Best Durham University Podcasts (2025)

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052 - Pit Pony David Myers - Classroom to Student Support Officer at Durham University - Part 1 1:08:10

2d ago1:08:10

1:08:10

Former maths teacher David Myers joins us for a gripping two-part conversation about his journey in and out of the classroom - and everything in between. In this first episode, we follow David from the early days of creative teaching and academic passion, through a toxic shift in school culture, the loss of professional autonomy, and the impact of …

1
Shirley Manson of Garbage 42:18

18h ago42:18

42:18

Frontwoman of Garbage, Shirley Manson talks about the band's latest album Let All That We Imagine Be The Light, which is inspired by contemporary events including the killing of George Floyd in Los Angeles, but which presents an optimistic perspective on a dystopian world. We hear from the winner of the International Booker Prize, which was announc…

1
Musician Rhiannon Giddens on returning to her North Carolina roots after working with Beyoncé 42:26

1d ago42:26

42:26

Musician Rhiannon Giddens on returning to her North Carolina roots after working with Beyoncé. As a huge retrospective of the work of the artist Helen Chadwick opens at The Hepworth Wakefield, art critic Louisa Buck and the exhibition's curator, Laura Smith, discuss why Chadwick should be viewed as the godmother for a golden generation of British c…

1
053 - Pit Pony David Myers - Classroom to Student Support Officer at Durham University - Part 2 56:01

2d ago56:01

56:01

In Part 2 of our conversation with David Myers, we pick up at the point he finally walks away from teaching - and follow what happens next. From exploring tutoring, supply work and student support roles, to landing a new job at Durham University (in the castle, no less), David reflects on rebuilding his confidence, recovering from burnout, and redi…

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Joanne Harris on the return of Chocolat 42:21

3d ago42:21

42:21

25 years after Joanne Harris introduced readers to the soothing delights of Chocolat, she's released her new book Vianne. It’s the prequel that explains how her heroine found her way into the world of high end French confectionery. A new exhibition at the British Museum sheds light on the provenance of popular images of the Hindu god Ganesha, the B…

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S5E1: Michael Kelly - Experiencer Researcher 1:35:58

6d ago1:35:58

1:35:58

Send us a text Michael Kelly uses the skills from his philosophy degree and graduate-level teaching assistant work to research reports of encounters with nonhuman beings. He is a research fellow at the Archives of the Impossible, though he appears here entirely in a personal capacity. We discuss the striking data that emerges from experiencer repor…

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051 - Sliding Doors Stories - Part 8 7:54

6d ago7:54

7:54

In todays bonus episode of The Pit Pony Podcast, we bring you another trio of powerful Sliding Doors moments – those life-defining experiences shared by our guests since leaving the classroom. 🎙️ Rachael Daniel reflects on an event, that reminded her not all schools are toxic, and some can still feel like home. 🎙️ Kitty White shares how the simple …

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Review: Sondheim's final musical Here We Are, The Marching Band, Daniel Kehlmann's The Director 42:31

7d ago42:31

42:31

David Benedict and Viv Groskop review Stephen Sondheim’s final musical, Here We Are, a surreal story of brunch and existential dread; French film about about grassroots music, The Marching Band and Daniel Kehlmann’s new novel, The Director, about a real life German filmmaker navigating the Third Reich. Presenter: Tom SutcliffeProducer: Simon Richar…

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Ocean with Attenborough, Garden Design, Turning Contemporary Politics into Opera 42:43

8d ago42:43

42:43

Colin Bulfield, Executive Producer of the new film Ocean With Attenborough, talks about working with the celebrated broadcaster and filmmaker Sir David Attenborough on his latest project, an exploration of the vital importance of healthy oceans to our planet which is in cinemas around the country now. Current exhibitions at V&A Dundee and the Briti…

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Morcheeba perform, Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway 100th anniversary 42:22

9d ago42:22

42:22

Novelist Elif Shafak, artist and writer Edmund de Waal and Professor Rachel Bowlby join Samira to discuss the centenary of Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway. As the Semi Finals of Eurovision start tonight in Basel, Switzerland, Paddy O'Connell talks about this year's contest. Four hundred leading British Artists such as Paul McCartney and Kate Bush hav…

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050 - What do I do if I think I'm being bullied 50:40

