Och, Brothers! Where Art Thou?

Episode 5: Rock Bottom, Recovery, and Redemption | John Arthur

This week on Och, Brothers! Where Art Thou?, we sit down with John Arthur. A community activist, recovery coach, yoga teacher and long time friend of Rosco’s, John has spent decades working with people on the edges and quietly helping build better ways forward. John talks about growing up in a tough part of Edinburgh, living in fear, learning to fight, and how early trauma can shape the nervous system, relationships and identity. We hear about addiction, relapse, and the moment things finally shifted for good, when he stopped trying to do it alone and became willing to accept help. The conversation moves through recovery and responsibility, ACEs and attachment, men and vulnerability, and why practices like yoga, singing in choirs and strong male friendships became central to John’s life. We also hear how organised communities can genuinely change outcomes, from campaigning for services to creating spaces that help people stay well. This is a thoughtful, funny and deeply honest conversation about masculinity, healing, and what it means to live with purpose after chaos. We cover: addiction and recovery, childhood trauma, asking for help, men’s mental health, community action, nervous system regulation, friendship and finding joy later in life.

Episode 4: From Campbeltown To Camus | David Cameron

This week on Och, Brothers! Where Art Thou? we’re joined by the other David Cameron, educator, keynote speaker, podcaster, and a proper warm, thoughtful presence from Fife. What starts as a bit of festive chat and name based mischief quickly turns into a big one: masculinity, role models, community, and what happens when society quietly stops giving young boys decent examples of what “being a man” can look like. David takes us back to growing up in Campbeltown with a single mum, a gentle grandfather, and a head full of books and music. We talk about the older versions of masculinity he was handed, hardness, fighting, bravado, and why it never really fit. From there we get into the modern pressure cooker: algorithms, Andrew Tate, Trump style posturing, and a culture built on dissatisfaction. We also dig into the shortage of men in primary teaching, what that means for boys (and everyone), and why this isn’t just a “role models” chat, it’s also about pay, status, and what neoliberalism has done to community life. And finally, we land where the heart is: adverse childhood experiences, trauma, recovery, meaning, and the idea that we’re shaped by our past, but we don’t have to be its prisoners. A proper end of year conversation about values, healing, and trying to live like you mean it.

Episode 3: The Check In | Scotland, Madagascar, Sierra Leone

A long overdue check-in and catch-up between Pietro and Rosco, celebrating Scotland's qualification for the World Cup, and their trips to Africa.

Episode 2: From War Zones to Wild Places | Colin Kirk-Potter

This week on Och, Brothers! Where Art Thou? we sit down with Colin Kirk-Potter, former Royal Marine Commando, ultra-runner, writer, endurance coach, postman, husband, and father of five, for a raw, funny, and deeply human conversation about identity, recovery, and what masculinity really looks like when the bravado falls away. Colin takes us from growing up in Derbyshire to life in the Royal Marines, serving across conflict zones and discovering the intense camaraderie of a brotherhood forged under pressure. He speaks honestly about how that structure gave him purpose, and what happened when a PTSD diagnosis in 2013 forced him to confront life beyond the uniform. We talk about alcohol, denial, counselling, EMDR therapy, and the slow, difficult work of putting memories back into order. Colin reflects on rebuilding himself through running, the wild landscape of Dartmoor, and creating community through Run Venture, a business born from generosity and passion, and the pain of watching it fail in a world that values convenience over connection. Along the way, we explore modern masculinity: strength without shouting, discipline without domination, kindness backed by action. From ultra-marathons and military downtime to parenting, community loss, and learning when to be tough, and when to kneel down and listen, this is a conversation about resilience that doesn’t flinch from vulnerability. A powerful episode about service, survival, failure, and choosing not to be a dick, even when life gives you plenty of reasons to be one.

Episode 1: Druid Wisdom for Modern Men | JJ Middleway

In our first full episode of Och, Brothers! Where Art Thou?, we sit down with JJ Middleway for a deep, moving and often unexpected conversation about manhood, belonging and what we have quietly lost along the way. JJ is a poet, musician, druid elder and mentor who has spent decades working with boys and men through rites of passage, outdoor ritual and community based work. He joins us fresh from a powerful weekend spent helping young men step towards adulthood in a world that rarely shows them how. What unfolds is not a neat how to guide on masculinity, but something richer and more human. We talk about the hunger for male role models, the importance of men only spaces, vulnerability and strength existing side by side, and why discomfort can be just as necessary as safety. JJ shares stories of grief, initiation, nature, song and service, alongside reflections on fatherhood, responsibility and forgiveness. We explore spirituality without dogma, tradition without nostalgia, and the idea that being a man is not about dominance or silence, but about courage, humility and showing up for others. From ancient wisdom and campfire songs to modern fatherhood and social media burnout, this is a conversation about slowing down, reconnecting and remembering what really matters. A thoughtful, generous and challenging opening chapter for the podcast, and a reminder that becoming a man is not a moment, but a lifelong practice.