Best Clare Edwards Podcasts (2025)

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Clare Wildfire – Great Great Great Grandaughter of rail pioneer Edward Pease 3:41

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3d ago3:41

3:41

Railway 200 has caused Clare Wildfire to reflect and reconnect with her ancestral legacy of industrialist Edward Pease, one of the leading lights in the launch of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Edward Pease was visionary in being able to project into the future about how the railway will change lives and communities. Today Clare is involved i…

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Dr Mike Esbester and Gordon Churchill – Remembering Arthur Churchill and the Railway Orphanages 13:16

2h ago13:16

13:16

Mike and Gordon recall the role of the Railway Orphanages. The rail industry hasn’t always been the pioneers of safety they are today. In times gone by, the accident rate in the rail industry was much higher and accidents often very severe. The Railway Orphanages were set up to support and care for the children of railway workers were killed in the…

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Adrian Greenwood – Falling in love with the sound of trains 13:17

5h ago13:17

13:17

Sound recordist Adrian Greenwood discovered his combined love of trains and their sounds as a young boy standing on bridges watching freight trains pass underneath him and his father. In this special Great Rail Tale, Adrian takes us into his sound archive to hear some of his favourite train sounds, including the sound of a prototype Intercity 125 r…

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Ian Lavery MP and Caroline Ball – World Cup Winner Ashington 10:56

1d ago10:56

10:56

When Ashington Station reopened in December 2024, having been closed as part of the Beeching cuts, the impact of the railway on this north east town has been more than ever imagined, it has been described as life changing for the community. The town was home to World Cup winners Jack and Bobby Charlton, along with fellow footballer Jackie Milburn. …

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Thank you and Merry Christmas - A message from Peta 1:46

3d ago1:46

1:46

This is a short Christmas message to say thank you for listening to The I Can’t Stand Podcast this year. The show will be taking a brief break over the holidays and will return on Tuesday the sixth of January. If you’d like to give the podcast a little Christmas present, a rating or review would mean so much. It helps new listeners find the show an…

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Findlay Napier – Firecracker on 21st Century Folk 12:44

4d ago12:44

12:44

Folk singer songwriter Findlay Napier recalls writing “Firecracker”, a song he wrote about Joanne Ormesher as part of BBC Radio 2’s 21st Century folk project which this year celebrated Railway 200, turning rail stories into songs, written and performed by top musicians like Findlay. Listen to Firecracker and all of the 21st Century Folk songs celeb…

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Steve Williams – A journey like no other 8:22

6d ago8:22

8:22

Driver and Permanent Way operative Steve Williams drives a train like no other in the country. With a top speed of 6.5 mph, a maximum gradient of 20% and with no connection between the engine and passenger carriage, the Snowdon Mountain Railway opened in 1896 and has been carrying tourists and day trippers to summit of Snowdon ever since. After a t…

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Dr Bob Nicholson – The birth of the platform bookstore 8:03

8d ago8:03

8:03

The train is a place of reading says Dr Bob Nicholson, Historian of Victorian Culture. Time spent on the train has always been used as a time to read. Today that might be on a smartphone, but before news apps, audio books and digital readers, rail travellers would buy newspapers, books and specifically edited journals and magazines designed for the…

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Conquerors Not Captives: A Conversation with Joseph Dodson 1:02:15

8d ago1:02:15

1:02:15

Might a popular understanding of Paul’s words in Romans 7:14-25 contribute to a learned helplessness with respect to sin in the lives of many Christians? New Testament scholar Dr. Joseph Dodson believes the answer is yes and explains why in his book Conquerors Not Captives: Reframing Romans 7 for the Christian Life. In this episode, he joins Dr. Ke…

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Sherin Aminossehe – Meet me under the clocks 14:55

9d ago14:55

14:55

Sherin Aminossehe arrived in the UK as a young 6 year old girl. Her love of the railway was almost immediately piqued on a family holiday to Torquay. Today Sherin is an architect and an artist; it was a drawing project during lockdown that started her thinking about station clocks and the connections that people make as they meet under them. From T…

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Redefining Blindness: Lucy Edwards on Disability, Beauty, and IVF 35:52

14d ago35:52

35:52

Lucy Edwards is a broadcaster, journalist, and one of the most recognisable blind content creators in the world. In this episode, she opens up about losing her sight at 17, building a career online, and why she proudly says, “I love being blind now.” We talk about the grief of going blind, how she found confidence through storytelling, and her late…