9d ago50:40

50:40

In this vital episode of The Pit Pony Podcast, Sharon and Sarah discuss one of the most common - and distressing - questions that surfaces in the Life After Teaching community: What do I do if I think I’m being bullied? Drawing on hundreds of real teacher experiences, they unpack the early warning signs, the subtle shifts in communication and behav…

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Suzanne Vega sings in the studio, P Diddy trial, Mother Courage in County Durham 42:22

10d ago42:22

42:22

Suzanne Vega has just released her first album of all-new material for nearly a decade. "Flying With Angels" continues her folk-influenced sound and introduces influences of soul as well as a song in tribute to Bob Dylan's "I Want You". She performs in the studio with guitarist Gerry Leonard. Sean Combs aka P Diddy is on trial in New York, charged …

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S4E13: Dr. Janis Whitlock ~ Developmental Psychologist, Research Scientist Emerita, Visible College Leadership, John Mack Institute Adviser 1:45:50

13d ago1:45:50

1:45:50

Send us a text Dr. Janis Whitlock is a developmental psychologist and research scientist emerita from Cornell University, renowned for her work in adolescent mental health and self-injury recovery. In recent years, she has expanded her scholarly pursuits into the realm of UAP studies. As a member of the leadership team of The Visible College, a vol…

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049 - Sliding Doors Stories - Part 7 9:52

13d ago9:52

9:52

In this special Sliding Doors bonus episode, we bring you three more powerful and deeply personal reflections from teachers who’ve exited the classroom and discovered unexpected joy, freedom, and purpose on the other side. 🎙 Hollie Jones shares the life-saving impact of leaving teaching - how being able to drop everything for her son’s emergency su…

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Review, The Wedding Banquet, Isabel Allende, The Brightening Air 42:34

14d ago42:34

42:34

Authors Matt Cain and Eimear McBride join Tom Sutcliffe to review a new remake of Ang Lee's 1993 classic The Wedding Banquet. They also discuss Isabel Allende's new novel My Name is Emilia del Valle and the play The Brightening Air, on at the Old Vic theatre in London. And the National Gallery is having a re-hang, we speak to Head of the Curatorial…

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Leni Riefenstahl, Queen Elizabeth Memorial, Keli 42:26

15d ago42:26

42:26

Acclaimed German journalist and film producer Sandra Maischberger talks about her new documentary about Leni Riefenstahl, which re-examines the life and career of the filmmaker and Nazi propagandist who was one of the most controversial women of the 20th century. Art historian and curator Sandy Nairne, a member of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Commi…

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Hamlet Radiohead mashup, Stoke-on-Trent pottery in crisis 42:23

16d ago42:23

42:23

In the wake of President Trump's proposed film tariffs, Jake Kanter, International Investigations Editor at Deadline, discusses what the impact could be for the British film industry. Last week Moorcroft became the latest heritage ceramic company to close its doors in Stoke-On-Trent. Emma Bridgewater, founder of the eponymous ceramics company, and …

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048 - Know Your Rights 49:36

16d ago49:36

49:36

This week’s Pit Pony Podcast is a bit different - it’s just Sharon and Sarah, no guest, but lots of honesty, insight and real talk. We’re kicking off a three-part mini-series by tackling one of the biggest foundations of protecting yourself at work: knowing your rights. From understanding the Burgundy Book and STPCD (NB Sarah had a little moment an…

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A snapshot of culture on VE Day 1945 42:08

17d ago42:08

42:08

To mark the 80th anniversary this week, we explore British culture around VE Day in 1945, reflecting on the music, books, films and theatre that defined the moment and the complex emotional landscape that followed the war’s end. Songwriter and pianist Kate Garner joins us at the piano. Guests: Michael Billington, theatre critic; Ian Christie, film …

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Ryan Coogler on Sinners, The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz, Book Bans in the US 42:23

19d ago42:23

42:23

US director Ryan Coogler on his supernatural horror film, Sinners. Anne Sebba discusses her new book, The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz, about the orchestra formed in 1943 among the female prisoners at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. And as a new report looking at so-called book banning in the United States is published, we talked to au…

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047 - Sliding Doors Stories - Part 6 9:52

