Podcasts about South Wales

This week's podcast is presented by Stephen and Glyn. We hear from: · Witherspoon, who wasn't overly impressed by Lily on Sunday;· Katherine, who thinks that the Montystory is dragging on but also going to quickly, and she also has ambitions forGeorge and Amber;· Kate, a first-time caller-innerer(although she emailed-in a while back) who doesn't think Fallon and Elizabethhave done any sums;· Ros from South Wales who is enjoying theinteractions between Lily and Fallon, and between Kiera and Khalil;· And finally Jacquieline fromChristchurch, who particularly enjoyed the Snells this week;We havean email from Brian Holding, and we will hear a roundup of the DumteedumFacebook group from Witherspoon, and the Tweets of the Week from Theo, plus the roundup of this Week in Ambridge, from Suey.Please call into the show using this link:www.speakpipe.com/dumteedum Or send us a voicenote via WhatsApp on: +44 7770 764 896 (07770 764 896 if in the UK) – Open the WhatsApp app, key in the number and click on the microphone icon. Or email us at dumteedum@mail.com How to leave a review on Apple podcasts: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/podcasts/pod5facd9d70/mac***** The Patreon feed for Dumteedum is at www.patreon.com/DumteedumPodcast and the subscription rate is £5.00 per calendar month plus VAT. We recommend that you do not sign up to Patreon using the Patreon app, particularly on iPhones and iPads, as Apple appears to be imposing a 50% surcharge which goes to them, not us. The problem doesn't arise if you go to Patreon through a browser - even if you do this on an iPhone, and once you have signed up, you can still use the Patreon app to listen to the ad-free podcasts.***** Also Sprach Zarathustra licence Creative Commons ► Attribution 3.0 Unported ► CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..."You are free to use, remix, transform, and build upon the materialfor any purpose, even commercially. You must give appropriate credit." Conducted byPhilip Milman ► https://pmmusic.pro/ Funded ByLudwig ► / ludwigahgren Schlatt ► / jschlattlive COMPOSED BY / @officialphilman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clémentine Schneidermann is a French photographer living and working between Paris and South Wales. She recently completed a practice-based PhD at the University of South Wales, Cardiff entitled Photographing Children in a Social Context: Narratives and Strategies (2021). Clémentine works on long term projects & commissions and is interested in new creative practices in social documentary photography. Her approach is collaborative and playful, with an interest in communities and childhood, as well as our relationship to identity and culture. She is a co-founder of Bleak Fabulous with Charlotte James, a  photography-based creative studio working across different disciplines with an emphasis on communities and collaboration. On episode 289, Clémentine discusses, among other things: How having a camera made it acceptable to stare at people Studying in Switzerland… and then Newport, Wales Falling in love with Wales immediately Her book project, I Call Her Lisa Marie Her project Ffasiwn Collaborating with kids… and Charlotte James Getting involved with Alexander MacQueen Her forthcoming book marking ten year of Ffasiwn Bleak Fabulous - trying to create stable income Winning the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize Work she has done in Greenland Her other collaboration: The Emmas Referenced: Mary Ellen Mark Sebastian Bruno Bruce Davidson David Barnes Ken Grant Paul Reas Lina Hashim Jacob Aue Sobol Website | Instagram Become a A Small Voice podcast member here to access exclusive additional subscriber-only content and the full archive of 200+ previous episodes for £4 per month. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter here for everything A Small Voice related and much more besides. Follow me on Instagram here. Need a new website? I will build you one with Squarespace. Details here.

Our First guest John Kirk is an experienced sheep and cattle farmer in the Cairngorms. His recent sighting of a black panther in the area prompted many more local reports on Facebook and to him direct. John also heard a description of a black panther fleeing the Cairngorms wildfires a week before this recording. John recounts his two other sightings of large cats in the area in the past. He explains his concerns on lynx reintroduction ideas, after attending a field trip on lynx issues in Switzerland.John also gives a farmer's perspective on topical wildlife issues in his part of Scotland, from wildcats to sea eagles.Our second guest Megan has had two sightings of a large black panther in the south Wales valley where she lives. The first event was so close that it greatly influenced her, and she realises it was a leopard. Her interests have stirred the curiosity of her son Caleb and they often think about big cats on their walks in the area. Megan also explains how she judges the sheep carcasses she's photographed that appear to be the result of big cat kills.   Word of the week:   hudoliaeth 26 August 2026

Jeannette talks to Andy Green, founder and Managing Director of Greens Construction, to uncover his journey from an unconventional school experience and carpentry apprentice to leading a multi-faceted construction powerhouse. Andy opens up about how leaning into his dyslexia shaped his unique approach to problem-solving, the pivotal shift from working on the tools to building a high-performing team, and the harsh realities of scaling overheads without losing sight of cash flow.  Packed with candid insights on navigating market downturns, managing client expectations, and staying grounded through tough personal and economic times, this conversation provides an essential roadmap for any ambitious business owner looking to grow with confidence and strategic clarity. You'll Learn Why: Focusing on product quality and core delivery first is far more critical than investing in branding and marketing before your service is proven. Scaling a construction business requires targeting higher-value projects to sustainably support the overhead of a dedicated management team and back-office staff. Delegating strengths and hiring complementary talent is essential when moving from an individual tradesperson to a business leader. Maintaining low overheads relative to turnover and diversifying your client base protects cash flow during severe economic disruptions. Whether you're a founder, CEO, small business owner, entrepreneur, startup leader or executive, these lessons will help you make smarter hiring decisions and build a stronger, more successful business.

Pride is moving down the Thames after its National Theatre run! We talk to director Matthew Warchus and writer Stephen Beresford about the musical's sell-out success and what the future holds as the production continues its life. Based on the true story depicted in the 2014 film Pride, the musical is set during the 1984 miners' strike. The story follows a group of lesbian and gay activists who form Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), an alliance which sees them support a small mining community in South Wales. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elad Sherf is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at the University of North Carolina. His research examines workplace fairness and feedback seeking. He also studies why managers resist feedback, including why they avoid asking for input or ignore input when it is offered. His research has been published in leading management and psychology journals, and he also serves as an associate editor of Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. Before earning his PhD, Elad served for four years in the Israeli Air Force and practiced law in Israel for three years. He received his PhD in organizational behavior from the University of Maryland, his MBA from the AGSM MBA Program at the University of South Wales in Australia, and his LLB, BA, and LLM from Reichman University in Israel. In this episode we discuss the following: Elad's research highlights an interesting dilemma: When we feel uncertain, we often ask for feedback. But when we feel confident, we assume we do not need it, when the feedback could have helped us. Confidence should not always be a signal to move forward without input. Sometimes confidence should be the trigger to pause and ask, “What am I missing? What can't I see? How might someone else view this differently?” We often underestimate the value of other people's perspectives. And sometimes one small comment can help us adapt and treat someone more fairly, especially on the margin. Managers often assume they understand what employees need or how employees are experiencing a situation. But feedback helps us move from default assumptions to better, more context-specific decisions. The next time we feel certain is the exact moment we may want to ask one more question. 

The Championship season is officially underway and Fearless in Devotion is back to dissect Wrexham's dramatic 1-1 draw in the Welsh derby against Cardiff City.Andy, Tim, Rhys and Liam break down all the action from a lively evening in South Wales. After Wrexham took an early lead with a fast through Kieffer Moore, following a dominant start, a late second-half free-kick from Rubin Colwill saw Cardiff claw back an equaliser. Was this a solid point gained on the road in a hostile environment, or two huge points dropped after having the game in our grasp?In this episode, the lads dive deep into:Patterson's Debut: Analysing Anthony Patterson's first appearance in goal - could he have done better to stop Cardiff's absolute rocket of a free-kick?Derby Debrief: Why Wrexham dropped off after a strong start, taking in the electric away end atmosphere and Liam going "full beast mode" on George Dobson's tackle.Salty Fan Reactions: Reading through some delightfully bitter Cardiff City forum posts and social media comments following the full-time whistle.Off-Pitch & Transfers: The full story on the Arthur Okonkwo situation, our thoughts on the new kit sponsor and what positions Wrexham desperately need to sign before the transfer deadline shuts.Watford Preview: Match predictions and tactical expectations ahead of Saturday's clash at the Racecourse Ground------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Enjoy this Fat Boar-sponsored episode? Please consider buying us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/fearlessidzineCheck out our new website: fidpodcast.comGet tickets for our next live night in November: https://www.mghall.co.uk/events/thursday-26th-november-fearless-in-devotion-live-podcastTo subscribe to our Wrexham is the Game newsletter visit: https://wrexhamisthegame.substack.com/Find us on socials: https://linktr.ee/fearlessidzine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wildfires caused by arsonists in South Wales are a danger to life according to the Chief Fire Officer there. Plus, did the government need to use the national warning alarm? We have live debate. Also on BH, Lord Woolley says a media witch-hunt led to the death of his friend, the academic Jason Arday, who'd been accused of plagiarism. Amid a summer of drought, Elbow's Guy Garvey picks some of his favourite songs inspired by rain, as people around the country hope for some more soon. On the news review, philosopher Kathleen Stock, podcaster and former government advisor Jimmy McCloughlan, and author Daisy Buchanan.

