UK

From the Merchant Navy to Covert Hunter Killer Nuclear Submarine Missions

David Arnold joined the merchant navy at just 14. His tales offer a glimpse into the rigorous and sometimes harsh realities of naval training in the 1950s. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! His story takes us through his progression in the merchant navy, where … Read more

A Cold War Time Capsule – The Nottingham War Rooms

Last year I was given the unique opportunity to visit the Nottingham War Rooms. The site is about to be re-developed so it was a rare chance to see a British Regional Seat of Government bunker that has lain relatively untouched since the end of the Cold War. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on … Read more

From Cold War Berlin to Belfast – A Para’s Story Pt 2

  David Mackay is a former Cold War special forces officer and author of Bubbleheads, SEALs and Wizards: America’s Scottish Bastion in the Cold War. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeBecome a Patron! The conversation extends to further experiences in East Berlin, West Germany, Nigeria, and Northern Ireland, highlighting the varied roles and … Read more

Bombs, Berlin & Peacekeeping: A Para’s Cold War Story

  David Mackay is a former Cold War special forces officer and author of Bubbleheads, SEALs and Wizards: America’s Scottish Bastion in the Cold War. He returns by popular demand to share his compelling journey through military service in the British Army’s Parachute Regiment. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeBecome a Patron! From … Read more

Under Fire: A Journalist’s Story of the 1989 Romanian Revolution

Today we are transported back to a pivotal moment in history that occurred 35 years ago this month – the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! This episode is from our archive and features, Mark Brayne, a former Reuters and BBC … Read more

Surrounded and captured in the Korean War

Today is Veterans Day in the US and Armistice Day in the UK and to commemorate I’ve gone back into the archive to remember and share vivid testimony from Korean War veteran Tommy Clough who sadly passed away a couple of weeks ago. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome … Read more

From Vulcan to Gannet: A Cold War career in the Royal Air Force

This episode is brought to you by the Avro Heritage Museum at Woodford near Manchester where I am a volunteer. Trevor Jackson is also one of the volunteers, but unlike me he’s a former Vulcan pilot who shares with me his extraordinary career. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on Google PodcastsBecome a Patron! From … Read more

How the Cold War almost destroyed European Football

  In the late 1960s European club football competitions were thriving However unexpected events in 1968 threatened its survival. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! I delve into the fascinating world of European football during the Cold War era with Craig McCracken, a self-described peddler and purveyor … Read more

The KGB Spies Next Door

In the sleepy suburb of Ruislip in London during the late 1950s, life was anything but exciting for Gay, a 15-year-old girl. Little did she know, her mundane existence was about to be shattered by a shocking revelation that would turn her world upside down. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeBecome a Patron! … Read more