Episodes

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20240401One random postcode, and a story you probably haven't heard before.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Anglesey20200810

From lockdown, the random postcode generator throws up two villages on Anglesey - Gaerwen and Pentre Berw. Gaerwen is most famous for a 1960s Welsh Language folk hit called Caffi Gaerwen, about the staff at the former Little Chef in the middle of the village. This is an area with a high number of Welsh first language speakers, and - before the new dual carriageway was built - the road through the village was the main route to Holyhead.

Unable to travel to the village at first because of lockdown, producer Polly Weston uses streetview to click her way around the villages online. The Little Chef is no more - just an overgrown car park. But just down the road, she spots a big brick building - a plaque says "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". Polly is intrigued to find a chapel here, knowing next to nothing about the faith, other than their old Mormon nickname.

It turns out two missionaries were recently sent to serve on Anglesey. It is common for members of the church to spend two years on a mission away from home after 18. But when it's lockdown, what does it mean when you can't meet anyone?

As Polly gets to know the young missionaries, she discovers that the church has long instructed its members to be 'prepared'. The members here have food stores with a three to six month supply of everything they need, including wheat and grinders. And in 2018, the church even instructed its members to prepare to worship at home. They have felt well equipped to deal with the uncertainty brought by 2020 - even when a nearby chicken factory makes national news for a mass outbreak of COVID, and threatens a more serious local lockdown.

Surprisingly timely beliefs of the Latter-day Saints and their missionaries in North Wales

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Blackford, Perthshire2020022220231218 (R4)
20200317 (R4)
The random postcode generator takes us to the village of Blackford near Gleneagles, where a mysterious championship golf course has sat maintained and empty for a decade.

The golf course is called gWest - but as the story unravels it reveals much more about the wealth in the area.

Produced/Presented by Polly Weston

The ghost golf course of Scotland.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

The random postcode generator takes us to the village of Blackford near Gleneagles, where a mysterious championship golf course has sat maintained and empty for a decade.

The golf course is called gWest - but as the story unravels it reveals much more about the wealth in the area.

Produced/Presented by Polly Weston

The ghost golf course of Scotland.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

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The random postcode generator takes us to the village of Blackford near Gleneagles, where a mysterious championship golf course has sat maintained and empty for a decade.

The golf course is called gWest - but as the story unravels it reveals much more about the wealth in the area.

Produced/Presented by Polly Weston

The ghost golf course of Scotland.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

The random postcode generator takes us to the village of Blackford near Gleneagles, where a mysterious championship golf course has sat maintained and empty for a decade.

The golf course is called gWest - but as the story unravels it reveals much more about the wealth in the area.

Produced/Presented by Polly Weston

The ghost golf course of Scotland.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Bolton20230329

One random postcode and a story you probably haven't heard before.

Today we're in Leverhulme Park, Bolton. The park feels wild and rugged and miles from the town while being surrounded by housing estates. Here we meet a local environmental group called Bolton NEWT who explain that Bolton has a problem with invasive species, and the most notorious invasive plant of them all - Japanese Knotweed. But when producer Polly starts to investigate the root of the problem, she ends up in the most unexpected place - searching for a man called Arthur who did something extraordinary.

Produced and presented by Polly Weston
Editor: Camellia Sinclair
Mixed by Ilse Lademann
Made in Bristol by BBC Audio Wales and West

An unusual litter picking group and a knotty problem.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Bolton2023032920230601 (R4)

One random postcode and a story you probably haven't heard before.

Today we're in Leverhulme Park, Bolton. The park feels wild and rugged and miles from the town while being surrounded by housing estates. Here we meet a local environmental group called Bolton NEWT who explain that Bolton has a problem with invasive species, and the most notorious invasive plant of them all - Japanese Knotweed. But when producer Polly starts to investigate the root of the problem, she ends up in the most unexpected place - searching for a man called Arthur who did something extraordinary.

Produced and presented by Polly Weston
Editor: Camellia Sinclair
Mixed by Ilse Lademann
Made in Bristol by BBC Audio Wales and West

An unusual litter picking group and a knotty problem.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Broadstone, Poole20230907

One random postcode and a story you probably haven't heard before. Today's random postcode takes us to Broadstone, an affluent suburb of Poole. In one of those surveys you see in the papers it was listed as the third best postcode in the country a few years ago. But when producer Polly arrives, 13 cars were recently set alight over one night, leaving consequences for one family far beyond just a burnt out car.