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Luke Ryan - The Talyllyn Railway and Rev Wilbert Awdry 10:23

11d ago10:23

10:23

Talyllyn Railway volunteer Luke Ryan describes the history and heritage of the world’s first preserved heritage railway. Originally built to transport slate down from the North Wales mines it was also designed with passengers in mind. Despite all the changes to the rail industry over the centuries, Talyllyn has remined independent and in 1951 it wa…

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Dr Neil Strong – promoting the flora and fauna of the rail network 10:46

13d ago10:46

10:46

Did you know that the railway provides one of nature’s unique corridors, abundant with plants and wildlife? Far from being isolated boundary strips of land, the trackside is alive with flora and fauna. This unique habitat provides an environment for both rare and unique plant life. Dr Neil Strong is the Biodiversity Strategy Manager for Network Rai…

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Toufic Machnouk – Evolution or revolution for the railway of the future? 25:33

18d ago25:33

25:33

By Railway 200

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Alan Ross – Celebrating the Forth Bridge 9:12

17d ago9:12

9:12

Alan Ross, Engineering and Asset Manager for Network rail in Scotland takes us a journey over the iconic Forth Bridge. From his first impressions as a 17 year in awe of the bridge, through to today he was part of the team who made the case for why the bridge should be recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. At just under 2.5km in length, wit…

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Being Bed Bound and Living With an Energy-Limiting Illness: Amelia Tang’s Story 29:28

21d ago29:28

29:28

In this episode, Peta speaks with model, actor and advocate Amelia Tang about what life looks like when illness reshapes everything. Amelia shares their experience of becoming disabled as a teenager, the long periods they spent bedbound, and how community kept them connected when they could barely tolerate light or sound. They talk about modelling …

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Colin Haynes – Telling the stories behind the names 12:00

20d ago12:00

12:00

A passion for history and his natural curiosity led Colin Haynes, Director of Environment, Health and Safety at Alstom, to research into the stories of the names on the war memorials at the Crewe works site. What started as a winter project has become much bigger, unearthing stories of Railway factory workers who gave their lives in both World Wars…

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Dr Mike Esbester – People make the railway 15:21

22d ago15:21

15:21

People are fundamental to the railways - none more so than the staff who keep everything moving. But how do we find out about railway workers of 100 or more years ago? What was working life like for them? And how did an innovative safety campaign spread from the railways to influence British society? University of Portsmouth historian Dr Mike Esbes…

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With Love From's Lizzie Dibble Wants Local Libraries to Lend Clothes as well as Books 43:02

21d ago43:02

43:02

Lizzie Dibble wants libraries to lend clothes as well as books. Not just any clothes though. A carefully curated selection of donated second-hand fashion, imbued with the stories of former wearers, and volunteer-run. With Love From… has built a collection of occasion-wear, mostly for women (though there’s also a children’s dressup box) for library …

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Niccy Hallifax – Artistic and Festival Director of S&DR200 15:21

23d ago15:21

15:21

What started as a month long celebration soon became a nine month national celebration and the S&DR200 festival continues to grow onwards into 2026. The artistic and festival Director of S&DR200, Niccy Hallifax, reflects back on the some of the highlights of and looks forward at the legacy of the anniversary year in County Durham and Tees Valley.…

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From Iron Lung to Icon: Honouring Ed Roberts with Professor Scot Danforth 32:47

28d ago32:47

32:47

Ed Roberts is often called the father of the independent living movement, but many people have never heard his story. This week, I’m joined by Professor Scot Danforth, author of An Independent Man, to explore Ed’s life, from contracting polio at fourteen and living in an iron lung, to becoming a key figure in disability rights. We talk about the mo…

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Iain Quinn - a nostalgic look back at the connections between the railways and the Waverley paddle steamer 4:10

26d ago4:10

4:10

Iain Quinn, quartermaster on The Waverley, the last sea-going paddle steamer in Great Britain, takes a nostalgic look at the connection between rail and sail. His earliest memory of travelling on the Waverley goes back to childhood when he used to travel by train then take the paddle steamer via Craigendoran to get home to Dunoon, West of Glasgow.…

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Samina Siddiqui - Muslims on the railways 7:33

29d ago7:33

7:33

Author Samina Siddiqui shares her joy at researching the stories of Muslims working on Britain’s railways. Through listening to stories from Muslims working on the railways across the 60s, 70s, and 80s Samina uncovered rich themes of duty, service and a real sense of belonging and community. The research has also inspired her to dig into her own fa…

