South Africa recently experienced some of the worst violence in modern times. Veteran journalist, Peta Thornycroft, explains how the rainbow nation descended into such chaos.

Season03, Episode 20 - Last week, South Africa experienced some of the worst violence in modern times. The rainbow nation, with arguably the world’s most liberal constitution, erupted into violent riots, sparked by a toxic mix of unemployment, corruption, political tension, and tribal nationalism following the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma.

As the world looked on in shock, I ask veteran journalist, Peta Thornycroft, how Africa’s poster child for equality and economic progress, descended into such chaos.

Photos: Top L: Veteran journalist, Peta Thornycroft. Top R: Former SA President, Jacob Zuma.

Listen via the APP: https://mudbetweenyourtoes.podbean.com/ #MudBetweenYourToes  #PeterWood #Petewoodhk #SouthAfrica #PetaThornycroft #Telegraph #TheDailyTelegraph #Zimbabwe #JacobZuma #Ramaphosa

Former World Bank Country Director for Central Africa, Robert Calderisi discusses his books, The Trouble with Africa, and, Cecil Rhodes and Other Statues.

Season 03 – Episode 19 of MUD BETWEEN YOUR TOES CONVERSATIONS WITH PETER WOOD.

Former World Bank Country Director for Central Africa, international spokesman on Africa and 1968 Quebec Rhodes Scholar, Robert Calderisi chats to me about his critically acclaimed book, The Trouble with Africa: Why foreign Aid isn’t working, chosen by The Economist magazine as one of the best books of 2006, and his latest book, Cecil Rhodes and Other Statues: Dealing Plainly with the Past, released this July. Listen via the APP: https://mudbetweenyourtoes.podbean.com/ #MudBetweenYourToes  #PeterWood #Petewoodhk #RobertCalderisi #WorldBank #Africa Poverty #Economy #TheTroubleWithAfrica #CecilRhodesAndOtherStatues #RhodesMustFall #CecilRhodes

This podcast began as an audio version of my book, Mud Between Your Toes – a memoir about my life – a gay, white boy growing up during the 1970s Rhodesian Bush War. It has now evolved into a series of conversations with characters and personalities with stories to tell – occasionally on an African theme.

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on iPHONE/Apple Podcasts.https://apple.co/32QTumi

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on Android/Samsung/Nokia. https://shorturl.at/anwFV

Listen via the APP: https://mudbetweenyourtoes.podbean.com/

When journalist, Mary Lloyd, moved to Australia to work for the ABC, her dreams of big skies came crashing down after she was diagnosed with cancer. Mary opens up to me about her battle.

When South African journalist, Mary Lloyd, moved from Hong Kong to Australia to work for the ABC, her dreams of big skies and 4WD road trips came crashing down after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Mary opens up to me about her battle during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Season 03 - Episode 18 of MUD BETWEEN YOUR TOES CONVERSATIONS WITH PETE WOOD. 

When South African journalist, Mary Lloyd, moved from Hong Kong to Australia to work for the ABC, she thought her dream of big skies and 4WD road trips had come true. 

Her husband, Channel 10 newsreader Hugh Riminton and their 3 young children were ill-prepared for the heartbreaking cancer battle Mary had to endure – and right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mary opens up to me about the battle of having chemotherapy in a hospital whilst enduring rigid COVID-19 isolation.

Photos. Mary Lloyd and her family: husband Hugh and children, Coco (15), Jacob (12) and Holly (9)

This podcast began as an audio version of my book, Mud Between Your Toes – a memoir about my life – a gay, white boy growing up during the 1970s Rhodesian Bush War. It has now evolved into a series of conversations with characters and personalities with stories to tell – occasionally on an African theme.

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on iPHONE/Apple Podcasts.https://apple.co/32QTumi

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on Android/Samsung/Nokia.https://shorturl.at/anwFV

Listen via the APP: https://mudbetweenyourtoes.podbean.com/

#MudBetweenYourToes  #PeterWood#Petewoodhk @MaryLloyd4 #Mary_Lloyd_Photography #Cancer #BreastCancer #Health #CancerAustralia #CANSA #COVID-19

Actor Nick Reding, best known for his role as PC Ramsey in The Bill, founded S.A.F.E Kenya – an NGO combatting female genital cutting, HIV/AIDS and violent extremism.

