Spare a Thought

This is Episode 3 of Curly's War, based on the self-published book by Tom's grandfather, Walter George Blaza. 

Walter participates in secret reconnaissance missions days before D-Day. After the invasion, 41 Commando is deployed to liberate the Netherlands, where he witnesses extraordinary acts of kindness from the starving Dutch population.

Tom and Emily discuss the assault on Flushing, winter warfare along the River Maas and the moral complexities of occupation.

Links to previous episodes are provided below:

You can follow Tom's work via his Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/ 

Keep up to date with Spare a Thought via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spareathoughtmedia/ 

Spare a Thought is a Be the change. Media Network production.

Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

In today's Christmas special, Tom explores the often-overlooked refugee story at the heart of the nativity. After the birth of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the infant had to flee to Egypt to escape King Herod's violence, becoming refugees dependent on the kindness of strangers in a foreign land.

Tom speaks with Rosa Brown from the Welsh Refugee Council about the realities facing refugees and asylum seekers in Wales today, and the work being done to create a nation of sanctuary. He's also joined by three chaplains from Cardiff University - Reverend Delyth Liddell, Reverend Joe Smith, and Father John Patrick Thomas - who reflect on what the Christmas story teaches us about welcome, hospitality, and hope.

This episode asks: if one of our oldest and most celebrated stories is fundamentally about displacement and hospitality, what does that mean for how we respond to those seeking sanctuary today?

Support the Welsh Refugee Council's Winter Appeal: https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/29468#!/DonationDetails

Find out more about the Welsh Refugee Council: https://www.wrc.wales

Keep up to date with Tom's work via his Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/

And get the latest news on the podcast via the Spare a Thought Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spareathoughtmedia/

You can listen to all previous episodes wherever you get your podcasts from or head to https://spareathought.podbean.com/

Spare a Thought is a Be the change. Media Network production.

Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

This is the second episode of Curly's War, based on a self-published book of the same name by Tom's grandfather, Walter George Blaza. Curly's War recounts Walter's life during World War Two as a Royal Marine and Commando, including his training, involvement in D-Day and the Liberation of the Netherlands.

In Episode Two, Tom and Emily take listeners from the autumn of 1939 through Walter's extraordinary transformation from civilian bricklayer to elite Commando. After rejecting a farmer's offer of exemption from military service, the young Walter volunteers for the Fleet Air Arm but instead finds himself posted to the Royal Marines in Plymouth. What follows is a harrowing journey through Stonehouse Barracks, dangerous patrols off Scapa Flow, near-death experiences with experimental balloon bombs, and ultimately, the brutal twelve-week Commando training at Achnacarry in Scotland, where less than half survived the course to earn the coveted Green Beret.

You can follow Tom’s work via his Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/ 

Keep up to date with Spare a Thought via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spareathoughtmedia/ 

You can listen to all previous episodes of the show wherever you get your podcasts or head to https://spareathought.podbean.com/ 

Spare a Thought is a Be the change. Media Network production. 

Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

Content warning: This episode features personal experiences of living with long Covid. While some listeners may find aspects of this discussion difficult and triggering, we believe these stories are important to share. Listener discretion is advised.

In today’s episode, Tom focuses on Long Covid Kids, a charity supporting children and young people living with Long Covid. Tom shares the stories of 5 children and young people who are part of The Long Covid Kids Choir, a unique choir led by Merel van der Knoop. 

Merel outlines the work of the charity, the mission of the choir, and the supportive community created from it. This episode is a powerful reminder that for many thousands of children and young people around the UK, Covid remains a debilitating illness that has changed their lives. 

To find out more about Long Covid Kids, follow them on Instagram or head to their website

Follow the Long Covid Kids Choir on X and follow Merel on Instagram 

Keep up to date with Tom’s work via his Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/ 

And get the latest news on the podcast via the Spare a Thought Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spareathoughtmedia/ 

You can listen to all previous episodes including Living with Long Covid and Supporting those Living with Long Covid wherever you get your podcasts from or head to https://spareathought.podbean.com/ 

Spare a Thought is a Be the change. Media Network production.

Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

This is the first episode of Curly’s War based on a self published book of the same name by Tom’s grandfather, Walter George Blaza. Curly’s War recount’s Walter’s life during World War Two as a Royal Marine and Commando, including his training, involvement in D-Day and the Liberation of the Netherlands. 

To kick off this 4-part mini series, Tom and co-host Emily Merry take listeners back to the mid 1920’s, when Walter and his older brother Bill break into the grounds of the Gopsall estate to go on an adventure. The rest of the episode is dedicated to exploring life in interwar Leicestershire, the campaign for women’s suffrage, the creation of the BBC, the politics of the 20’s and 30’s, and the factors that influenced the start of the war.

You can follow Tom’s work via his Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/ 

Keep up to date with Spare a Thought via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spareathoughtmedia/ 

You can listen to all previous episodes of the show wherever you get your podcasts or head to https://spareathought.podbean.com/ 

Spare a Thought is a Be the change. Media Network production. 

Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

In today's episode, Tom interviews Karen Jacobsen, the Henry J. Leir Professor of Global Migration at the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University to discuss how refugees transform the cities in which they are hosted in. 