20d ago9:52

9:52

In this sixth edition of our beloved Sliding Doors Stories, we bring you three powerful moments from guests who, after leaving the classroom, found clarity, connection and joy in unexpected places. ✨ Katie Stone shares how her relationship with her daughter transformed – and how a trip to New Zealand gave her children a once-in-a-lifetime experienc…

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S4E12: Chad Wanless and Dave Palachik ~ UAP Researchers, Authors and Field Study Engineers 2:10:23

20d ago2:10:23

2:10:23

Send us a text Chad Wanless is an Engineering Technologist with over 30 years of experience in mechanical design, specializing in optics and lighting technologies. Professor Dave Palachik is a Senior Electrical & Electronic Engineering Technologist, National Director Emeritus of MUFON Canada, and an expert in infrared and electronic security system…

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Review: John Lennon docs, Tina Fey's The Four Seasons and The Great Gatsby musical 41:51

21d ago41:51

41:51

Critic Kate Maltby and Beatles author Ian Leslie join Tom Sutcliffe to discuss two documentaries about John Lennon remaking his life in New York - Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade and One to One: John & Yoko. They also discuss Tina Fey’s new series The Four Seasons, based on the 1981 film of the same name, which explores the relationships of thr…

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King James VI & I, Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, The Extraordinary Miss Flower 41:59

21d ago41:59

41:59

Jeff Pope on his new series Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, the innocent man who was killed by police on a London tube in 2005, which launches tonight on Disney+. James VI of Scotland & I of England is the subject of a major exhibition at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh. We’re joined by the historical writers Lucy Hu…

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Noddy Holder of Slade, Stephen Rea and Simone de Beauvoir 41:53

23d ago41:53

41:53

In 1975, at the height of their fame, British band Slade made a feature film, Slade in Flame. The film was a critical and commercial failure at the time, but has built up a cult following over the years. Now it's being re-released in cinemas and on DVD. Frontman Noddy Holder and film director Richard Loncraine spoke to Samira Ahmed in studio. With …

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046 - Sliding Doors - Sharon’s Story 33:44

23d ago33:44

33:44

In this special episode of The Pit Pony Podcast, we’re turning the spotlight inward. For the first time, co-host Sharon Cawley shares her own powerful and deeply personal sliding doors story. More than just about leaving teaching, it’s about the moment Sharon reclaimed control of her life and showed what’s possible when we choose presence over pres…

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Universal Theme Park, Olivier award-winning play Giant, Two to One 42:18

24d ago42:18

42:18

Mark Rosenblatt on Giant, his Olivier award-winning play starring John Lithgow as Roald Dahl. As Universal Studios announce plans for a major new theme park in Bedfordshire, what does this mean for the UK entertainment industry? Samira is joined by entertainment journalist Ella Baskerville and Gareth Smy from Framestore to discuss its signficance a…

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S4E11: Ralph Blumenthal ~ Investigative Journalist, Author, Professor 1:02:18

27d ago1:02:18

1:02:18

Send us a text Ralph is a distinguished professor, journalist and author with a long and varied career. He's contributed especially significantly to the UFO conversation in recent years with his bombshell reporting and his deep, detailed biography of John Mack, the Harvard psychiatrist who investigated abduction experiences. We discuss the experien…

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Review: Self Esteem's album A Complicated Woman; RSC's Much Ado About Nothing; Julie Keeps Quiet tennis film 42:30

28d ago42:30

42:30

Journalist Siân Pattenden & critic Stephanie Merritt join Tom to discuss Self Esteem's third album A Complicated Woman, which features collaborations with Nadine Shah and Moonchild Sanelly. Ahead of the release, Self Esteem AKA Rebecca Lucy Taylor showcased the album by staging a five-night theatrical presentation at London's Duke of York theatre. …

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The ethics of publishing posthumous diaries, Pianist Igor Levit, and Memorials to great women. 42:06

29d ago42:06

42:06

As the journals of the American writer Joan Didion (based on conversations with her psychiatrist) are published, writer and journalist Rachel Cooke and Alan Taylor, editor of actor Alan Rickman's diaries, discuss the challenges, responsibilities and ethics of posthumously publishing the diaries of great writers, artists and actors. Acclaimed German…

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Dante's Inferno in Jamaica, Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time re-examined, Shakespeare's first theatre 42:32

