Hi everyone, we'd love you to give our new podcast a listen. Being Socially Distant is a new lockdown audio comedy from the producers of The Backstory Podcast. Written and produced by Tin Shed Productions and starring Suzy Coulson, Claire Mutimer, Kate Wilson and Ivan Vaughan. It is recorded remotely. You can listen to episode 1 here or click here to subscribe directly so that you get new episodes when they're released. Please follow us on instagram: @beingsociallydistant Music: 'Latin Nights' C...
May 06, 2020•12 min•Season 8Ep. 5
This week we hear from Nancy and daughter Nina who, together with lodger Wes, find themselves living together in lockdown in a newly constituted household. Nancy works in mental health so she has spent the last few weeks holed up in her bedroom supporting clients via Zoom, whilst she and Nina get used to living together after being apart for a while. Online dating, routines and the challenges of this enforced period of reflection - there's plenty here to relate to. In a follow on from last week,...
Apr 12, 2020•23 min•Season 8Ep. 4
This week Suzy and Claire put five questions to each other about their new normal - how is life in lockdown in the Norfolk countryside? They talk about creative writing, podcasts they are listening to, their highs and lows and what might happen next. Then we hear from Lex who is in Sussex and reads out her blog which caught Claire's eye last week as it strikes many cords of what we are all experiencing. Lex's blog can be found at: https://thethoughtreport.com/coronavirus-diary-of-a-working-mum/ ...
Apr 05, 2020•26 min•Season 8Ep. 3
We are bringing you a season of backstories with the theme - a new normal - telling the real-life stories of us all adjusting to life in the midst of the corona outbreak. We hope you find some comfort in hearing other people's new normals. This week we hear from Masha who lives in Buenos Aires with her husband. Masha's two sons are in Canda and her youngest, who's 19, is in his second year of university. When lessons were cancelled Masha and her husband made plans for him to come home but, as lo...
Mar 29, 2020•22 min•Season 8Ep. 2
We are bringing you a season of backstories with the theme - a new normal - telling the real-life stories of us all adjusting to life in the midst of the corona outbreak. We hope you find some comfort in hearing other people's new normals. We kick off with Amy who is in the midst of a very tricky time as her Mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour just at the start of all this madness - she managed to get her Mum operated on just before all non-emergency operations were cancelled - but now she is ...
Mar 22, 2020•19 min•Season 8Ep. 1
In this week’s mash-up we hear a selection of stories on the theme of recovery. First we hear from from Jilly Moss whose little girl Alba contracted what turned out to be measles before her first vaccination. Jilly tells how frightening it was when no -one could recognise the illness and her daughter became so ill. This interview is with Claire on the phone - so apologies for the sound quality. We also hear from Dave who became obsessed by his weight and describes his recovery from anorexia (sea...
Jul 09, 2019•30 min•Season 7Ep. 4
This week we’re talking ‘Transformation’ - experiences that can blindside or creep up slowly but that change your life. We hear from Marc who was diagnosed with HIV in the 80s, when treatment and prognosis were very different. HIV is a disease that has seen massive change in recent years, although as Marc explains, there’s still some way to go with reducing stigma. We also hear from Adele, whose life was transformed by an acid attack, and from brothers Michael and Robert talking about Michael’s ...
Jun 25, 2019•30 min•Season 7Ep. 3
This week we have our second mash-up, this time our first story is from another podcast The Break-up Monologues and we hear from comedienne Jane Postlethwaite interviewed by host Rosie Wilby about a big break up she went through. Carrying on the theme we hear about Nick Little and how it was for him to lose his business partner and best friend to a sudden illness and finally we go right back in to the archives to our first ever backstory to hear about Jan and John's story of losing their daughte...
Jun 11, 2019•24 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Backstory is back! This time we’re hearing from a mixture of new and familiar voices as we look at the theme of Altered States. We hear from Pat, whose Parkinson’s Disease causes hallucinations that her family is there, from Jess and Matt who lived through Jess’s post-partum psychosis and from Natasha who had intrusive thoughts as part of her OCD. All three have in common the experience of trying to live with an altered state of reality and the challenges that poses. Our podcast recommendation o...
May 28, 2019•26 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Rounding up our season looking at people seeking justice, we hear from Adele Bellis who suffered an acid attack in August 2014. The attack was arranged by her ex-partner, Anthony, but carried out by someone acting on his behalf. It followed a long and abusive relationship in which Anthony had made numerous threats against Adele and her family, as well as physically attacking her. Adele describes the attack itself, the abusive relationship that preceded it and what came after. Our podcast recomme...
