The Bristol Cable

The Bristol Cable
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  1. Unpacked – Heather Williams: trauma, community and healing in south Bristol

    6 DAYS AGO

    Unpacked – Heather Williams: trauma, community and healing in south Bristol

    This week Unpacked gets into the difficult topic of trauma: what is it, who does it effect and how does it manifest? Our guest is someone who speaks wisely both from a personal and professional perspective, on how trauma, passing through generations, can affect not just individuals but entire communities. Heather Williams is CEO of Knowle West Park, and has spearheaded the organisation through a turbulent time in the south Bristol estate in the aftermath of the tragic murders of young boys Max Dixon and Mason Rist. Coming from across the local postcode divide as a longtime Hartcliffe resident, Heather’s approach has been informed by her own 30-year personal journey to break the chains of abuse she experienced as a child. Bringing up her daughter as a young single mother, she became the first member of her family to go to university before moving into community work and then becoming the leader of a local organisation doing vital work around health in its widest sense. In another essential episode, she and Neil get deep into questions of harm, healing, and how people can be empowered to lead their own communities and tell their own stories. Enjoy. The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom – fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible. Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.

    1h 3m
  2. Unpacked – Edson Burton: what is culture and who does it belong to?

    2 MAR

    Unpacked – Edson Burton: what is culture and who does it belong to?

    Dr Edson Burton wears many different hats, both figuratively and literally. He’s a writer, performer, historian, poet, well-dressed man about town, and – as you’ll know if you follow his social channels – physical training enthusiast. So who better to wade into one of the thorniest issues of the day: what is our culture, and who does it belong to? In a freewheeling chat with Neil, Edson speaks about his personal experience of moving between worlds: working-class Bedford roots to academic institutions; Radio 4 to grassroots venues; poetry to dancefloors. Rather than “cutting himself off” from any part of his life, he describes identity as something we carry — and something that keeps evolving. That applies not only to individuals but also Bristol, and to the wider UK as it wrestles with economic and political changes, the temptation of populism and questions over who we even are as a nation now. With our city vying to become UK City of Culture in 2029, Edson and Neil explore how culture can people can get out of their silos and find the things that unite us. It’s an epic chat that Neil admits he'd have happily carried on for another few hours – enjoy. The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom – fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible. Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.

    1h 4m
  3. Unpacked – Joe Joyce: rugby, resilience and returning to the West Country

    16 FEB

    Unpacked – Joe Joyce: rugby, resilience and returning to the West Country

    When you’re known as the ‘King of Southmead’, how does it feel to be copping abuse on social media from the good people of Bristol? That’s the situation that former longtime Bristol Bears lock Joe Joyce, who grew up on the north Bristol estate, has faced this year after it was announced he will return to play rugby in the West Country – for rivals Gloucester. This week, Bristol Unpacked is taking one of its periodic forays into the world of sport as Neil – himself a former sports journalist – sits down with Joe to discuss his return from Connacht in Ireland, as he enters the autumn of his career. What’s it like as a 32-year-old elite sportsperson to confront the fact that your playing days are numbered? What is Joe planning to do next? And how has rugby changed since he got his breakthrough – both in terms of its ties to the public school system and its famous association with hard drinking? Find out on the latest Unpacked – hope you enjoy. The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom – fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible. Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.

    57 min
  4. Unpacked – Ani Townsend: art, inequality and the case for universal basic income

    2 FEB

    Unpacked – Ani Townsend: art, inequality and the case for universal basic income

    Universal basic income means the state providing citizens with a bare-bones income that allows them to survive and keep a roof over their head. It’s an idea that’s been kicking around for decades. But with AI threatening people’s jobs and many arguing the benefits system is not fit for purpose, it’s seeing renewed interest and Bristol councillors passed a motion calling on the council to ask government for a trial here. This would focus on people in the creative sector – an area that’s getting plenty of attention as Bristol bids to be the 2029 UK City of Culture. This week, we’re speaking to the Green politician who put forward that motion, Ani Townsend who represents the Bristol Central ward and has worked for decades as a costume designer and milliner (hat maker). So why does it makes sense to give people free money? Why can supporting the arts sector help address class inequalities? And with the Greens riding high in polls, is leader Zack Polanski’s brand of ‘eco-populism’ is what the left needs in the age of Reform? The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom – fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible. Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.

