12/1 - Trouble In Paradise

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Sun, sea and €1 drinks lure thousands of backpackers to Andrew’s hostel in a typical year.

But 2020 was not a typical year.

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Confronting a doomed Summer season and 45 empty bedrooms, Andrew’s family converted their hostel, in the Cote d’Azur, in to a homeless shelter during Lockdown.

In place of tourists, they welcomed a diverse group of refugees, drug addicts, career criminals and victims of domestic abuse.

As Andrew recounts to Olly, the experience opened his eyes to the realities of life on the streets - the mental health problems, alcoholism, and traumatic violence so often lurking in the background - but also gave him hope that it’s possible to re-make your life, even in the most dire of circumstances.  

(Names have been changed.)

If YOU have a story about overcoming the challenges of modern life which you’d like to share with Olly, send us an email via our feedback form.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart heads out into the bracing January fog for… a barbecue, of course!

Can he ‘upskill’ his outdoor cooking abilities to create a Winter feast?

Armed with little more than a plank of plywood and a side of salmon, he attempts to justify his hipster beard by mastering an authentic asado wood-flamed pit - and puts the trend for ‘sweet pizza’ to the test. 

If YOU would like to challenge Ollie to test out a trend on a future edition of the show, fill out our feedback form.

The Zeitgeist is sponsored by below-the-waist grooming experts Manscaped. 

For 20% off and free shipping use the code MANN at Manscaped.com.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox gets deep in the weeds of aphrodisiac seeds, and assists a lady listener who coughs each time she has sex.

Could this after-sex reflex be a reaction to her partner’s semen, an allergy to linens, or even a vasovagal attack? Alix investigates, with the assistance of breathing expert Jane Tarrant.

If YOU have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer in a future show, head on over to our feedback form.

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Finally, music this month comes from Dutch-born, London-based singer-songwriter Eyelar - and her current single, ‘Doin’ It Again’.

Listen back to all our ‘record of the month’ choices on our Spotify playlist here.

Love the show? Here are THREE GREAT WAYS TO SUPPORT US IN 2021:

• Tell your friends! We’re @themodernmann on Twitter.

• Post a review for the show on Apple Podcasts. It helps others find us.

• Send us a donation. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps us make the show. BUY US A BEER HERE.

Happy New Year!

Stay safe, and we’ll see you with a brand new episode on Feb 10.

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4/8 - Having The Last Word

"You’re not dealing with death, but celebrating life"

From David Bowie to George Michael, celebrity deaths are becoming increasingly common, as the rock generation reaches retirement age. How does a paper of record go about documenting their lives?

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Simon Pearson is Obituaries Editor of The Times, and in this interview he explains how profiles of the great and the good are created - ready to be published the moment a notable name pops their clogs - and how lesser-known figures also find their way on to the paper’s illustrious pages...

LISTEN NOW:

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Elsewhere, Ollie Peart brings us news of meme warfare, holographic phones and animated April Fools pranks in this week’s Zeitgeist.

Meanwhile, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox is angry about ‘the world’s first smart condom’, and tackles one of the most popular questions to grace our mailbag: what do you do when your sex drive vastly exceeds that of your partner?

The Foxhole is brought to you by our friends at mycondom.com. Use the code ‘FOXHOLE’ at Checkout to get an astonishing 15% OFF!

And, in our new feature The Lifehack, Great British Bake Off winner Edd Kimber reveals his baking tips, courtesy of Squarespace. If you want to build yourself a beautiful website, simply visit Squarespace.com and use the code to 'MANN' to get 10% OFF a year's subscription.

Finally, our record of the week is ‘Lava’ by Tender Central, available to stream now thanks to Boom Ting Recordings:

We'll be back with something very similar next week - but in the meantime, if you'd like to buy us a beer, write us a review on iTunes, or send Alix your sex question, that would all be very much appreciated.

See You Next Tuesday!

3/7 - Let's Go Brown-Signing

Pinball, Otters and Owls: Adventures on the Road Less Travelled

Amanda Hone has a 'hobby that got out of hand': traversing the UK, visiting the myriad miscellaneous landmarks designated by brown signs.

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In this interview, she explains to Olly how an initial visit to an otter and owl sanctuary made her put down her phone, take the road less travelled and discover the quirky attractions around her - and emplore others to do the same.

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In the spirit of 'brown-signing', Olly then takes a trip of his own: to the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, where curator Tim Arnold tells him why, 'when you grow up and become a man, you play a real man's game - you play pinball'.

Tim's pinball museum is well worth a visit, if ever you find yourself in Nevada, not only because all the machines are playable, but because all profits go to the Salvation Army.

Here is just a glimpse inside:

Elsewhere in the episode, Ollie Peart pores over the latest trends in The Zeitgeist, including crawling to keep fit, the Hollywood pocketwatch revival, and the death of the masked musician. If you have a trend you'd like to suggest for a future episode, do tweet us @themodernmann.

And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox reveals the super-powers of 'magic wand massagers' such as the Lovehoney's tokidoki, the UK-made Doxey Wand, and Hitachi's blockbuster big-seller. Plus, she has some advice for a listener who says he's attracted to oral sex with 'she-males' - but is otherwise straight...

If you've got a question of sex for Alix, just submit it via our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at mycondom.com, who are offering Modern Mann listeners an incredible 15% OFF when you use the code 'FOXHOLE' at Checkout. 

Finally, as ever, we have a cracking choon to end the show. This week, it's 'Radio', by Sylvan Esso, out now on Partisan Records:

Big thanks to everyone who has bought us a beer this week - it really is thanks to your support that we're able to keep funding the show. But don't just buy us a beer - why not buy one for yourself... or EIGHT? Get eight bottles of delicious craft beer for just £12 thanks to our friends at beer52.com. Just visit beer52.com/modern52 for your 50% discount.

Until next week, do tell your friends about the show on social media, and leave us a review on iTunes - we really appreciate it.

See You Next Tuesday!