The Man who was Scared to Death

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Welcome to an audio documentary with a difference. In these recordings, The Man who was Scared to Death speaks to people who work with death to see if their view of mortality has changed, from GPs and funeral directors, to celebrants and cemetery workers.

Episodes

Rev Kate Dean is the minister at Rosslyn Hill Chapel in Hampstead and, as a Unitarian, is fully invested in individual freedom, equality and rational thought. The latter, of course, is an issue for The Man who was Scared to Death.

Sep 21, 2023

24 min

Death: Cradle to the grave

A midwife AND death cafe host - be honest, is that the best of both worlds? I met up with Jenny Wylam and we talked about the connections between being born and dying, with the bells of Southwark Cathedral ringing in the background.

Aug 10, 2023

29 min

Death: Carry on doctor

It had to happen eventually: An interview with a GP inside a cemetery. Meet Oliver Starr, part GP, part expert witness and part medical student tutor. We talk about the art of living too long and the murky world of clinical negligence.

Jul 4, 2023

34 min

Death: Inside the mortuary

We contacted the other side, otherwise known as anatomical pathology technologist Gemma Norburn, to discover our journey from last breath to the grave. Spoiler: It is a one way deal...

Mar 22, 2023

29 min

Death: Getting the lowdown on the low down

We visit a funeral home in north London and chat to Funeral Service Co-ordinator Samantha-Jane Streete-Porter about practicality, spirituality and, of course, brushing the dead's hair.

Feb 8, 2023

30 min

Death: 88 years and counting

In this special episode, I speak to John Fogarty, a man proud of his long life and not ready for ending the journey anytime soon. I am in awe.

Jan 10, 2023

23 min

Death: From alongside the grave

To start series 2, we meet up with Highgate Cemetery tour guide John Waite on a crisp weekday morning to see if walking next to dead bodies every single day has changed his view of death. Spoiler: It has.

Oct 25, 2022

36 min

Death: Reaching the terminal

We talk to Mark Taubert, NHS Palliative Consultant & CD, about how different people react to bad news and which songs appear most on death beds.

Mar 29, 2022

34 min

Death: From the other side

Today we talk to Deb Larmour, an Intuitive Minister - please note, these recordings took place before Covid, if you can imagine such a time.

Mar 15, 2022

25 min

Death: Slicing and dicing

Today we talk to Eve Murrell, dissector of dead bodies - please note, these recordings took place before Covid, if you can imagine such a time.

Mar 14, 2022

25 min