PODCAST · society
The Backstory
by Claire Mutimer and Suzy Coulson
Telling the human stories that are happening all around us - stories that may be unusual but could be happening to your neighbour or the person next to you on the bus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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Trailer for our new podcast - Being Socially Distant
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...
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A New Normal - Nancy, Nina and Wes's story
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...
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A New Normal: Lex's story
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…
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A New Normal: Masha's story
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…
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A New Normal: Amy's story
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...
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Backstory Mash-up - Recovery
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...
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Backstory Mash-up - Transformation
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…
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Backstory Mash-up: A Sudden Change
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...
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Backstory Mashup - Altered States
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...
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Acid attack: Adele's story
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…
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Shot in the back: Lee's story
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…
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Dead in the Water: Penny's story PART TWO
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...
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Dead in the Water: Penny's story PART ONE
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…
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Fit for life: Olly and Zane's story
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...
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The art of nursing: Christie's story
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...
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Your own front door: Nicky and Alan's story
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…
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Losing your business partner : Nick's story
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…
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Living with Parkinson's: Terry's story
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...
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Me, my baby and psychosis: Jess and Matt's story PART TWO
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...
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Me, my baby and psychosis: Jess and Matt's story
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...
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Getting used to the quiet: Lillian's story
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…
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Trichotillomania: Cara’s story
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...
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The road to recovery: Hope’s story
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.…
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7/7 Behind the scenes: David’s story
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...
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Brethren to burlesque: Sapphira’s story
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...
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Mindfulness on wheels: Tim’s story
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...
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From free school meals to the High Court: Ali’s story
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…
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Who helps NICU parents? Vicki’s story
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...
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One Punch: Michael and Robert’s story
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...
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Right person, right place: Naomi’s story
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...
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Recovering from anorexia: Dave’s story
Recovering from anorexia: Dave’s story Season 4 Episode 2 Dave’s backstory is a tale of going to the brink and then choosing to live, of recovery and the ongoing struggles that come as part of the package. Challenging all the stereotypes, Dave talks about his anorexia with a massive dose of…
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Hide or confide? Kiki’s story
Hide or confide? Kiki’s story Season 4 Episode 1 Kiki’s backstory is a tale of two halves – she is a footballer but it isn’t about football. It is about something that happened that changed the course of her career forever, a simple mistake that stopped Kiki’s plans in their tracks. The second…
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Backchat Learning to Live Again: Tiff’s story
Hi and welcome to Backchat, where Suzy and Claire talk about the latest episode of The Backstory. This week we’re talking about Learning to Live Again: Tiff’s story (Season 3 ep 4). Join us as we discuss what we’ve learnt about whether we consider Tiff to have been brave, what you can donate from...
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Learning to live again: Tiff’s story
Season 3: Episode 4 Learning to live again: Tiff’s story In the latest episode, Claire travels to Leicester to talk to Tiffany Youngs… Tiff appeared at the age of 28 to have an amazing life – recently married to Tom Youngs, the England and Leicester Tigers rugby player, with a new baby girl…
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Backchat – A Different Kind of Grief: Kathryn and Joy’s Story
Hi and welcome to Backchat, where Suzy and Claire talk about the latest episode of The Backstory. This week we’re talking about A Different Kind of Grief: Kathryn and Joy’s Story (Season 3 ep 3). Join us as we discuss what we’ve learnt from online suicide awareness training, apps that might help...
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A Different Kind of Grief: Kathryn and Joy’s story
Season 3 Episode 3 A Different Kind of Grief: Kathryn and Joy’s Story is about two women who have got together to run a support group for people who have lost a loved one to suicide. We realise this programme could be a trigger for some people so please look after yourselves and perhaps don’t...
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Backchat – A Targeted Assault: Sheila’s Story PART TWO
Hi and welcome to Backchat, where Suzy and Claire talk about the latest episode of The Backstory. This week we’re talking about the second and concluding part of A Targeted Assault: Sheila’s Story (Season 3 ep 2). Join us as we discuss what happened after the rape, why Sheila confided in Bridget...