Produced/presented by Polly Weston
Mixed by Ilse Lademann
Editor: Chris Ledgard

A random postcode and a random spate of arson attacks in Dorset.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Camborne20200824

The random postcode generator takes producer Polly Weston to a residential area of Camborne, Cornwall.

This pioneering town of industry, famous for its tin mines and as the place where the high-pressure steam engine was invented, has fallen on hard times in recent decades.

Today, some areas of this postcode are among the most deprived in Cornwall, and Britain as a whole. As lockdown has lifted, the local beaches have flooded with people holidaying from all over the UK, yet it is said that some children in this postcode have never visited the sea before. The nearest beach is three miles away. Is it true?

One producer, one random generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Chatham20190615

Producer Polly Weston is sent to a random UK postcode in search of a story.

The series began with a random postcode generator, and a simple idea. In an age of echo chambers, maybe by going to a postcode completely at random, we'd find important stories which have been going unnoticed.

So far the generator has led her to the extent of illegal cigarette smoking in Lincolnshire, the north-south divide in Hertfordshire, disappearing crabs in Devon, and a mysterious story of land access in the Highlands of Scotland.

Now the wheel has been spun again. Over the next three weeks Chatham in Kent, Ferryside in South-West Wales, and a collection of villages outside Stoke-on-Trent all become her patch. In each episode she goes to a different postcode in search of a story - from why a ferry with wheels is causing a stir in Wales, to the startling situation which has led to a pharmacist in Medway becoming the "local hero".

This week - Chatham, Kent.

Produced and presented by Polly Weston in Bristol.
Executive producer: Jolyon Jenkins.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

City of London, St Paul's20200803

The random generator throws up EC4V 5, a postcode like no other - the City of London. The patch covers a few streets in a corner of the square mile - in the shadow of St Paul's Cathedral.

Most people know the City as the financial capital of the world, but few understand how it works. It has its own government which predates parliament and is thought to be the oldest democracy in the world - the City of London Corporation. It has its own police force and it has more money than most local authorities can dream of - billions in three separate pots. While 400,000 people commute to the square mile for work, there are very few residents - and the Corporation doesn't have much social housing in the City. But it also has a sizable homeless population.

Online, the first thing Polly spots is a beautiful old building covered in Latin. Formerly a choir school for the Cathedral, it has been a youth hostel for the past fifty years. When coronavirus struck, the City of London Corporation realised they owned the building. They offered rooms here to 19 of the hardest to reach individuals on the City's streets and brought in a team to run it.

There are people staying in the hostel who have refused help for more than fifteen or twenty years. Some have seen it as a battle - they felt the Corporation just wanted them out, and what's worse, they didn't trust the outreach workers commissioned by the City to help. The hostel seems to have changed things - no one has gone back on the streets, many are taking up support from outreach workers, and some are on lists for permanent accommodation for the first time ever.

So why does this seem to have worked? What has been going wrong for all these years? And what happens next?

Produced/Presented by Polly Weston

Lockdown with the homeless community in one of the wealthiest postcodes in Britain.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Croxteth, Liverpool20200321

The random postcode generator takes us to Croxteth; a place with a reputation for gangs, shootings and violence.

Yet in the heart of L114 is a vibrant community centre providing a lifeline to residents. Over the course of one day, we hear the joyous, heartbreaking and brave stories of those who pass through Family Matters. This is the story of a community determined to contradict the negative news cycle.

Producer: Eliza Lomas
Exec Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

A community centre providing a lifeline in Croxteth.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Eastbourne20210802

One producer. One random generated postcode. And a story you probably haven't heard before.

This week the random postcode generator takes us to an Eastbourne car park where the monthly arrival of Golden Retrievers from Turkey has just taken place. Why?

Produced and presented by Polly Weston for BBC Audio Bristol

Golden retrievers from Turkey arrive at an Eastbourne car park on a monthly basis - why?

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Elland20200328

The random postcode generator takes Producer Polly Weston to Elland, Yorkshire. There's been a cinema here since pre-WWI and it still has an interval and two organists. But in 2020, the Rex faces a shock.

Elland is sandwiched between Halifax and Huddersfield in the Calderdale valley. Locals say the town has had a bit of a rough time - it has lost shops, its Victorian swimming pool, and suffered from being the lesser known of its neighbours along the valley. But it does have something people across Yorkshire recognise it for: The Rex.

