Join us as we celebrate 50 years of BCS70 with a new podcast series. ’50 Years of Life in Britain’ explores the contribution you and your fellow study members have made to improving British science and society. The six-part series tells your story, and charts the first five decades of the study.
The podcasts take listeners on a journey through British social and political history. With participants reminiscing about their involvement in the study, they also tell us what it’s been like to grow up, learn, work, love and reach middle age in modern Britain.
We hear from the academics and staff who have driven the study forward, and the researchers whose findings have influenced public policy and scientific debate. We also speak to the policymakers and politicians whose thinking has been shaped by the study’s most important discoveries.
In addition, the series looks to the present and future. We hear how cohort members have fared during the COVID-19 lockdown, and discover how BCS70, and cohort studies in general, can help us understand the short and long term impacts of the pandemic.
Presented by Dr Lee Elliot Major OBE, Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, each episode looks at one decade of the history of the study.
You can listen to episodes below, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
Episode 1: The British Births Survey, the 1970s and Tony Blair
In our first episode of '50 Years of Life in Britain', we explore the first decade of BCS70 and the impact of its early years research on policy many years later.
Episode 2: Youthscan, the 1980s and reading for pleasure
In this second episode, we move into the 1980s to find out how Neville Butler kept BCS70 going during a decade of austerity.
Episode 3: A new dawn, the 1990s and skills for life
In this third episode, we move into the 1990s to find out how BCS70 and its staff survived the lean years of the 80s and early 90s, and managed to get back in contact with study members after a 10 year gap.
Episode 4: Social mobility, the 2000s and the gender pay gap
In this fourth episode, we move into the new millennium, when the study enjoyed a golden decade.
Episode 5: Midlife, the 2010s and health and wellbeing
In this episode, we move into the 2010s to find out how our study members were faring in their forties.
Episode 6: 2020, COVID-19 and the future
Our last episode of the series examines how BCS70 and our study members have been faring during the pandemic and looks to the future of longitudinal research.
A big thank you to the study members who shared their memories, stories and reflections with us for this podcast series.
Special thanks to our host Dr Lee Elliot Major OBE for his time, enthusiasm and dedication to the project.
This podcast is produced by Fresh Air Production.
The views of the academic experts and other guests in our podcasts are their own. CLS and UCL regard the right to debate and challenge ideas as fundamental and we are committed to ensuring that free and open discussion can take place in an atmosphere of tolerance as part of our Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech.