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A Targeted Assault: Sheila’s Story PART TWO
Season 3 Episode 2 Sheila was raped at a garden party when she was 62. She’s a retired nurse, a mother and grandmother. In the concluding part of this two-part backstory, we find out what happened after the rape, how she confided in best friend Bridget and how the support of local services led to…
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Backchat – A Targeted Assault: Sheila’s Story PART ONE
Hi and welcome to Backchat, where Suzy and Claire talk about the latest episode of The Backstory. This week we’re talking about A Targeted Assault: Sheila’s Story (Season 3 ep 1). Join us as we discuss our thoughts about the terrible assault that Sheila was subjected to. We’ll also discuss your...
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A targeted assault: Sheila’s story
Season 3 Episode 1 Sheila was raped at a garden party when she was 62. She’s a retired nurse, a mother and grandmother. In episode 1 of this two part backstory, Sheila talks about the build up and how she believes she was targeted. Movingly, she describes the attack itself and we hear how best...
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Backchat: Ali Golds A Life Less Ordinary PART TWO
Hi and welcome to Backchat, where Suzy and Claire talk about the latest episode of The Backstory. This week we’re talking about Ali Golds: A Life Less Ordinary (Season 2 ep 4). Join us as we try to answer some of the questions thrown up by Ali Golds’s backstory – Ali’s relationship with her own...
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Ali Golds: A Life Less Ordinary PART TWO
Claire with Ali Golds Ali is 50 years old and has had a life less ordinary – she has a complicated backstory. This is a two-parter and in this second part (please do listen to part one first) Ali is just escaping a violent partner with her youngest son Conor. Ali goes on to reflect on her tricky...
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Backchat: Ali Golds: A Life Less Ordinary PART 1
Hi and welcome to Backchat, where Suzy and Claire talk about the latest episode of The Backstory. This week we’re talking about Ali Golds: A Life Less Ordinary (Season 2 ep 3). Join us as we try to answer some of the questions thrown up by Ali Golds’s backstory – why Ali’s kids lived with their...
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Ali Golds: A Life Less Ordinary – PART 1
Claire with Ali Golds Ali is 50 years old and has had a life less ordinary – she has a complicated backstory. This is a two-parter and in this first part we meet Ali as she is meeting her second husband. She already has two children who live with their dad and and after a series of failed...
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Backchat: Martin and Mo – Stepping Up
Hi and welcome to Backchat, where Suzy and Claire talk about the latest episode of The Backstory. This week we’re talking about Martin and Mo – Stepping Up (Season 2 ep 2). Join us as we contemplate taking on a baby when you thought all of that was behind you, and how parenting a second time…
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Stepping up – Martin and Mo
#02 – Stepping Up: Martin and Mo How far would you go to do the right thing? What does it mean to step up, to allow the course of your life to be changed completely? This week we hear from Martin and his partner Mo about how they stepped up to take on Martin’s baby grandson and how others in turn...
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Backchat: Norman Lamb – the personal and political
Hi and welcome to Backchat, where Suzy and Claire talk about the latest episode of The Backstory. This week we’re talking about Norman Lamb – the personal and political (Season 2 ep 1). Join us as we ramble on about confidence and how to get it, cycling and why we’re definitely not psychopaths....
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Norman Lamb – the personal and political
#01 Norman Lamb – the personal and political Welcome back to Season 2. We’re kicking off with Norman Lamb, Lib Dem MP and former care minister. Norman has spoken openly about his own family’s mental health and we wanted to know whether these experiences had influenced his career. We return to the...
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backstory backchat #4
In this, our final podcast of Season 1, Claire and Suzy talk about ‘Blood, sweat and trauma’ (Season 1 Episode 8) and Lotty’s traumatic experience following the birth of her daughter. Keep us in your feed as we’ll be back in 2018 with more docupods telling stories that we think are worth…
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#8 – Birth, sweat and trauma
#08 Birth, sweat and trauma What happens when the birth of your baby, that long-awaited happy event, leaves you traumatised? How do you manage when it feels as though every other new mum is coping and you’re struggling just to get through the day? Lotty speaks out about her experience of having…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Telling the human stories that are happening all around us - stories that may be unusual but could be happening to your neighbour or the person next to you on the bus.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Claire Mutimer and Suzy Coulson
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Backstory have?
The Backstory currently has 61 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Backstory about?
Telling the human stories that are happening all around us - stories that may be unusual but could be happening to your neighbour or the person next to you on the bus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How often does The Backstory release new episodes?
The Backstory has 61 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Backstory?
You can listen to The Backstory on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Backstory?
The Backstory is created and hosted by Claire Mutimer and Suzy Coulson.
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