    1h 3m
  5. Unpacked – Clare Moody: policing, power and a political cancellation

    19 JAN

    Unpacked – Clare Moody: policing, power and a political cancellation

    How does the Labour politician who oversees policing in Avon and Somerset feel about being cancelled by her own party after less than 18 months in office? This week we’re talking to Clare Moody, Avon & Somerset’s police and crime commissioner (PCC), who beat her Conservative predecessor Mark Shelford by 5,000 votes in 2024, albeit on a low turnout of 23%. In November, as we were finalising the guest booking, policing minister Sarah Jones announced that the Starmer government would be scrapping PCCs, which were set up under the Tories in the 2010s, with a statement calling the role a "failed experiment". The Police Federation, which represents the rank and file, backed the move. In this first Unpacked of 2026, Neil asks Moody about whether her job still matters, and what comes next, about the state of policing nationally and here in Bristol, and about what forces need to do to regain the trust of communities they serve. Enjoy. The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom – fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible. Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.

    58 min
  6. Unpacked – Bristol Temple Quarter: can regeneration be inclusive?

    15/12/2025

    Unpacked – Bristol Temple Quarter: can regeneration be inclusive?

    Bristol Temple Quarter is the biggest redevelopment the city has seen in at least a generation, and will transform a vast area around Temple Meads station, St Philips Marsh and the Dings beyond recognition. Much of this has been untouched for decades, and while it’s mostly current or former industrial land, it also sits next-door to some of the city’s poorest communities around Lawrence Hill and Barton Hill. This week on Bristol Unpacked, we talk to the woman overseeing the massive project. Lyn Garner is chair of the Temple Quarter partnership, which brings together the city council, Homes England, Network Rail, and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. So what impact will the Temple Quarter have on the lives of people in the city? What is it going to do for Bristol’s big issues – like housing, jobs, education and transport? And with the plans going big on words like equity and inclusivity, how can these kinds of schemes bring on board and deliver for the people most affected by them? The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom – fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible. Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.

    59 min

  7. 11/12/2025

    We’ve Got Your Boy - Episode 4 - Ain’t No One’s Friend

    Before starting this series, we held a roundtable discussion with experts in the field of youth justice. We spoke about serious violence among young people, the root causes of it, and how it's represented in the media. Media outlets have lots to learn when it comes to rebuilding trust with the communities they serve, including young people. As does the criminal justice system, and the institutions there to protect children. The language we use to describe issues like these is important. In this episode, we explore how newspapers frame incidents of serious youth violence, and the damaging impact of sensationalising stories. ------- Cable members get early access. Not a member yet? Join us and be amongst the first to hear it: https://thebristolcable.org/join/?joinbutton=headerclick  * Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter to stay updated: https://thebristolcable.org/#:~:text=Join%20our%20newsletter-,Get,-the%20essential%20stories * Don't forget to follow our podcast feed so you never miss an episode 🎧 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5AAd4v87ijb0Wfa7jHyrs4 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-bristol-cable/id1718244078 * #Podcast #Investigative #Journalism #Media #education #school

    29 min

  8. 11/12/2025

    We’ve Got Your Boy - Episode 3 - Doli Capax (Capable of ‘Evil’)

    The murder of James Bulger in 1993 by two 10-year-old boys was an horrific act of violence that essentially led to a huge change in the country’s youth justice system: the abolition of the legal term doli incapax (meaning incapable of evil). It meant that children as young as 10 were now deemed capable of committing crime – before then it was 14. Since this shift, England and Wales to this day has one of the lowest ages of criminal responsibility in the world.  In this episode we challenge the thinking that some children are simply ‘just evil’, and that horrific acts of violence aren’t the symptom of a wide and complex web of social problems that underpin them.  Cable members get early access. Not a member yet? Join us and be amongst the first to hear it: https://thebristolcable.org/join/?joinbutton=headerclick  * Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter to stay updated: https://thebristolcable.org/#:~:text=Join%20our%20newsletter-,Get,-the%20essential%20stories * Don't forget to follow our podcast feed so you never miss an episode 🎧 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5AAd4v87ijb0Wfa7jHyrs4 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-bristol-cable/id1718244078 * #Podcast #Investigative #Journalism #Media #education #school

    26 min
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Subscribe to this feed for all your favourite Podcasts from The Bristol Cable published weekly. - People Just Do Something - Bristol Unpacked - The Debrief - Area In Focus

Information

  • Creator
    The Bristol Cable
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    92
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Bristol Cable
  • Show Website
    The Bristol Cable

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