Karen discusses how she progressed a career in forced migration, the history of refugees, how city governments often diverge from national governments and the role of policy in shaping the treatment of refugees. Tom and Karen also discuss her new book Host Cities - how refugees are transforming the world's urban setting. The book uses Cairo and Tripoli, Lebanon as case studies.

You can purchase Karen's book from:

You can follow Tom’s work via his Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/ 

Keep up to date with Spare a Thought via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spareathoughtmedia/ 

You can listen to all previous episodes of the show wherever you get your podcasts or head to https://spareathought.podbean.com/ 

Spare a Thought is a Be the change. Media Network production. 

In today’s episode Tom marks International Men’s Day (19th November) by profiling the work of The Dad Shift and its co-founder George Gabriel. 

The UK has the worst paternity leave in the UK, the Daft Shift is looking to change that. A not-for-profit, the Dad Shift is a group of men, dads and other parents campaigning for better paternity leave in the UK. 

Co-founder of the organisation, George, details how he got into activism, how The Dad Shift got started, the aims of the not-for-profit and what you can do to support. 

You can find out more about The Dad Shift by heading to: https://dadshift.org.uk/ you can also follow them on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tiktok

You can follow Tom’s work via his Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/ 

Keep up to date with Spare a Thought via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spareathoughtmedia/ 

You can listen to all previous episodes of the show wherever you get your podcasts or head to https://spareathought.podbean.com/ 

Spare a Thought is a Be the change. Media Network production. 

In this special introductory episode, Tom launches a new four-part mini-series of Spare a Thought titled Curly’s War, joined by his producing partner, Emily Merry.

This series is inspired by Tom’s grandfather’s self-published memoir Curly’s War, written 25 years ago. The book recounts Walter George Blaza’s experiences as a Royal Marine Commando during the Second World War, from his early training, to taking part in the D-Day landings, and ultimately to the liberation of the Netherlands.

Across the series, Tom will read selected excerpts from Walter’s first-hand account, using his grandfather’s voice as the thread that guides us. Each reading is followed by a deeper historical exploration, drawing out personal stories and broader social contexts. Alongside the military narrative, the series will shine a light on the often-overlooked dimensions of wartime life, including:

Life and community in rural Leicestershire

The role of women during WWII (including the history of women’s football)

The realities of military training

The experience and impact of the liberation of the Netherlands

This series is both a personal act of remembrance and an invitation to explore how ordinary lives shape and are shaped by extraordinary times.

Follow Tom's work: https://tomspare.substack.com/

Stay connected with the show: https://www.instagram.com/spareathoughtmedia/

Listen to all previous episodes: https://spareathought.podbean.com/ or wherever you get your podcasts.

Spare a Thought is a Be the change. Media Network production.

In today’s episode Tom speaks to Professor Les Back, a lecturer of Sociology at the University of Glasgow about 1979 TV episode of Open Door called It Aint Half Racist Mum.

Together Tom and Les discuss the impact social work had on Les’s career as an academic, the life and legacy of Stuart Hall, one of the creators of cultural studies in the UK. The central focus of the pod this week is a TV episode Hall presented with actress Maggie Steed called It Ain’t Half Racist on Open Door, which was released in 1979.

Through the conversation in today’s episode, you will see many parallels with the contemporary discourse in the public sphere, media and politics about immigrants, migration and racism.

You can watch It Ain’t Half Racist Mum on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0jy3ytj or you can find the episode on YouTube.

Follow Tom’s work via his Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/ 

Keep up to date with Spare a Thought via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spareathoughtmedia/ 

You can listen to all previous episodes of the show wherever you get your podcasts or head to https://spareathought.podbean.com/ 

Spare a Thought is a Be the change. Media Network production. 

To honour Black History Month, Tom is joined by Be the change. Media’s host of The Forgotten Generation Podcast Troy Njenje Mbanga. Together Tom and Troy discuss the life and legacy of Dr Dororthy Height, often referred to as the “godmother” of the Civil Rights movement. 

Tom’s research is based off an interview with Dr Height, available to watch on Youtube: A Conversation with Dorothy Height - National Portrait Gallery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfA9Am-rZTw 

You can follow updates about The Forgotten Generation Podcast via instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theforgottengeneration.podcast/ and you can catch-up on previous episodes on:

Troy’s recommendations for The Forgotten Generation Podcast:

National Youth Strategy https://theforgottengenerationpodcast.podbean.com/e/the-forgotten-generation-national-youth-strategy/ 

Interview with Eden Byrne https://theforgottengenerationpodcast.podbean.com/e/the-forgotten-generation-with-eden-byrne/ 

One Year Anniversary episode: https://theforgottengenerationpodcast.podbean.com/e/one-year-of-the-forgotten-generation-podcast/ 

Alongside exploring the achievements of Dr Height, Tom reviews a Common/Wealth Theatre Company production called Demand the Impossible, a part-performance, part punk-gig, part-sensory experience, exploring police injustice and the undercover infiltration of activist networks.

Follow Tom’s work via his Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/ 

Keep up to date with Spare a Thought via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spareathoughtmedia/ 

You can listen to all previous episodes of the show wherever you get your podcasts or head to https://spareathought.podbean.com/ 

Spare a Thought is a Be the change. Media Network production.