In today's podcast, Cambridge David recommends a very good website for improving your listening ability. Elllo.org allows you to listen to speakers from different countries using English, and at the end you can read the script and do practice exercises to help check your understanding. Best of all, it's absolutely free. 
*please note that I'm not paid anything from elllo.org - I'm purely recommending it because I believe in sharing good learning tools, wherever we may find them. What are your favourite language learning tools (apart from italki)? Please let me know, and I'll pass your recommendations onto other listeners.

Learn English with Cambridge David

A very useful website - www.elllo.org

Queen Camilla revealed on The Queen’s Reading Room podcast that King Charles brilliantly does all the Harry Potter character voices — leaving his grandkids spellbound — while she claims she’s hopeless at mimicry. Join me as I read, roast, and react to this hilarious royal revelation with sarcasm.



Teacher Joseph's Podcast

King Charles’ Secret Talent: Harry Potter Voices That Even Queen Camilla Can’t Do

A calm, spoken press review covering today’s major UK news stories, read slowly and clearly for listeners who prefer measured, thoughtful audio.
In this episode:
The UK enters a new demographic era as deaths now outnumber births
A man appears in court after impersonating a naval admiral at a Remembrance Day event
New data shows adults consuming salt equal to 22 bags of crisps a day
Discussion around potential routes to another Scottish independence referendum
Ongoing legal efforts by Shamima Begum to regain British citizenship
Rising armed police deployment across Scotland
Homelessness pressures during cold winter weather
Sport: Scotland’s World Cup qualification brings a national bank holiday
Severe weather warnings affecting travel and daily life
This is a quiet press review, focused on clarity of speech, neutral delivery, and careful pacing — suitable for English learners, reflective listeners, and anyone seeking news without noise.
🎙️ Spoken calmly
📰 Based on national reporting
🕊️ No shouting, no commentary panels — just the news, read with care🏷️ 
#UKPressReview, #CalmNews, #SlowNewsEnglish, #SpokenNews, #NewsAudio, #BritishNews, #ScottishNews, #ClearSpeech, #EnglishListening, #DemographicChange, #ScottishPolitics, #CitizenshipDebate, #HomelessnessUK, #SevereWeatherUK, #WorldCupScotland, #NeutralNews, #MindfulListening, #PressReview


Calm UK Press Review - 6th January 2026

Christmas Preparations 

I talk about Marie Collett, a distinctive voice from 1980s British independent radio, best known for delivering British Airways travel news on LBC and other ILR stations.

I discuss her accent, vocal style, and on-air authority, and how radio in the 1980s framed women’s voices — particularly those associated with aviation, travel, and reassurance. Marie Collett’s delivery reflected a very specific era of British broadcasting, when accent, tone, and perceived credibility were carefully curated.

This clip looks at:

Marie Collett’s role on LBC and independent local radio

The British Airways travel news format

Accent, gender, and authority in 1980s broadcasting

How women’s voices were framed in radio news and continuity

Why these voices still stand out today

This is a reflective piece about media history, radio culture, and voice, not speculation — placing Marie Collett within the broader soundscape of 1980s Britain.

The clip presented here of the voice of Marie Collett is presented for educational purposes and is copyrighted by Global Media.

1143 Who Was Marie Collett? LBC, British Airways Travel News & Radio Style in the 1980s

In this short reflective video, I take a simple McGills bus journey service number 26 to Braehead shopping centre and walk through the shops, quietly observing what Christmas looks and feels like today. Instead of focusing on buying or rushing, I look for signs of meaning, kindness, reflection, and something deeper behind the season.

This isn’t a review of shops or a vlog about spending money. It’s a slow, observational walk through everyday spaces, asking gentle questions about what Christmas has become — and where its meaning might still be found.

A calm, reflective video for anyone who feels a little detached from the noise of Christmas but still senses there’s something important underneath it all.


1142 Where Is Christmas Today? A Bus Ride and a Walk Through the Shops

On this date, 10 December 1936, King Edward VIII signed the Instrument of Abdication, giving up the British throne so he could marry the woman he loved, Wallis Simpson. This historic moment reshaped the monarchy, led to the reign of King George VI, and eventually paved the way for Queen Elizabeth II.

In this video, we look at why Edward VIII chose to resign, the constitutional crisis it triggered, and how the relationship between Edward and Wallis became one of the most famous love stories of the 20th century.

If you enjoy history, royal stories, or daily “On This Date” content, remember to like and subscribe.

Key topics covered:

Edward VIII abdication

Wallis Simpson and the monarchy

Constitutional crisis of 1936

“On this day” historical events

British royal history explained

On This Date: 10 December 1936 – King Edward VIII Abdicates for Love

Neil McTaggart makes his first journey into town after settling in Canada.
The air is clean, the world quieter than the mills of Kilbirnie he left behind. In a warm little café, he meets Mrs Brant, a woman with her hair pinned up and a strong puritan look that reminds him of his grandmother. Through her quiet kindness, Neil begins to sense what belonging might feel like in this new land.

This gentle, reflective story captures the rhythm of early immigrant life in rural Canada — the small kindnesses, the silence, and the slow building of community far from home.

🎧 Part of the “Neil McTaggart” storytelling series — following a young Scottish man’s journey of migration, memory, and identity in 1920s Canada.

Neil McTaggart's Crossing (9): A Story of 1920s Scottish Emigration to Canada 

In this podcast I examine a recent BBC article titled “What is the plan for digital IDs and will they be mandatory?”.  I  look at what “digital ID” means in a UK context, what the government is planning, whether it will be mandatory (and if so when), and what the implications are for privacy, personal freedom and everyday life.