A 300 seater cinema, which opened in 1912, and where the layout remains largely as it was on the day it opened. Polly gets drawn in by its individuality, its organists (80-year-old Mildred and 33-year-old Ben) its mugs of tea in the interval and its gingerbread men. The cinema faces a string of new challenges - the multiplexes in Huddersfield and Halifax have recently slashed their prices to compete with the Rex's £5.50 entry, while floods have been tormenting the local infrastructure. But as the days roll on, it becomes clear that something much bigger is around the corner - something which might jeopardise the annual Laurel and Hardy evening which Ben has been preparing his score for months for. Something which might jeopardise everything.

Produced/presented by Polly Weston
Exec Producer Jolyon Jenkins

The Rex cinema started in 1912, still has an interval and organ, but faces a shock in 2020

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Elland2020032820200415 (R4)

The random postcode generator takes Producer Polly Weston to Elland, Yorkshire. There's been a cinema here since pre-WWI and it still has an interval and two organists. But in 2020, the Rex faces a shock.

Elland is sandwiched between Halifax and Huddersfield in the Calderdale valley. Locals say the town has had a bit of a rough time - it has lost shops, its Victorian swimming pool, and suffered from being the lesser known of its neighbours along the valley. But it does have something people across Yorkshire recognise it for: The Rex.

A 300 seater cinema, which opened in 1912, and where the layout remains largely as it was on the day it opened. Polly gets drawn in by its individuality, its organists (80-year-old Mildred and 33-year-old Ben) its mugs of tea in the interval and its gingerbread men. The cinema faces a string of new challenges - the multiplexes in Huddersfield and Halifax have recently slashed their prices to compete with the Rex's £5.50 entry, while floods have been tormenting the local infrastructure. But as the days roll on, it becomes clear that something much bigger is around the corner - something which might jeopardise the annual Laurel and Hardy evening which Ben has been preparing his score for months for. Something which might jeopardise everything.

Produced/presented by Polly Weston
Exec Producer Jolyon Jenkins

The Rex cinema started in 1912, still has an interval and organ, but faces a shock in 2020

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Farnborough20230824

The first in a new series of The Patch. One random postcode and a story you probably haven't heard before. Today's episode takes producer Polly Weston to Farnborough Airport - the only airport in the UK dedicated to private jets. Known as "the birthplace of British aviation", the postcode is dominated by the airport - it's an area filled with aviation-related businesses, and motorcades carrying important people are a fairly common occurrence on the streets. Yet, it is largely hidden from view, even from locals...

Produced/presented by Polly Weston
Editor: Chris Ledgard
Mixed by Michael Harrison and Suzy Robins

A random postcode generator takes us to Britain's only airport dedicated to private jets.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Feltwell2023030820230511 (R4)One random postcode and a story you probably haven't heard before.

The postcode generator leads to Feltwell - a rural Norfolk village which is host to a small US military base, RAF Feltwell. The sky above the village is filled with the sound of military fighter jets. There are thousands of US military personnel living in this area. RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell, all within a ten mile radius of the village, have been US Air Force bases for decades. Of the three bases, RAF Feltwell is the least notable, except for the three huge golf ball-like domes which sit on the base, their curved tops peaking out over the rooftops of the village. What are the domes doing here? The story takes us to The Pentagon and outer space...

Produced and presented by Polly Weston

Mixed by Ilse Lademann

Editor: Chris Ledgard

Made in Bristol by BBC Wales and West

The random postcode generator leads to rural Norfolk's mysterious US military domes.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

One random postcode and a story you probably haven't heard before.

The postcode generator leads to Feltwell - a rural Norfolk village which is host to a small US military base, RAF Feltwell. The sky above the village is filled with the sound of military fighter jets. There are thousands of US military personnel living in this area. RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell, all within a ten mile radius of the village, have been US Air Force bases for decades. Of the three bases, RAF Feltwell is the least notable, except for the three huge golf ball-like domes which sit on the base, their curved tops peaking out over the rooftops of the village. What are the domes doing here? The story takes us to The Pentagon and outer space...

Produced and presented by Polly Weston

Mixed by Ilse Lademann

Editor: Chris Ledgard

Made in Bristol by BBC Wales and West

The random postcode generator leads to rural Norfolk's mysterious US military domes.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Ferryside20190608

Producer Polly Weston is sent to a random UK postcode in search of a story.