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Grace Spence Green: The Doctor Living the Social Model of Disability 36:17

1M ago36:17

36:17

Grace Spence Green was a medical student when a man jumped from a height in a shopping centre and landed on her, causing a spinal cord injury that left her paralysed from the chest down. In this conversation, Grace speaks openly about the moment her life changed, the long road through hospital and rehabilitation, and what it was like to suddenly be…

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Jools Townsend - Giving communities a voice through the Community Rail Network 13:25

1M ago13:25

13:25

Jools Townsend, Chief Executive of the Community Rail Network explains the important history, evolution and contribution of the Community Rail Network to our relationship with the railways. Set up around 30 years ago, the Community Rail Network aims to help and encourage communities and community groups to get involved with their railways so they g…

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Mark Smith – The Man in Seat 61 5:38

1M ago5:38

5:38

In the original Eurostar cars 7, 8, 11 or 12 seat 61 gave Mark Smith the perfect table and window view he wanted. So on special trips he would always book this place on the train. Inevitably when this career railwayman developed a website about international train travel it could have only one name. Inspired by a school trips by train to the then L…

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Inside Shein - How the Ultra Fast Fashion Brand Makes Clothes So Cheap 51:39

1M ago51:39

51:39

Despite Shein’s new sustainability rhetoric, workers are still paying the price for the ultra-fast fashion giant’s success. To 75-hour working weeks, piece rates and no contracts, we can add secrecy, opaque financial operations and a general air of mystery around its billionaire founder and how the brand does business. This is the story they don't …

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The Tech Exit: A Conversation with Clare Morell 55:09

1M ago55:09

55:09

The adverse effects of a screen-immersed life on children and teens becomes harder to ignore on what seems to be a daily basis. What are parents to do? In her book The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide for Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones, Clare Morell offers well-researched and hope-giving answers. She joined Dr. Keith Plummer to talk about the …

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Linda Hilton – Stories from her railwayman dad John Monk 11:36

1M ago11:36

11:36

The railway has been a part of Linda Hilton’s life since she was a young girl. In this Great Rail Tale, Linda tells of her love of listening to some of her dad’s stories from a career spent on the rails with his closest friend Brian Selkeld. John and Brian worked together for decades but lost touch after retirement. A chance meeting bought these tw…

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Clare Reilly on Wheelchair Meets Wilderness and her Accessible Outdoor Adventure 29:05

1M ago29:05

29:05

When Clare Reilly was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2017, she thought her days of outdoor adventure might be behind her. But the lifelong outdoors lover, podcaster, and mum is preparing to take on something extraordinary; a 1,072-kilometre ride along Western Australia’s Munda Biddi Trail using her off-road wheelchair. In this episode, Clare …

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Susan Major – The Railway Women of World War 2 10:30

1M ago10:30

10:30

Author Susan Major tells the story of the role of women on the railway during World War 2 from her research of the oral history collections at the National Railway Museum.By Railway 200

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"Brands Should Stop Overproduction!" Yayra Agbofah's Advice for Big Fashion 33:50

2M ago33:50

33:50

Listen up! Yayra Agbofah is the founder of Ghanaian non-profit, The Revival. He's seriously stylish a poet, a creative upcycler, and one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders, as well a 2025 winner of the H&M Foundation's Global Change Award. And he's got some advice for the global fashion industry... Also covered in this charisma…

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Christian Wolmar - The railway and war 12:44

1M ago12:44

12:44

Journalist, author and railway historian Christian Wolmar reflects on the role that trains, and the railway network had on wars and the ways that war have been fought. Rather than just ferrying troops to or from embarkation ports, Christian explains how the symbiotic relationship between trains and frontlines has shaped modern warfare. He reflects …

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Paralympian and Advocate Don Elgin on Building an Inclusive NDIS 28:07

2M ago28:07

28:07

In this episode, Paralympian, author, and advocate Don Elgin joins Peta to explore what true connection means within the NDIS and beyond. After representing Australia at three Paralympic Games and winning four medals, Don turned his focus to advocacy. As Head of Events at One Community, he now leads more than 120 networking events each year, connec…

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John Chalmers – Driving Her Majesty the Late Queen to Paris 12:19

2M ago12:19

12:19

To mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale between Great Britain and France, Queen Elizabeth II travelled to Paris on the Eurostar. John Chalmers was chosen to drive the train that day and recalls how his career as an apprentice railman took him to the platform of Gard du Nord to be introduced to his Royal passengers.…