A massive episode ahead of Wrexham's huge season opener against Welsh rivals Cardiff City! We start by tackling the biggest issue of the week: Wrexham's new membership-only ticketing system. Is it actually inclusive, or is it shutting fans out? We share our honest thoughts.In this episode:Cardiff City Preview: Ben James (View From The Ninian) gives us the inside scoop on what to expect down in South Wales.FID Predictions Game: Friend of the pod Ryan Brewer joins to launch our new game over at fidpodcast.com.State of Welsh Football: BBC Wales correspondent Chris Wathan breaks down the big match and where Welsh football stands today.

Friends of Jason Arday have spoken of their shock, following the death of the academic.Also on the programme: a South Wales fire chief tells us why he needed to call in support from the army; five years after the Taliban swept back into Afghanistan's capital, one journalist tells us why she fled to Britain; and we discuss 'Tony', the new film about chef turned broadcaster, Anthony Bourdain.

Welcome to another episode of the Data Debrief, the companion show to Driven by Data: The Podcast, where hosts Catherine Dowden-King and Kyle Winterbottom unpack Tuesday's episode, share what's been on their minds, and explore the realities of leadership, culture, and capability across the data and AI landscape.This week, Catherine and Kyle reflect on the conversation with Marion Shaw, Senior Director of Data, Analytics and Data Management at Cencora, and her new book on data culture, before digging into why the "data culture" debate keeps circling the same questions, and why the answer almost always comes back to people rather than technology.They cover:The wildfires spreading across South Wales and Europe, and how AI and drones are being deployed in France to spot smoke earlier, distinguish dust from smoke, and cut down the false positives that waste emergency resourceThe bigger climate paradox facing the industry, from record-wet winters followed by hosepipe bans and water mismanagement, to the uncomfortable reality that the data centres powering AI advances are themselves enormous consumers of waterWhy absolutism helps no one, and how the healthiest position on AI, sustainability, and change sits somewhere in the messy middle rather than all-in or all-outHow incentives quietly shape behaviour, illustrated by the fact that three flights across Europe can cost less than a single train from Manchester to London, and why people ultimately do what they're incentivised to doCatherine's latest build for the Orbition community: a NED Opportunity Finder, a live, daily-updating table of listed non-executive director roles showing remuneration, location, and whether the board is public or private, free to access for registered community members, and why she's so keen to see more data leaders move into board positionsWhy Marion's candour hit home, especially the reminder that you simply cannot force people to be interested in or care about data, and why that truth is uncomfortable but essentialHow technology becomes a distraction, the "shiny thing syndrome" that pulls focus away from the outcomes that actually matter, and why that's the real answer to "why now"The endlessly debated question of whether "data culture" even exists, why the industry loves arguing over semantics no one outside it cares about, and why every organisation already has a data culture, somewhere on the spectrum from barely-there to full tiltWhy culture and outcomes feed each other rather than being an either/or, and how influencing behaviours and showing results almost always happen in tandemWhy every business claims to be "data-driven," how the reality usually differs, and why a new CDO's first 90 to 100 days is really about working out where the organisation actually sits versus where leadership thinks it doesThe "slippery shoulders" problem, and why nothing improves or gets maintained unless someone genuinely owns itWhy you can't see your own culture from the inside, and how stepping out to network, attend events, and compare notes with peers is often the only way to know whether you're ahead, behind, or better off than you thoughtA look ahead to the Orbition magazine landing in October, featuring a data leader who hasn't spoken publicly in over two years, alongside mentor and mentee stories and perspectives from beyond the CDO communityThe Director of Police AI role at the College of Policing, and how its rigid entry criteria expose the same old problem seen across data leadership: job descriptions that bear little resemblance to what organisations actually want from the roleKyle's thought of the week: most job descriptions are disconnected from what the business actually needs. Organisations have learned to use the right language, asking for leaders who'll work with the board and use data to drive commercial performance, then listing purely technical requirements underneath. Until that gap closes, the mismatch between what's advertised and what's wanted will keep repeating itself. Fundamentally, every organisation already has a data culture; it simply sits somewhere on a spectrum, and the job is to understand where before trying to move it.Catherine's thought of the week: you rarely recognise your own culture until you step outside it. Whether it's trust versus micromanagement, or how your data leaders are really perceived, the comparison only becomes clear when you go out, meet people, and see how others operate. And the honesty applies inward too, because no organisation describes itself as not caring about data, so the real work is uncovering where it genuinely stands.This episode is a candid, wide-ranging conversation on data culture, ownership, and incentives, and a reminder that the hardest problems in data and AI leadership remain stubbornly human, no matter how much the technology moves on.Housekeeping: The podcast is now broadcasting on LinkedIn Live. To watch along in real time, head to the Driven by Data Productions page on LinkedIn and follow it. We go live with each episode every Tuesday at 1pm BST, and our guest often joins the comments to answer your questions. Keep an eye out for upcoming events towards the end of the year, including Driven by Data Live, where Catherine will be handing out physical copies of the new magazine.

This week's podcast is presented by Jacquieline and Stephen. We hear from: · Ros in South Wales who wonders about the pacing of the Bert Horrobin storyline;· Glyn, who is wondering about unresolved questions andstorylines that disappear;· Witherspoon, who has been monitoring George'sbehaviour;· Lakey Hill Liminal, who reflects on a rough week forthe younger Horrobins;· Claire from Clapham, who is sad to see yet more woesfor the Grundys and Horrobins;· And finally Christopher, who has had itwith everybody moaning about paying to get into the fête;We haveemails from Jane Brookbanks, Chris in Indiana, Loyal Listener Purple Pumpkin,Gillian and Sue J. We hear a roundup of the Dumteedum Facebook group fromMichelle, and the Tweets of the Week from Theo, plus the roundup of this Week inAmbridge, from Suey.Please call into the show using this link:www.speakpipe.com/dumteedum Or send us a voicenote via WhatsApp on: +44 7770 764 896 (07770 764 896 if in the UK) – Open the WhatsApp app, key in the number and click on the microphone icon. Or email us at dumteedum@mail.com How to leave a review on Apple podcasts: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/podcasts/pod5facd9d70/mac***** The Patreon feed for Dumteedum is at www.patreon.com/DumteedumPodcast and the subscription rate is £5.00 per calendar month plus VAT. We recommend that you do not sign up to Patreon using the Patreon app, particularly on iPhones and iPads, as Apple appears to be imposing a 50% surcharge which goes to them, not us. The problem doesn't arise if you go to Patreon through a browser - even if you do this on an iPhone, and once you have signed up, you can still use the Patreon app to listen to the ad-free podcasts.***** Also Sprach Zarathustra licence Creative Commons ► Attribution 3.0 Unported ► CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..."You are free to use, remix, transform, and build upon the materialfor any purpose, even commercially. You must give appropriate credit." Conducted byPhilip Milman ► https://pmmusic.pro/ Funded ByLudwig ► / ludwigahgren Schlatt ► / jschlattlive COMPOSED BY / @officialphilman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This talk was given by Rev Steve Clarke at St Jude's Church, Southsea on 9th August 2026. The reading was Psalm 46. Psalm 46 is one of the best-known psalms in the Bible, often read on Remembrance Sunday, with its famous line "Be still and know that I am God." In this talk, we explore what this ancient hymn — written against the backdrop of the threatened Assyrian invasion of Jerusalem — has to say to us today, in a world of war, uncertainty and personal struggle. Along the way, we look at how the sea and stormy waters are pictured in Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, and how Jesus calming the storm shows us a God who is both with us in the boat and over the waves. Beginning with a vivid memory of watching a dry riverbed in South Wales become a rushing river, the talk traces three widening circles of hope in the psalm: God is over and in the chaos of our lives, of our city, and of all things. There is a warm invitation to prayer-walk the streets of Southsea, praying for the river of God's love to flow through the city, and the talk closes with a guided time of stillness using a contemporary form of the ancient Jesus Prayer. Whether you're a regular churchgoer or simply exploring faith, this is a thoughtful and encouraging listen for anxious times.