British actor Nick Reding, best known for his role as PC Ramsey in ITV’s The Bill, left the comfort of the West End to found S.A.F.E Kenya – an NGO dedicated to combatting female genital cutting, HIV/AIDS, education on sexual reproduction, hygiene, water sanitation and violent extremism

Season 03 - Episode 17 of MUD BETWEEN YOUR TOES CONVERSATIONS WITH PETE WOOD.  Nick Reding is possibly best known for his role as the tough, but loveable East End cop, PC Pete Ramsey in ITV’s drama, The Bill. But despite a successful and comfortable acting career, which included roles in Silent Witness, The Constant Gardener and Angels in America, he left the bright lights of London to found S.A.F.E. (Sponsored Arts for Education) a "Kenyan NGO and UK charity that uses street theatre and community programmes to educate, inspire and deliver social change".  Their campaigns include the eradication of the barbaric Female Genital Cutting (FGC), HIV/AIDS, education on sexual reproduction, hygiene, water sanitation and violent extremism.

This podcast began as an audio version of my book, Mud Between Your Toes – a memoir about my life – a gay, white boy growing up during the 1970s Rhodesian Bush War. It has now evolved into a series of conversations with characters and personalities with stories to tell – occasionally on an African theme.

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on iPHONE/Apple Podcasts.https://apple.co/32QTumi

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on Android/Samsung/Nokia. https://shorturl.at/anwFV

Listen via the APP: https://mudbetweenyourtoes.podbean.com/

#MudBetweenYourToes  #PeterWood #Petewoodhk #NickReding #SAFEKenya #Kenya #FGC #HIV #TheBill #TheConstantGardener #DanielCraig #LilyCole

Gary Stokes, co-founder of OceansAsia and former director of Sea Shepherd Asia, chats about the illegal fishing industry, sharks fins, pollution and his role in the Netflix blockbuster, SEASPIRACY.

Gary Stokes, co-founder of OceansAsia and former director of Sea Shepherd Asia, chats about the illegal fishing industry, sharks fins, pollution and his role in the Netflix blockbuster, SEASPIRACY.

This podcast began as an audio version of my book, Mud Between Your Toes – a memoir about my life – a gay, white boy growing up during the 1970s Rhodesian Bush War. It has now evolved into a series of conversations with characters and personalities with stories to tell – occasionally on an African theme.

Season 03 - Episode 16 of MUD BETWEEN YOUR TOES CONVERSATIONS WITH PETE WOOD. The former Director of Sea Shepherd Asia – Gary Stokes, co-founder of OceansAsia, has spent the past twenty years investigating and exposing the shark fin industry, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, COVID-19 facemasks & plastic pollution, reef propagation and the use of marine animals in traditional Chinese medicine. More recently, he appeared in the Netflix blockbuster documentary film SEASPIRACY, which went directly to #1 in USA, UK, Singapore and Hong Kong and the top 5 globally.

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on iPHONE/Apple Podcasts.https://apple.co/32QTumi

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on Android/Samsung/Nokia. https://shorturl.at/anwFV

Listen via the APP: https://mudbetweenyourtoes.podbean.com/

#MudBetweenYourToes  #PeterWood #Petewoodhk OceansAsia #SeaShepherd #GaryStokes #Pollution #GlobalWarming #Fishing #Conservtion #Extinction

Gary Stokes, co-founder of OceansAsia and former director of Sea Shepherd Asia, chats about the illegal fishing industry, sharks fins, pollution and his role in the Netflix blockbuster, SEASPIRACY.

This podcast began as an audio version of my book, Mud Between Your Toes – a memoir about my life – a gay, white boy growing up during the 1970s Rhodesian Bush War. It has now evolved into a series of conversations with characters and personalities with stories to tell – occasionally on an African theme.

Season 03 - Episode 16 of MUD BETWEEN YOUR TOES CONVERSATIONS WITH PETE WOOD. 

The former Director of Sea Shepherd Asia – Gary Stokes, co-founder of OceansAsia, has spent the past twenty years investigating and exposing the shark fin industry, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, COVID-19 facemasks & plastic pollution, reef propagation and the use of marine animals in traditional Chinese medicine. More recently, he appeared in the Netflix blockbuster documentary film SEASPIRACY, which went directly to #1 in USA, UK, Singapore and Hong Kong and the top 5 globally.

