In this episode we meet the voice and the inspiration behind Blanco White, the stage name of Josh Edwards, a guitarist and singer-songwriter from London. Josh studied flamenco guitar in Cádiz in Spain, and later the Andean instrument the charango in Sucre in Bolivia. In 2016 he released his first EP, ‘The Wind Rose’ which was followed by ‘Colder Heavens’ and ‘Nocturne’. His first full album, ‘On The Other Side’ was released in 2020. His growing fan base is now global and he’s performed to sell o...
Apr 02, 2021•49 min•Season 3Ep. 12
What is happening to the soul of America? It’s a question the whole world is asking as Americans start voting in the most bizarre general election in their history. Yet regardless of who wins the 2020 Presidential race, it’s clear that something is going horribly wrong in the world’s oldest democracy. Tempting as it may be to blame America’s malaise exclusively on Donald Trump, to do so would be naive. Trumpism is a symptom of a disease that’s ravaged America’s body politic for generations. In t...
Oct 17, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 1
So we’re all grounded for the foreseeable future. None of us will be travelling the way we used to any time soon. And so we wait, and remember, and imagine the open roads and open skies we crave and miss. In this episode I share a few poems about the excitement of setting off again, and our insatiable itch for new horizons. But the best journeys are the ones that teach us new things; not just about the places we visit, but also the places we call home. And the best poems are the ones that give u...
May 14, 2020•24 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Most of the world is now in some form of pandemic lockdown, and everything around us is changing – politics, economics, international relations. How do we navigate this new terrain? What are the implications for liberal democracy? What might a ‘new normal’ look like for the world order? Paul Buchanan is Director of 36th Parallel Assessments, a geopolitical risk and strategic assessment consultancy based in New Zealand. He’s a former intelligence and defence consultant for the US government, and ...
Apr 20, 2020•51 min•Season 2Ep. 9
As the coronavirus lockdown is further extended here in the UK, it’s hard to know when or indeed how our lives will return to any sense of normality. In the meantime we wait, and we hope, and we tune in for news of better times. In this episode I reflect on the importance of journalists – the good ones – who inform us, widen our worlds, and in times of crisis can so often find just the right words to lift our spirits. One of the good ones is Fergal Keane, whose ‘ Letter to Daniel ’ remains one o...
Apr 16, 2020•10 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Since recording my last episode it seems that I contracted the coronavirus. So here are some reflections on fighting ‘The Rona’, the silence of London’s traffic-less skies, and the poetry of one of New Zealand’s best writers, Brian Turner. If you’re feeling unwell or afraid right now, I hope this episode is an encouragement. You’re not alone. If you’d like to explore more of Brian Turner’s writing, a good place to start is “ Boundaries: People and Places of Central Otago ”, available from Pengui...
Apr 02, 2020•8 min•Season 2Ep. 7
We're only just starting to accept the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic here in the UK. We've never lived through anything like this in our lifetimes, and everything is about to change dramatically. So how do we stay connected and hopeful, and how do we manage our fear? In this episode we also hear from a leading expert at the frontline of the crisis response in America; Professor Donald J. Triumph, Director of the National Institute of Super Genius's in Washington DC.
Mar 15, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 6
What does it mean to be a global citizen when walls and borders are back in vogue? How do you create a permanent home that’s a sanctuary? And what does permanence and sanctuary even mean when borders are being re-drawn and the ground is shifting beneath your feet? In this episode we meet Amy Hochadel and Monica Cunningham who met on the political campaign trail in Ohio - one of America’s most hotly contested battleground states. A couple who also made a permanent and life-changing investment in ...
Nov 07, 2019•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 5
How do you find home again when you’ve lost the person who was your home? And what does the idea of home even mean in the aftermath of grief? Home is more than a physical place. It's something very human shaped. Because so many of us find our sense of home in the people we love. Four years ago Caroline Twigg's world was tipped upside down. Since then she slowly found a way to start again, and through it all, one of the hardest, yet most important things she’s done, has been finding home again. +...
Jul 30, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 4
What does home mean when you've always had a complicated relationship with the country you were born in? Piali DasGupta's personal story stretches from Kolkata, India to the prairies of Canada, to the town halls of England's cities and the banks of the river Thames in London. In this episode Piali and I talk about what it means to be a modern Canadian, growing up in a Bengali home and how to prepare for the British citizenship test. We also talk about the changing nature of local place in the UK...
Jun 19, 2019•58 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Londoners aren't always good at getting to know their neighbours. Sometimes it feels like even the city's suburbs are trying to avoid eye contact. In this episode we go out East to meet Freddie, James and Dan; three Londoners in their mid-20s who grew up in the postcode of East 18. We met in South Woodford to talk about everything from football tribalism to Grime music, from mushy peas to the future of English identity. WARNING: There's a mouth-watering fish and chip shop in this episode... ++++...
May 24, 2019•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Welcome to the first episode of Standing Places! In this episode we're just getting introduced. I explain what Standing Places is all about and the inspiration behind this podcast. And it all starts with a word that you'll only find at the uttermost edge of the world... Don't forget to subscribe to the show and please rate and review us! You can also follow @StandingPlaces on Facebook and Twitter. For more information about Standing Places or to get in touch please visit www.standingplaces.com...
May 23, 2019•15 min•Season 1Ep. 1