The series began with a random postcode generator, and a simple idea. In an age of echo chambers, maybe by going to a postcode completely at random, we'd find important stories which have been going unnoticed.

So far the generator has led her to the extent of illegal cigarette smoking in Lincolnshire, the north-south divide in Hertfordshire, disappearing crabs in Devon, and a mysterious story of land access in the Highlands of Scotland.

Now the wheel has been spun again. Over the next three weeks Chatham in Kent, Ferryside in South-West Wales, and a collection of villages outside Stoke-on-Trent all become her patch. In each episode she goes to a different postcode in search of a story - from why a ferry with wheels is causing a stir in Wales, to the startling situation which has led to a pharmacist in Medway becoming the "local hero".

This week - Ferryside, South West Wales.

Produced and presented by Polly Weston in Bristol.
Executive producer: Jolyon Jenkins.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Ferryside2019060820190910 (R4)

Producer Polly Weston is sent to a random UK postcode in search of a story.

The series began with a random postcode generator, and a simple idea. In an age of echo chambers, maybe by going to a postcode completely at random, we'd find important stories which have been going unnoticed.

So far the generator has led her to the extent of illegal cigarette smoking in Lincolnshire, the north-south divide in Hertfordshire, disappearing crabs in Devon, and a mysterious story of land access in the Highlands of Scotland.

Now the wheel has been spun again. Over the next three weeks Chatham in Kent, Ferryside in South-West Wales, and a collection of villages outside Stoke-on-Trent all become her patch. In each episode she goes to a different postcode in search of a story - from why a ferry with wheels is causing a stir in Wales, to the startling situation which has led to a pharmacist in Medway becoming the "local hero".

This week - Ferryside, South West Wales.

Produced and presented by Polly Weston in Bristol.
Executive producer: Jolyon Jenkins.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Freiston, Boston20230831

One random postcode and a story you probably haven't heard before.

PE22 0 takes producer Polly Weston to a landscape like no other... the flatlands east of the town of Boston. Among the fields and small villages, the most obvious landmark when she arrives is "The We'll Meet Again Museum". It turns out to be the life's work and personal collection of one couple, Linda and Paul. They chose this spot, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, because of the landscape's historical significance. At the back of the museum facing the sea are a line of well preserved WW2 pillboxes. Polly's guides are The Lincolnshire Poachers, a group of teenage WW2 reenactors dressed in full uniforms, who volunteer here every weekend - "We're not like all these other youngsters who are out in the streets causing havoc, we're here causing havoc`.

But there's another history to this landscape. In 1935 twelve teenage young offenders were marched from Stafford to this postcode, to set up camp. The teenagers began the process of reclaiming the land from the wash - they dug a bank by hand to hold the sea back, which in time formed the landscape you see today.

The camp the teenagers built eventually became the open prison, HMP North Sea Camp. Locals joke that it's a holiday camp today, with reports of people who have run away - but what's the truth?

Produced/Presented by Polly Weston
Editor: Chris Ledgard
Mixed by Michael Harrison

An unexpected story springs from a landscape in rural Lincolnshire's hidden histories

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Gartree, Market Harborough20230315

One random postcode and a story you probably haven't heard before.

Gartree, outside Market Harborough, is a rural Leicestershire village which hosts an unusual prison. HMP Gartree is a category B prison for people serving life sentences. When producer Polly Weston arrives in the postcode, she is drawn to the village by the big yellow banners in the hedgerows which say "Stop the new prison". The Ministry of Justice hope to build a new super prison here, housing another 1700 people. On her first trip, the Gartree Action Group are deep in preparations to fight the forthcoming planning inquiry. But at the planning meeting she realises that the village itself was originally built to house prison officers, and while the properties were all sold off long ago, to this day a number of former prison officers remain here and are part of the planning objection group. They claim the current prison is short staffed. Is it true? While waiting to be allowed to go and visit the prison, we track down former prisoners to talk about prison staffing and what they witnessed unfold inside the jail.

Produced and presented in Bristol by Polly Weston
Editor: Chris Ledgard
Mixed by Ilse Lademann
A BBC Wales and West Audio Production

The small rural village that hosts a prison for people serving life sentences.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Gartree, Market Harborough2023031520230522 (R4)

One random postcode and a story you probably haven't heard before.

