Our guest today is no stranger to the show. Back in 2020, Neil spoke with Helen Godwin when she was a Bristol City Councillor. A lot has changed since then. Not only has the Bristol mayoral role been abolished, but a new Labour government is in power, and Helen Godwin now holds one of the West Country's most important political positions: the Mayor of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA).
In May, Helen won the election and has since been settling into her new role. We've brought her back on the show to get the inside scoop on her first few months in office. What has she accomplished, and what challenges has she faced? We unpack what it's really like to be the WECA Mayor.
Helen has often described herself as an empathetic and caring leader, a stark contrast to her predecessor, Dan Norris, who was known for his disagreements with local leaders. We explore her plans for building better relationships with local bigwigs and improving morale within the WECA office. What does she think she can realistically achieve during her four-year term?
The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom - fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible.
Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.
Neil scored a conversation with Bristol's homegrown boxing legend, Lee Haskins. You might know him as a former world champion, but today, ten years on from that victory, the two catch up to talk shop about Lee's ongoing legacy.
He now runs his own family gym, Round One Boxing, where he trains and teaches alongside a roster of other professional fighters.
They talk family life; some of Lee's kids are following in his footsteps and stepping into the ring. Is that hard to watch as someone who's been through the highs and lows of professional sport?
You don't need to be a boxing fanatic to appreciate this one. Lee is a local and global legend and has an interesting and engaging outlook on life, health, family, Bristol and of course boxing.
The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom - fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible.
Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.
So, this is a bit of a break from the usual, but we figured the lessons we can learn from radicals 200 years ago are every bit as relevant as those from today. Isaac is back out exploring, and this time he's in a Hotwells building that was once ground zero for radical science and politics in England: The Pneumatic Institute. This place was a hotbed in the late 1700s, right around the time of The French Revolution. Joining Isaac is cultural historian Mike Jay, author of Free Radicals, who gets stuck into this history and the psychedelic science it sparked. The conversation revolves around Nitrous Oxide (NOS) - re-criminalised in 2023 but still wildly popular - and the experiments a motley crew of renegades conducted with it. They were essentially getting high, but these weren't just parties; they sparked revolutionary thinking across medicine, chemistry, and the arts, ultimately forging groundbreaking ideas about public health.
The cast:
Thomas Beddoes
Humphrey Davy
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
James Watt
People Just Do Something (PJDS) is the podcast for people who want to change the world. It is for those who act, instead of waiting for others. It is for those who understand the impact of local change. If you’ve found this episode, then you’re not far from action.
From The Bristol Cable's award-winning newsroom, hosts Isaac Kneebone-Hopkins and Priyanka Raval, along with producer George Colwey, bring you relaxing and possibly enraging conversations with activists, organisers, and change-makers tackling everything from local Bristol struggles to global movements.
The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom—fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible.
Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.
Warning: Contains discussions about grooming gangs in the second half
This week it’s another episode of Bristol Unpacked. Islam is back in the firing line of the culture wars, with a new legal definition being drafted by Labour, and the grooming gang scandal very much overlapping with far-right narratives about the religion. We wanted to hone in on this national issue, as it's one having a ripple effect in neighbourhoods across the nation, including in Bristol.
Bristol Muslim Cultural Society Director, Rizwan Ahmed, joined Neil to debunk common misconceptions about Islam, and to talk through his mission to strengthen inter-faith community ties through education. Rizwan gives us an insight into the normalcy of life as a British Muslim and answers some of those burning questions many non-Muslims might have: What are the foundations of the faith? What is the deal with Sharia Law? And perhaps most importantly; how can you spot a British Muslim in Mecca?
The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom - fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible.
Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.
[TRIGGER WARNING: Communism]
This episode comes from our last live show where we had international super comrade, professor Jodi Dean, blessing us with a discussion focussed on Communism in the modern age. As an outwardly left wing academic residing in the U.S.A, Jodi is often at the sharp end of the discourse, and she eloquently describes the importance of building a solidarity movement in tough times. Jodi is clearly wedded to the old guard of revolutionary thought, and this chat dives into some of the sticky stuff in framing those ideas for a contemporary audience. Questions like; is Comrade a cringe word? [obviously it is but Jodi and Isaac don’t think so.. c’est la vie].
People Just Do Something (PJDS) is the podcast for people who want to change the world. It is for those who act, instead of waiting for others. It is for those who understand the impact of local change. If you’ve found this episode, then you’re not far from action.
From The Bristol Cable's award-winning newsroom, hosts Isaac Kneebone-Hopkins and Priyanka Raval, along with producer George Colwey, bring you relaxing and possibly enraging conversations with activists, organisers, and change-makers tackling everything from local Bristol struggles to global movements.
The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom—fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible.
Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.
Join Neil Maggs alongside councillor for Hartcliffe and Withywood Kirsty Tate, to talk about class & climate justice in her community.
Kirsty is the Climate Action Manager at Heart of BS13, and is a co-author of The Just Transition Declaration which is all about ensuring climate policies are fair for everyone especially those most negatively impacted. This is particularly relevant in Bristol, where controversies like the Clean Air Zone and East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood have sparked debate topics we’ve covered on Unpacked before.