Mar 05, 2019•33 min•Season 6Ep. 8
This is Lee’s story of getting justice for his mother - Cherry Groce - who was shot in front of him by the police on 28th September 1985 when they raided his family home. She was shot through the spine and paralysed and the incident led to several days of rioting in Brixton. Lee was 11 at the time. Cherry died 26 years later from complications related to the injuries she sustained that night. This began Lee's search for justice for his Mum and their family. 29 years after the shooting, an inques...
Feb 26, 2019•30 min•Season 6Ep. 7
In PART TWO we continue the shocking and compelling story of how Penny Farmer and her family tracked down her brother and his girlfriend’s killer; 38 years after they were murdered on a boat off the coast of Guatemala in 1978. After a eureka moment out walking with her mother, Penny suddenly realised that facebook may hold the key to finding the sons of the main suspect - Silas Boston - who were on board the boat when it happened. Penny finally found out exactly what happened to her brother and ...
Feb 19, 2019•31 min•Season 6Ep. 6
This is part one of Penny Farmer's remarkable story about her brother Chris and his girlfriend Peta who went off travelling to South America in 1978. Peta wrote home detailed letters every week and then the letters suddenly stopped. In this two-parter Penny describes the pain of Chris and Peta not coming home and their slow realisation that something dreadful had happened to them in the sea off Guatemala at the hands of Silas Boston. In this first part we hear about how Penny experienced their d...
Feb 12, 2019•31 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Rounding up our season looking at the people whose job it is to help others, this week we’re heading to the gym to meet personal trainers Olly and Zane. Both have had their own struggles and have used exercise and fitness to help themselves out of a slump and maintain their mental well-being. For them, fitness isn’t about achieving the sort of image we’re all too familiar with - it’s about looking after yourself, valuing yourself and not expecting things to happen overnight. Our podcast recommen...
Jan 08, 2019•19 min•Season 6Ep. 4
This week Claire went to meet Christie Watson who worked as a nurse for over twenty years. We hear about when she found herself on the other side of the fence watching Cheryl her Dad’s nurse - look after him when he became terminally ill with lung cancer. She describes the minute cues that Cheryl took from getting to knowing her Dad that helped her nurse him so effectively. She describes the pressures that nurses are under and what needs to change as we head towards a bed crisis which is actuall...
Jan 01, 2019•29 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Continuing our season looking at the people whose job it is to help others, this week it’s Nicky and Alan from St. Martin’s Housing in Norwich. They tell us about their work with John, who has been an on/off client of St. Martin’s. John (not his real name) was a rough sleeper, a chaotic heroin user and supporting him was not easy. When people are batting with complex and entrenched problems, there are no quick fixes, no easy answers. It turns out, though, that good old-fashioned perseverance and...
Dec 25, 2018•27 min•Season 6Ep. 2
This is a new season of the backstory - this run of four has a particular theme - we are looking at people’s jobs which involve doing good. This week we hear from Nick Little who set up a social enterprise company called the Outsiders with close friend Oz Osbourne. They quickly realised that in the world of social enterprise community work their high standards were tricky to maintain or were often undermined, but they stuck to their guns. They ran some amazing projects together including a human...
Dec 18, 2018•28 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Season 5 Episode 8 Terry was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease when he was 59. 8 years after his diagnosis, he and daughter Vicki talk about how the illness has changed their lives, individually and as a family, the strains and losses that come with living with a progressive disease and how it also has the potential to bring people closer together. Help and support: Parkinson’s UK Samaritans 116 123 (24 hours) NHS information about Parkinson’s Carers UK You can support us with likes, shares and...
Nov 27, 2018•30 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Season 5 Episode 7 In part two of Jess and Matt's story we hear about the tough journey from Norfolk to London to get Jess and baby Albert in to a psychiatric Mother and Baby unit. Jess explains what it was like to get treatment there and how they all coped with hospital life and getting used to slowly go out again. We hear about how it was eventually coming back to Norfolk and getting used to being at home and eventually the big decision of whether to try for another child. You can support us w...
Nov 20, 2018•32 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Season 5 Episode 6 Jess and Matt had an excellent birth but then things started to go a bit weird, Jess just wasn't herself. Matt had been warned that women can be very affected by hormones after the birth, but this was extreme. It turned out that Jess was suffering from postpartum psychosis a mental illness that comes on just after having a baby. When baby Albert was taken in to hospital with jaundice it became clear that he wasn't the only one that was ill and Jess needed very specialist care ...