Gartree, outside Market Harborough, is a rural Leicestershire village which hosts an unusual prison. HMP Gartree is a category B prison for people serving life sentences. When producer Polly Weston arrives in the postcode, she is drawn to the village by the big yellow banners in the hedgerows which say "Stop the new prison". The Ministry of Justice hope to build a new super prison here, housing another 1700 people. On her first trip, the Gartree Action Group are deep in preparations to fight the forthcoming planning inquiry. But at the planning meeting she realises that the village itself was originally built to house prison officers, and while the properties were all sold off long ago, to this day a number of former prison officers remain here and are part of the planning objection group. They claim the current prison is short staffed. Is it true? While waiting to be allowed to go and visit the prison, we track down former prisoners to talk about prison staffing and what they witnessed unfold inside the jail.

Produced and presented in Bristol by Polly Weston
Editor: Chris Ledgard
Mixed by Ilse Lademann
A BBC Wales and West Audio Production

The small rural village that hosts a prison for people serving life sentences.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Haringey20210809In an inner London borough, tales of loss and longing, told through vegetables

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Hartlepool20200314The random postcode generator delivers its first postcode in the North East of England. Hartlepool.

There are seventeen different postcodes in Hartlepool. Dying whales and doughnuts, residents describe this particular patch of the town in various ways.

Patch producer Camellia Sinclair heads to the heart of historic Hartlepool with its flurry of for sale boards and tells the story of two very different houses.

This continues a series of seven new Patches. Each week a new postcode is generated and a new story searched for, taking us to Warrington, Blackford in Perthshire, Torry in Aberdeen, Hartlepool, Croxteth in Liverpool, and the town of Elland.

Presenter/producer: Camellia Sinclair

The random postcode generator sends us to Hartlepool. Why are so many houses for sale?

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Hawkhurst, Kent20210712

In the first episode of a new series, the random postcode generator takes us to Hawkhurst in Kent, a prosperous village near Tunbridge Wells. Near the church lives Steve Davies, an ex-army corporal, who served in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles. He's on a mission to clean and restore local military gravestones and has done over 100. But he also wants to help living veterans who, suffer from PTSD or, like himself, anxiety and depression. Can he and his friends intervene to stop more ex-forces men from committing suicide?

Future episodes in the series take producers Jolyon Jenkins and Polly Weston to Lowestoft, Welwyn Garden City, Eastbourne, and Haringey

Presenter/producer: Jolyon Jenkins

An ex-army corporal is on a quest to restore military graves and help veterans with PTSD.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Knypersley20190622

Producer Polly Weston is sent to a random UK postcode in search of a story.

The series began with a random postcode generator, and a simple idea. In an age of echo chambers, maybe by going to a postcode completely at random, we'd find important stories which have been going unnoticed.

So far the generator has led her to the extent of illegal cigarette smoking in Lincolnshire, the north-south divide in Hertfordshire, disappearing crabs in Devon, and a mysterious story of land access in the Highlands of Scotland.

Now the wheel has been spun again. Over the next three weeks Chatham in Kent, Ferryside in South-West Wales, and a collection of villages outside Stoke-on-Trent all become her patch. In each episode she goes to a different postcode in search of a story - from why a ferry with wheels is causing a stir in Wales, to the startling situation which has led to a pharmacist in Medway becoming the "local hero".

This week - Knypersley, North Staffordshire.

Produced and presented by Polly Weston in Bristol.
Executive producer: Jolyon Jenkins.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Lowestoft20210719

The random postcode generator leads producer Polly Weston to an old boatyard in Lowestoft, surrounded by myth and legend...

Lowestoft is famous for being the most easterly point in the UK. This week's postcode, NR33 9, is sandwiched between the seafront and edge of the Norfolk Broads, along the south of a section of water known as Lake Lothing. This stretch of water was once home to huge factories and shipbuilders. The most famous of these was probably Brooke Marine - a world renowned ship builders which employed 2000 people in the town, and built some of the finest ships in the world - from military vessels, to luxury yachts, to Richard Branson's record breaking Challenger II. Today, all these industries have gone. But what looks like it might be derelict industrial land, hides a series of business parks tucked next to the water - sheds concealing fascinating people and stories... but as we discover, there's one story which unfolded here a couple of decades ago, whose impact is still being felt and fought on the shores of Gibraltar and Spain... the story of the "uncatchable" boat...

