[Bradders]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Showing my podcast naivety I'd never heard of The Bugle! Enjoy Andy Zaltzmann on The News Quiz so that's perfect. Loads of others to go at to. Cheers!

If you end up enjoying the Bugle, I’d recommend going back to the older ones where it was Andy and John Oliver hosting. The current stuff is good, but the older stuff was often excellent.

Wanted to say thanks for this recommendation. I don't know how I've not come across The Bugle before, but I'm wondering where it's been all my life and am thoroughly glad that at least I can catch up now. There was a moment in episode 31 (I think) just now featuring a continuation of a joke about the Queen which was so funny I had to pull my car over to mop the tears out of my eyes.

[TobyD]

Marianne in Conspiracyland on BBC sounds, a listenable series which reports on the rise of qanon style weirdness (some pretty worrying), initially in Totnes,  Devon.  The journalist is excellent,  I think; I like her reporting on Americast and this.

[Ged]

Any opportunity for a Newton abbot lad to have a dig at Totnes eh?!

[TobyD]

Any opportunity for a Newton abbot lad to have a dig at Totnes eh?!

Anything to uncover the hippie anti vaxxers.

[slab_happy]

I saw the news from Russia this morning and was overcome by a sudden strong desire to relisten to the Hardcore History eps on the ancient Roman civil wars, because "someone with a private army rebels and may now be marching on the capital" certainly rings some bells.

[petejh]

Taking Rostov the crossing of the Rubicon, Prigozhin the Caesar, Putin the Pompey? Pretty low rent versions.

[jwi]

Prigozhin is more Flavius Odoacer than Julius Caesar.

[stone]

These are 14min mini-podcasts about the first set of Reith Lectures in the 1950s. They have a current expert on the subject of each commenting on what was said in the Lecture back then. I thought it was a fascinating mix of the history and the subject matter. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09756z3/episodes/player

[SA Chris]

https://play.acast.com/s/realscienceofsport/theshoethatmayhavechangedrunningforever

Not sure if this should go here, or in the "..runners" thread, but interesting thoughts about "supershoes".

[Steve R]

Are there any funny podcasts out there?  Comedy is very subjective of course and I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for.... probably something fairly stupid and also apolitical.

[edshakey]

Not exactly a left field suggestion, but I find Off Menu (James Acaster and Ed Gamble) is often pretty funny, if slightly guest dependent. 200 episodes, I'm sure you'll be able to find one that you enjoy! (Unless you dislike the hosts, in which case fair enough, you're out of luck.)

[stone]

Are there any funny podcasts out there?  Comedy is very subjective of course and I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for.... probably something fairly stupid and also apolitical.

I was once on a long car journey with someone who played the Blackadder sound tracks from a cassette tape. I was astonished at how well it worked without the visuals. If anything it was funnier than seeing it on TV. I just saw it is still available on CD from Amazon. I guess some sort of file must be out there too.

[webbo]

I’ve got Bleak Expectations on cd it’s a BBC production, so it might be on the Iplayer somewhere.

[SA Chris]

Are there any funny podcasts out there?  Comedy is very subjective of course and I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for.... probably something fairly stupid and also apolitical.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b04fh2sw

These would fit the bill. Sadly some of the older ones have disappeared

[tommytwotone]

The Unbelievable Truth (comedy panel show with David Mitchell chairing) is a regular listen of mine.

Have mentioned on here but the Rule Of Three podcast (comedians deconstructing their favourite comedy) is great - the Frasier (Miles Jupp) and Airplane (Charlie Brooker) ones are brilliant.

[Stabbsy]

I've just started listening to Written in Stone from Kris Hampton (Power Company Climbing).

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/written-in-stone-climbings-most-important-ascents/id1710771665

Maybe a bit too American for my tastes, but I do love a bit of climbing history. Routes covered so far - Masse Critique (1st female F8b+) and Hubble. Latest episode is Action Directe. Couple of episodes on each route - a bit about the route's history and then an interview with someone (not the ascensionist) on how that route influenced them or why it was an important route for them. Hubble interviews were Buster Martin and Steve McClure.

