PODCASTS/AUDIOBOOKS

My Dream Dinner Party BBC Sounds, review by Yvette Huddleston

A new series of this wonderfully inventive, immersive series in which celebrities are given the opportunity to host a dinner party with their dream guests, thanks to the magic of the extensive BBC sound archive. In the opening episode Madness lead singer Suggs gathers together a fascinating bunch, all longtime heroes, to share an imaginary meal with him. They are the poet John Betjeman, iconic singer songwriters Aretha Franklin and Amy Whitehouse, reggae legend Bob Marley and politician and diarist Tony Benn. They are movingly brought back to vivid life to discuss a variety of subjects including fathers, the poetry of London, the search for goodness and the lyrics of love. There is also a surprise appearance from a comedy legend.

Great Uncle Harry: A Tale of War and Empire Various platforms, review by Yvette Huddleston

Michael Palin tells the moving story of his great Uncle Harry who he never met as he was killed as a young man in the Battle of the Somme during the First World War. In a combination of biography, history and personal memoir, Palin explores, through official documents, family letters and Harry’s own diaries and postcards, the extraordinary life of an ordinary man. In the opening episode Palin describes how he first discovered his grandfather had a brother and then goes on to describe Harry’s early life as the seventh child of a Herefordshire vicar. In subsequent episodes Palin traces Harry’s career prior to the Great War which included spells working on a tea plantation in India and as a farmhand in New Zealand.

How to Win a Campaign BBC Sounds, review by Yvette Huddleston

Cleo Watson, former Downing Street strategist and adviser to Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings, looks at the complex art of political campaigning. Over the past ten years or so there have been many tests of our electoral system, with various votes people put to the people. They include the general elections of 2015, 2017 and 2019, as well as the divisive 2016 EU referendum. Watson speaks to the significant operators behind some of the biggest political campaigns of recent times to try and find out how and why the campaigns were a success or a failure. Among the topics discussed along the way are the role of the traditional media as well as social media and what part the personalities of our politicians play.

Sidetracked with Annie and Nick BBC Sounds, review by Yvette Huddleston

This new weekly music-themed podcast hosted by Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw promises to be highly entertaining. The pair will take a look back over the week’s events and most compelling stories in the world of music and culture with the help of industry experts, artists and listeners. It is light-hearted, bantery fun – Annie and Nick are old friends and there is a sparky chemistry between them that works well on air – and, as the title suggests, there will be plenty of opportunity to get sidetracked along the way. There will also be forthright, honest opinions on things Annie and Nick have enjoyed (and not enjoyed) in the past week. Both are passionate about music, so expect well-informed discussions and lots of fun.