30d ago42:32

42:32

Jamaica's former poet laureate, Lorna Goodison, on setting Dante's Inferno on the island of her birth; Journalist Joanna Moorhead on Pope Francis' relationship with the arts; Poet and librettist Michael Symmons Roberts on writing a form-breaking book to re-examine French composer Olivier Messiaen's form-breaking masterwork - Quartet for the End of …

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045 - Pit Pony Ilana King - Classroom to Educational Consultant 1:09:40

1M ago1:09:40

1:09:40

In this episode, we’re joined by the unstoppable Ilana King - educational consultant, entrance exam specialist, home educator, and all-round powerhouse. Ilana’s journey is far from typical. After just two years in the classroom, she knew it wasn’t the right fit - and rather than settle, she built something new. Literally. She created her own nurser…

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JMW Turner: 250th anniversary of Britain's greatest painter 42:24

1M ago42:24

42:24

Mr. Turner director Mike Leigh, art historian Charlotte Mullins and senior curator at Tate Amy Concannon join Tom Sutcliffe to celebrate the life and work of JMW Turner, as we approach the 250th anniversary of his birth. Also in this edition, David Hockney on Turner's skill as an artist, Alvaro Barrington talks about his continuing influence on art…

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S4E10: Dr. Jacob Haqq Misra ~ Director and Senior Research Investigator, Blue Marble Space Institute of Science 1:45:34

1M ago1:45:34

1:45:34

Send us a text Dr. Misra is an astrobiologist interested in understanding the origin, distribution, and future of life. His research includes the study of planetary habitability, extraterrestrial life, environmental ethics, and space settlement. Jacob contributes to monthly meetings with the Galileo Project, and he supports public funding for UAP r…

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Review: Alex Garland's film Warfare, Audition by Katie Kitamura, Shanghai Dolls by Amy Ng on stage 42:20

1M ago42:20

42:20

Alex Garland's latest film Warfare, which is co-directed by US military veteran Ray Mendoza turns back the clock back nearly twenty years to reconstruct a real-life surveillance mission in Iraq. Film critic Tim Robey and journalist Zing Tsjeng give their verdict on the analysis of the theatre of war, which unfolds in real time. They've also been to…

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Photographer Susan Meiselas, The Impact of Trump's Tariffs on Musical Instrument Manufacturers, Author Ewan Morrison. 42:18

1M ago42:18

42:18

American documentary photographer and President of the Magnum Foundation Susan Meiselas speaks about her fifty-year career, as she receives the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award at the Sony World Photography Awards 2025, and as her work goes on display at Somerset House in London. We hear how President Trump's economic tariffs are affec…

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044 - Pit Pony Pete Scholes - Classroom to Driving Instructor & Author 43:57

1M ago43:57

43:57

This week, we’re joined by the brilliant and unassuming Peter Scholes – a man who gave 21 years to the classroom before stepping away when shifting leadership turned a once-thriving school culture into something unrecognisable. In this heartfelt episode, Pete shares how the sudden departure of a beloved headteacher triggered a school-wide unravelin…

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Muriel's Wedding the Musical, Dr Who, Anthony Horowitz on Marble Hall Murders 42:17

1M ago42:17

42:17

Director and Screenwriter PJ Hogan, creator of the 1994 comedy Muriel's wedding, speaks to Samira Ahmed about the new musical adaptation of his film. With lead actors leaving, and ratings down, there are questions about the future of Doctor Who. Author John Higgs, and entertainment writer Caroline Frost, talk about the past, present and future of t…

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S4E9: Dr. Michael Bohlander ~ Chair in Global Law and SETI Policy, Durham University 1:25:03

1M ago1:25:03

1:25:03

Send us a text Dr. Bohlander is an international criminal lawyer. We discuss his book, Contact with Extraterrestrial Intelligence and Human Law. Dr. Bohlander's Staff Page: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/michael-bohlander/ Contact with ETI and Human Law: https://brill.com/display/title/68174 UAP and SETI Symposium: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departme…

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Review: Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes in The Return, On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle, Holy Cow film 42:06

1M ago42:06

42:06

Classics professor Edith Hall and writer Lawrence Norfolk join Tom to review The Return, a retelling of the end of Homer’s Odyssey, where the hero Odysseus returns to his kingdom decades after the battle of Troy to find his wife Queen Penelope fending off suitors out to take his throne. The film stars Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche talk to Tom …