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Penny Allen – Discovering the railway is in your blood 4:17

2M ago4:17

4:17

A shift in career led Penny Allen down an entirely different life track. A passion for the railway was born and soon led to her discovering that the railway was already in her blood. In Penny’s Great Rail Tale she recalls her family background in the railway and how it has shaped her life today.By Railway 200

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She's Serving Fabulous! Notes on Dressing Confidently with Samia Benchaou 50:42

2M ago50:42

50:42

We're back! And excited to be kick off Series 12 with this fabulous interview with Copenhagen-based Moroccan Danish stylist, and excellent dresser, Samia Benchaou. Clare and Samia met at fashion week when they got talking about the power of a great outfit. Can you relate? Bet you have a story of someone you met because of what they were wearing! (I…

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How Toyota & Remarkable Are Powering the Future of Disability Tech With Pete Horsley 36:02

2M ago36:02

36:02

In this episode, Pete Horsley, Founder of Remarkable, the disability-tech accelerator powered by Cerebral Palsy Alliance, joins Peta to explore how technology, innovation, and lived experience are reshaping the future of accessibility. Over the past decade, Pete and his team have supported more than 160 startups developing technologies that change …

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Alan Brooks – Oh la la! Driving the first train through the Channel Tunnel 8:54

2M ago8:54

8:54

Eurostar driving instructor, Alan Brooks recalls a lifetime on the rails that he can trace back to a French class at school. But what started at school ended up with Alan driving one of the very first trains to travel through the newly completed Channel Tunnel.By Railway 200

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Tim Shoveller – From steam volunteer to CEO Freightliner Group 8:33

2M ago8:33

8:33

A railwayman through and through, Tim Shoveller found himself using his bardic lamp to help guide an ambulance to a halt when his wife went into early labour. But his railway life started long before parenthood. Tim was first introduced to the railway trainspotting with his mother on the platform at Reading. The railway found its way into his blood…

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Christina Burgess – Remembering Joseph Harrop 4:01

2M ago4:01

4:01

Volunteer at the multi award winning Goostrey station, in this Great Rail Tale Christina Burgess recalls work and roles that railway worker, Joseph Harrop had at the station and on the Crewe – Manchester Line over his half a century of service. Telling Joseph’s story is part of a wider storytelling event at Goostrey station where friends of Goostre…

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What the World Gets Wrong About LGBTIQ+ People with Intellectual Disability with Cameron Bloomfield 22:45

2M ago22:45

22:45

Disability advocate and self-advocate Cameron Bloomfield shares what it’s like to be a gay man with an intellectual disability. He talks about self-advocacy, pride, and challenging the misconception that people with disability aren’t sexual or part of the LGBTIQ+ community. Connect: Peta Hooke Instagram: @petahooke Website: www.icantstandpodcast.co…

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Alex Alder – Discovering 39 tonnes of miracle 9:32

2M ago9:32

9:32

When engineer and rail enthusiast, Alex Alder, got a message in a group chat saying someone had found a scrapped steam engine, little did he know the story and adventure that was waiting for him in a shed at the far end of the grounds of a convent.By Railway 200

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Lewis Smith – What’s behind one of the world’s most famous logos? 13:16

2M ago13:16

13:16

The iconic British Rail logo is one of, if not, the most recognisable brand images in the world. But what is behind the logo? What do these iconic double arrows reflect and what imagery does it conjure in our collective mindset? While some people might imagine dirty, late or cancelled trains, Dr Lewis Smith, Marketing Lecturer from Brunel Universit…

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Clare Stewart on Disability, Leadership and Accessible Housing 27:31

2M ago27:31

27:31

In this episode, Clare Stewart, CEO of Youngcare and former Mayor of Noosa, joins Peta to share her powerful story of resilience, disability, and purpose. At just 23 years old, Clare was struck by a garbage truck while out for a morning run. She spent six months in hospital and underwent 37 surgeries to save her legs. Twenty-five years on, she’s le…

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Jenny Clementson – Researching the railway of the future 9:21

2M ago9:21

9:21

Research project manager from the University of Derby, Jenny Clementson’s background was in the rail industry. Today she leads on the industry connected academic research into the future of our railway. From hydrogen powered shunting wagons to AI deciding where, when and how to implement infrastructure maintenance this is the edge where design, ide…