The Untold

BBC Radio 4

4.4 (160)
PERSONAL JOURNALS

A series documenting the untold dramas of 21st-century Britain.

19/12/2022

Can Kwame keep his club open?

The Jago is one of the few black-owned clubs left in Dalston, East London. When Kwame took it over in 2018 his idea was to make it a space for community – whether giving grassroots musicians and DJs a place to start nights or providing a food bank for local residents. But as the cost of living starts to bite, a noise complaint that could cost thousands to resolve makes Kwame wonder whether he can afford to keep the club open while staying true to his values. Produced and presented by Emily Dicks

28 min
12/12/2022

Life After Long Covid

Zoe’s not entirely sure how to make sense of the last couple of years. But she’s going to give it a go. This is her story of the good, the bad and the ugly everydayness of life with Long Covid. Via life-saving phone calls, cloud-gazing park walks, homeschooling squabbles, summer holidays that don't feel like summer holidays, and lots of lying in bed. And now it's December 2022, over two and a half years after Zoe first got ill. Life is not all Christmas chocolate boxes and Ding Dong Merrily on High. It’s still really hard sometimes. But it is getting easier. There is singing and music-making again. There is hope. Programme image by Zoe's daughter Clara, age 9. Produced by Becky Ripley.

28 min
28/11/2022

The Prayer Wall

Richard Gamble believes God has given him a mission: to build a huge national monument, made from a million bricks, each representing an answered Christian prayer. It seems an impossible task for a sports chaplain who has no experience of construction. And yet over the past eight years, he's managed to pull together a project team, raise thousands of pounds and launch a global design competition with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). But before a single brick can be laid, they need to secure a site to lay it. Richard hopes lie in the Edmistons - a family multimillionaires and evangelical Christians, who own extensive land in the West Midlands. Will his hopes be realised? Will he find a home for the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer? Producer: Becca Bryers

27 min
21/11/2022

Three Sides of a Crisis: Part 1

Over the coming weeks, the Untold follows three individuals as they experience the cost of living crisis this autumn. We hear from a barrister in Manchester who is stepping out on strike action for the first time. We visit a pawnbroker's and her customers as they part with their belongings to pay the bills; and a father praying for a coal mine to open in Cumbria and provide jobs for his community to rely on. Producers: Sam Peach, Sarah Bowen and Neil McCarthy

28 min
21/11/2022

Three Sides of a Crisis: Part 2

Continuing three parallel stories of the cost of living crisis. Join a striking barrister, a miner hoping to work again and the customer of a pawnbroker's as they make ends meet.

28 min
21/11/2022

Three Sides of a Crisis: Part 3

Concluding a sequence of stories offering three different perspectives of the cost of living crisis. In Whitehaven, West Cumbria, Neil receives an update on whether a new coal mine will in in the town. He and his son both aspire to work there if the pit receives approval. Fighting for the mine to be rejected is Maggie, an environmental activist who has dedicated years of her life to opposing the project. A Barrister Aisha adjusts to a new reality following strike action and in Eastbourne, East Sussex, the customers of a pawnbrokers face up to using the shop as financial support for the coming winter. Producers: Neil McCarthy, Sarah Bowen and Sam Peach

27 min
31/10/2022

Quest for the Pink-Headed Duck

Finding the long-lost pink-headed duck has been Richard's obsession for twenty years.

27 min
17/10/2022

Lions, Lemurs and Lindsay

In 2011 Lindsay McKenna was running corporate workshops from her farm in Ross-on-Wye. An animal lover as a child, when Lindsay came across a raccoon living in squalid conditions she offered to take it. But this was just the beginning. As word spread, Lindsay discovered more and more exotic animals in trouble. Today her farm is home to almost 200 exotic animals including Lemurs, Lynx, Mountain Lions, Coatis and Servals. Lindsay gave up her corporate work to look after these animals, but with food and energy costs on the rise things may need to change. Toby Field joins Lindsay as she prepares her feed mixes, and finds out why she refuses to let these animals become exhibits. There's a close encounter with a Mountain Lion, and some Capybara provide an unlikely backdrop to discussions about barn insulation and growing your own produce. Toby watches as Lindsay and her colleague Adrian capture Rudy the Wallaby for a trip to the vet, and Lindsay's husband Frank and daughter Caitlin talk about the origins and future of this extraordinary place. Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Toby Field.

28 min

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4.4

out of 5

160 Ratings

Interesting Listen

02/02/2019

Wozzaman1965

Excellent podcast. Many varied subjects some of which may not initially attract the listener, but each has ended up being a compelling listen. Particularly enjoyed the dementia & farming episodes. Hope there will be more to follow
Boy next door

02/08/2021

Quamistiuokshuio

Had hoped to hear an inspiring story of a strong independent educated woman revealing her vulnerability during lockdown yet managing to hold it together and survive. Instead, she settles for an uneducated, uninspiring neighbour just because he happens to be male and available during lockdown, despite being so obviously wrong for her in every way. Where are the stories of women who don’t settle for average men? Who can navigate through life alone because they refuse to settle for men who absolutely are not a perfect fit? Who are capable of living alone and bringing meaning to their life without compromising their freedom and self respect. We need to change the narrative. This was a cliche and not the sort of life message I would want my daughter to hear.
Adult goods

11/07/2021

Peterbees

Adult ways to get it right
The Untold

01/02/2020

LizMac42

Love this podcast but why hasn't itunes got the last two weeks's programmes broadcast on Radio 4 - ??