Just Buffering - A light-hearted look at the week's news

Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter
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Just Buffering is a relaxed, light-hearted weekly podcast where two old friends, Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter, take a sideways look at the week's news. With decades of broadcasting experience between them, Steve and Gordon bring warmth, wit, and a reassuringly familiar style to the stories everyone's talking about — from the headlines that matter to the ones that simply make you smile. It's informed without being heavy, entertaining without trying too hard, and always delivered with a touch of humour and perspective. Think of it as the kind of conversation you'd enjoy over a cup of tea… if it just happened to be recorded in a studio. New episodes every week.

  1. 1d ago

    TRUMP, TAX RISES & AI — WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

    Are there any honest politicians left? And can artificial intelligence be trusted any more than the people running the country? Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter return with another lively edition of Just Buffering, taking their weekly sideways look at the news, politics and the increasingly baffling world around us. This week, Donald Trump's latest manoeuvres involving Putin and diesel prices come under scrutiny. With American midterm elections approaching, is Trump playing politics with the price of fuel? Back in Britain, the forthcoming Budget has Steve and Gordon wondering where the next tax rises might come from. Could the banks be in the firing line, and will ordinary taxpayers end up footing the bill? Meanwhile, Reform UK faces more controversy, the Green Party gets a roasting, and Andy Burnham's relationship with Manchester City sparks a debate about politicians, football and media sensationalism. And then there's artificial intelligence. Steve has been experimenting with ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, with some rather alarming results. If three AI systems can't agree, which one should you believe? There's also Ukraine, Zelenskyy, the Strait of Hormuz, Harry and Meghan, and the discovery of a mysterious green planet. Two old broadcasters. Plenty of opinions. Absolutely no guarantee they'll agree. It's Just Buffering — news, views and a few laughs with Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter. 🎧 Listen now at justbuffering.com

  2. Oct 2

    Burnham's Budget, Trump Trouble & The AI Revolution

    This week on Just Buffering, Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter tackle another packed week of headlines with plenty of laughs along the way. This week's conversation includes: • Andy Burnham's latest economic proposals and whether Britain can really afford them. • Growing concerns over energy prices and the cost of living. • Donald Trump continues making headlines in America. • Security concerns surrounding RAF bases. • The future of pensions and whether the triple lock can survive. • AI, technology and whether we're ready for what's coming next. • Great TV returns including The Traitors and Wargames. • Plane safety, global tensions and Putin's latest threats. Plus the usual sideways look at the week's news, a few questionable jokes and two old blokes trying to make sense of it all. 🎙 Just Buffering – News, views and a few laughs every week. Leave us a voice message at JustBuffering.com and you might feature in a future episode.

  3. Sep 24

    Burnham, Trump & the Rise of AI

    Just Buffering - A light-hearted look at the week's news

  4. Sep 17

    Burnham's Budget, Trump's Promises & AI Panic

    This week on Just Buffering, Steve and Gordon are back after a short break and there's plenty to catch up on. Andy Burnham warns of tough budget decisions, Reform's finances continue to make headlines, and Donald Trump is making yet more extraordinary promises ahead of the US midterms. The pair also debate whether AI really is the biggest threat facing us, discuss Ed Sheeran's American tour controversy, ask whether modern protest movements actually achieve anything, and wonder if politicians have completely lost touch with reality. Plus... King Charles hosts AI leaders, oil prices surge again, the world's black pudding throwing trophy is finally found, and Gordon discovers the only walking joke that's guaranteed to leave you 25 miles from home. News, opinion, laughter... and the occasional technical difficulty.

