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.

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Happy New Year!

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

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10/7 - In My Defence

‘I’m glad it happened to me, rather than somebody else’

Can martial arts save your life? Self defence instructor Kriss Pyke says they can - not just because the moves themselves offer protection in a skirmish, but because the physical confidence you gain deters opponents in the first place.

Kriss’ views and teaching style are shaped by his own experiences at the sharp end of a vicious street attack, as he recounts to Olly in this month’s middle feature…

LISTEN NOW:

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In the Zeitgeist this episode, Ollie Peart investigates the trend for insect-based pet food, and prepares Olly a three course, insect based meal. How will the pair fare tasting their way through cricket onion bhajis, grasshopper green curry and mealworm Krispie cakes?

The Foreign Arm

(If you want to try making this feast at home yourself, use Ollie’s discount code Mann15 at EatGrub!)

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Kriss Pyke and Olly Mann, Oct 2019.

Meanwhile, in this month’s Foxhole, Alix Fox announces her new role judging an adult toy competition - and tackles a question from a bisexual student teacher about to begin work at a conservative Catholic school. Are his liberal views on LGBTQ+ lifestyles compatible with Christian scripture?

Music this month comes from pop-soul band The Foreign Arm. Hailing from San Antonio, Texas, their debut EP, The Reach, is out Nov 22nd.

Remember, this show is supported by listeners like you. Please buy us a beer to help us keep going. And, if you have a question of sex for Alix, a challenge to suggest to Ollie, a guest you’d like Olly to interview, or you’d like to become a Mannbassador… then fill out our Feedback form.

See you next when our CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR drops on Dec 1st!

This episode is brought to you in association with Thriva, the at-home fingerprint blood test. For £30 off your first Thriva kit visit thriva.co and use the code Mann30.

3/3 - Part-Time Hero

‘You can actually drown in a tiny amount of water’  

The RNLI lifeboats don’t just save lives at sea - they also rescue people on rivers. London’s Thames is teeming with party-boats, where drunken misadventure can lead to injury. Meanwhile, troubled ‘jumpers’, suffering from poor mental health, all too often consider suicide by plunging into its depths.

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If you ever find yourself in such a situation, Amber Bowie may be the woman who comes to your rescue. In this interview with Olly, she explains how cold water shock can render you senseless, why washing-up liquid can be a surprisingly useful tool on-board a warship, and why, alongside her full-time job as a London architect, she volunteers to save lives at the weekend...

If you’re inspired by Amber’s story, you can volunteer for the RNLI, or donate to this incredible charity via their website, RNLI.org

In The Zeitgeist this week, Ollie Peart considers the merits of sunglasses which block facial recognition, watches the trailer for Trainspotting 2 and wonders whether watermelon juice and 'banana freakshake' will be the liquid trends of 2017.

And, in our weekly trip down The Foxhole, Alix Fox visits notorious North London sex sauna Rio’s, and offers some advice for a listener preparing for their first ever visit to S&M club Torture Garden. The Foxhole is sponsored by our lovely friends at MyCondom.com, who are offering Mann-Fans a staggering 15% OFF if you use the code FOXHOLE at Checkout.

Finally, our track of the week is by Saint Sister. It’s called Tin Man and it’s out on the 16th December on Communion Records:

This episode is supported by Beer52, the UK’s number one craft beer club. As a Modern Mann listener you can get a box of eight delicious craft beers sent directly to your home or your office for only £12: that’s 50% off! All you need to do is head over to Beer52.com/Modern52 to claim your half-price first box, with no obligation to keep subscribing.

If you would like to support the show as well, then please do consider donating us some beer money or leaving us a review on iTunes - always much appreciated!

And if you have a question of sex for Alix, you’d like to send us some feedback, or would like to sponsor a future edition of the show, just click here.

See You Next Tuesday!