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Traditional ideas of masculinity are dead, and now men struggle to find their place in the world. In Stories of Men, Alex Melia speaks to men who’ve overcome challenging circumstances to find out what they’ve learned about being a man in today’s world. Each guest shares a story from their life that has had a big impact on them. Alex Melia is a businessman and podcaster from Atherton, Greater Manchester. He has built a business which now employs over 30 people. Ten years in, and the company s ...
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Welcome to the Swoosh English OET Podcast hosted by Scott and Una. Join us as we break down the different topics and tests of the OET to help you get the scores you need.
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Are we as men battling a silent war with food?
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23:00
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It was as ordinary a situation as you could imagine: Steve and his girlfriend were in Subway purchasing a sandwich. Steve had decided to go for the healthiest option available: a sandwich which was under 3g in fat. He’d chosen roast chicken, no sauces, no cookies and a diet coke. But as Steve was eating the food in front of him, he began to get ner…
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Can men really let go of always wanting to control?
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22:21
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Adam is driving his teenage daughter to Oxford. During the 1-hour journey, a few meaningful looks are exchanged. He is trying to be strong, but he feels nervous about the future, nervous about the prospect of relinquishing control. Eventually they arrive in a leafy suburb and are directly outside of a large building. Adam knows that this is the pla…
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Mark was outside the door, his brother was locked in. The student apartment they were in was rat-infested and in complete disarray. All Mark’s brother had access to was 20 sausage rolls, a bottle of ketchup and a bucket. It was Mark who had access to the keys. His brother began by pleading with Mark to open the door. Then he started to threaten and…
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Want to own a business? You have to think this way
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21:35
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It was March 2020 and Brad had just received confirmation that his current business model had become unworkable. A lockdown had been ordered following the pandemic, and the vast quantities of money that had been flowing through Brad’s account were set to disappear overnight. Brad’s wife was in tears as she learned the news. But Brad knew that tears…
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Jimmy was sitting in the waiting room thinking carefully about the decision he was about to announce. He had risen to a point of great success in his career, he was literally operating in the corridors of power. He sat there thinking carefully about each word he was going to utter. Up to now, nothing had been announced, he could go back on his plan…
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I almost took my own life. What made me change my mind?
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21:06
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*Content warning: This episode contains graphic details of suicide* It was a perfect storm of events and emotions. Dan had recently lost his mother. He’d had a number of business ventures which had not worked out. He was also struggling with his mental health. As a result, he decided to take a walk along the quiet streets at night, hoping that no-o…
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What men need to understand about the harsh realities of moving to a new country
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21:39
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Valerio grew up in a small Italian province. He enjoyed his life and was comfortable in his surroundings. It was something of a shock to the system, then, when his dad got a job in London while Valerio was just 12 years old. Valerio found himself moving to a metropolis, where he didn’t speak the language and knew nothing of the culture. It was at h…
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Is there a manly way of dealing with the death of a loved one?
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19:14
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It was a day as ordinary as any other. Luke was taking a leisurely stroll to the shops when he began to feel the strangest of sensations. He felt time beginning to slow down. He experienced a feeling of entering a parallel universe, a place where reality no longer existed. He was fighting a battle against his own sense of truth, a truth he had know…
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What is it about public speaking that strikes fear into our hearts?
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24:53
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“The Waffle Shop”, a podcast started by James, had been doing particularly well when he decided to throw his first ever live event. Everything was in place; however, as the beginning of the event approached, James began to experience extreme anxiety back-stage. He was sweating profusely. His fists were tightly clenched. He couldn’t help but think a…
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The gruelling path to becoming a father and why it isn’t so straightforward
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24:59
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Matt was on his way to the fertility clinic in order to produce a sample for his wife’s IVF treatment. This would be the 7th time the couple had attempted the procedure and it would likely be the final time they would have the financial and emotional resources to do so. At the clinic, Matt couldn’t help but notice how unconducive the environment wa…
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The dark side of men meeting up with the in-laws
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It was a beautiful summer’s day and Kevin was enjoying a boat trip along a picturesque canal with his girlfriend and her parents. His in-laws had arranged the trip as a way to celebrate their daughter’s birthday and they were all appreciating the tranquil waters as their boat bobbed along. As the trip was progressing, Kevin’s father-in-law asked hi…
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Are you less of a man if you’re overweight?
