Sniper’s Alley: The Gen X Podcast

If you want to live long, do hobbies outside with other people. Not our words; the words of actual science types.

But what happens if you've got next to zero spare time (Em)? Or you get twitchy in groups of more than three people (Rob)? Or you just can't be arsed (Em and Rob)? We have the answer. Well, actually, a nice person called Sarah who sent us a voice note has the answer, and you'll hear it in this episode of Sniper's Alley: The Gen X Podcast.

We cover a lot of ground in this one, including:

Why Emilie is a "DRW"

Why going to the supermarket is as fun as a weekend in Rome

Too much info regarding Rob donating bodily fluids

Why Em's teenage years will give us 100 episodes' worth of material 

and loads more.

Sniper's Alley is a Made by DBM production

Website: https://snipers-alley.co.uk

Instagram: https://instagram.com/snipersalleypodcast

Email: [email protected]

WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but texts are OK too): 07488 275894

Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts

Links

National Institute on Aging: Health benefits of hobbies 

National Institute on Aging: Leisure activities linked to longevity

Donate Blood

Why do many of us Gen Xers and older Millennials get the urge to make big changes in midlife? Rob and Emilie chat with award-winning psychotherapist and leadership coach Charlotte Braithwaite about the psychology behind what some may see as midlife crises and why they could be better viewed as wake-up calls.

We talk about menopause, male midlife identiy issues, how Gen X can play a positive role in helping younger people, and Emilie makes a very public bid to be Charlotte's BFF. Spoiler: denied. 

Thanks so much to Charlotte for joining us, we hope you find this conversation as enlightening and enjoyable as we did.

You can find out more about Charlotte and her work at https://www.charlottebraithwaite.com/ and on her Insta https://www.instagram.com/be_conscious_with_charlotte

Sniper's Alley is a Made by DBM production

Website: https://snipers-alley.co.uk

Instagram: https://instagram.com/snipersalleypodcast

Email: [email protected]

WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but texts are OK too): 07488 275894

Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts

Despite what younger generations may imagine, we Gen Xers are far from stuck in our ways. In fact, change is something we encounter all the time, whether by choice or when it's forced upon us.

In this episode of Sniper's Alley: The Gen X Podcast, Rob and Emilie chat to Glenn Stokes from Walthamstow about what led him to undertake a major change in his 50s when he left his successful career in the music business and swapped it for... well, you'll find out in the podcast.

Glenn's story is about so much more than a job change. It's about family, priorities, and David Bowie. Seriously.

If you're facing ch-ch-ch-ch-changes of any description in your life, you'll find plenty in this episode that resonates and may well help you on your journey.

Sniper's Alley is a Made by DBM production

Website: https://snipers-alley.co.uk

Instagram: https://instagram.com/snipersalleypodcast

Email: [email protected]

WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but texts are OK too): 07488 275894

Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts

You can find out more about Glenn and his work on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/glennstokese17

Can you read this OK, or do you have to zoom in? Do you swear text like this used to be bigger? If you answered yes to either of those questions, 👋 hi fellow Gen Xer! 

Inspired by some listener voice notes about midlife eye issues, we spend the first half of this episode talking all things vision-related. Em even did some research (watched a 2 mins YouTube vid) and is now an ocular expert.

And it's also come to our attention that not many people actually know what the phrase Sniper's Alley actually means, so in the second half, we not only explain it, but also give a load of excuses about why it took us until episode 6 to do so. None of them very convincing.

Cheers, Rob @ Sniper's Alley

Sniper's Alley is a Made by DBM production

Website: https://snipers-alley.co.uk

Instagram: https://instagram.com/snipersalleypodcast

Email: [email protected]

WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but text ones are OK too): 07488 275894

Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts

Are you a hugger? I mean, obvs hugging your kids/granny/labradoodle is cool, but what about at work? Emilie from Sniper's Alley: The Gen X Podcast reckons that Gen Xers are not natural workplace huggers, and she discusses/rants about this in this episode.

