It’s part two of our bumper double Christmas Special! True ‘heads’ will remember us chatting to TV producer Adam Tandy on episode 1 of Shift Run Stop , an astonishing 12 years ago. Well, he’s back with tales of his adventures in the intervening years, including making The Detectorists, Inside Number 9 and the recent League of Gentlemen episodes. On the 40th anniversary of the BBC Micro we reminisce about our (and your!) favourite games and Micro memories. Thanks to everyone who sent in their mem...
Dec 22, 2021
We have a special treat for you this year. A two-parter! Think of it as two halves of a glorious cracker, two stockings on a fireplace, two brussels sprouts rolling slowly under the fridge. In this episode we get to know comedian, writer, presenter and geek songstress Helen Arney of The Festival of the Spoken Nerd . Geek holidays, live music, BBC Micro memories – there’s so much in these episodes that we’ve made a LIST and checked it twice (the first time we turned up a Syntax Error At Line 320,...
Dec 22, 2021
You climbed into your hosts' laps and, in a small voice, politely asked for an episode that will make this dreary Christmas temporarily more fun. Well, ask and you shall receive! Ho ho ho! No need for social distancing in the SRS grotto. The gifts have been sanitised, the Amazons have been Primed, even the weird lap thing is well-established. But open this quickly anyway; the police are on their way. Join Roo, Leila and Lee alongside many familiar voices and a couple of unfamiliar ones in this v...
Dec 17, 2020
Isolation continues, but we continue to defy the microbe by finding fresh ways to connect with you across the airwaves. This time we take to live-streaming service Twitch for a special interactive episode of Shift Run Stop. Obviously it's not live now, but don't worry if you missed it: next time you're washing your hands just shout any questions or thoughts for us down the plughole. Alternatively, bang them out in morse code on the radiator pipes. We won't hear you, but it'll feel more interacti...
May 18, 2020
It's been a long time, but like your geek guardian angels or an unwanted announcement from a Government official, Leila and Roo can always be relied upon to emerge at times of crisis to interrupt your day. Whether you're staying in at home or staying in at home, this special isolation edition of Shift Run Stop is for you. No pandemic can stop us (though a couple of years of completely normal life apparently could). Sit back, relax, and allow us to fill your empty toilet roll holders with reams o...
Apr 03, 2020
The ice is retreating, finally. To celebrate Aslan's return, your hosts gather in a pub at a noisy train station on one of the snackiest times of the year, with chocolate animal parts, questionable caramel, and a surprisingly tricky Easter-themed movie quiz, specially created for Roo, by Leila and Lee. With only a gossamer thread linking most of the questions to the theme, you're challenged to play along at home. How much do you know about Howard the Duck, Donnie Darko and Chicken Run? Egg-celle...
Mar 31, 2018
What’s that I hear? Is it sleigh bells in the distance? Well, clear the snow off the roof and put a sherry out for Leila and Roo, and a carrot out for Lee, because another Shift Run Stop Christmas Special is about to land, and we’re ready to force some goodies down your ear chimney. For the first time since, let’s face it, last year’s Christmas special, your ageless hosts meet in a top London location to catch up. Join us as we eat a Santa’s sack full of snacks, take some listener questions, and...
Dec 14, 2017
Yes, OK, it's been a little while. Alright a big while. Other podcasts have come and gone. World leaders have come and gone. But wait patiently enough, resist the urge to unsubscribe on iTunes, and when you least expect it there we suddenly are, streaking across your downloads like "dirty snowball" Halley's Comet, grit, chocolate wrappers and the stench of ammonia following in our wake. Thanks for sticking around. It's Christmas, so top of the agenda, naturally , is the new Independence Day movi...
Dec 12, 2016
Yes, alright, it's been a while, but we're back with an earnest pledge to try to produce at least two shows this year. There are snacks, sickness and surprises, and Lee joins us again, of course. There's talk of fatherhood, films and the Marvel universe, a Minority Report from physicist Alby Reid , a real life field trip to Tim Hunkin 's wonderful new Novelty Automation gallery in London, an incredible gift from a listener, and some very special music by our pal LJ Rich ... More photos from this...
Feb 22, 2015
Your hosts gather outside, once again, to take in the park's field sports and open-air cocktail artists. There's a field trip to the seaside, far too many sweets , an effervescent revival , and nothing short of a miracle as we carefully manage to avoid spoilers while chatting about recent geek movie releases. Here's one to try "at home" without looking at the IMDB: who played Grotbags ? Links: Roo's 'Beardy Dads' podcast | Hack Circus | Roo's newsletter | Leila's newsletter | The SRS forum | @Sh...