Jess and Lauren are BACK from their summer breaks and this episode is bumper packed with everything they got up to, including Jess' Canadian road trip and Lauren's trip to South Wales. Tune in for a full debrief and a couple of book reccos, too!Book Reccos Website, Shop & newsletter: Don't forget to check out our website and checkout the Book Reccos shop to purchase your very own Book Reccos Reading Journal! And whilst you're there sign up to our newsletter to receive a monthly email from us to fill you in on our favourite reccos of the month. Head to www.bookreccos.com Get in Touch: Instagram: @bookreccos Email: hello@bookreccos.comWebsite: www.bookreccos.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fourth heatwave of the year in the UK is still making the daily farming jobs a struggle for many. But this year the dry weather and heat have also created the conditions for significant wildfires across the country. In Scotland a wildfire started 2 weeks ago in the Cairngorms National Park. It's thought to have damaged around 25 square kilometres of natural forest and hillsides, although the exact extent isn't yet known. The surface fire has diminished but it's still burning deep in the peat soil, and nearly a hundred firefighters are still deployed in the area. The Chief Executive of the Cairngorms National Park Authority Grant Moir tells us that the fire took hold in an area known for its important wildlife habitats, much loved by visitors and the local community.The end of harvest can also be the start of a very worrying time for farmers, when illegal hare coursers drive over stubble fields, set off dogs to chase hares, and often bet on the outcome. South Wales Police have warned of an increase in illegal hare coursing in the Vale of Glamorgan, with local farmers being threatened and intimidated when they try to intervene.This week is BBC Farmwatch week and today we're heading to a farm in Nottinghamshire which grows wildflowers to harvest their seeds.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

Before DNA databases, before forensic genealogy, and before detectives could solve crimes with the smallest traces of evidence, three teenage girls disappeared after separate nights out in South Wales during the summer and autumn of 1973. Sandra Newton, Pauline Floyd and Geraldine Hughes were all just 16 years old. Their murders sent shockwaves through local communities, sparked one of the biggest murder investigations Wales had ever seen, and left police hunting a killer who seemed to have vanished without a trace.Despite thousands of interviews, nationwide vehicle checks and countless leads, the investigation gradually went cold. For decades, the murders remained among Britain's most haunting unsolved cases, while advances in forensic science slowly transformed what detectives believed was possible. Then, almost thirty years later, a groundbreaking development would breathe new life into the investigation and rewrite the history of criminal detection.In this episode of British Murders with Stuart Blues, we examine the South Wales hitchhiker murders of Sandra Newton, Pauline Floyd and Geraldine Hughes. We explore the lives of the three teenagers, the frantic hunt for their killer, the fear that gripped South Wales, and the investigation that ultimately led to the first-ever identification of a murder suspect from a DNA sample recovered using a brand-new method. We also look at the man detectives believed was responsible, the tragic impact on the victims' families, and the extraordinary forensic breakthrough that finally brought answers after nearly three decades.Exclusive content:Patreon - Ad Free, Early Access, Exclusive EpisodesFollow the show:British Murders with Stuart BluesDisclaimer:The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Resilience, mental health, authenticity, neurodivergence, self-discovery, and overcoming self-doubt—if you've ever questioned who you really are beneath the expectations of others, this conversation is for you.In this powerful episode of The Raw Vibe Podcast, host Chuck Tuck welcomes Daniel Curtis—a Welsh storyteller, musician, writer, educator, and advocate for authenticity—for an inspiring conversation about resilience, identity, ADHD/ADD, masking, creativity, faith, and finding your voice after life has made you feel written off.This episode isn't about fame—it's about identity.Chuck and Daniel explore the emotional impact of masking, why so many people hide their authentic selves to gain acceptance, and how a late ADD diagnosis completely reshaped Daniel's understanding of his life. As the parent of a neurodivergent child, Daniel also offers heartfelt insights into parenting, emotional regulation, compassion, and the importance of creating spaces where people feel truly seen instead of judged.One of the episode's most unforgettable stories recounts Daniel taking a piano deep underground into Big Pit National Coal Museum in South Wales to perform a tribute concert honoring fallen miners—a moving reminder of music's power to heal, unite communities, and preserve history.At the center of this conversation is the question behind Daniel's forthcoming book:"Who Were You Before the World Told You Who to Be?"It's a question that challenges all of us to examine the labels we've accepted, the masks we've worn, and the courage it takes to rediscover our authentic selves.If this conversation resonates with you, please LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE to The Raw Vibe Podcast. Your support helps us bring more authentic conversations about mental health, resilience, leadership, creativity, relationships, and personal growth to audiences around the world.

We've had two heatwaves already this summer with warnings that even young and healthy people should rethink their fitness routines in the heat. So how can we keep exercising when it's so hot you barely want to move? James chats with physiologist Damian Bailey from the University of South Wales. Next, James is at Rother Valley Country Park in Sheffield to meet Calli Hauger-Thackery who made headlines for running the Boston marathon while 22 weeks pregnant and physiotherapist Ros Cooke to find out what changes in the body during pregnancy - and see what exercise is safe. So we've worked up a sweat… but what's the best way to recover?We're in the lab at the University of Westminster to put electrolytes to the test with Dr Lewis Mattin and we cool off with Ros Cooke while chatting about active recovery versus total rest.Presenter: James Gallagher Special appearance: Hannah Fisher Producer: Gerry Holt Editor: Ilan Goodman Production coordinator: Stu Laws

Mass Movement Presents… Episode 96: The Imperial March… In which the middle-aged crew chat about Supergirl,Project Hail Mary, Man On Fire. the 1978 animated take on The Lord of the Rings, Steve Jackson Games': Car Wars, become all beery eyed and question whether it's a good idea to ever go Imperial, review some of the newer books that have arrived at Mass Movement HQ. get Mad as Hell about FIFAand much, much more.  And somewhere in the middle of all the chaos, they find timeto spin a bunch of tunes by the finest degenerates to have ever emerged from the South Wales punk scene, Trigger McPoopshute.  Tune in, turn it up, and geek out

It has been a month since the twin earthquakes in Venezuela, estimated to have killed more than five thousand people. But there have also been some remarkable stories of rescue with people being pulled alive from the rubble many days after the disaster.In our conversations, we bring together people who survived disasters to discuss the long-term impact the events have had on their lives.Marinel lived through Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines in 2013 and was one of the strongest typhoons in recorded history.Jeff was a pupil at the junior school in Aberfan in South Wales. In 1966, 116 children were killed when waste from coal mines crashed down the mountainside engulfing his school.“I did go to one counsellor and that counsellor said to me, when you review what you've been through, think of happy things like birthday parties,” Jeff tells us. “Well, the majority of people that would have come to my birthday party were now gone.”We also bring together rescue workers to hear what motivates them and how they cope with confronting death and destruction.This edition of The Documentary is from BBC Conversations where we bring people together to share their personal experiences of world events.Presenter: James Reynolds BBC producers: Ryan Keane, Lindsay Brown and Isabella Bull Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet OliverA Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC World Service Outside Source team.

