Made in the Midlands Podcast
1) Henry Normal
Henry Normal is anything but normal. A prolific poet and writer, he grew up in a poor part of Nottingham and nearly killed himself, after putting on a World War 2 gas mask he found while playing in th...Show More
2) Series 1 Round-Up
Adrian's mission to find out what defines our region and what makes a Midlander comes to an end, for now... He's spoken to 9 famous folk from central England - five men, four women, one novelist, two ...Show More
3) Ellie Simmonds
Paralympian Ellie Simmonds is starting a life away from the Midlands but still lives close enough to the motorway to be able to get to the place she will always call home: “To be that poster girl for ...Show More
4) Jess Phillips
Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley since 2015, Jess has lived her entire life in the city. She did study at Leeds University. But came home every weekend. “I belong here. I belong in Birmingha...Show More
5) Steve Ogrizovic
Coventry City goalkeeping legend Steve Ogrizovic tells the hair-raising wartime story of how his father came to be a miner in Nottinghamshire, the “embarrassment” of queuing for school dinner tokens d...Show More
6) Tom Clarke
The frontman of The Enemy was born in the heart of the West Midlands. “I grew up in Castle Bromwich, which is Solihull or Birmingham, depending on who you’re trying to impress.” He talks to Adrian abo...Show More
7) Debbie Isitt
Film director Debbie Isitt played truant after making her mind up at an early age that she wanted to be involved in the arts. A slot on a children's Saturday morning TV show sealed it. “I went on ...Show More
8) Nitin Ganatra
Actor Nitin Ganatra (EastEnders, Bride & Prejudice, Charlie & the Chocolate Facotry) was a shy, overweight immigrant boy with a stammer and was subjected to horrific bullying and racial abuse while gr...Show More
9) Ken Loach
Award-winning film director, Ken Loach, talks to Adrian about his Midlands identity. Recorded at a sold out event in Coventry Cathedral, Ken becomes emotional as he recalls hearing the news from a nei...Show More
10) Pauline Black
Pauline Black, pioneer of Two-Tone and lead singer of groundbreaking ska band, The Selecter, talks to Adrian about her connection to the Midlands and Coventry in particular. She talks about, amongst o...Show More