Decades From Home - A Podcast About Germany

It’s been a weird week for British people as they watched the Queen’s Speech in the House of Lords, which for the first time in 59 years, didn’t actually include the Queen. Are we ready for a Elizabeth-less existence and will Prince Charles ever explain where he got all those shiny medals?From British royalty to the nearest German equivalent, David Hasselhoff was in the news as he promoted a niederbayerisches Weinfest…for a price. We bemoan our missed opportunity to get our own personal message from the Knight Rider and wonder which other celebrities we could engage on our behalf. Simon brings us a story from Braunschweig concerning the dangers of riding late night trams and we finish with our now beloved segment “Boris Becker Update”.For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Luca J on UnsplashTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

Nic’s dreams have finally come true as we finally rid ourselves of our placeholder theme tune and celebrate a very Bavarian collaboration with techno DJ Kloß mit Soß. With upbeat Blasmusik blaring in our ears, we turn our attention to the recent announcement that Oktoberfest will be returning in 2022 and ask whether Jürgen Klopp is Britain’s favorite German. Having warmed up with some Bierfest chat, it would only seem sensible to actually discuss beer. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of good news from Germany’s favourite beverage as prices are set to be increased. We look at the reasons for rising prices and what impact that may have on the industry and consumers at large. We make a disappointing visit to Simon’s favourite kebab shop and we finish with an update on Boris Becker’s legal woes. For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage Creditmaria-anne via Pixabay Theme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

The world’s favourite cartoon super villan/saviour of the universe, Elon Musk, has dominated the news this week, at least in the English speaking media. We discuss why the German news has avoided focusing too heavily on Tesla’s “Technoking”? Language learning has never been the UK’s strong point, after all, everyone speaks English. While true, it might be the case that they will no longer be speaking the Queen’s English as we investigate reports of a crisis in language learning sector as Germans look to other countries to get their grammar fix.Der Spiegel recently reported in-depth on the rapid increase in obesity among British children. Is it all the fault of junk food or are we missing something. Finally, a fish restaurant has haddock enough of complaints about unruly kids and has decided that children have no plaice in their establishment. Are they right to ban families or are their rules a big load of Pollocks? For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by karl muscat on Unsplash

Simon is sick of all the pleasant walks he’s been on, while Nic is worried he may be damned for all eternity after almost insulting a local nun. Not to worry though, we still have Easter chocolate to comfort us!Speaking of Easter, we discuss some of the curious Easter traditions we witnessed over the weekend, such as runaway church bells, flaming wheels, and nicely decorated village fountains. We also find some time to celebrate one of the lesser known ethnic communities within Germany, the Sorbs. To finish, Simon talks about one of his Heros, Boris Becker, a man lauded for his tennis skills, but not for his creative financial efforts. For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Xavier Teo on Unsplash

Finally we’re both recording from the same country as Nic escapes plague island, eventually. While he was stuck on a never ending journey home, Simon celebrated his birthday the only way he knew how, by replicating a famous British TV show.We’re bringing you something a bit different this week. We’ve been in our secret audio vaults and discovered some lost segments from previous episodes. What is Nic’s weird hobby and why is it more fun than you might think? Never one to be out done, Simon brings us the story of one German’s rubbish hobby, and why it might require most of us to build an extension on our homes.We finish the show with a look at the best football team names from Germany’s lower tiers and ask why calling your team Porndorf might lead to more than a few questions.For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne Grenzen

After celebrating being back in the UK last week, Nic’s found it slightly harder to leave than he thought. No matter, it’s episode 69 which gives us a chance to reminisce about Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and get all gooey eyed about Keanu Reeves.After changes to the rules on gambling advertising in the UK, we take some time to discuss the murky world of gambling. Are politicians doing enough to prevent massive gambling companies from taking advantage of addicts and is Germany doing any better when it comes to supporting those with gambling addiction? It’s Simon’s Birthday, so we see out the show with some birthday chat. Why do German parents traumatise their children by throwing yoghurt, eggs and flour at them and what gift should you buy your favourite German?For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Greenvalley Pictures on Unsplash

After two long years, Nic is back in the UK! While Nic was catching flights, Simon had a “holiday” in a local hotel, which allowed him to get the inside track on the mighty FC Nürnberg, but also meant he stayed in the old National Socialist parade ground. We talk crappy corner kicks, how Nürnberg deals with the past, and why English speakers need a WWII reference before talking about Germany.Nic has been enjoying the chance to catch up with some of his favourite Geordie food, from steak bakes to stotties, we discuss a different kind of culinary adventure and how food culture is changing in the UK. We finish the show with a trip to Sheffield to experience a night at a German theme bar.For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage Credit

Despite Nic’s beer fuelled adventures on St. Patrick’s Day, it’s Simon that’s managed to get injured. We talk suspected broken toes and why ten pints of Guinness is more effective than a spa weekend or any juice cleanse.We turn our attention to some rotten employee relations in the UK as ferry company P&O sack hundreds of staff over zoom and ask why it is that mass firing doesn’t seem to happen as often in Germany. We return to Brandenberg for an update on the Tesla factory in Grünheide as Elon Musk personally opens the doors to welcome, among others, Chancellor Olaf Scholz.We finish off this week with a look at changes being made to language learning in UK schools as we wonder why it is that German students seem so much more adept at learning languages.For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditReady made

We cower in fear as the skies around Bavaria turn yellow, luckily for us it’s only a saharan sandstorm. Wonders of the natural world aside, Simon and Nic discuss returning to the garden after the winter break as Germany finally comes back to life with the arrival of spring. When he’s not gardening, Simon has been putting in a shift with a new video game, although Nic is far from convinced.We respond to some listener’s questions. we reminisce about our first meeting and try desperately to remember why on earth we started the podcast in the first place. We also take a question from one of our many Austrian listeners and talk cultural connections with Bavaria. We finish this week with a look at changes to the Bundesliga as Schalke 04 remove their Russian sponsors from their shirts. For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by Leyre . on Unsplash

Simon is almost fully recovered from his brush with the Rona, but he crawls from his sick bed to join Nic for a discussion on surprise beard compliments and why the Germans aren’t as thirsty as the British for a pat on the back. We also return to Simon’s ever growing kebab update corner, After a week off, we collect our thoughts on the current crisis in Ukraine and we take some time to discuss the numerous changes occurring in German politics and society at large. We also look at the different approaches taken by the UK and Germany when it comes to accepting refugees.Finally, Nic’s experience in the mountains has led him to wonder if German ski culture is the worst of all the sub-cultures. Are skiers the worst, are snowboarders cool, and what are the Currywurst like?For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can:Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenImage CreditPhoto by William Moreland on Unsplash