In this sponsored episode of the Anglotopia Podcast — brought to you by ACP Rail and BritRail — Jonathan Thomas sits down with Tim Roebuck, a man who has spent his entire career in rail travel: station manager, head of BritRail Travel International in New York, senior VP at ACP Rail for 25 years, and one of the most knowledgeable people alive on the subject of getting around Britain by train. This is the episode Jonathan has wanted to make for a long time — a complete, practical, friendly guide to understanding and using the BritRail Pass, demystifying the network for international visitors, and unlocking the kind of trip most Americans never imagine is possible. They cover the history of British Rail and the coming Great British Railways rebrand, how London's multiple terminal stations work, the game-changing Elizabeth line, the best scenic routes in the country (from the East Coast Main Line's North Sea coastal run to the Far North Line to Wick and Thurso), how train ticket types actually work and why the BritRail Pass cuts through all the confusion, the difference between a consecutive and a flexi pass, what the pass does and doesn't cover, seat reservations, luggage tips, apps to use, and Tim's all-time favorite rail journey. Plus: a giveaway. To celebrate this episode, Anglotopia and ACP Rail are giving away a first-class BritRail four-day flexi pass. Enter at anglotopia.net/britrail. Giveaway closes August 15th. Links Sponsor ACP Rail — Buy Your BritRail Pass BritRail Pass Options & Map

As fascism and other systems of oppression slither their way into the mainstream, resistance doesn't always come from politicians, it's coming from people with guitars, amps, and fierce music.From Pussy Riot crashing churches in Russia to Welsh grannies cranking up distortion in Brooklyn, punk is still one of the loudest ways to say, “Hell to the no!”Today Marc Felion is on special assignment in Brooklyn, New York talking to The Nanaz, a punk rock group from South Wales made up of women in their 50s and beyond. The group started as total strangers in a community sponsored music workshop, and now they're tearing up festival stages, and bringing their beautiful chaos to New York City for the Loud Women Music festival.Listen as we chat about how punk is giving them a second adolescence, their anthems like “Everyone's an Idiot” and “Care Home Robbery” call out ageism, the nightmare of elder care, recycling, and why older women with guitars might be some of the most dangerous people in the room.Follow Us on Instagram: ★ instagram.com/thenanazband★ instagram.com/faustofernos★ instagram.com/marcfelion

British professional triathlete Harry Palmer recently took the title for the third year in a row at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea, an accomplishment that is not often achieved in sport.  A home race, a stacked field and a run battle right to the finish line, Harry held his nerve, held the gap  and took the tape in style in front of a spectacular crowd in South Wales.  In this episode Harry shares how patience, confidence and a mid-run mental reset helped him manage the race pressure to hold off his chasers to secure his third straight victory in Swansea.  Following a decorated age group career he switched to the pro ranks in 2019 and has had lots of success in the sport in recent years. From his three-peat in Swansea, to winning the Challenge "The Championship" Samorin this year, which he backed up with a third place at the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Jönköping European Championship after a 4th place last year. He also took third at the 2025 edition of IRONMAN Leeds and finished in eighth place at the 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.  Just like all journeys in sport and life, the road hasn't been smooth along the way, gut issues derailed multiple races, before a deep dive with a sports doctor and his team at Precision Fuel and Hydration uncovered the fix, lowering carb intake and refining fuelling.  He also endured a rough 2025 that left him stretched thin, but 2026 has been good to him so far and with his 2027 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship slot secured, Harry heads to IRONMAN Wales - the race that broke him on his first attempt at the full distance - chasing redemption, a slot for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona and the ultimate quest to take the tape in Tenby and do the double in Wales in 2026. In the world of triathlon, where endurance meets mental fortitude, Harry Palmer stands out as a beacon of perseverance and triumph. His journey has not been without challenges, but with dedication, patience and his own self-confessed delusional self-belief he has conquered and overcome many obstacles on his way to sporting success. This is a great chat with Harry, if you'd like to hear more from him, give his podcast Uncomfortable Triathlon with fellow pro Andrew Horsfall-Turner a follow and a listen.

Earlier this summer, there was some incredible progress in cervical cancer. Women who have been vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) now have an almost zero chance of dying from cervical cancer before the age of 30. But does that mean women will no longer need cervical screening? Dr Jo Morrison, a consultant gynaecological oncologist from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, joins James Gallagher and resident GP Dr Margaret McCartney to discuss. The government has announced school dinners will soon be overhauled in England, in order to reduce the amount of salt, sugar and fat, and boost the amount of fibre and nutrients offered to schoolchildren. James is joined by Dr Maria Traka, head of the food and nutrition national bioscience research infrastructure at the Quadram Institute in Norwich, to find out what the new dinners will look like. He also pays a visit to the Food Museum in Suffolk, where curator Katherine Bridges takes him on a trip through the decades, to see whether school dinners are healthier than ever. Also, have you seen the buzz surrounding creatine on social media? Gym-goers promise it can help you get stronger and build bigger muscles, but there is also some debate about whether it could boost your brain too. To dig into the science, James chats with Dr Damian Bailey, a professor of physiology and biochemistry at the University of South Wales.Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Editor: Ilan Goodman Production coordinator: Stu Laws Sound engineer: Steve Greenwood

Bonnie Tyler, went from a Welsh council house to topping the international charts with songs like: ”Lost In France”, “Holding out for a Hero” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. Born Gaynor Hopkins in South Wales she grew up in a passionately religious family, which is where young Gaynor's first experience of performing came – singing “All Things Bright and Beautiful” at her local chapel. Fellow Welsh musician and broadcaster Mal Pope tells Matthew about her life. Dissident Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee was arrested and held for more than four hundred days by the Chinese authorities. They were investigating the publications sold at his Causeway Bay Bookstore, some of which were critical of the Communist regime on the mainland. He became a symbol of freedom of speech after he revealed his incarceration at a news conference. The journalist and author Emily Feng interviewed him. In 1988 Colonel Abdul Ahad Momand became the first, and so far only, Afghan citizen to travel into space. He was part of the three-person crew that launched from Kazakhstan on board the Soviet Soyuz TM-6 spacecraft. During the trip, Colonel Momand, who was a Muslim, became the first person to read from the Koran on TV while in orbit. General Khyan Zadran was a friend and colleague of Colonel Momand.TV and radio director Kay Patrick was best known for her work on Coronation Street, where she oversaw 250 episodes in 20 years. During that time, she steered some of the show's most memorable storylines including the death of Hayley Cropper, played by Julie Hesmondhalgh - Julie remembers her sensitive and talented director.Presenter: Matthew Bannister Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse EdwardsArchive: BBC One, Top of the Pops, 24/02/1983; BBC Two, On Show, 30/03/2005; BBC World Service, Witness, 22/06/2026; YouTube, Hong Kong Free Press, 21/06/2016; ITV Studios, Coronation Street, Episode 8305, 20/01/2014; Dr Who: Toby Hadoke's Time Travels, 18/09/2023; BBC Four, The Spaceman of Afghanistan, 13/10/2014

In 1976, an 11-year-old girl from a small farm in Wales stood before a glass case in Greenwich, England, staring at strange uniforms and a document called the Constitution. The exhibition was titled "The British Story of the American Revolution." That was all Jan Griffiths knew of America, what she could see through the glass.Decades later, she sits in the engine room of that country, in Detroit, at the heart of the auto industry.This episode marks America's 250th anniversary, and Jan tells her own story to get at something bigger. She takes us from the shop floor at BorgWarner in Kenfig, South Wales, where the smell of oil and coolant hooked her for life, to Muncie, Indiana, to the drive up I-75 when the Detroit skyline first came into view, and something rushed through her. It is the story of what this country and this industry gave a young woman who would not have had the same shot back home in the 1980s. She names the people who believed in her, and she means every one of them.Then she turns it forward. Jan draws a straight line from Frederick Taylor's work in 1911 and Henry Ford's moving assembly line in 1913 to the management playbook most legacy automakers still run today. The country is 250 years old. The industry's operating system is barely younger, and it has hardly changed. Culture is not soft, she says. Culture is how we behave and how we decide, and the industry does not have another century to sort it out, while Chinese OEMs move at speed, and relay-race handoffs slow down every decision.She points to Jim Voss and the movement building inside Tenneco as proof of what happens when people rise up for a cause. And she reminds us what Detroit already knows about getting knocked down and coming back, from bankruptcy to two of the Big Three going under and returning stronger.This is one immigrant's love for two countries and one industry, and a challenge to every leader who still talks about transformation instead of defining it.Themes Discussed in this EpisodeAn immigrant's love for two countriesFrom a Welsh farm to Detroit's engine roomWhy culture is not softThe 100-year-old automotive playbookCompeting with Chinese OEMs on speedMoving from a relay race to all players on the courtDetroit's grit and comeback storyLeaders defining transformation, not just talking about itThis episode is sponsored by Lockton, click here to learn more