  5. Aug 28

    Slow News... Big Opinions

    It's the summer holiday lull, but there's still plenty for Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter to get their teeth into. This week the pair discuss Donald Trump's latest headlines, political manoeuvring in both the UK and US, soaring energy prices, immigration policy, and whether governments are making promises they can actually afford to keep. There's also debate over Andy Burnham's latest proposals, social media for under-16s, AI and data centres, autonomous taxis, Wetherspoons banning loudspeaker phone calls, the return of Top Gear, The Traitors, and even the possibility of eating biscuits made from recycled plastic. Another week of news, opinion, humour and the occasional rant from two broadcasters who aren't afraid to say exactly what they think.

  6. Aug 21

    Pamphlets, Pints & Political Promises

    This week on Just Buffering, Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter tackle another packed week of news, opinion and the occasional rant. The pair discuss the controversial migrant information pamphlet, rising inflation, Andy Burnham's latest promises, and whether government spending is getting out of control. They also look at Harry and Meghan's reported return to the UK, Angela Rayner's donation controversy, Donald Trump's White House departures, and the BBC legal battle. There's plenty of lighter relief too, including Wetherspoons' crackdown on speakerphone users, some truly unbelievable 999 emergency calls, and the remarkable bricklaying world record that rounds off another week of news viewed through the Just Buffering lens.

  7. Aug 14

    Heatwaves, Eclipses & Political Firestorms

    This week on Just Buffering, Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter tackle another packed week of headlines. The pair reflect on Britain's spectacular solar eclipse and the surprising number of people who managed to injure themselves trying to watch it. They also discuss the UK's fifth heatwave in a row, wildfires, buckled railway lines, water shortages and whether Britain's infrastructure is coping with extreme weather. Politics dominates the agenda as they examine the Clacton by-election, Nigel Farage's latest victory, renewed scrutiny over political donations, Andy Burnham's handling of migration and sentencing policy, plus the wider debate surrounding asylum, borders and Britain's international obligations. Across the Atlantic, Donald Trump's press team is changing, questions continue over events in the Middle East, and Steve and Gordon wonder whether America's political landscape is becoming any calmer. There's also time for a lighter look at neighbourly etiquette, the surprising things that cause disputes next door, and an astonishing story involving Royal Navy technology and unexpected communications with China. As always, it's two experienced broadcasters taking a humorous, opinionated and occasionally irreverent look at the stories making the headlines.

  8. Aug 7

    Binface, Blackouts & Big Promises

    Just Buffering – Week Commencing 3rd August 2026 Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter return with another fast-moving, opinionated look at the week's biggest talking points. This week the duo tackle the increasingly bizarre Clacton by-election and ask whether Count Binface could end up being the biggest winner of all. They debate Nigel Farage's proposal to use the Royal Navy to tackle illegal Channel crossings and discuss whether Britain is losing control of its borders. Elsewhere, Andy Burnham's latest prison release proposals come under the spotlight, while FIFA's latest money-making plans leave Steve and Gordon asking whether football has finally become all about profit rather than the fans. They also examine the Government's creative accounting, the suggestion that wealthy people should simply donate more money to the Treasury, London's proposed ban on "vertical drinking", and whether Britain's electricity network is heading towards future blackouts. Finally, the pair explore the astonishing pace of artificial intelligence after reports of AI helping to develop new immunisation research—and ask whether the technology could just as easily create tomorrow's biggest threats. As always, it's two old broadcasters putting the world to rights, with plenty of laughs, strong opinions and the occasional sideways glance at the headlines. Join the conversation! Visit JustBuffering.com to leave a 60-second voice message or send the team an email—you might even feature in a future episode.

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About

Just Buffering is a relaxed, light-hearted weekly podcast where two old friends, Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter, take a sideways look at the week's news. With decades of broadcasting experience between them, Steve and Gordon bring warmth, wit, and a reassuringly familiar style to the stories everyone's talking about — from the headlines that matter to the ones that simply make you smile. It's informed without being heavy, entertaining without trying too hard, and always delivered with a touch of humour and perspective. Think of it as the kind of conversation you'd enjoy over a cup of tea… if it just happened to be recorded in a studio. New episodes every week.

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