters tenser. According to English law, non-Anglican worship services and church buildings were to be allowed, but they had to be officially registered. That put Methodists in a difficult place since the Church of England didn't acknowledge their meetings and buildings. If they registered, it would be a declaration they weren't Anglicans. If they didn't, they'd be breaking the law. In 1787, after much hesitation, Wesley told his preachers to register, and the first legal step was taken toward the formation of a separate church. Three years earlier, Wesley took a step that had even more drastic implications, at least theologically. For a long time, as a scholar of Patristics, the study of the Church Fathers, Wesley was convinced that in the early church the term bishop was synonymous with elder and pastor. That led him to the conviction all ordained presbyters, including himself, had the power to ordain. But he refrained from employing it to avoid further alienating the Anglican leaders.The independence of the United States posed different difficulties. During the Revolutionary War, most Anglican clergy were Loyalists. After independence, most of them returned to England. That made it difficult, impossible even, for US citizens to partake of communion. The bishop of London, who still had jurisdiction over the former colonies, refused to ordain clergy for the United States. Wesley deplored what he took to be the unwarranted rebellion of Britain's former colonies, both because he was a staunch supporter of the king's authority and because he could not fathom how the rebels could claim that they were fighting for freedom while they themselves held slaves. But, convinced communion was the heart of Christian worship, Wesley felt that no matter what their political stance, US citizens ought not to be deprived of the Lords' table.So in 1784, he ordained two lay preachers as presbyters for the new country and made Anglican priest Thomas Coke their bishop. Later, he ordained others to serve in Scotland and elsewhere. In spite of having taken these steps, Wesley continued insisting on the need to avoid breaking with the Church of England. Charles told him the ordination of ministers for the New World was a break. In 1786, the Methodist leaders decided that in those places where the Anglican church was neglecting its Gospel duties, it was permitted to hold Methodist meetings at the same time as Anglican services.Although Wesley refused to acknowledge it, by the time of his death in 1791, Methodism had become a separate church.