On this month's episode Nicole is joined by Tom Morris to read from and discuss his story ‘Notes on Contributors' published in Issue 54 Volume Two of The Stinging Fly magazine.In their conversation, Nicole and Tom talk about how writers discuss their writing routine and about the benefit of maintaining mystery and ambiguity in writing. They also discuss writing in the realm of the body rather than the realm of the intellect, trying to bring readers toward a feeling, and the importance of learning to develop and trust your own sense of taste as a writer.Thomas Morris is the author of We Don't Know What We're Doing, and Open Up. His work has been rejected by The Paris Review, McSweeney's, and The New Yorker. Originally from Caerphilly, South Wales, he lives in Dublin, where he worked for over a decade with The Stinging Fly.Nicole Flattery⁠⁠ is a writer and critic. Her story collection ⁠⁠Show Them A Good Time⁠⁠, was published by The Stinging Fly and Bloomsbury in 2019. Her first novel, Nothing Special, was published by Bloomsbury in 2023.– — –Each month on The Stinging Fly Podcast,  we invite writers from the latest issue of the magazine to read and discuss their work. Previous episodes of the podcast ⁠⁠can be found here⁠⁠. The podcast's theme music is ⁠⁠‘Sale of Lakes', by Divan⁠⁠. All of ⁠⁠The Stinging Fly's archive⁠⁠ is available to ⁠⁠subscribers.⁠

Ian and Gemma are joined by David Mason, a passionate recreational diver, experienced caver and long-time listener of the podcast. David takes us on a fascinating journey from exploring some of the UK's most impressive cave systems to discovering the incredible world of scuba diving. He shares how a life-changing health diagnosis inspired him to finally pursue a dream he'had held since childhood, proving that determination and the right support can help overcome even the biggest obstacles. During the episode we discuss how decades of caving across Mendip, South Wales and Derbyshire helped shape his approach to diving. The remarkable story of overcoming a rare cancer diagnosis and why scuba diving became such an important part of his recovery and outlook on life. UK wreck diving, including the history behind wrecks and why understanding their stories adds so much to every dive. Diving some of Europe's iconic sites, including the Zenobia in Cyprus and unforgettable encounters with critically endangered Angel Sharks in Lanzarote. David's growing passion for underwater photography, filming marine life and capturing the incredible wildlife found around the UK coastline. His favourite dive locations, advice for new divers, thoughts on progressing to Dive Master, and why staying curious and continually learning makes diving so rewarding. This is an inspiring conversation about resilience, adventure, exploration and the incredible experiences that await beneath the surface. Whether you're a new diver, an experienced wreck enthusiast or simply love hearing great diving stories, this is an episode you won't want to miss. YouTube - https://youtube.com/@thecavecrawler?si=-08TeUYRMh6hFZgn Instagram @cavecrawler101 Blog- My story- My battle with Pseudomyxoma Peritonei-https://cavecrawlerstory.blogspot.com/2009/10/introduction.html?m=0 Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP) https://www.pseudomyxomasurvivor.org/ The BiG Scuba Podcast is proudly supported by Narked at 90 – "Beyond Technical." Whether you're new to diving or thinking about moving into tech, they can help guide you with the best kit and advice.

This week's podcast is presented by Jacquieline and Stephen. We hear from: Witherspoon, who thinks that there is a gay angle missing from the Brian/Adam/Ian/Ruairi situation;Kathleen, who has noticed changes in the way Helen is portrayed, and wonders whether it's down to us;Ros from South Wales who is less worried about the Texels being attacked but more worried about Anne-Marie and Bill's cot;Globe-Trotting Richard, who has views on various business goings on in Ambridge;And finally Glyn, who is sensing a pattern among certain Archers.We have no emails this week but we will hear a roundup of the Dumteedum Facebook group from Vicky, and the Tweets of the Week from Theo. But we will start with a look back on the last week in Ambridge with Suey; plus the roundup of this Week in Ambridge, from Suey.Please call into the show using this link:www.speakpipe.com/dumteedum Or send us a voicenote via WhatsApp on: +44 7770 764 896 (07770 764 896 if in the UK) – Open the WhatsApp app, key in the number and click on the microphone icon. Or email us at dumteedum@mail.com How to leave a review on Apple podcasts: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/podcasts/pod5facd9d70/mac***** The Patreon feed for Dumteedum is at www.patreon.com/DumteedumPodcast and the subscription rate is £5.00 per calendar month plus VAT. We recommend that you do not sign up to Patreon using the Patreon app, particularly on iPhones and iPads, as Apple appears to be imposing a 50% surcharge which goes to them, not us. The problem doesn't arise if you go to Patreon through a browser - even if you do this on an iPhone, and once you have signed up, you can still use the Patreon app to listen to the ad-free podcasts.***** Also Sprach Zarathustra licence Creative Commons ► Attribution 3.0 Unported ► CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..."You are free to use, remix, transform, and build upon the materialfor any purpose, even commercially. You must give appropriate credit." Conducted byPhilip Milman ► https://pmmusic.pro/ Funded ByLudwig ► / ludwigahgren Schlatt ► / jschlattlive COMPOSED BY / @officialphilman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donna Ockenden is a senior midwife and healthcare leader who has spent more than 35 years reforming patient safety in UK maternity services. Born in South Wales, she overcame a difficult childhood marked by poverty, family breakdown, and a period of homelessness. As a young midwife she cared for a baby named Gina who died from substandard care. This tragic event led to her lifelong 'Gina promise' to devote her career to making childbirth safer for mothers and infants. Ockenden qualified as both a nurse and a midwife, before moving into senior NHS leadership roles. She transitioned into a formidable independent investigator, widely known for uncovering systemic NHS failures. In 2017, she was appointed to chair the Ockenden Review into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. Her landmark 2022 final report exposed severe deficiencies connected to the deaths of over 200 babies and nine mothers, shifting national perspectives on maternity clinical governance.Ockenden was later chosen to lead the largest maternity investigation in NHS history at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Her 2026 report has identified hundreds of cases of avoidable harm and prompted national safety reforms. Outside of healthcare she is an active community advocate, founding the Four Streets Project charity in Chichester to support the local homeless population.Stephen Smith speaks to friends, families and colleagues who know her best. Production: Presenter: Stephen Smith Producers: Bethan Ashmead Latham, Annabel Deas Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele, Siobhan Reed Sound: Rod Farquhar Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Send us Fan MailRonnie Harries was in his mid twenties, newly married with a baby girl living in rural South Wales, a member of a community where he had lived all his life. How did he think he could kill relatives he called uncle and auntie and take over their farm without anyone asking where they were and what was going on? Recorded in one take with the usual shortcomings. The description says send fan mail, I am not asking this, it comes up automatically and I cannot delete the request.

This week, as Andy Burnham prepares to take power, PoliticsHome has once again partnered with ThinksInsight, the global research and strategy consultancy, on their bi-annual 'mood of the nation' survey, as they take the temperature of how Brits feel about the government, the economy, and how optimistic they are about the future.They also conducted focus groups with voters in four constituencies who backed Labour in 2024, but are now considering other parties, about what the new Prime Minister needs to do to win them back round.So to discuss all of that host Alain Tolhurst is joined by Ben Shimshon, the co-founder and CEO of Thinks Insight, to talks through the research, along with PolHome editor, Adam Payne, and two Labour MPs; Tonia Antoniazzi, the member for Gower in South Wales and a select committee chair, and Sarah Hall, elected as the member for Warrington South at the last election.To sign up for our newsletters click herePresented by Alain Tolhurst, produced and edited by Ewan Cameron and Lulu Goad for Podot

This week farmers have coped with heavy thundery rain and record breaking temperatures. We hear from a pig farmer keeping his stock cool, a livestock auctioneer who's had to cancel sales due to the heat, and a major potato and beetroot grower contemplating an irrigation bill of £3 million this year. But for winemakers the sunshine has come at just the right moment.The Government has invested in strategic teams of specialist firefighters in England and South Wales to tackle wildfires. The Fire Chiefs Council's wildfire expert tells us the teams are trained in techniques to cope with a ferocity of fire becoming more common due to the effects of climate change. Despite all the Prime Ministerial flux the Government revealed its long term (and long awaited) vision for farming: England's Farming Roadmap 2050. The idea is to have a 25 year vision for agriculture, to give farmers certainty 'beyond the next harvest'. It was the brainchild of Steve Reed when he was secretary of state for the environment. Two years down the line, the current incumbent, Emma Reynolds announced the plan in the House of Commons this week.Aberdeen hosted the first Global Agritourism Conference this week. Anna Hill met some of the delegates to hear about farm tourism in India, Ukraine, Italy, and Canada.