Produced by Polly Weston for BBC Audio in Bristol

An old boatyard in Lowestoft and the myth and legend of its uncatchable boat.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Milton Keynes20200817The random postcode generator takes us to an industrial estate in Milton Keynes. As lockdown starts to ease, one of the few places open is the Reuse Centre, a 'community resource' offering cheap second hand and ex-display goods and furniture. It's run by John Mann, a self-confessed 'Arthur Daley' who is friends with some of Britain's top criminals. But producer Jolyon Jenkins also bumps into one of the centre's clients, 75 year old Neville Chesters, an ex roadie who worked for some of the top rock bands of the sixties and seventies. Neville, it turns out, also had a second career as a pornographic film director - and has spent much of his life in shady enterprises, twice moving continent to stay one step ahead of the law and his creditors.

Neville is a minor celebrity in the rock world, but he's also keeping a low profile. 'I've got to die soon, before certain people put the dots together,' he says. He wants to tell his life story. but will he ever get round to doing it?

Producer/presenter: Jolyon Jenkins

The random postcode generator delivers us up a Jimi Hendrix roadie turned pornographer

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Rannoch20181124

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and an unheard story unfolding in a corner of Britain we wouldn't otherwise know about.

Earlier this year, producer Polly Weston discovered a random postcode generator on the internet. It sparked a radical idea. Maybe by randomly generating postcodes, and then going there, we'd find stories which are being overlooked - stories of national importance which we never would have noticed without stumbling into them.

Each week, a new postcode is randomly generated. This postcode becomes Polly's patch. Near or far, populated or not, this is the area where she must go to make the programme.

Week two takes us to a very remote area of Scotland, and a story which begins with a hand written sign that reads "A BRIDGE TOO FAR."

Producer/Presenter: Polly Weston
Exec Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

The search for a story in a randomly generated postcode.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Rannoch2018112420190409 (R4)

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and an unheard story unfolding in a corner of Britain we wouldn't otherwise know about.

Earlier this year, producer Polly Weston discovered a random postcode generator on the internet. It sparked a radical idea. Maybe by randomly generating postcodes, and then going there, we'd find stories which are being overlooked - stories of national importance which we never would have noticed without stumbling into them.

Each week, a new postcode is randomly generated. This postcode becomes Polly's patch. Near or far, populated or not, this is the area where she must go to make the programme.

Week two takes us to a very remote area of Scotland, and a story which begins with a hand written sign that reads "A BRIDGE TOO FAR."

Producer/Presenter: Polly Weston
Exec Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

The search for a story in a randomly generated postcode.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Salcombe20181117

One radio producer, one randomly generated postcode, and an unheard story unfolding in a corner of Britain we wouldn't otherwise know about.

Earlier this year, producer Polly Weston discovered a random postcode generator on the internet. It sparked a radical idea. Maybe by randomly generating postcodes, and then going there, we'd find stories which are being overlooked - stories of national importance which we never would have noticed without stumbling into them.

Each week, a new postcode is randomly generated. This postcode becomes Polly's patch. Near or far, populated or not, this is the area where she must go to make the programme.

Week one takes us to TQ8 8 - and into the heart of the mystery of the disappearing crabs.

Producer/Presenter: Polly Weston
Exec Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

The search for a story in a randomly generated postcode.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Salcombe2018111720190402 (R4)

One radio producer, one randomly generated postcode, and an unheard story unfolding in a corner of Britain we wouldn't otherwise know about.

Earlier this year, producer Polly Weston discovered a random postcode generator on the internet. It sparked a radical idea. Maybe by randomly generating postcodes, and then going there, we'd find stories which are being overlooked - stories of national importance which we never would have noticed without stumbling into them.

Each week, a new postcode is randomly generated. This postcode becomes Polly's patch. Near or far, populated or not, this is the area where she must go to make the programme.

Week one takes us to TQ8 8 - and into the heart of the mystery of the disappearing crabs.

Producer/Presenter: Polly Weston
Exec Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

The search for a story in a randomly generated postcode.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Spalding20181201

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and an unheard story unfolding in a corner of Britain we wouldn't otherwise know about.

Earlier this year, producer Polly Weston discovered a random postcode generator on the internet. It sparked a radical idea. Maybe by randomly generating postcodes, and then going there, we'd find stories which are being overlooked - stories of national importance which we never would have noticed without stumbling into them.

Each week, a new postcode is randomly generated. This postcode becomes Polly's patch. Near or far, populated or not, this is the area where she must go to make the programme.

Week three takes us to a Lincolnshire town, where cigarettes are a hot topic everywhere you go.

Producer/Presenter: Polly Weston
Exec Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

The search for a story in a randomly generated postcode.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Spalding2018120120190416 (R4)

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and an unheard story unfolding in a corner of Britain we wouldn't otherwise know about.

Earlier this year, producer Polly Weston discovered a random postcode generator on the internet. It sparked a radical idea. Maybe by randomly generating postcodes, and then going there, we'd find stories which are being overlooked - stories of national importance which we never would have noticed without stumbling into them.

Each week, a new postcode is randomly generated. This postcode becomes Polly's patch. Near or far, populated or not, this is the area where she must go to make the programme.

Week three takes us to a Lincolnshire town, where cigarettes are a hot topic everywhere you go.

Producer/Presenter: Polly Weston
Exec Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

The search for a story in a randomly generated postcode.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Spalding2018120120190917 (R4)

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and an unheard story unfolding in a corner of Britain we wouldn't otherwise know about.

Earlier this year, producer Polly Weston discovered a random postcode generator on the internet. It sparked a radical idea. Maybe by randomly generating postcodes, and then going there, we'd find stories which are being overlooked - stories of national importance which we never would have noticed without stumbling into them.

Each week, a new postcode is randomly generated. This postcode becomes Polly's patch. Near or far, populated or not, this is the area where she must go to make the programme.

Week three takes us to a Lincolnshire town, where cigarettes are a hot topic everywhere you go.

Producer/Presenter: Polly Weston
Exec Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

The search for a story in a randomly generated postcode.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Sunderland Point, Morecambe20230322

One random postcode, and a story you probably haven't heard before.

Sunderland Point near Morecambe is unique. It's the only mainland place in the UK which gets cut off twice a day by the tide washing over its only access road. The village has been here since the 1700s - it was the original port in the area before Lancaster was built, and it is steeped in history. There are things about living here which are a step back in time, too. There's no gas supply - so there's a culture of competitive drift wood collecting. There are no shops, no pubs, just a public toilet block which the 50 villagers all look after on a rota, and a reading room where they can get together.

But what the village does have is a 15-strong shanty crew - "a raucous rowdy bunch who love a drink... and singing at the tops of our lungs". When producer Polly arrives in the village to meet the shanty crew, she stumbles into a moment of change. Trevor, the Sunderland Point Sea Shanty Crew's co-founder, has just moved to the other end of the tidal road, with his wife Margaret. "We almost regard Trevor and Margaret as the mother and father of Sunderland Point" - this is the story of why they decided to leave, and what happens next.

Produced and presented by Polly Weston in Bristol
Editor: Chris Ledgard
A BBC Audio Wales and West Production

A village that gets cut off twice a day by the tide, and the shanty crew who live there.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Sunderland Point, Morecambe2023032220230525 (R4)

One random postcode, and a story you probably haven't heard before.

Sunderland Point near Morecambe is unique. It's the only mainland place in the UK which gets cut off twice a day by the tide washing over its only access road. The village has been here since the 1700s - it was the original port in the area before Lancaster was built, and it is steeped in history. There are things about living here which are a step back in time, too. There's no gas supply - so there's a culture of competitive drift wood collecting. There are no shops, no pubs, just a public toilet block which the 50 villagers all look after on a rota, and a reading room where they can get together.

But what the village does have is a 15-strong shanty crew - "a raucous rowdy bunch who love a drink... and singing at the tops of our lungs". When producer Polly arrives in the village to meet the shanty crew, she stumbles into a moment of change. Trevor, the Sunderland Point Sea Shanty Crew's co-founder, has just moved to the other end of the tidal road, with his wife Margaret. "We almost regard Trevor and Margaret as the mother and father of Sunderland Point" - this is the story of why they decided to leave, and what happens next.

Produced and presented by Polly Weston in Bristol
Editor: Chris Ledgard
A BBC Audio Wales and West Production

A village that gets cut off twice a day by the tide, and the shanty crew who live there.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

The Patch20180330One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and an unheard story unfolding in a corner of Britain we wouldn't otherwise know about.

In March, producer Polly Weston set out to find a story in a place she knew absolutely nothing about. Thanks to an online random postcode generator, a postcode in a place she's never heard of has been generated.

This is what she found when she got there.

The search for a story in a randomly generated postcode.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Tiptree, Essex20200307

The random postcode-generator takes us to Tiptree; a place known for its jam production and for being 'Britain's largest village.'

Lately, residents have been experiencing crime like never before. Why is it happening? Is it really happening? We find answers on late-night walks, a police patrol and the Crimewatch Tiptree Facebook group.

Producer/Presenter: Eliza Lomas
Exec Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

A crimewave in Tiptree.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Torry, Aberdeen20200229

The random postcode takes us to an extraordinary pet shop where something terrible has been happening to customers.

Torry is a deprived area of Aberdeen, known for addiction issues. It's also full of dog owners. In the local pet shop we discover Anna who says that a number of her customers have died recently from a fake prescription drug. We wait for her most regular customer, Stuart, to help us get to the bottom of it - but where is he?

Producer/presenter: Polly Weston
Exec producer: Jolyon Jenkins

The pet shop in Aberdeen where something terrible has been happening to customers.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Torry, Aberdeen2020022920200324 (R4)

The random postcode takes us to an extraordinary pet shop where something terrible has been happening to customers.

Torry is a deprived area of Aberdeen, known for addiction issues. It's also full of dog owners. In the local pet shop we discover Anna who says that a number of her customers have died recently from a fake prescription drug. We wait for her most regular customer, Stuart, to help us get to the bottom of it - but where is he?

Producer/presenter: Polly Weston
Exec producer: Jolyon Jenkins

The pet shop in Aberdeen where something terrible has been happening to customers.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Warrington2020021520200310 (R4)Producer Polly Weston is sent to WA2 0 - the outskirts of Warrington - where she gets thrown into the underground world of teenagers on scrambler bikes.

WA2 0 is a postcode mainly made up of housing estates, with a few pockets of green space. The area was once known for its RAF base, and for producing wire, but nowadays that has all gone. The housing estates are full of families and everyone describes it as a community-orientated area, but it has experienced issues with drugs and violence in recent years.

Yet something else has been bothering residents over recent months - teenagers riding scrambler bikes illegally on the estates. Scramblers - off road motorbikes, pit bikes, and motorcross bikes or crossers - designed for racing off road, on tracks. They are not registered, not licensed, and not meant to be ridden on the roads at all. But here they are hurtling around the estates and pedestrian areas of WA2 and infuriating residents. It turns out it is not confined to Warrington - the police have been fighting it across the North West.

Polly sets out on a seemingly impossible mission to find the teenagers behind the racket, and to understand why this trend has emerged. Amid the reckless behaviour, are some harrowing surprises about how the boys see themselves and their futures, and what the bikes give to them.

This is the first of a series of seven new Patches. Each week a new postcode is generated and a new story searched for, taking us to Blackford in Perthshire, Torry in Aberdeen, Tiptree in Essex, Hartlepool, Croxteth in Liverpool, and the town of Elland.

Producer/Presenter: Polly Weston

Exec Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

The 'scourge' of the scrambler bikes in WA2 0.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Producer Polly Weston is sent to WA2 0 - the outskirts of Warrington - where she gets thrown into the underground world of teenagers on scrambler bikes.

WA2 0 is a postcode mainly made up of housing estates, with a few pockets of green space. The area was once known for its RAF base, and for producing wire, but nowadays that has all gone. The housing estates are full of families and everyone describes it as a community-orientated area, but it has experienced issues with drugs and violence in recent years.

Yet something else has been bothering residents over recent months - teenagers riding scrambler bikes illegally on the estates. Scramblers - off road motorbikes, pit bikes, and motorcross bikes or crossers - designed for racing off road, on tracks. They are not registered, not licensed, and not meant to be ridden on the roads at all. But here they are hurtling around the estates and pedestrian areas of WA2 and infuriating residents. It turns out it is not confined to Warrington - the police have been fighting it across the North West.

Polly sets out on a seemingly impossible mission to find the teenagers behind the racket, and to understand why this trend has emerged. Amid the reckless behaviour, are some harrowing surprises about how the boys see themselves and their futures, and what the bikes give to them.

This is the first of a series of seven new Patches. Each week a new postcode is generated and a new story searched for, taking us to Blackford in Perthshire, Torry in Aberdeen, Tiptree in Essex, Hartlepool, Croxteth in Liverpool, and the town of Elland.

Producer/Presenter: Polly Weston

Exec Producer: Jolyon Jenkins

The 'scourge' of the scrambler bikes in WA2 0.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.

Welwyn Garden City20210726The random postcode generator takes us to a religious order living here.

One producer, one randomly generated postcode, and the search for an unheard story.