No idea what the remaining routes in the series are going to be, but I'd guess Lynn Hill on the Nose, Tribout on Just Do It, one of the Alex Huber routes, Fred Rouhling and maybe Fred Nicole will be in there.

[lukeyboy]

I've just started listening to Written in Stone from Kris Hampton (Power Company Climbing).

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/written-in-stone-climbings-most-important-ascents/id1710771665

Maybe a bit too American for my tastes, but I do love a bit of climbing history. Routes covered so far - Masse Critique (1st female F8b+) and Hubble. Latest episode is Action Directe. Couple of episodes on each route - a bit about the route's history and then an interview with someone (not the ascensionist) on how that route influenced them or why it was an important route for them. Hubble interviews were Buster Martin and Steve McClure.

No idea what the remaining routes in the series are going to be, but I'd guess Lynn Hill on the Nose, Tribout on Just Do It, one of the Alex Huber routes, Fred Rouhling and maybe Fred Nicole will be in there.

I've really enjoyed these too. Great for those who like their 90s climbing history.

[stone]

I've been listening to this ongoing series about the UK Labour Party from 2015 until the present day. I realise the subject matter won't be of interest to everyone but I'm fascinated. It has great interviews with some key insiders (though with some notable absences, sadly).
https://shows.acast.com/eight-years-hard-labour

My overall feeling is that the whole story is a sobering reality check as to how much democratic choice the UK public are allowed. Especially now that Labour are ruling out polices that have widespread popular support (eg increased taxes for the very richest, ending the farcical gouging by creditors/owners of water utilities etc etc).

[stone]

 Mariana Mazzucato speaks really clearly in this Nick Robinson interview. She's a bit of a hero of mine in terms of public policy thinking. She basically makes the points that I struggle to articulate in any of the discussions that touch on public policy in other threads.   
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001wr1r

[remus]

A bit drab, but a rare discussion about some of Sharmas hard deep water solos in Mallorca with Matty Hong.

 https://open.spotify.com/episode/1UUMld7UD0oY7lVBNcCXUx?si=f444d7260c754e43

[Fultonius]

Been quite liking Macrodose economics podcast from James Meadway.

Last episode cover Thames Water, which seems like it might strike a chord given the disucssionson the Crag X Bridge:

https://twitter.com/macrodosepod/status/1775523928179392535

Also some stuff on AI Colonialism.

[stone]

It feels like a sort of sliding door situation where slight slips in the trajectory of history have meant that instead of James Meadway's good sense determining UK public policy, we are instead faced with what we are faced with 

[TobyD]

The Rest is Entertainment is a great listen. Richard Osman and Marina Hyde discuss some surprising and interesting things around TV,  books, film, sports and celebrity amongst others.  Recently,  amusing data on viewing preference by voting intentions (most Labour show: Taskmaster,  most Conservative show: Strictly come dancing), where TV and film productions get newborn babies from for birth scenes and how most films are now based on existing IP such as comic book characters,  children's toys etc.

[lukeyboy]

Recently,  amusing data on viewing preference by voting intentions (most Labour show: Taskmaster,  most Conservative show: Strictly come dancing)

Ha that's a funny stat. And nail on the head for me at least 

[TobyD]

Recently,  amusing data on viewing preference by voting intentions (most Labour show: Taskmaster,  most Conservative show: Strictly come dancing)

Ha that's a funny stat. And nail on the head for me at least 

It's worth listening to the most recent episode with this in it; Osman reckons Labour will win an election because in 2019 the Conservatives were ahead by a good few points with Strictly viewers, and now Labour leads even with Strictly viewers, just by less than every other show. Labour even leads on Clarkson's Farm...

The show which has viewers exactly reflective of national polls is... University Challenge! (weirdest stat of them all?)