Coming up, we explore the life and times of our ancient ancestors, and what they can teach us. In this episode, Lee Berger tells us about the Homo Naledi species that ritualistically buried their dead; George Nash on remarkable cave paintings in South Wales; Andrea Manica explains how our ancient ancestors evolved sickle cell to sidestep malaria; and Rod Flower on our forebears making medicine and mind-altering drugs. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week is a SUPER LONG Creep of the Week Special - yasss. True ghost stories all day long! Amongst the spooks, we get into cinema chat - Hokum VS Obsession, the Tarot past present future - this is uncanny! It's giving bountiful! We also get into stepdads in Mykonos and a cockring voice note from down under. Stunning.  Are we ready for the BONANZA of your listener tales? Your stories prove how haunted our Huns in the Wild are... keep 'em coming in.  1) Hannah kicks us off with an Anonymous Hun who has sent in a story about tiktok... We've got evidence of a pale faced ghost... Whaaaaaat. 2) Big Sue has a story from Shaniz called The Room At The End of the Hall... It's giving haunted house and very creepy kids.  3) Hannah reads out the Soft Play horror from Isla... this is RANK what did she see??? 4) Big S gets into a story called "Mary's Final Goodbye"... multiple witnesses. Super creepy.  5) Hannah's reading Kim's story called Our Ghost Frank. We're off to South Wales! Door rattles that can't be explained... We simply must visit the Skyrrid Inn - Wales oldest pub. Looks paranormal as faek...  6) Big S ends the eppy with a story from ANONYMOUSE... we're off to Portugal. Think a beautiful sunny holiday that takes a very creepy turn...  We finish with some divining rod realness.  We love you huns, ENJOY THE BONANZA. xoxoxoxo  JOIN OUR PATREON! EXTRA bonus episodes AND a monthly ghost hunt for just £4.50!  Or £6 for AD-FREE EPS and weekly AGONY HUNS! We'll solve your problems huns!  Sign up here: www.patreon.com/GhostHuns MERCH IS HERE: https://ghosthuns.co.uk/ HALLOWEEN 2026 TIX HERE: https://podlifeevents.com/event-details/ghost-huns---live-from-cheerful-earful-11-oct-2026-tickets Sign up for your £1 a month trial and start selling today at Shopify.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A major government-backed project to modernise steel production in South Wales may be delayed by up to eight months. Tata Steel says there have been problems connecting the new electric furnace in Port Talbot to a suitably strong power supply. Also: President Zelensky holds talks in Downing Street about the defence of Ukraine. And Marks and Spencer launches a new training scheme designed for young people struggling to find a job.

Join Scotty and U.K. ultrarunner and TJM Triple Crown winner Chris Miles to discuss his recent 200 mile finish at the Wild Horse 200 in South Wales, as well as his life in running and all the other things.  This is a neat look into the development of 200 mile races in the U.K. and what its like for an everyday runner to tackle them. Learn more about the Wild Horse 200 here (it looks gorgeous):  https://wildhorse200.com Sign up for the Ten Junk Miles races here: https://www.tenjunkmilesracing.com   Join the Official Podcast Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1057521258604634   Support the show via Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/tenjunkmiles   Website: http://www.tenjunkmiles.com/  

The completed station was formally opened for use on 29 May 1854 to link London with the west of England and South Wales, reflecting the broader growth of rail transport during the mid-nineteenth ...

In the battle of South Wales, Wham fan Tricia from Newport takes on Keith in Quakers Yard

Show NotesIn this episode, Simon Western speaks with political theorist and author Professor Brad Evans about the collapse of traditional working-class politics and the growing sense of abandonment across post-industrial communities. Drawing on Brad's experiences growing up in the South Wales Valleys, the conversation explores how solidarity, class identity and community structures have been eroded by deindustrialisation, neoliberalism and the rise of precarious labour. They reflect on why many working-class communities no longer feel represented by progressive politics and why populist movements are gaining traction.Simon and Brad discuss the emotional and political consequences of precarity - from Brexit and nationalism to homelessness, resentment and the rise of the “precariat.” Rather than dismissing people drawn toward nationalist or populist politics, they ask what happens when communities lose dignity, voice and recognition. The conversation challenges simplistic binaries of left and right, arguing instead for deeper listening, political humility, and a renewed understanding of interdependence.The episode also turns toward possibility. Simon introduces ideas from his work on “precarious interdependence,” asking how we might learn to live creatively within uncertainty rather than retreat into fear, certainty, and division. They discuss the role of art, culture, dialogue, and political imagination in creating more humane futures - futures grounded not in nostalgia for the past, but in new forms of solidarity and shared becoming.Key Reflections Working-class communities have not simply lost jobs, but also the social bonds and identities that once gave meaning and solidarity. Populist movements gain power when people feel politically abandoned, unseen and culturally dismissed. Precarity can produce fear and division, but it can also open possibilities for new forms of creativity, mutuality and transformation. Nationalism often emerges in spaces where class consciousness and collective identity have collapsed. Real political dialogue begins when we stop demonising opponents and start listening to the conditions shaping their lives. Art and culture are not luxuries; they are essential for reimagining society and creating empathetic futures. KeywordsPrecarity, Working Class, Nationalism, Populism, Brexit, South Wales, Political Violence, Class Identity, Labour Party,Identity Politics, Mutuality, Interdependence, Neoliberalism, Community, Deindustrialisation, Arts & Politics, Political Agency, Democracy, Social ChangeBrief BioBrad Evans is a Professor of Political Violence & Aesthetics at the University of Bath, United Kingdom. He is the author of 20 books and edited volumes, along with over 150 academic and international media articles. Brad has written extensively on the state of international affairs, while making major theoretical contributions to the understanding of violence. He has previously held positions at the Universities of Bristol and Leeds, and has also taught at Columbia University in New York.Brad is widely known for bringing critical theory into public conversation through projects with The New York Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, and American Book Review. His recent work explores the politics of disappearance, bridging art, academia, and policy through exhibitions, public events, and global collaborations. He is also the founder of the internationally recognised Histories of Violence project, which connects critical research and public dialogue across more than 140 countries.A frequent speaker at institutions including Harvard, NYU, Columbia, UCLA, and the Guggenheim, Brad's work moves between philosophy, politics, art, and lived experience. He is also the author of the acclaimed semi-biographical book How Black Was My Valley, reflecting on growing up in poverty in South Wales. His work and commentary have featured across major global media including the BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Newsweek.

“History is really interesting because it's about people. And people are interesting. So there are plenty of different ways of doing this, and I think there's room for everybody.” — Adrian Goldsworthy The greatest rivalry in antiquity is also uncomfortably relevant to us today. In Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece, the classical scholar Adrian Goldsworthy covers the long fifth century BC, from the Persian Wars that forced Athens and Sparta into alliance, through the Peloponnesian War that set them against each other. The parallels of the rivalry between Sparta and Athens are uncannily relevant today. Goldsworthy traces the NATO-like structure of the Athenian alliance, with its familiar complaint that the allies weren't paying enough. He notes that Athens, which outgrew its ability to grow its own food, had to secure its grain supply from the Black Sea — in the same way as closing the Straits of Hormuz has disrupted modern supply chains. And he observes that the Spartans won the Peloponnesian War by getting Persian money — while the Athenians were doing exactly the same thing. Persia, he notes, is always lurking in the background. There would be no “west” without it. Five Takeaways •       Athens and Sparta: Two Experiments, One Greek Longing: Both city states were driven by the same competitive Greek impulse — the desire to excel, to be the best. But they ran radically different experiments in how to achieve it. Athens: radical democracy, open society, maritime empire, philosophy, drama. Sparta: apartheid military state, in which a tiny Spartan elite was freed from all labour by a vast population of helots, so that they could devote their entire lives to being warriors and citizens. Two models for a polity that still structure political argument today. •       Thucydides: Essential but Embittered: The History of the Peloponnesian War is the essential source — and the problematic one. Thucydides was an Athenian general who failed to save a city from a Spartan-led force and went into exile as a result. He is analytical and apparently balanced in ways that seem modern. But he cannot hide his biases: the demagogue Cleon gets speeches written for him that make him look like a self-interested buffoon. And his silences are as revealing as his words — large events, including an Athenian disaster in Egypt, are mentioned only vaguely. He tells us what he wants to tell. •       The NATO Parallel: They Weren't Paying Enough: The Delian League — the Athenian alliance that emerged after the Persian Wars — has a structural similarity to NATO that Goldsworthy notes carefully. Athens, like the United States, is the dominant naval power that has mobilised for a great threat and then chosen not to demobilise. The allies, like European NATO members in successive administrations' complaints, weren't willing to send ships or men. They'd just send a bit of cash. The Athenian fleet ends up overwhelmingly Athenian. As the threat recedes, the other states increasingly resent the protection they're receiving from it. •       Persia Is Always There: The Spartans won the Peloponnesian War by securing subsidies from the Persian Empire. The Athenians were doing the same thing. The irony: both sides of the Greek world's greatest internal conflict ended up funded by the barbarian power they had united to defeat a generation earlier. Goldsworthy draws the modern parallel delicately: America is now fighting a war in Iran, once known as Persia. Europe chose not to join. The question of who Persia is in any given age is always live. Persia, he says, is always there. It always has been. •       Athens as a Theme Park: The Roman Legacy: In the Roman period, Athens and Sparta became what Goldsworthy calls “university cities or, in Sparta's case, a theme park.” Sparta, having lost any real military or political power, invented a public performance of its old customs — a tourist attraction for Roman visitors who wanted to see the old ways enacted. Athens was a university town for the Roman elite, whose children went there as we might go to Oxford. What we think we know about classical Greece is partly filtered through this late antique nostalgia — a celebration of how great we used to be. About the Guest Adrian Goldsworthy is a historian, novelist, and YouTuber with a DPhil from Oxford. He is the author of Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece (Basic Books, May 12, 2026), Caesar: Life of a Colossus, Augustus: First Emperor of Rome, How Rome Fell, Philip and Alexander, Rome and Persia, and many other books. He lives in Penarth, South Wales. References: •       Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece by Adrian Goldsworthy (Basic Books, May 12, 2026). •       Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War — the essential and problematic source, discussed at length. •       Episode 2897: Patrick Wyman on Lost Worlds — directly referenced in the interview as a contrasting style of history. •       Episode 2892: Jason Pack on the Iran war — the companion episode on the modern Persian conflict, referenced in the interview. About Keen On America Nobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States — hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 2,900 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the most prolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting. WebsiteSubstackYouTubeApple PodcastsSpotify Chapters: 