Nov 13, 2018•30 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Season 5 Episode 5 Lillian and Dan have enjoyed a long marriage, full of travel and dancing. With Lillian in her 70s and Dan in his mid-90s, the time came recently when they took the difficult decision to move Dan into residential care. Lillian talks about still being married but not feeling like a wife, the gains she enjoys and the sadness of the losses brought about by this recent change. You can support us with likes, shares and reviews. Help and support: Age UK MIND Campaign to end lonelines...
Nov 06, 2018•29 min•Season 5Ep. 41
Trichotillomania: Cara’s story Season 5 Episode 4 When Cara moved from a happy primary school to a large, intimidating high school her mental well-being plummeted. Her height and long red hair made her stand out and the attention caused her eczema to flare. Struggling to cope, Cara turned to hair pulling, a coping mechanism that offered temporary relief but created its own problems. In this week’s Backstory we hear about how one thing can lead to another, how conditions can take hold before you ...
Oct 02, 2018•24 min
The road to recovery: Hope’s story Season 5 Episode 3 Hope is one of 5 children. It was a big, busy family and not without its fair share of conflict and discord. By the age of 17 Hope had been suffering from anorexia for 4 years, a condition she’d done her best to hide from friends and family. But when her heart nearly stopped things had to change. In this week’s Backstory we hear about life as an in-patient and how relapse and recovery are a long journey. Hope’s fundraising page can be found h...
Sep 25, 2018•27 min
7/7 Behind the scenes: David’s story Season 5 Episode 2 In July 2005 London and the country were in jubilant mood, celebrating winning the bid to host the 2012 Olympics. The next day, during the morning rush hour, four bombs exploded, three on the Underground and one on a double-decker bus. 52 people were killed and hundreds were injured. David Videcette was working in counter-terrorism and was faced with the prospect of a complex and lengthy investigation that would take over his life for the n...
Sep 18, 2018•32 min
Brethren to burlesque: Sapphira’s story Season 5 Episode 1 Welcome back to Season 5. We start with a love story. Sapphira felt like a misfit, naturally flamboyant but brought up by brethren. Eventually excommunicated, her life spiralled but then she met Tony. Tony had also been raised by brethren and together they started to heal. Sapphira talks about what it means to have the rug pulled out from under your feet and then find the real you through music and burlesque. Sapphira’s book can be found...
Sep 11, 2018•26 min
Mindfulness on wheels: Tim’s story Season 4 Episode 7 This is Tim McKenna’s account of what it is like to live with bipolar disorder – I think it is an amazing account of being male and mentally ill and initially not having much help or support through not knowing what was wrong and hiding how he was feeling – as he felt ashamed of it. It does include some details of feeling depressed and a suicide attempt so if that is a trigger for you then just be aware of that – but it is a story of survival...
Aug 07, 2018•32 min
From free school meals to the High Court: Ali’s story Season 4 Episode 6 Ali grew up in Wales on free school dinners with four other siblings. This is the story of how he made an extraordinary success of himself and how his experience of difference tallies with his work as an immigration barrister. What gives some children the drive to move beyond their background? Who influenced Ali? How will it change for the next generation? Help and support: Citizens Advice Music credits: Main theme:Title: N...
Jul 31, 2018•26 min
Who helps NICU parents? Vicki’s story Season 4 Episode 5 Vicki is a young woman on a mission. Having experienced life on the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after the birth of her first son, she’s determined to push for better mental health provision for parents in similar situations. Vicki struggled with the shock and her mental health suffered, all whilst trying to care for a young baby with significant health problems. She talks openly about the experience for her, son Elijah and partner ...
Jul 24, 2018•29 min
This backstory is about two remarkable brothers. Michael is now 33 and he was punched in the jaw six years ago down on Great Yarmouth seafront on a saturday night, which knocked him over smashing his head on the side of the kerb. His brother Robert, who is ten years younger than him, has been a huge part of his support in enabling him to learn how to live again with what turned out to be a major brain injury. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 17, 2018•33 min
Right person, right place: Naomi’s story Season 4 Episode 3 Naomi is a woman of many talents. Actress, stand up and academic. As part of her role with a school where the pupils wore Tudor uniform, Naomi went to Romania to work with young people in an orphanage, children who had been institutionalised their whole lives under Ceausescu’s regime, children for whom regular communication wasn’t possible. As always, this week’s backstory is followed by backchat in which Claire and Suzy talk about the ...
Jul 10, 2018•27 min
