The Untold

When P&O Ferries suddenly fired its staff on the spot on 17th March, there was an outcry from politicians, unions and the press with widespread scathing condemnation of the company.

P&O claimed it had made huge losses during the pandemic and that its current business model was unsustainable.

It offered severance packages but the nearly 800 staff who accepted them also needed to agree not to make any legal claims against P&O or talk to the media.

Sous chef John Lansdown was the only staff member to reject the redundancy offer and to fight P&O, and their Dubai-based parent company DP World, in the courts for 'Unfair Dismissal'.

As the only person speaking out, John was quickly thrown into the media spotlight for a rollercoaster ride he wasn't prepared for. He's also been navigating his legal options and coming to terms with the abrupt end of a relationship with P&O - which he joined as a 16 year old an apprentice chef - and a crew which was his second family.

Untold producer Neil McCarthy follows John through the ups and downs of these turbulent 8 weeks as he prepares for a lengthy battle.

With additional recording by Sara Parker

The covid-19 lockdowns were brutal for small businesses. They were particularly tough for barbers. In an industry when getting up-close and personal is the only way to get the job done, the business of hair-cutting was simply unworkable.

Phil, a barber in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, knows that the gentleman's shaves, haircuts, skin-fades and beard-trims he offers can be so much more than just personal grooming - they can be a much needed self-esteem boost, a chance to chat to a sympathetic ear, or a moment of peace on a tough day. In March 2020, finding himself shut down like the rest of the industry, Phil was keen to find a way to stay connected to his customers, haircuts or no haircuts. He took to facebook and - reluctantly at first - started hosting live chat sessions... just a chance to connect, chill out and have a chat. As the world went in, then out, then back in to successive waves of lockdowns, Phil felt he was making it work. Weathering the storm, and making the best of a bad situation.

But June 2021 was to bring a shock that no-one could have predicted, and which might just be the final straw.

Produced in Bristol by Emily Knight

If you look out to the horizon from the coast of South Wales or North Somerset, you see two bumps on the horizon - one tall and one flat. These are the islands of Steep Holm and Flat Holm - the former is English, the latter Welsh.

Since 2018, Mat Brown has been the warden of Flat Holm - an island of just 500m across, mainly populated by gulls. He is responsible for the island's nature reserve, its buildings (which include a lighthouse, a foghorn cottage, a Victorian barracks and a ruined cholera hospital), its tiny museum and its tinier pub. With the help of a team of volunteers, he welcomes daytrippers and conservationists to the island and maintains the natural and built environment.

After four years of island life, he's decided that it's time to return to the mainland. Who will take on this very unique job and how will they fare?

Produced by Mair Bosworth for BBC Audio

Will a woman be elected to the all-male Western Isles Council? Catrìona Murray on the Isle of Lewis is going to try.

In 2019 Abhi Gotadki came to the United Kingdom from New Zealand to pursue his dream of becoming a GP. This meant leaving behind his wife and daughter but they decided it was best for all of them for Abhi to complete his training. In March 2020 with the Covid pandemic gathering pace New Zealand introduced some of the strictest border controls anywhere in the world leaving Abhi in the UK with no means of seeing his family. Now with New Zealand's borders open once again Abhi has booked his flight home. It will be the first time he's seen his wife and daughter in over two years. Producer Toby Field follows Abhi during his final weeks in the UK and finds out how he turned this situation around and put his energy into helping others.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Toby Field.

The staff of Cornwall Airport Newquay prepare to receive President Biden and other world leaders for the G7 summit in June.

The stakes couldn't be higher for airport boss Pete Downes. This is President Biden's first foreign trip since taking office and receiving a huge aircraft like Air Force One presents a big challenge for this tiny airport.

Preparations begin months in advance. Pete and his team must oversee the construction of a whole new parking area for the world leaders' aircraft, as well as a brand new building. Then they must seamlessly coordinate the arrival and departure of scores of aircraft carrying prime ministers, presidents and their entourages.

For a weekend, the eyes of the world will be on Cornwall. Should anything go wrong, the team know it will be international news.

Producer: Laurence Grissell

In 2005 Zoe McQuade and Pat Evans set-up the Little Bramley Farm Sanctuary in Polegate, Sussex, caring for sick, abused and unwanted horses. In 2020 they were told that their lease on the land was coming to an end and they would have to move on. Zoe and Pat have dealt with numerous challenges in the past, but for the first time they face the prospect of having to close the sanctuary down.

Grace Dent and producer Toby Field follow Zoe and Pat as they weigh up their options and consider what future they can provide for their horses, like Chandler who was brought in and given less than five days to live, or Hope, a Shire with a cleft palate and a neurological condition that makes it difficult for her to walk. Toby meets volunteers who help at the stables: Tim, an operations manager who after bringing his daughter to the Little Bramley quickly found it helped him cope with the stresses of work and dealing with his ADHD; and Claire, a nurse who found her own sanctuary, away from the pressures of dealing with Covid patients and the effects of lockdown.

Will Zoe and Pat find a new home for the sanctuary?

Presented by Grace Dent and produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Toby Field

Nick has an unbearable tooth ache and has tried, and failed, to extract the bad tooth himself.

He's homeless and, like many others, can't access NHS dental care. When a mobile dentist van arrives at a homeless support centre, Nick joins the queue. He's desperate but he was too late putting his name on the list. Will he get an appointment?

The charity van roams Britain with a dedicated brigade of volunteer dentists, filling in wherever the need is greatest. As it parks up outside the support centre in Hastings, we hear the stories of those seeking help. There are many hoping to be seen.

Presented by Grace Dent and produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Eliza Lomas.

On 22 March 2017, 25-year-old Will Dyson was walking along Westminster Bridge, when a vehicle mounted the pavement and hit him from behind. The Terror Attack left five people dead and more than 50 injured. Will was one of the injured.

In the lead-up to the year anniversary, producer Georgia Catt followed Will as he faced up to his changing views of the incident. She also witnessed him receive the devastating news that his doctors weren't happy for him to take part in the Hackney Half Marathon, a long-held personal goal.

Three years later Georgia meets Will again to find out how life has been in the intervening years, and watch him finally taking part in the Hackney Half.

Produced by Georgia Catt and Ellie Bury

Bally, a fisherman on the West Coast of Scotland, navigates a year of Brexit, Covid, an environmental crisis and a broken down boat.

Bally fishes off Isle of Skye and has been doing so for decades, but this year has been his most challenging yet. Having survived 2020 and the global pandemic, January 2021 brought a new lockdown and the departure of the UK from the EU. This changed everything for Bally. He fishes for langoustines, or prawns, and for these shellfish there was an entirely new set of legislation to adjust to overnight. The result was confusion and crashing prices in an industry already damaged by coronavirus.

This edition follows Bally as he tries to make ends meet and adjust to the new world. He's not only got to look out for himself but also 24 year old Hayden, his crew. He's passionate about the environment and worried about the damage he has seen over his time on the water. If he can make if through a turbulent few months, what will be the future ahead of him?