Eben Upton, founder and chief executive of Raspberry Pi, joins the Big Boss Interview to discuss artificial intelligence, British manufacturing, semiconductors and why he believes there is a growing tendency to overestimate what AI tools can currently do. AI tools are “genuinely incredible”, Upton says, and he uses them regularly himself. But he warns against assuming they remove the need for human judgment, engineering skill or technical understanding. His concern is that the current enthusiasm around AI risks creating the impression that deep technical understanding is becoming less important, when in reality the opposite may be true. Raspberry Pi itself was originally created to reverse collapsing computer science applications at Cambridge University by giving children affordable programmable computers that could encourage them to “accidentally slide into engineering”. Upton's message to young people is simple: “do more maths”. Despite advances in AI, he argues the world will need more engineers, not fewer, and describes engineering as “the most incredible job” where “they pay you money to mess about”. He also reflects on the persistence required to build successful companies, revealing that during Raspberry Pi's early years he repeatedly drifted towards other ideas before family members — particularly his wife and co-founder — pushed him back towards the business that would ultimately become one of Britain's biggest technology success stories. The interview also explores the future of British manufacturing and industrial policy. Upton argues that high energy prices are now the single biggest threat to manufacturing in the UK. Raspberry Pi designs its computers in Cambridge, builds them in Bridgend, South Wales, and carries out plastics moulding in Dudley — operations that rely heavily on automated production and energy-intensive manufacturing.Britain, he warns, risks “quietly electing to move manufacturing and heavy industry out of your country” without properly accounting for the embedded carbon emissions in imported goods. The deeper issue, in his view, is political. Upton describes Britain as suffering from a “distributed failure of will” — an inability to sustain long-term decisions across successive governments. He points to decades of indecision over Heathrow's third runway and repeated delays to nuclear power projects as examples of a country that struggles to commit to major infrastructure over time, despite possessing world-class engineering and industrial capability. The conversation also examines Raspberry Pi's decision to list on the London Stock Exchange rather than in New York. The company floated in June 2024 at a valuation of £542 million and has since grown to more than £1.3 billion. Upton reveals he initially expected to favour a US listing, but meetings with American investors changed his mind. They argued the perceived valuation premium in New York was largely a “cohort effect” and warned that a business of Raspberry Pi's size risked disappearing into the “noise floor” of the US market. Geopolitics also looms large over the semiconductor industry. Raspberry Pi's chips are manufactured by TSMC in Taiwan, and Upton acknowledges the strategic risk posed by tensions around the island. However, he argues the United States cannot realistically allow access to Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturing to disappear, because advanced chipmaking now underpins not only the global economy but the AI revolution itself. Presenter: Fliss Hannah Producer: Olie D'Albertanson Editor: Henry Jones 02:10 What is Raspberry Pi? 03:25 The decline in computer science students 04:56 AI and overestimating these tools 06:26 Startup intensity and pacing yourself 08:08 Listing on the London Stock Exchange 09:21 Luck and serendipity in business 10:23 UK optimism and industrial strength 12:32 Energy costs and manufacturing 15:03 UK infrastructure and political will 18:59 The IPO journey and the multiples gap myth 26:14 Industrial & embedded growth 30:00 Taiwan, TSMC, and geopolitical risk 32:38 Agentic AI and the reality vs the hype 36:57 Advice for young people and the case for mathsPresenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Olie D'Albertanson Editor: Henry Jones

Bethany Handley was always an outdoorsy kid. Climbing mountains, crossing rivers or surfing in the sea near her home in South Wales, she lived and worked in the wild, with a job as an outdoor activity instructor.All that changed in the matter of a few months as illness left her in a wheelchair. Instead of being out and about, she found herself in a rural home where all the paths she once walked were blocked off to her by stiles whose existence she'd once barely noticed.Yet she has been determined not to let that stop her enjoying nature, doing everything she can to get out in the great outdoors — from surfing on a special board adapted for her by her brother, to getting her partner's help to climb ridges in the Black Mountains.We're absolutely delighted that Bethany joined James Fisher for this week's instalment of the Country Life Podcast. She tells her story with grace, honesty and humour — a story she's also shared in a new book, My Body is a Meadow: Finding Freedom in the Outdoors, published on May 7, 2026.Bethany talks about everything from the thoughts that ran through her head as she lay in her hospital bed to the efforts she makes today to campaign for better access to the countryside for the huge number of people in Britain who face problems getting around. It's a fascinating and salutary glimpse into a different life; you'll never take your legs for granted again.My Body is a Meadow: Finding Freedom in the Outdoors by Bethany Handley is published by Headline — you can order a copy here.Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Bethany HandleyProducer and Editor: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's podcast is presented by Theo and Stephen. We hear from: Tim, with worries about what might happen to Tony's £42,000; Ros from South Wales, with questions about the future of Home Farm; Glyn, with thoughts about two distinct elderly father figures Christopher, who thinks that Tom and Natasha's finances are going to be a big story;and finally Witherspoon, with views on Alice and Ruth; And we have an emails from an anonymous Dumteedummer.As usual we'll hear a roundup of the Dumteedum Facebook group, this week from last week's co-presenter Jacquieline, and the Tweets of the Week from Purple Pumpkin; plus the roundup of this Week in Ambridge, from Suey.Please call into the show using this link:www.speakpipe.com/dumteedum Or send us a voicenote via WhatsApp on: +44 7770 764 896 (07770 764 896 if in the UK) – Open the WhatsApp app, key in the number and click on the microphone icon. Or email us at dumteedum@mail.com How to leave a review on Apple podcasts: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/podcasts/pod5facd9d70/mac***** The Patreon feed for Dumteedum is at www.patreon.com/DumteedumPodcast and the subscription rate is £5.00 per calendar month plus VAT. We recommend that you do not sign up to Patreon using the Patreon app, particularly on iPhones and iPads, as Apple appears to be imposing a 50% surcharge which goes to them, not us. The problem doesn't arise if you go to Patreon through a browser - even if you do this on an iPhone, and once you have signed up, you can still use the Patreon app to listen to the ad-free podcasts.***** Also Sprach Zarathustra licence Creative Commons ► Attribution 3.0 Unported ► CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..."You are free to use, remix, transform, and build upon the materialfor any purpose, even commercially. You must give appropriate credit." Conducted byPhilip Milman ► https://pmmusic.pro/ Funded ByLudwig ► / ludwigahgren Schlatt ► / jschlattlive COMPOSED BY / @officialphilman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaega Wise meets chef and broadcaster Matt Tebbutt at home in South Wales, to discuss his "Life Through Food". Matt has been presenting Saturday Kitchen Life on BBC One for almost a decade, but before he was a TV Presenter he worked as a chef - first in professional kitchens in London (he was in fact sacked by Marco Pierre White) and later ran his own gastropub in south Wales. It was his cooking there at The Foxhunter - which he ran with his wife Lisa - that first got him noticed by the media, and an appearance on the second ever series of the Great British Menu. To discover what life is like on set for Matt, Jaega also pays a visit to the studios of Saturday Kitchen Live as they are rehearsing, to see how the live cooking show is put together week after week. She meets the team in the backstage "engine room" - the test kitchen - and discovers what they mean when they talk about "heroes", and finds out what happens at 11.30am after the cameras get turned off. Plus she chats to wine expert Olly Smith about Matt's career and the friendship they've developed while working in food tv. Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

