Explore every episode of the podcast Sniper’s Alley: The Gen X Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. Jonathan Ashworth: Having a stroke at 47 | 20 Oct 2026 | 00:36:11 | |
Jonathan Ashworth, former Shadow Health Secretary, was just 47 when he suffered a stroke on New Year’s Day 2026, despite being fit and active. He joins Rob and Em on Sniper's Alley: The Gen X Podcast to describe what happened and how the experience has changed his perspective on his own health and on life going forward. Jonathan reflects on the warning signs he overlooked and the challenge of recognising a stroke when the symptoms don’t fit the pattern we expect. He also talks about rehabilitation and why, after such a life-changing event, making the most of the present matters more than worrying about what might happen next. The phrase "Sniper’s Alley" stems from informal chat in medical circles and describes the stretch of midlife, roughly from our mid-forties to mid-sixties, when health problems can begin picking people off unexpectedly.
Sniper's Alley is a Made by DBM production Website: https://snipers-alley.co.uk Instagram: https://instagram.com/snipersalleypodcast Email: hello@snipers-alley.co.uk WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but texts are OK too): 07488 275894 Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts
Links Jonathan Ashworth on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonashworth/ Stroke Association: https://www.stroke.org.uk/ Stroke Support Helpline: 0303 3033 100 World Stroke Day (October 29): https://www.world-stroke.org/world-stroke-day-campaign
| |||
| 9. The Gen X guide to hobbies | 08 Oct 2026 | 00:26:08 | |
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: hello@snipers-alley.co.uk 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
| |||
| 8. Why midlife isn't a crisis, it's a wake-up call | 15 Sep 2026 | 00:42:04 | |
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: hello@snipers-alley.co.uk WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but texts are OK too): 07488 275894 Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts
| |||
| 7. Changing career in your 50s (and loving it) | 24 Aug 2026 | 00:30:28 | |
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: hello@snipers-alley.co.uk 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
| |||
| 6. Scaryfocals | 10 Aug 2026 | 00:25:36 | |
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: hello@snipers-alley.co.uk WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but text ones are OK too): 07488 275894 Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts | |||
| 5. UTIs, PIFs and HUGs | 29 Jul 2026 | 00:28:11 | |
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 Website: https://snipers-alley.co.uk Email: hello@snipers-alley.co.uk WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but text ones are OK too): 07488 275894 Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts | |||
| 4. How to sleep better in your 50s | 20 Jul 2026 | 00:32:33 | |
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: hello@snipers-alley.co.uk WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but text ones are OK too): 07488 275894 Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts | |||
| 3. Booze, bellies and bloody long voice notes | 06 Jul 2026 | 00:21:41 | |
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: hello@snipers-alley.co.uk WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but text ones are OK too): 07488 275894 Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts
| |||
| 2. Prostate cancer from discovery to recovery | 06 Jul 2026 | 00:31:18 | |
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: hello@snipers-alley.co.uk WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but text ones are OK too): 07488 275894 Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts
| |||
| 1. What is Sniper's Alley? | 06 Jul 2026 | 00:16:44 | |
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: hello@snipers-alley.co.uk WhatsApp (we LOVE voice notes but text ones are OK too): 07488 275894 Production and editing: Made by DBM https://madebydbm.com/podcasts
| |||