I am always a fan of starting these newsletters with an emoji. With the Winter Olympics kicking off this weekend, there\u2019s an abundance to choose from\ud83e\udde4\u2744\ufe0f\u2603\ufe0f \ud83e\udd76\ud83c\udfc2\ud83c\udfd4\ufe0f\ud83c\udfbf<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Winter Olympic Mile<\/strong><\/a> will be giving daily updates of the latest sporting action from Beijing, as a lot of the sporting action will be taking place in the overnight hours. There are in depth interviews with British hopefuls and celebrated Olympians too, including bobsledder Greg Cackett, speed skaters Kathryn Thomson and Niall Treacy and celebrated gold medalist Lizzy Yarnold. For more insight into the other contenders from around the world to look out for, there\u2019s the Olympic Channel Podcast<\/strong><\/a> too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There will also be a lot of discussion in the next two weeks about these Games in light of human rights abuses in Xinjiang and restrictions of freedoms in Hong Kong. ThinkIn with James Harding<\/strong><\/a>, by the publisher Tortoise, has recently released an interesting six part series exploring these issues and more. The Economist Podcast<\/strong><\/a> has a recent episode looking at the tight security surrounding these Games, and how it ensures that China is seen in the way the country wants to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we crack on with this week\u2019s recommendations\u2026<\/em> A few weeks ago in this Great British Podcast newsletter we mentioned that the team behind Dan Snow\u2019s History Hit<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>are going on an expedition to Antarctica to track down the lost ship Ernest Shackleton\u2019s Endurance. Just to let you know that Expedition22<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>has officially kicked off this week with a special episode of what to look out for. Make sure you pack your thermals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NOTABLE NAMES ON PODCASTS THIS WEEK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have listened to a great guest on a podcast, let us know by filling in <\/strong>this form<\/strong><\/a> and it might get featured in an upcoming newsletter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are our podcast picks for the week ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want your podcast featured, or you have a great recommendation, all you need to do is fill in this <\/strong>simple form<\/strong><\/a> and might get featured in a future newsletter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Glasgow Crime Stories<\/strong><\/a> – <\/strong>The Glasgow Times are behind this well-researched and intriguing crime podcast, which tells you notorious crime stories from Glasgow\u2019s past in twenty minute chunks. There\u2019s a lot of interesting stories here, starting here with a look at the life of the well known crime \u2018godfather\u2019 Arthur Thomson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Until his death in 1993, Thomson was feared by many in the city. His gangs were heavily involved heavily in violence, extortion and illegal casinos. He also laundered money from his criminal enterprises in legitimate businesses, from garages and carpet showrooms. As you\u2019ll hear in this story, he was also an ally to the Kray Twins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a genius bit of casting, Taggart star Alex Norton is providing the narration for the series. You might not have ever visited the great city of Glasgow, but don\u2019t let that stop you from dipping into the story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Doctor Next Door<\/strong><\/a> – <\/strong>After becoming friends with leading cardiologist Dr Neil Srinivasan, the broadcaster Dave Berry has become fascinated with the healthcare industry. In this podcast Berry asks questions he has always wanted to know about the medical world, along with contributions sent in from listeners. There\u2019s a lot of talk about explanations about how different parts of the body work, a lot of health myths debunked and some advice on general healthcare and wellbeing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It has a relaxed and informative style, opening the world of healthcare a bit but not too much. This is perhaps a good audio series to get stuck into before watching the television adaptation of the celebrated Adam Kay book This Is Going To Hurt<\/em> next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melanin & Me<\/strong><\/a> – <\/strong>This podcast, presented by Rae and Ash, covers topics around the Black British experience and its connection to health, career progression and mental health. They have a great selection of guests too. A recent episode included a conversation with Dr. Gbemisola-David West, who talked about structural inequalities within healthcare. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their most recent episode explores the reasons why Black and Asian women are four times more likely to die in childbirth or pregnancy. \u201cIt is really complex and we still don\u2019t know why it is that Black and Asian women are dying at higher rates compared to their white counterparts,\u201d Gbemisola-David West says. \u201cWe know that there is probably an element of racism in there, if not on a personal level but maybe an institutional level. Can every Black or Asian woman accessing that care, do we access it in the same way? Is there trust between patients and their doctors if they don\u2019t look like them, or is there a lack of understanding of the different cultures?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Jimmy\u2019s Farm<\/strong><\/a> – <\/strong>Our final podcast this week comes from the ecologist and farmer Jimmy Doherty, who has got a new podcast that delves into sustainable living, as well as businesses that are trying to make a difference. A decent and interesting selection of guests too, from Sir Tim Smit on how the Eden Project has changed and evolved over the past twenty years, to \u2018Ecoprener\u2019 Eshita Kabra-Davies on the new trend of renting, rather than buying, your clothes. The emphasis in the podcast is that small differences in our habits can collectively make a big difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to hear some great podcasts (instead of just reading about them) I was back on BBC Radio 4\u2019s Podcast Radio Hour<\/strong><\/a> this week with some choices for February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Podcasts include Feast is Feast with Big Zuu,<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>Go Love Yourself<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>with Laura Adlington and Lauren Smith, <\/strong>Panic Room<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>with John Robins and Jess Robinson\u2019s Stars in Your Ears<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>We also spoke to Moya Lothian-Mclean about Human Resources<\/strong><\/a>, Scott Mills about his new podcast Pop 101<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>and Helena Merriman about Room 5<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n