South Wales has been a Labour heartland since the party formed over a century ago, but speak to people there today and you'll find support leaving in droves. So can Labour avoid an electoral car crash? Could the other main parties capitalise? Ahead of the Welsh Senedd elections next week, we travelled to Swansea to take the political temperature.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuests: Professor Matthew Wall, professor of politics, philosophy and international relations at Swansea University and principal investigator of the 2026 Welsh election study.Grant Berni, head of the Osprey's supporters club.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Harry Stott.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: A walk round Pembroke Dock shows why Labour will lose Welsh electionFurther listening: Get ready for a pub brawl, it's local election timePhoto: Getty Images.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Throwbacks are where I re-release old episodes from the archives. So don't worry if you have heard it already, as 'New episodes' will continue to come out on Sundays. To get some of the old episodes heard.~~~Tonight's guest is David in South Wales with a strange encounter in 2007 in a field in Oxfordshire, and the events that followed only sprinkled more high strangeness onto the incident.More information on this episode on the podcast website:https://ufochroniclespodcast.com/ep-235-the-bicester-encounter/Want to share your encounter on the show?Email: UFOChronicles@gmail.comOr Fill out Guest Form:https://forms.gle/uGQ8PTVRkcjy4nxS7Podcast Merchandise:https://www.teepublic.com/user/ufo-chronicles-podcastHelp Support UFO CHRONICLES by becoming a Patron:https://patreon.com/UFOChroniclespodcastX: https://x.com/UFOchronpodcastAll Links for Podcast:https://linktr.ee/UFOChroniclesPodcastThank you for listening!Like share and subscribe it really helps me when people share the show on social media, it means we can reach more people and more witnesses and without your amazing support, it wouldn't be possible.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ufo-chronicles-podcast--3395068/support.

Enroll in our new courses at AHRC: https://www.acidhorizonpodcast.com/The Future in Our Past tells the story of the 1926 General Strike on its centenary. It is a compelling on-the-ground account of how workers brought the country to a standstill for nine extraordinary days. Callum Cant and Matthew Lee take us on a journey through a Britain living on its nerves, from the London docklands to the South Wales coalfields and the railways and warehouses of middle England. Churchill feared that labour militancy presaged a Bolshevik-style revolution. The question of power hung in the air as rank-and-file militants pursued a chaotic, improvised and wildly uneven confrontation with the British ruling class.This is social history at its most immediate and relevant. Cant and Lee revisit the communities where the struggle burned brightest, uncovering the lessons the General Strike holds for labour movements today.Buy the Book: https://www.versobooks.com/products/3483-the-future-in-our-past?srsltid=AfmBOoqbtVwzsZJLvWF-4ecS-vnnrkV7WtRwdBoTNegUHhdXkCjKW_5qSupport the showSupport the podcast:AHRCCurrent classes at Acid Horizon Research Commons (AHRC): acidhorizonresearchcommons.comAHRC Course Archive: https://www.acidhorizonpodcast.com/ahrc-course-archivesSubmit your course proposal: acidhorizonresearchcommons@gmail.comMore LinksWebsite: https://www.acidhorizonpodcast.com/Linktree: https://linktr.ee/acidhorizonAcid Horizon on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/acidhorizonpodcastBoycott Watkins Media: https://xenogothic.com/2025/03/17/boycott-watkins-statement/Subscribe to us on your favorite podcast: https://pod.link/1512615438Merch: http://www.crit-drip.comSubscribe to us on your favorite podcast platform: https://pod.link/1512615438LEPHT HAND: https://www.patreon.com/LEPHTHANDHappy Hour at Hippel's (Adam's blog): https://happyhourathippels.wordpress.com​Split Infinities (Craig's Substack): https://splitinfinities.substack.com/​Music: https://sereptie.bandcamp.com/ and https://thecominginsurrection.bandcamp.com/

EVEN MORE about this episode!Why does success still feel empty—and could a spiritual awakening be the missing piece?Join Julie Ryan and Guy Lawrence as they explore spiritual awakening, alignment, energy, frequency, and how to reconnect with your true purpose.Guy shares how his early work in nutrition—especially around sugar, inflammation, and chronic illness—opened the door to deeper questions about healing, consciousness, and the connection between body, mind, and spirit. What began as a focus on physical health evolved into a profound inner transformation through spiritual practices, plant medicine experiences, and surrendering to a path he never expected.Together, Julie and Guy dive into topics like energy, frequency, synchronicity, and what it truly means to live in alignment with your authentic self. From entrepreneurship and burnout to awakening and purpose, this conversation blends practical insights with spiritual wisdom—offering simple yet powerful tools to help you reconnect, raise your vibration, and create a life that actually feels good. If you've been sensing there's “more” to life, this episode might be exactly what you've been waiting for.Guest Biography:Guy Lawrence is a transformational guide, speaker, and consciousness coach devoted to helping others reconnect with who they truly are beyond fear and limitation. Originally from South Wales, Guy began his career as a tradesman before co-founding the successful Australian health company 180 Nutrition, which quickly grew into a national brand. Despite outward success, a deep inner calling led to a profound spiritual awakening in 2015 that reshaped his life and purpose. Since then, Guy has become a leading voice in personal transformation, hosting the globally recognized Let It In podcast and co-founding Live In Flow, a retreat and coaching community focused on heart-led living and deep inner work. Grounded in lived experience, his work blends spirituality with practical tools to help others heal, grow, and access the wisdom within.Episode Chapters:00:00 Unlocking True Potential17:19 The Journey from Nutrition to Spiritual Healing29:24 The Birth of a Supplement Company29:50 The Awakening to Health Consciousness32:07 Building a Health Supplement Empire34:34 The Search for Deeper Meaning35:59 Exploring Spiritual Practices39:10 The Call to Share Knowledge42:57 Navigating the Path of Healing49:50 Understanding the Energy Field56:01 Shifting Frequencies and Life Changes01:00:19 Aligning with True Self01:03:52 Breaking Free from Conditioning01:04:32 Raising Your Vibration01:07:33 Grounding Techniques for All Environments01:09:26 Transformative Daily Habits01:10:51 The Power of Synchronicity01:12:48 Navigating Entrepreneurial Challenges01:17:58 The Role of Spirit in Our Lives01:20:29 Embracing Life's Experiences01:22:35 Connecting with Future Versions of Ourselves01:24:30 From Intellectual to Experiential Spirituality01:26:04 Daily Questions for Spiritual Alignment01:27:02 The Purpose of Incarnation➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan YouTube➡️Julie's Intuitive Trainings✏️Ask Julie a Question!

Kathy Clugston is joined in the Vale of Glamorgan by Bethan Collerton, Anne Swithinbank and Chris Beardshaw, where they tackle horticultural conundrums from a live audience. inspired by the region's famously fertile landscape - from the mysteries of the old‑fashioned mangelwurzel, to advice for struggling houseplants, and recommendations on how to manage a towering six‑foot cactus. The team also shares practical advice on reviving a neglected greenhouse, caring for a long‑loved pot‑bound rhododendron, and encouraging lemons and limes to ripen in coastal South Wales.Later in the show, Pippa Greenwood offers timely spring guidance on staying ahead of slugs and other emerging pests, helping gardeners protect tender new growth as the season gets underway.Producer: Rahnee Prescod Assistant Producer: William NortonA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4* If listening on BBC Sounds and you wish to view the plant list, please go to the Gardeners' Question Time website and open this week's episode page. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qp2f/episodes/guide