Hartcliffe has just received £20 million as part of a national government scheme to support communities in driving change. The goal? To ensure ‘left behind’ areas are ‘no longer ignored’ in the government’s own words. Hartcliffe is one of only two areas in our region (the other being Swindon) to secure this funding.
So, what does this mean? How should the money be used? What matters most locally? And how can residents shape these decisions?
The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom - fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible.
Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.
Number one Potter fanboy (joking please no more libel) Ethan Shone gives us a whistle stop tour of the sketchy world of The Dark Arts, aka secretive political lobbying. How is Bristol MP Darren Jones connected to a globally influential organisation set up by MI6 operatives? Why has Starmer's Labour party been described by former Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy as "the first private sector government in Labours history"? Who's pulling the strings and how has corporate capture become the overarching narrative of our political era? Journalist Ethan Shone shines a light into these murky corners in an attempt to establish the parameters of the playing field to support campaigners and activists.
People Just Do Something (PJDS) is the podcast for people who want to change the world. It is for those who act, instead of waiting for others. It is for those who understand the impact of local change. If you’ve found this episode, then you’re not far from action.
From The Bristol Cable's award-winning newsroom, hosts Isaac Kneebone-Hopkins and Priyanka Raval, along with producer George Colwey, bring you relaxing and possibly enraging conversations with activists, organisers, and change-makers tackling everything from local Bristol struggles to global movements.
The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom—fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible.
Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.
We're going up north – or actually, the north is coming down south to Bristol. You've probably clocked by now that there's been a massive Northern Soul revival in the city, so we thought we'd unpack what it's all about.
This week, Neil talks to Levanna McLean and her mum, Eve Arslett. It started when Levanna began doing Northern Soul dances during lockdown. Her mum filmed it, they pushed it out on socials and it blew up. They've featured everywhere: from BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour to the New York Times.
They then set up the Bristol Northern Soul club night. It kicked off at The Assembly in Old Market and has recently moved to the Eastville Social Club – an historic working men's club in an Ikea car park.
So, why is a scene that started in the sixties taking off in Bristol now with a whole new generation? We try and unpack all of this...
Bristol Northern Soul on Headfirst
Annie McGann aka The People's Lobbyist, graced us with her presence at the last PJDS live event to talk about her favourite topic, night-life. Her campaign group Save Bristol Nightlife has been pivotal in supporting the city's night-time economy, acting as a resource hub as well as a go-between for industry workers, Bristol City Council representatives, property developers and more. She calls it "interfering" but it would more commonly be called lobbying. Annie talks us through what led her to this point, her fascination with David Bowie, The Blitz Club, Soundsystem culture and the importance of doing the paperwork if you really want to effect change...
This week we’ve got the next instalment of Bristol Unpacked for you. Neil managed to get a chat in with our new High Sheriff, Kalpna Woolf. Its one of those mysterious, archaic titles that somehow has stood the test of time, but as Kalpna details, is a world away from its original purpose of enforcing the monarch’s will and collecting taxes… Kalpna talks us through her upbringing as a first generation migrant kid in London and the life experiences which led her to this point, as an ambassador of community cohesion across cultural divides. It’s a good one, and feels poignant in this current political climate where migrant has become a dirty word.
Kalpna founded 91 Ways – an organisation using the power of food to connect Bristol's 91 language communities. She also set up the Be Onboard initiative which aims to diversify boardrooms, making them representative of the communities they serve. She's been a boss at the BBC and a board member for University of the West of England.
"Tommy Robinson's worst nightmare" is how Taj Ali described his experience at Uni. He came to town for PJDS live to talk about the past, present, and future of trade unionism and activism in the UK. Drawing from his time as an industrial correspondent and his upcoming book on British South Asian resistance, Taj connects the dots between working-class history, racial identity and common struggle. He manages to stay focussed on the love, care and solidarity that still exists in working class communities, whilst also exposing how the far right exploits and encourages division within them. Most importantly he offers a roadmap for fighting back against divisive narratives, using community organising for the sake of the community.
Oh and Isaac talks about his camping trip where he almost climbed into a pyre in a yard outside a church where they speak in tongues??
One year into his leadership of Bristol City Council, Green party councillor for Southville Tony Dyer sits down with Neil to talk about it. They touch on the Green Party's internal dynamics, financial hurdles, and the significant political changes occurring within the city, such as the appointment of the new West of England mayor, Labour's Helen Godwin.
They unpack some key local issues from the past year, including the controversial East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme and budget constraints impacting public services, also the rising wave of right wing populism and how that might impact Dyer's stomping ground in South Bristol in the years ahead.
The queue for the women's toilet was tiny at the Reform UK rally according to Sian Norris, our guest this week. She's a journalist who has used undercover reporting to lift the lid on on the rise of right-wing populism and misogyny, particularly in relation to reproductive rights. She's a Senior Reporter at openDemocracy and has written several books, most recently Bodies Under Siege: How the Far-Right attack on reproductive rights went global.
