Spare a Thought

In this episode, Tom is joined by writer and creative facilitator Taylor Edmonds to explore the therapeutic power of words and the inspiration behind her creative company, Writing for Joy.

Taylor shares her journey from anonymous Tumblr poet to academic creative writer, and how moving from her hometown of Barry, Wales, to England unexpectedly sharpened her sense of Welsh identity. She discusses working with individuals navigating i...

There isn't a full episode this week as Tom is taking a break, however now is the change for you to catch-up on some previous episodes.

In this edtion of Spare a Thought, you'll hear clips from the following episodes:

• Tadao Ando: to Create is to Live - Tom is joined by his friend Bee, together they explore the extraordinary life of Japan's self taught architect who started his career as a boxer. Listen here
• The Waters that R...

In this episode, Tom is joined by multidisciplinary designer and architecture graduate Bee Yogasivam to explore the life and legacy of Tadao Ando, one of Japan's most celebrated architects.

This episode is released during Golden Week, one of Japan's three busiest holiday s...

Spare a Thought returns with a refreshed format. The podcast for curious minds exploring creativity, culture and stories from the margins.

In this episode, Tom explores the recently published essay anthology The Waters that Raised Us, a powerful collection of unique stories, histories and imagined futures for the waters of Wales. Tom is joined by some of the books' authors. Taylor Edmonds, who is both contributor and editor, as wel...

In this episode, Tom turns his attention to the student loan system in the UK, asking whether it is fit for purpose. You'll hear from six Plan 2 graduates: Josh, Tom, Emily, Alex, Brie and Bee, who share their experiences of a debt that keeps growing. Tom also speaks with Ollie from Rethink Repayment, a campaign pushing the UK government to fundamentally reform the system.

Tom draws on a decade working in Higher Education, his own ...

Reforming Tuition debt repayments in the UK 

There is no episode of Spare a Thought this week, but I do need your help.

I am currently developing an in-depth feature regarding the necessity of a fairer student loan repayment system in the United Kingdom. In collaboration with Rethink Repayment, this upcoming episode aims to highlight the financial realities faced by those under the Plan 2 repayment structure.

Call for Case Studies

...

In this episode, Tom sits down with filmmaker Dan Freeman to ask the question: Was King Arthur Welsh? Dan is currently in production on Excalibur, an epic fantasy film set in Wales, centred on King Arthur and his knights.

Tom and Dan explore the origins of the King Arthur myth and its relevance today, the innovative funding model behind the film, and how listeners can follow the production as it develops.

This is the final episode ...

In today's episode, Tom and Ben Kitchener step back from modern policy and into the history that still shapes the Welsh language today. This is Part 2 of 2.

From the Blue Books to the Welsh Not, this episode explores the policies that explicitly tried to stigmatise Welsh a...

In today's episode, Tom tries something different. Instead of a guest interview, this is the first in a series of short essays, just Tom, in his own words, reflecting on issues that matter.

Essay #1 marks Long Covid Awareness Day 2026. Six years after lockdown began, an estimated two million people in the UK are still living with Long Covid, and most of us have moved on as if the pandemic is over. Tom argues it isn't.

Drawing on hi...

In today's episode, Tom and Ben Kitchener look past the St David's Day celebrations to explore the real mechanics and politics of the Welsh language - Cymraeg. This is Part 1 of 2.

With an ambitious target of a million Welsh speakers on the horizon, this episode gets into the gap between policy and reality - specifically the "usage gap": the difference between having the ability to speak Welsh and actually choosing to use it in dai...

In today's episode, Tom and Emily Merry conclude their two-part exploration of monumental Welsh women whose contributions to history are finally being recognised in bronze.

From Elizabeth Andrews, the socialist activist who fought tirelessly for the rights of miners' wives, to Cranogwen, the extraordinary master mariner, poet and preacher who declared "gender difference is nothing in the world," this episode celebrates two remarkab...

In today's episode, Tom and Emily Merry explore the lives of several monumental Welsh women whose contributions to history are finally being recognised in bronze. This is part 1 of 2. 

From Princess Gwenllian, the 12th century warrior princess, to the modern-day campaign to commemorate her, this episode explores why representation in public spaces matters and how the Monumental Welsh Women project is changing the landscape of Wales...

Tom delves into the Spare a Thought archives for the Rewind to celebrate St David's Day on 1st March with conversations focused on Wales and Welsh identity.

In this episode, you'll hear from four guests recorded in Spring 2025:

Gwern Gwynfil, Director of New Wales and former CEO of Yes Cymru, discusses how St David's Day traditions have evolved, the changing attitudes towards the Welsh language, Wales' hidden historical achievement...

Tom delves into the Spare a Thought archives for the Rewind to return to the show’s most downloaded episode Paternity Leave, released on 18th November 2025 to celebrate International Men’s Day. 

In this episode, Tom profiles 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 an...

Tom delves into the Spare a Thought archives for the Rewind to return to an episode from 23rd September 2025, A Matricentric Future.

Tom interviews friend and founder of Womb CIC, Sinnead Ali. Sinnead opened a new studio space in Cardiff last summer. The conversation covers Sinnead's journey from working at Cardiff Students' Union with Tom to traveling and becoming a yoga teacher. They discuss the inspiration behind Womb CIC, inclu...

In today’s episode, Tom speaks to five members of the Friday Writers Club run by Briony Goffin at Cardiff Writers Studio. Together they discuss the radical act of writing. Writing as an act of defiance, in dark times, in dark months. 

In a world where AI can generate text instantly, what does it mean to sit down and put your own words on the page? What drives us to create? And how do we keep going when that voice in our head tells ...

In this rewind episode, Tom revisits a conversation about creativity with Briony Goffin, originally released on New Year's Day 2025. As we continue to navigate creative expression in 2026, this episode offers timeless wisdom on where ideas come from and how to sustain a creative practice.

Briony Goffin is a writer, tutor, and mentor who teaches creative writing at Cardiff University and specialises in facilitating creative writing ...

This is the final episode of Curly's War, a mini series of the Spare a Thought podcast based on the self-published book by Tom's grandfather, Walter George Blaza.

In this concluding episode, Tom is joined by his brother Matt and cousin Alex to share their personal memories of Walter - the grandfather they knew. They discuss the war memorabilia cabinet that fascinated them as children, Grandad's resourcefulness and self-sufficiency,...

This is Episode 4 of Curly's War, a mini series of the Spare a Thought podcast based on the self-published book by Tom’s grandfather, Walter George Blaza.

In this episode, Tom and Emily cover the final months of the conflict, from the brutal raids at Waspik through to the liberation of occupied Germany. Walter details the harrowing reality of winter warfare along the Maas, including high-stakes prisoner raids and hazardous listenin...