Photo: Gary Stokes, co-founder of OceansAsia.

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on iPHONE/Apple Podcasts.https://apple.co/32QTumi

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on Android/Samsung/Nokia. https://shorturl.at/anwFV

Listen via the APP: https://mudbetweenyourtoes.podbean.com/

#MudBetweenYourToes  #PeterWood #Petewoodhk #OceansASsia #Seaspiracy #GaryStokes #RainbowWarrior #SeaShepherd #environment #pollution #TheFinMovie #EnvironmentalFilmFestival #DavidAttenborough #SirDavidAttenborough

In 1898, Ewart Grogan became the first man to walk from Cape to Cairo – for love. Over 100 years later, Julian Smith, author of Crossing the Heart of Africa, followed in his footsteps – also for love.

In 1898, Ewart Grogan became the first man to walk from Cape to Cairo – for love. Over 100 years later, Julian Smith, author of Crossing the Heart of Africa, followed in his footsteps – also for love.

This podcast began as an audio version of my book, Mud Between Your Toes – a memoir about my life – a gay, white boy growing up during the 1970s Rhodesian Bush War. It has now evolved into a series of conversations with characters and personalities with stories to tell – occasionally on an African theme.

Season 03 - Episode 15 of MUD BETWEEN YOUR TOES CONVERSATIONS WITH PETE WOOD. Journalist Julian Smith is madly in love with his girlfriend of seven years . . . but terrified by the idea of making a lifelong commitment.

Inspired by the story of British adventurer Ewart Grogan, who marched the length of Africa in 1898 to win the hand of the woman he loved, Julian faces down his fears by retracing an incredible 4,500-mile journey from South Africa to Sudan, just months before his own wedding.

Crossing the Heart of Africa is the unforgettable account of these twin adventures, beautifully interweaving Julian's contemporary journey with Grogan’s larger-than-life tale of charging elephants, cannibal attacks, deadly jungles and romantic triumph.

Photos: L: Writer, Julian Smith. R: Explorer, Ewart Grogan.

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on iPHONE/Apple Podcasts.https://apple.co/32QTumi

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on Android/Samsung/Nokia. https://shorturl.at/anwFV

Listen via the APP: https://mudbetweenyourtoes.podbean.com/

#MudBetweenYourToes  #PeterWood #Petewoodhk

In the wake of the #RhodesMustFall campaign, I chat to Duncan Clarke, author of Rhodes Ghost and try to get to the bottom of Cecil Rhodes – man, myth, legend or monster?

In the wake of the #RhodesMustFall campaign, I chat to Duncan Clarke, author of Rhodes Ghost and try to get to the bottom of Cecil Rhodes – man, myth, legend or monster?

This podcast began as an audio version of my book, Mud Between Your Toes – a memoir about my life – a gay, white boy growing up during the 1970s Rhodesian Bush War. It has now evolved into a series of conversations with characters and personalities with stories to tell – occasionally on an African theme.

Season 03 - Episode 14 of MUD BETWEEN YOUR TOES CONVERSATIONS WITH PETE WOOD. Cecil Rhodes is never far from the news these days. For all the wrong reasons it seems.

His Oxford scholarship legacy, which has been enjoyed by 1000s of students globally, is now controversial and the #RhodesMustFall campaign want his statue torn down at oriel college, Oxford.

It seemed appropriate to dig deeper and invite Duncan Clarke, author of Rhodes Ghost, to talk to me about the man, the myth, the legend and to try and disseminate the truth from the fiction.

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on iPHONE/Apple Podcasts.https://apple.co/32QTumi

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on Android/Samsung/Nokia. https://shorturl.at/anwFV

Listen via the APP: https://mudbetweenyourtoes.podbean.com/

#MudBetweenYourToes  #PeterWood #Petewoodhk #RhodesMustFall #RhodesGhost #CecilJohnRhodes #DuncanClarke #Rhodesia #Zimbabwe #SouthernAfrica #History #Lobengula

Rob Parry-Jones, head of WWF Wildlife Crime Programme, discusses the devastating impact that organised crime has on the extinction our wildlife species.

This podcast began as an audio version of my book, Mud Between Your Toes – a memoir about my life – a gay, white boy growing up during the 1970s Rhodesian Bush War. It has now evolved into a series of conversations with characters and personalities with stories to tell – occasionally on an African theme.

