Listener Week: Elderly care, Women boat builders, Midlife Jobs, Influencer Viv the Carer

Listener Week: Elderly care, Women boat builders, Midlife Jobs, Influencer Viv the Carer

Author: BBC Radio 4 August 4, 2026 Duration: 58:08

Listener Week on Woman's Hour is where we bring your stories, ideas and the issues you want to hear about to air.

Sarah tells us about the burden and resentment she feels at caring for a parent who is in her 90s, when she is a pensioner too. This is the time she thought she would have for herself. Clare Jefferies, who co-runs care companies and has written the book: I’m Your Daughter, Not Your Carer; and Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director, Age UK. discuss the problem with Kylie Pentelow.

How hard is to get a job in midlife? Age 52, Stacey Duguid is a columnist and former fashion editor, who once held positions at some of the world's top fashion brands; Prada, Harrods, Net-a-Porter and Paul Smith. However for the past 16 months Stacey has been unemployed and actively applying for jobs. She estimates she has sent over 150 applications out and received very few replies and not a single job interview. Stacey posted about this on her social media account and received a tsunami of responses from other women. With decades of experience and perspective under their belts, why are so many midlife women struggling to find employment? Stacey joins Kylie with Ingrid Fawcett from Midlife 360, which advises women returning to work.

Have you ever considered working in boat building? We were contacted by Women in Boat Building, a community of women working hands-on in the industry, who wanted to tell us about their experiences and raise the profile of a trade that's largely male-dominated. Abbey Molyneux, a traditional boat builder who runs her own boatyard in Norfolk and is a director of Women in Boat Building, and Vanessa Larmond, who's just starting out in the industry in Southwold, Suffolk, tell us what it is like.

How many people can call themselves a fashion/style influencer in their 80s? A listener suggested we interview Viv the Carer about timeless fashion as women get older. She adds I love her energy. Viv Truran is 82 and shares her morning outfit-of-the-day posts with more than 800,000 followers online.

PRESENTER: Kylie Pentelow PRODUCER: Melanie Abbott


For decades, Woman's Hour from BBC Radio 4 has been a fixture in British life, creating a unique space where the experiences of women are centered and explored in full. This isn't just a series of interviews; it's a daily conversation that feels both urgent and timeless, tackling everything from front-page news and political shifts to intimate personal stories and cultural shifts. Each episode brings together a diverse range of voices-activists, artists, scientists, politicians, and everyday people-to dissect the issues that shape society. You'll hear nuanced debates on health, family, work, and identity, alongside insightful discussions on books, music, and ideas that are defining our moment. The podcast captures all of this, offering a thoughtful and often challenging listen that refuses to simplify the complexities of modern life. It’s where a headline is unpacked with depth, a personal struggle is given context, and inspiration is found in unexpected places. Tuning into this podcast means joining a long-running dialogue that consistently informs, provokes thought, and connects the personal to the political, all through the lens of women's lives and perspectives.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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