8/6 - The Cop Who Went To Prison

‘You keep your eyes open, you keep your mouth shut, and you get your fists ready’

Michael Bunting always wanted to be a police officer. He qualified aged 19, with his Dad’s old Constabulary collar number. Then, one Summer Sunday evening, his life changed forever...

Whilst attempting to detain a violent suspect, he was severely beaten. He kicked out - and was charged with common assault.

As he recalls in this compelling conversation with Olly, this one moment lead to a two-year ordeal, culminating behind bars at HMP Armley, where his fellow inmates chanted ‘Slaughter The Pig’...

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Elsewhere on this week’s show, Ollie Peart heads down to the canal to investigate the trend for millenials to live on house-boats - and uncovers a world of communal living, technological sacrifices and ‘cassette toilets’.

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox talks polycystic ovaries, and advises a listener whose friend intentionally deceives sexual partners about her infertility.

The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com. Use the code ‘FOXHOLE’ to get a moist and willing 15% OFF at Checkout.

This week’s Lifehack comes courtesy of Alex, bar manager for Beany Green South Bank - with his Top 3 tips to make the perfect margherita: buy the finest white Tequila, use agave syrup rather than brown sugar, and always freshly squeezed lime juice.

The Lifehack is sponsored by Podcast Lounge - the new podcatcher app for Windows 10 devices. Get your free trial at the Windows App Store now.

And finally, our record of the week is ‘Water Run’, from Californian psych-rock outfit Fine Points, out now on Caroline Records:

If you’d like to suggest a challenge for Ollie, if you have a question of sex for Alix, or you’d like to share your story with Olly, get in touch via our Feedback form. 

And, if you’re able to support the show - please do. For the cost of just one pint of beer per month you can help us create thirty quality episodes per year. Thanks.

See You Next Tuesday!

8/3 - The Unlucky Ones

Jo and Steve Peck with twins Harriet and Barney, May 2018

Miscarriages are the most common form of pregnancy loss - yet rarely get talked about in public.

Jo and Steve Peck suffered not one, not two, but recurrent miscarriages over the course of four years, before seeking private treatment.

In this searingly honest, compelling interview with Olly, they reveal the toll this took on their marriage, their work and their mental health - as they watched their friends begin families - gradually realising it may never happen for them.

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Elsewhere, in this week’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart heads off for a ‘sound bath’ at the behest of Mann-fan Nicola Kelly, and learns about Tibetan bowls, crystal trance and his Chakra alignment.

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox advises a gay teenager with I.B.S about his options for anal sex, and uncovers some unexpected titbits about Viagra.
 

The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by our friends at mycondom.com.
Use the code ‘FOXHOLE’ at Checkout to get 15% off your cart!

This week’s Lifehack comes courtesy of Matthew Brown, ‘Productivity Ninja’ at ThinkProductive.co.uk. His Top 3 tips on making the most of your time at work? Unchain yourself from email, keep your head down 9-6, and start the day with a book…
 

The Lifehack is sponsored by Podcast Lounge - the new podcatcher app for Windows 10 devices. Get your free trial at the Windows App Store now.
 

Finally, our Record of the Week is ‘Cacophony’ by Halona King. Enjoy:

Got a story for the show? A trends challenge for Ollie Peart? A sex question for Alix? An idea of a future guest? Get in touch using our Feedback form.

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See You Next Tuesday!

* If you’ve been affected by miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or molar pregnancy, the Miscarriage Association offers support and a pregnancy loss helpline: miscarriageassociation.org.uk/

4/5 - The Quiet Ones

"You're silent on the surface - but you're incredibly noisy in your head"

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From Morrissey to Laurence Olivier, public figures through history have channelled shyness and stage-fright into their work. But is shyness a useful tool - or is uninhibited confidence a better way to navigate the modern world?

In this episode, social and cultural historian Joe Moran talks to Olly about the implicit difficulty of silence, the internal monologues that plague him in social situations, and how shy people can weaponise irony, distance and aloofness to their advantage...

The Lego 'hooliganism set' really did exist, in 1998...

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Joe's book, Shrinking Violets: A Field Guide to Shyness, is out now. Thanks to the Southbank Centre - the interview was recorded backstage at their annual ‘Being A Man’ festival.

Meanwhile, over in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart explains how your car can interact with your ‘environmental happenings’, previews a forthcoming political bout, and reveals where you can buy a ‘Breaking Bad’ lego set.

And, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox ponders why she is having some difficulty finding the perfect partner, and offers some advice for a listener whose lover suffers from vaginismus. (Some useful resources Alix mentions in the show: Sarah Berry's blog and forum, 'Hey Vaginismus!', and the vaginismus episode of Alix's podcast for The Guardian, Close Encounters.)

Got a question of sex for next week’s show? Just fill in our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you like. The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com - use the code ‘FOXHOLE’ at Checkout to receive an astonishing 15% OFF.

Finally,our song of the week comes from Artificial Pleasure, who you can catch touring in April. It’s called ‘All I Got’, and it’s out now:

Until next week, Mann-fans - do feel free to buy us a beer, write us a review or watch Modern Mann Extra - and we'll See You Next Tuesday!