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18:28
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There was nothing that Arjun loved more than a wedding celebration. It was an opportunity for him to sing and dance and dress in elegant clothing, while also spending time with people he knew and loved. On one particular occasion, however, Arjun was much less excited about celebrating as he discovered that the clothing he had worn at a previous wed…
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Men, ignoring this test could cost you your life
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24:45
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It was a beautiful autumnal morning and Andrew was thoroughly enjoying being at a Senior Golf Tour. During the event, a leaflet was handed to him concerning prostate cancer. He took it out of politeness and immediately shoved it into his pocket unread. It wasn’t until many days later that Andrew chanced upon the leaflet again as he was about to tak…
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These strategies to improve a father-son relationship might surprise you...
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Kazeem had always had a strained relationship with his father. His dad abandoned him when he was a baby and Kazeem only ever had fleeting experiences of spending time with him as he was growing up. After his dad hit him across the face at the age of 12, Kazeem completely broke off relations with his father. But, aged 21 and now an adult, Kazeem dec…
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The surprising link between anxiety and the barber's chair
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As a queer man, Matt had always found the barbershop to be a particularly hyper-masculine space. He’d got on with everyone there, particularly the owner, but he had never felt comfortable enough to truly open up and be himself. It was to his great surprise, then, that when entering the barbershop one day he was introduced to a new employee: a flamb…
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Why a journalist went to extreme lengths to get his father’s approval
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30:06
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David was exploring the world while scaling the heady heights of multi-sports journalism. In only his second “proper job” post-university, he found himself unexpectedly appointed editor of a new magazine specialising in all-terrain vehicles. As this was the only magazine of its kind, David received invites from manufacturers the world over in order…
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The dark side of traffic police officers we don't usually see
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Mark had spent many years working as a traffic police officer. During this time, he had experienced countless tragic sights. His response to these had been to bottle up his feelings. This had led to him becoming desensitised and uncaring. Dedicated counselling had been required to help Mark remove the barriers that had prevented him from dealing wi…
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Do we always need a wake-up call to change our lives?
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Dale Pollitt was 17 years old and appeared to be going nowhere. He’d just dropped out of school and was working at KFC. Like so many teenagers on the estate in which he lived, he spent most of his spare hours smoking weed and playing computer games. But one day he would receive some tragic news that would change his entire outlook on life. He recei…
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'Chess with violence': A sport that a man never thought he'd play
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Steve seemed to have a charmed life. After graduating from university, he began travelling around Europe. He then found himself settling at a holiday resort and, in a few short years, went from being the cleaner to becoming the Area Manager. He was living the dream and making the most of what life had to offer. But one day everything would change f…
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Sam was 27 years old and in the midst of embarking upon his American adventure. He had just arrived in New York and was meeting up with some friends he’d made online to help him stay awake and beat the jet-lag. After a meet-up involving the consumption of copious amounts of hotdogs and beer, Sam began to feel very queasy. He went to the bathroom bu…
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Facing the immense challenge of experiencing grief as a man
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After spending some time as a couple, Rob and Jodie had been friends for over ten years. He had seen her go through health challenges in the past and always re-emerge to be there by his side. It was with great shock then that Rob received a call from Jodie’s sister on his 40th birthday telling him that Jodie had suddenly passed away. Rob went to Jo…
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The dangerous journey that took a young boy completely out of his comfort zone
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Nick Danziger is an award-winning photographer. He is also a filmmaker and travel writer. His adventures abroad began at a very young age. Nick was 13 and living in Switzerland when he told his parents that he was going to travel to Paris. Nick’s parents did not take their son particularly seriously but little did they know that he had a plan in mi…
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The last chance to guide a troubled young boy into adulthood
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Tim was a social worker and started to work with a young boy who had no experience of being told what to do. He committed a crime and he was about to go face-to-face with a magistrate, so Tim felt he had some responsibility to help the boy and do whatever he could. All his efforts didn’t make any difference, and after being reprimanded, the young b…
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The magic of three friends coming together in a hospital room
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19:13
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Anthony was 29 years old when he received the news that his best friend, David, was severely ill.The news left him in shock and it proved to be a life changing moment for him. Anthony and David had known each other since they were both 8 years old. They’d played together at school and they would relive the energy and innocence of those days every t…
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Moments from the edge: The kindness that brought a man back to life
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25:53
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Luke was at a party with his girlfriend surrounded by his closest friends. He was smiling and laughing and appeared to be having a great time. But, after this moment of celebration, it was his intention to say goodbye. Nobody else knew it but he wanted to take his life that same night. Before taking his life, Luke is driven to make a phone call to …
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