Also covered: perimenopausal UTI "hacks" (please don't try it. In fact, best not to do anything Em suggests). I kick off about a TEDTalk that I think is responsible for everyone oversharing personal stuff, and Em gets stuck into Oprah.

If that all sounds a bit "old man shouting at the clouds", we've also got a lovely voice note to play you (did we mention we love voice notes?) and other lighthearted whimsy, details of which currently escape me. 

Finally, if you enjoy the podcast, it would be massively appreciated if you could leave a review on your usual podcast app. They really help us get the podcast out to new people because we're too tight to pay for advertising etc.

Cheers, Rob @ Sniper's Alley

Sniper's Alley is a Made by DBM production

WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but text ones are OK too): 07488 275894

Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts

If getting a good night's sleep feels harder than it used to, this episode is for you. 

Sarah Williamson has spent more than 25 years helping people improve their health through nutrition, and she joins us on Sniper's Alley to explain why sleep often changes in midlife, and what you can do about it.

We talk supplements, the link between food and sleep, a bedside drink that could help if you wake in the night, and we also finally manage to shoehorn in a quick round of "Woo or True?" which is something we came up with in ep 1 and haven't had a chance to use yet. So that's nice.

Have a listen; it might just sort you out. Because your 50s shouldn't mean accepting poor sleep as the new normal.

You can find out more about Sarah and her work at https://www.womenwise.health/

Sniper’s Alley is a Made by DBM production

Website: https://snipers-alley.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but text ones are OK too): 07488 275894

Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts

At one point in this episode, Emilie makes me laugh so much I forget to breathe and am instead reduced to making high-pitched squeaks. Which was nice.

Boomers did it loads; us Gen Xers were no slouches; Gen Z far less into it. Boozing. Emilie and I both used to knock it back at almost professional levels back in the day, so we chat about that and also how that impacts our lives today. 

We also talk about how Sniper's Alley is very much a two-way street/alley/you know what I mean. It's early days, but the plan is to feature as much input from you as possible, and in this episode we basically beg you to send us voice notes. We also discuss why we seem to be in the minority who actually love them. Our WhatsApp number is below (and when they launch the functionality soon, you'll be able to just WhatsApp us @snipersalley and not worry about the stupid mobile number).

Thanks, 

Rob @ Sniper's Alley

Contact:

Sniper's Alley is a Made by DBM production

Website: https://snipers-alley.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but text ones are OK too): 07488 275894

Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts

If you're a bloke, or you love one, listening to this episode could save your life. I know that sounds super clickbaity, but after you've heard it, I hope you'll agree it's justified.

Emilie and I talk to 55-year-old James Richardson about his prostate cancer journey. He's a lovely bloke, and he talks openly and matter-of-factly about everything from discovery to recovery. As you'll hear, it's a series of "sliding doors" moments that all started with a chance conversation with his plumber.

If you only listen to one episode of Sniper's Alley, I'd love it to be this one.

And if you can, please share it.

Thanks, 

Rob @ Sniper's Alley

Links:

Prostate Cancer UK: https://prostatecanceruk.org/welcome

Check your risk in 30 secs: https://prostatecanceruk.org/risk-checker

Contact:

Sniper's Alley is a Made by DBM production

Website: https://snipers-alley.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but text ones are OK too): 07488 275894

Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts

Does anyone actually read these things? I have no idea. I bet most people just bosh them out with AI these days. But let's not go down that scummy route. Instead, I'm just going to dictate this into my computer and paste it in. But hey, it's the personal touch that matters, isn't it?

So, welcome to our new podcast. My name's Rob, and each week me and my co-host, Emilie, sometimes with cool guests, have conversations about the time of life known as Sniper's Alley. Why is it called Sniper's Alley? Well, if you listen to episode one, you'll find out. And *that's* what's known in the podcast world as a tease. We're so bloody profesh.

Some important topics get covered in this first episode. We discuss which part of my anatomy is abnormally large. Emilie compares eating food at the wrong time of day to a drug habit. And we look at the signs that you could be getting old before your time.

Contact:

Sniper's Alley is a Made by DBM production

Website: https://snipers-alley.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but text ones are OK too): 07488 275894

Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts