9/7 - The Empty Seat

Samuel was nine years old when he first asked his Dad, Martin, to raise some money for the other children on his ward to have some nicer meals…

Samuel’s Charity is now registered, and has raised over £200,000 for under-funded children’s wards.

In this moving interview with Olly, Martin explains why small charities are so very necessary, how even teaspoons and toasters can make a dramatic difference to the lives of unwell children, and how Samuel’s mission helps him cope with his grief.

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To donate to Samuel’s Charity, and find out more, visit samuelscharity.co.uk.

Elsewhere, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart has ventured on down to Shoreditch to test out the latest health fad… vitamin drips.

And, as the competition for Christmas No.1 gets ever more intense, it’s time for him to lay down his vocals for ‘The Sounds of Christmas’. Shudder.

Meanwhile, in this week’s Foxhole, Alix Fox advises a listener with a predilection for promiscuity. How should he manage his fantasies of ‘pozzing’ and ‘bug-chasing’ - engaging in deliberately unsafe sex to contract HIV - when in the cold light of day he’s disturbed by his risk-taking and concerned for his health?

Finally, our record of the week is ‘Marlow’ by Leytonstone alt-pop band Banfi:

Remember, our show is free to download, but it isn’t free to produce. If you can afford to support us by buying us a virtual pint of beer - or a monthly donation via PayPal - just visit our Beer Money page.

Or, if you have a story you’d like to share on a future edition of the show, head on over to our Feedback form - ditto if you have a question of sex for Alix, a challenge for Ollie, or would like to nominate yourself as a Mannbassador.

See You Next Tuesday!

5/3 - I See Dead People

"The more we talk about death, the less it will take us by surprise"

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Pathology technician Carla Valentine always knew she wanted to work with corpses. In childhood, she conducted funerals for roadkill. These days, she is curator of the Barts Pathology Museum, and a passionate advocate for more awareness about what happens when the mortuary doors swing shut...

In this interview with Olly, she reveals how to prepare for an autopsy, how to get a sense of how a person lived from examining their remains, and how to create that ‘look of gentle repose’ so important to grieving families. You’ll discover when rigor mortis starts, how identify the difference between primary and secondary flaccidity, and you'll learn about alkaline hydrolosis (‘the new cremation’) and the American trend for being embalmed sitting up.

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If you'd like to hear more from Carla, do check out her excellent book, Past Mortems.

For this week’s Lifehack, Sasha Morgan from Peckham-based arts educational charity Bold Everywhere reveals her top tips to run a successful meeting: know your objectives, invite the right people, and assemble your allies before the meeting even commences! The Lifehack is supported by our friends at Squarespace.com - if you want to build yourself a beautiful website, there is no better port of call. There’s a two-week free trial, and then use our offer code ‘MANN’ to get 10% off your first year’s subscription.

Ollie's quest hits another stumbling block...

Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart’s quest to become a true trends insider continues. This week, he inches ever-closer to being able to *touch a Nando’s black card*, and learns why TV presenter Emma Willis will NEVER be allowed such an honour. He also considers the trends for brand disloyalty and dockless bike sharing. If you think you can help Ollie with his mission, contact him on Twitter.

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox reveals why, when it comes to condoms, there are such things as ‘teat-less wonders’. She also explains what spermatorrhea is, why she’s created a new sexual term, ‘ledging’, and why - despite detesting the book - she has a certain fondness for the Fifty Shades Of Grey toy crossovers.

The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at mycondom.com. They stock all you need for a legendary night in the sack - or many more to come. Remember to use our discount code ‘FOXHOLE’ to receive an astonishing 15% off! And, if you have a question of sex for a future edition, do get in touch via our Feedback form.

Finally, our song of the week is Machine, by The Horrors - out now:

If you enjoy this week's show, please do support us and buy us a beer, write us a review on iTunes, or simply tell your friends about us.

See You Next Tuesday!

1/9 - Being Santa Claus

It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas.

What's it like being Santa Claus? In our Christmas Spectacular episode, Olly meets actor Nigel Harvey, who makes a living playing Father Christmas all year round - and hears about the highs and lows of life inside the iconic red-and-white outfit. 

Meanwhile, at the invitation of listener Paul from delicious ice cream cafe Cloud 9, the rest of the team have decamped to Brighton, where Ollie Peart considers Tim Peake's Christmas in space, and Alix Fox presents us with her Christmas-wrapped selection of the year's best sex toys*. Ding dong!

Olly meets Nigel Harvey, aka Celebrity Santa

The Modern Mann team decamp to Brighton. It's Winter, you know. Mum always says to bring your scarf, and your vibrator.

Alix, OIlie, and Ollie sample a delicious Cloud 9 cake with our ACTUAL FACES on it!

That Cloud 9 Manncake in all its glory. #Manncake

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* In case you're keen to try them out, Alix's 2015 pick of the sex toys (SPOILER ALERT!) were: The Womaniser 'sucking' clitoral stimulator from Sh! emporium; The Lester heat-up vibrator by Svakom; The Motorhead Ace of Spades vibrator from Lovehoney, and fizzy cola-flavoured condoms by Pasante. 

It's a hell of a show, but we've still got one more episode left in us before this series is done - we'll see you for the 'season finale' - when else, but next Tuesday. 

Have a very, very happy Christmas. And, if Santa ends up giving you loads of money and you don't know what to do with it, do consider buying us a beer, won't you? Thanks.