Apr 03, 2014
It's Shift Run Stop al fresco season again so your hosts meet in a park to come clean about their geeky hobbies. Chat covers public lock-picking, 8-bit graphics, DIY effects pedals, Hack Circus and the meditative power of geekiness. Our resident Charlie Bucket, Lee stops by with some Wonka bars and edible pebbles, while fresh from her second Hack Circus event in Sheffield, Leila brings a reality-themed quiz . Or does she? Links: Roo's 'Beardy Dads' podcast | Hack Circus | Roo's newsletter | Leil...
Mar 20, 2014
The first episode of Red Dwarf; the first episode of Shift Run Stop since Roo became a dad , and the first outdoor recording of the year. Your hosts have watched a bit too much Red Dwarf over the years: finally an opportunity to share our knowledge and opinions. Stick on your H, pour yourself a lager and line up Red Dwarf episode 1 . Links: The Red Dwarf episode we're watching | The picture of Wittgenstein that was defaced with an 'H' in Leila's philosophy seminar | Roo's 'Beardy Dads' podcast |...
Mar 06, 2014
Christmas comes around quickly in "Shift Run Stop years", and here we are again, just five episodes later, with holiday snackfood and 45 minutes of talking about, around and over an early episode of The X Files. Crackers! You won't believe your mince pies! It's time for films, games, festive chain cafes, and partially melted snowmen to a backdrop of murderous – yet strangely sympathetic – monsters. Have a great Christmas, whatever you're doing, and we'll be back in the New Year for your liver. L...
Dec 19, 2013
With All Hallows' Eve nearly upon us, it's time for the yearly testing of seasonal spooky snacks. We learned that there are a lot of them. We also talk about Hack Circus , Iceland, Tom Cruise, costumes, listener correspondence and lots more besides. Links: Roo's newsletter | Leila's newsletter | The SRS forum | @ShiftRunStop | Hack Circus | Buy a tape of this episode, or any other....
Oct 24, 2013
It's back to school time, and as the summer draws to a close, chat turns to our memories of school days. How is it possible your hosts both know the same playground games and rhymes despite growing up in different parts of the country? Do you know them too? Did your school have a haunted tower? Elsewhere, on a hot, noisy London roundabout, Roo and Leila are joined by snacklord Lee to try some of the most disappointing treats so far. Games, play, snacks, Bletchley Park , five finger fillet , dead...
Aug 29, 2013
Your hosts Roo and Leila are joined by treat-spert Lee for unusual snacks in Parliament Square. Chocolate melts and and baked goods become uncomfortably sticky under our scrutiny and the hot British sunshine. Big news: Roo finally prepares to grow up. Hark: is that the sound of wedding bells in Leila's future? Plus: Big Ben, bum bags, hairdressers, Spar vs spa, sci-fi deadlines, and lots more. Plan ahead: our next episode will include a Shift Run Stop commentary of X Files s01e03 ('Squeeze'), so...
Jul 25, 2013
The beards theme continues in #67, an acoustically-diverse episode mixing cafe atmos, Other Podcasts, and a section recorded in a stairwell on a telephone. We chat to professional hacker (it's even on their business card) Nat Buckley about everything from Happenstance to Alarum to their hair and amazing dad. Digital Willy Wonka Lee Maguire returns with the latest from the snackfood front line. And we were interviewed about the podcast for Resonance FM's 'Little Atoms' show recently, weren't we? ...
May 23, 2013
What does a beard sound like? How do you pronounce 'Gif'? Which is the worst episode of the X Files? What's the political significance of Tab Clear? Which major US interactive festival do none of your hosts want to go to, ever ? Find out in this brand new, hairier than average episode of Shift Run Stop. Warning: contains traces of puppy. Roo's newsletter | Leila's newsletter | The SRS forum | @ShiftRunStop | Buy a tape of this episode, or any other....
Mar 14, 2013
Ho ho ho! Were you good boys and girls this year? Hush your lips! Obviously you were, hence this wonderful present. This year Lee Maguire joins us, and, like Magi of geek, the three of us bear anecdotes of obscure science fiction references and unexpected short-lived celebrity. The snacks don't disappoint, either. If you want to munch along at home for the 'full body experience', you will need: Haribo Jelicons, Walkers Sensations Szechuan Pepper peanuts, The Fantastic Fox's 'Magnificos' chilli &...
Dec 13, 2012
Trick or treat? It's that time of year again, a time for celebrating all things spooky and autumnal, and sitting in silence in the living room with the lights off until they stop ringing the doorbell. You're never alone with us though. As the soundtrack for your hallowe'en, we've made you a very different kind of episode – an episode in which your hosts chat to each other. Learn about our compulsions and collections, hear our poetry, delight in our edible ancient astronauts , and play along at h...
Oct 25, 2012
Share our pleasure chatting about magic, coincidences and games with the fascinating Dave Gorman , then feel our pain as a tarry soft drink promotes the question: "What IS 'malt' anyway?" Yes, it's like a trip back in time to the early days of the show, as once again we find ourselves hijacking someone else's office without asking, scouring the local shop for Drinks Most Likely to Withstand Nuclear Strike, and talking to someone in a room with terrible acoustics, in this all-new yet reassuringly...
Jul 05, 2012
We were slumbering, as usual, in our misty Shift Run Stop cryo-pods, when through the liquid nitrogen we heard it: the unmistakable call of a Raspberry Pi in the wild. So here we are again, temporarily reanimated for a very special and rare chat with credit-card sized computer creator, Eben Upton. As Eben reflects on a trajectory that began with writing mouse drivers for BBC Micros and ended with being technical director at Broadcom, we try very hard not to drop his baby on the floor. And in a s...
Apr 19, 2012
After a bit of a break, Shift Run Stop is back in your ears – on an occasional basis, at least. This month, we meet Ed Jefferson, aka Ben from @shippamspaste , Danny O'Brien (from episode 34 ) tells us about the life of an Englishman in New York and Lee Maguire is back with Snack Time. We also work through a backlog of snacks sent in by listeners when we were last regularly on air, in 2010. So sit back, pour yourself a large glass of Pepto-bismol, and join us on as we tackle extremely out-of-dat...
Feb 02, 2012
Yes, we are back! Well, for a one-off Christmas special at least. As it's been so long, and you've been waiting so patiently, we've tried to make sure this episode is bursting at the seams. Put your feet up (yes, even if you're driving, it's Christmas!) and join us as we chat to journalist and psychopath-spotter Jon Ronson , his son comics expert Joel Ronson , the ingenious data artist Stefanie Posavec , the audio archivers of everyday life Felicity Ford and Paul Whitty of Sound Diaries and our ...
Dec 22, 2011
It's the end-of-the-year show you've been waiting for. Spam-baiting humorist Neil Forsyth reveals how he winds up cyber crooks, and we track down the bootleg of our live spot on London's recent Radio Roundabout where, lest auld acquaintance Rhodri Marsden be forgot, we interview him. All that washed down with a cup of kindness from snacks expert Lee Maguire in this, the only way to see in 2011. Happy New Year! Links: Neil Forsyth | and the website and Twitter account of his alter-ego Bob Servant...
Dec 30, 2010
Happy Christmas or otherwise holidays! As you've been good this year, we've made you a very special extra-long holly-decked episode, featuring music, festive snacks and the glorious comedian Joanna Neary who tells us about everything from performing in Time Trumpet to her remarkable gloves. We're really pleased with this episode. Hope you like it too, and thanks for sticking with us through 2010. See you same time next week for the equally special New Year's show! Links: Joanna Neary (Wikipedia)...
Dec 23, 2010
A modern nerd legend for you this week, as we chat to John Graham-Cumming about his new project, Plan 28 , which aims to "finish Babbage's work" by raising the cash to build an Analytical Engine from original plans. John has previously successfully petitioned the Government to formally apologise for the treatment of Alan Turing, and is the author of the Geek Atlas . All that, plus potato printing with Kinect, space balloons, Star Wars and yet more Mexican snackfood in this unnecessarily spicy se...
Dec 16, 2010
You know when you're on the train, and you think "Oh there's Jigsaw, just getting on at this stop. Hi Jigsaw!" You know. Usually happens the day after you watched all the Saw films in a row, like this week's guest Sarah Dobbs did recently. Luckily, she's a horror fan... she's also a journalist, and the editor of new feminist pop culture magazine re/action . Discover why The Happening is better than you think, what's the deal with all those apocalypse films and the format in which one distributes...
Dec 09, 2010
We chat to a games-creator this week, the talented Minkette , and hear about some of her extraordinary projects - which range from mindbending ARGs to a radio-transmitted theatre production on the Tube. All that plus Kinect hacking, real world point-and-clicks, and Rockband with Grannie in this foil-fresh square of your Shift Run Stop advent calendar. Now relax, settle back with a drink that tastes of Christmas, and pop open our window. Links: Minkette (Twitter) | Investigate Dave in more detail...
Dec 02, 2010
Artist, designer, writer, and man of extraordinary imagination Dominic Wilcox calls in for a chat about his latest creations which include bread lampshades and helium-powered crisp packets. We also find out what Leila would've tweeted had she still been on Twitter, and Roo starts feeling festive at the South Bank's Christmas fair. Oh, and you remember Alice Bartlett from episode 50 ? Of course you do. She pops up again this week, armed with snacks from Tobago. As ever, our snacking snack king Da...
Nov 25, 2010