1
Tracy Chapman, the Arthur Miller moment in UK theatres, Rock Royalty 42:03

1M ago42:03

42:03

Singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman talks about the re-release of her eponymous debut album after 35 years, about how those songs of oppression and aspiration, written so long ago, speak to us today, and about going from almost unknown to world famous in one performance. We ask two directors of productions of The Crucible (by Scottish Ballet, and at Sh…

1
Kym Marsh on Abigail's Party, Severance creator Dan Erickson, film franchises in flux 42:38

1M ago42:38

42:38

Kym Marsh on stepping into the iconic role of Beverly in theatre classic Abigail's Party as the play opens at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. Film critic Hannah Strong and George Pundek, co-host of the Pulp Kitchen film podcast, on why so many of the big film franchises are facing difficulties. Severance creator Dan Erickson on making a t…

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043 - Pit Pony Rob Newlands - Classroom to Financial Planner - Part 2 1:29:35

1M ago1:29:35

1:29:35

In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Rob Newlands takes us through the devastating fallout of his time in headship - and the turning point that changed everything. After months of isolation, impossible expectations, and systemic failure, Rob faced a brutal mocksted that delivered the final blow. What followed was a silent breakdown behind close…

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042 - Pit Pony Rob Newlands - Classroom to Financial Planner - Part 1 51:54

1M ago51:54

51:54

In the first of this two-part special, we meet Rob Newlands, a former headteacher who climbed the leadership ladder quickly - only to face a stark and painful reality at the top. At just 30 years old, Rob stepped into a headship in Cornwall, full of energy, purpose, and a belief that he could make a difference. But what awaited him was far from the…

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Manhunt play by Robert Icke, new Edwardians exhibition, film director Waris Hussein 42:44

1M ago42:44

42:44

Theatre director Robert Icke's production of Oedipus won best revival and a best actress award for Lesley Manville at last night's Olivier Awards - but his new play Manhunt is now demanding his attention at the Royal Court Theatre in London. The drama focuses on the story of Raoul Moat who attacked his ex-girlfriend and killed her new boyfriend bef…

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S4E8: Preston Dyches ~ Science Communicator 1:32:42

2M ago1:32:42

1:32:42

Send us a text Preston speaks with us entirely in a personal capacity, not representing his organization. Preston has built an impressive and varied career as a science communicator, including holding as a Senior Public Engagement Specialist & Story Strategist for NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, where he helps communicate scientific discoveries from the…

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Reviews of Mobland, The Most Precious of Cargoes and Giuseppe Penone exhibition 42:27

2M ago42:27

42:27

Nancy Durrant and Jason Solomons join Tom to review:The new offering from Guy Ritchie, Mobland, with familiar themes of drug gangs and violence and starring Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Tom Hardy, amongst others.Giuseppe Penone's Thoughts in the Roots exhibition which is in and outside the Serpentine gallery, expanding on the significance of trees…

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Tilda Swinton, Michael Sheen on the new Welsh National Theatre, Richard Burton's influential teacher 42:13

2M ago42:13

42:13

Tilda Swinton talks about her role in Joshua Oppenheimer's post-apocalyptic musical film The End, and about her intention to take a break from acting, Actor and artistic director of the new Welsh National Theatre Michael Sheen, and screenwriter Russell T Davies reveal plans for the company's first season. Plus we discuss the influence of schoolmast…

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Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker, Design Council at 80, The Women of Llanrumney 42:23

2M ago42:23

42:23

Charlie Brooker talks about the return of his wildly popular tech and sci-fi dystopian drama Black Mirror. This new six-part series includes Paul Giamatti as a man using AI to reconnect to a lost love who has died, Emma Corrin as a digitally recreated 40s screen star and, for the first time, follow-up episodes of two of the show's most popular epis…

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041 - Pit Pony Kitty White - Classroom to Holiday Cottages Business Manager 55:49

2M ago55:49

55:49

Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? Buy Us a Coffee ☕️ Kitty White never imagined she’d leave teaching - she was in it for life. But after years of battling anxiety, disillusionment, and a crushing sense of being lost, she made a brave leap out of the classroom and into something completely different. In this powerful episode, Kitty reflects on the emotio…

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Durham University Podcasts

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