Join us as we look into the moment to moment experience of going undercover, how to do it and what it feels like. Featuring badly thought out acronyms, UFO conspiracies and a number of moral dilemmas, Sian takes an extremely considered approach to understanding the people involved in this movement and what makes them tick.
With faith in democracy – and in particular in traditional political parties – at a low ebb, in the UK and elsewhere, this week Unpacked wrestles with whether citizens’ assemblies offer a chance to rekindle the public’s affection. Neil is joined by David Jubb, co-founder and co-director of Citizens In Power, which as its name suggests aims to enable citizens to lead decision-making and shape the future.Citizens’ assemblies offer a representative group of people the chance to deliberate on thorny issues – such as abortion or assisted dying – in a much more nuanced way than, for example, the Brexit referendum did. They are meant to provide a safe space for people to respectfully disagree, something that has become harder in our age of polarised opinion, and to find solutions that are acceptable for all.This year, Jubb will be collaborating with Trinity Community Arts and St Paul's Carnival on Citizens for Culture, a West of England-wide project to explore how creative opportunities can be more inclusive and accessible for everyone in the region. How will that work then? Who will be involved? And what would success look like? Tune in for another thought-provoking chat…
We sent Isaac to Cribbs Causeway to meet the organisers of a local iteration of the international protest movement dubbed Tesla Takedown. The movement has been calling for Tesla owners to sell up and boycott the company in response to owner Elon Musk's involvement in Donald Trump's extremist government. This week, Tesla announced record losses with sales dropping 71%. Can the Tesla Takedown movement claim this? And does this result mean Communism has officially been defeated? Isaac talks with organisers from American-Bristolian group Americans for Action to get their perspective. Oh and along the way Isaac sees a small horse and meets a magician.. I hope you enjoy it.
In this instalment of Bristol Unpacked, Neil is joined by BBC Politics West editor Pete Simson to unpack the upcoming West of England Combined Authority (WECA) Mayoral election. Simson, a veteran political journalist, offers his expertise and breaks down key aspects of the election, discussing the major candidates, voter engagement strategies, and the complexities of local political dynamics here in Bristol.
How do you cover local political content in an engaging way? And what might be the impact of recent scandals and controversies on the WECA election results? Listen on to find out.
Content warning: descriptions of violence and war
"The belief in one's rights is more important than anything else. If I am confident about my rights, nothing will make me despair...When you resist an Israeli soldier by peaceful means, their weapons become irrelevant." - Iyad Burnat
Iyad Burnat is a Palestinian activist involved in non-violent resistance against the Israeli occupation in the West Bank. He is the head of the Bil'in Popular Committee against the Wall, which has led weekly demonstrations since 2005 against the Israeli West Bank barrier. He is also head of Friends of Freedom and Justice in Bil’in, a pro-Palestinian organisation with the stated aims of building a "wide network of people from all over the globe who support Freedom and Justice for all". In this interview, he shares his personal experiences, including the confiscation of his village's land, the destruction of olive trees, and the regular demonstrations he and his community have organised. He is joined by Laura, a British organiser campaigning for Palestinian rights.
This week, we’re diving into Bristol’s vibrant nightlife. Neil talks with legendary Bristol photographer Colin Moody who has has been wide awake, capturing the city after dark in his latest project.
Colin is no stranger to documenting Bristol’s characters; his previous photography books have brought the streets of Montpelier and Gloucester Road to life. Now, he’s turned his lens to the nightlife, working for the past five years (yes, even through lockdown) alongside Jasmine Yaba Ketibuah-foley.
Neil chats with Colin about his new book, the decline of nightlife across the UK, and why clubs are closing left and right. Is it the cost of living? Post-pandemic struggles? And what about the rave scene—is it still the cultural force it once was?
Plus, should a man of Colin’s age really be out until 4 AM taking photos? Shouldn’t he be at home with a cup of cocoa? Tune in for a brilliant conversation about art, nightlife, and the soul of after-hours Bristol.
Priyanka sits down to talk with Dr. Amelia Cussans from health justice campaign group Medact. The group recently released a report in collaboration with ACORN the union describing the evacuation of Barton House in 2023 as a mass traumatising event. Amelia and Priyanka discuss this report, its implications and some of the moving testimonies from residents contained within it.
This week we’re bringing you another episode from the Bristol Unpacked Archives; its Green party MP Carla Denyer who was interviewed by Neil in October 2021, just after her election as co-chair of The Green party and 3 years before her election to parliament as the MP for Bristol Central in 2024.
How has she measured up against early commitments expressed in this interview? Check out her voting record and see for yourself.
Original Copy - October 2021:
Carla Denyer, an elected councillor in the city, has just won the leadership of the Greens alongside Adrian Ramsay. With Labour shifting to the right, and concern about the climate crisis starting to become mainstream, Denyer thinks this is the moment for Greens, in the UK and beyond. But can they get out of their pigeon-hole and reach a wide range of society? Will internal divisions rock the party like they have others? And what does this all mean for Bristol? Join Neil for an in depth interview on Carla's background, politics and plans.
An audio excerpt of a council meeting is used courtesy of Bristol City Council.