Season 03 - Episode 13 of MUD BETWEEN YOUR TOES CONVERSATIONS WITH PETE WOOD. Rob Parry-Jones is head of WWF Wildlife Crime Programme. He has dedicated his life to combatting illegal trafficking in animals and animal products and the connection between the decimation of protected species, organised crime, and corruption.

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on iPHONE/Apple Podcasts.https://apple.co/32QTumi

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on Android/Samsung/Nokia. https://shorturl.at/anwFV

Listen via the APP: https://mudbetweenyourtoes.podbean.com/

#MudBetweenYourToes  #PeterWood #Petewoodhk #WWF #WildlifeCrime

#TRAFFIC #Trafficking #RobertParryJones #Poaching #Ivory #pangolin #Extinction #RhinoHorn #SharksFin

Luke Hunt chats about his book, Punji Trap – the spy who didn’t love us: a Communist agent whose spying was as perfect for Hanoi as they were shattering for USA during the Vietnam War.

This podcast began as an audio version of my book, Mud Between Your Toes – a memoir about my life – a gay, white boy growing up during the 1970s Rhodesian Bush War. It has now evolved into a series of conversations with characters and personalities with stories to tell – occasionally on an African theme.

Season 03 - Episode 12 of MUD BETWEEN YOUR TOES CONVERSATIONS WITH PETE WOOD. Luke Hunt has covered wars, international politics and economics for Agence France-Presse where he served as bureau chief for Afghanistan and then Cambodia. He has written for The Melbourne Age, The New York Times, The Times of London, The Economist and writes a weekly column on Southeast Asia for The Diplomat. Specialising in counter-terrorism, his broadcasts have appeared regularly on ABC in Australia and on Voice of America and he’s here today to chat to me about his career and his book, Punji Trap – the spy who didn’t love us. Pham Xuan An was a Communist agent whose espionage adventures - under the cover story of a celebrated war correspondent in the Western Media -- were as brilliant for Hanoi as they were shattering for Washington during the tumultuous days of the Vietnam War. 

Photo of Luke Hunt (Top Left) by Kim Mordaunt 

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on iPHONE/Apple Podcasts.https://apple.co/32QTumi

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on Android/Samsung/Nokia.https://podcasts.google.com?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL211ZGJldHdlZW55b3VydG9lcy9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Listen via the APP: https://mudbetweenyourtoes.podbean.com/

#MudBetweenYourToes#PeterWood#Petewoodhk #LukeHunt #PunjiTrap #VietnamWar #Vietnam #Journalism #Politics #AFP @Lukeanthonyhunt #book #spies #spy #goodread #indochina #cambodia #PsyOps #Diplomat_APAC #ABC #NYTimesworld #TheEconomist #TheTimes #Reuters 

Michela Wrong, author of In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz, discusses her new book, Do Not Disturb - which explores the controversial career of Paul Kagame and the legacy of the Rwandan genocide.

This podcast began as an audio version of my book, Mud Between Your Toes – a memoir about my life – a gay, white boy growing up during the 1970s Rhodesian Bush War. It has now evolved into a series of conversations with characters and personalities with stories to tell – occasionally on an African theme.

Season 03 - Episode 11 of MUD BETWEEN YOUR TOES CONVERSATIONS WITH PETE WOOD. Michela Wrong has been writing about Africa for the last 2 decades, reporting for Reuters, the BBC and the FT. She’s the author of 5 books about Africa, including : In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz, a fascinating and extremely readable account about the Zairean dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko.

In this episode, I chat to her about the state of Africa and of course, her latest book, Do Not Disturb: which explores the controversial career of Paul Kagame and the legacy of the Rwandan genocide.

 Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on iPHONE/Apple Podcasts.https://apple.co/32QTumi

Listen to Mud Between Your Toes podcasts on Android/Samsung/Nokia.https://podcasts.google.com?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL211ZGJldHdlZW55b3VydG9lcy9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Listen via the APP: https://mudbetweenyourtoes.podbean.com/

#MudBetweenYourToes#PeterWood#Petewoodhk #MichelaWrong #InTheFootstepsOfMrKurtz #DoNotDisturb #Journalism #Politics @FT #FinancialTimes #Reuters @BBCNews #BBCNews #Africa #Rwanda #DRC #Congo #Kagame #MobutuSeseSeko