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Strangers on a Bench

Strangers on a Bench

By: Tom Rosenthal
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About this listen

 Have you ever walked past a mysterious stranger on a park bench and wondered about their lives? Tom Rosenthal (singer-songwriter by trade) has spent the past year walking through various parks across the UK and Ireland, approaching random bench-dwellers and asking if he can sit next to them and record their conversation. Every stranger remains anonymous, neither name or place of work is ever revealed (even to Tom himself), leading to greater openness, intimacy, and surprising revelations from the participants.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Rosenthal Social Sciences
Episodes
  • EPISODE 71: All Plumbers Are Philosophers

    EPISODE 71: All Plumbers Are Philosophers
    Jan 19 2026

    Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

    This is what happened!


    Produced by Tom Rosenthal

    Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

    Mixed by Mike Woolley

    Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

    Incidental music by Maddie Ashman


    End song : 'Pull The String' by Luke Hart

    Stream it here : https://ffm.to/pullthestring


    Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

    https://ffm.to/soabendsongs


    ————————————————————————————


    Instagram : @strangersonabench

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • EPISODE 70: When You Realise Who You Are

    EPISODE 70: When You Realise Who You Are
    Jan 12 2026

    Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

    This is what happened!


    Produced by Tom Rosenthal

    Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

    Mixed by Mike Woolley

    Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

    Incidental music by Maddie Ashman


    End song : 'Out of My Depth' by Aqualung

    Stream it here : https://ffm.to/outofmydepth


    Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

    https://ffm.to/soabendsongs


    ————————————————————————————


    Instagram : @strangersonabench

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
  • EPISODE 69: I've Never Felt This Way Before

    EPISODE 69: I've Never Felt This Way Before
    Jan 5 2026

    Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

    This is what happened!


    Produced by Tom Rosenthal

    Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

    Mixed by Mike Woolley

    Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

    Incidental music by Maddie Ashman


    End song : 'I'm Certain of It' by Rosie H Sullivan & Riley Pearce

    Stream it here: https://ffm.to/imcertainofit


    Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

    https://ffm.to/soabendsongs


    ————————————————————————————


    Instagram : @strangersonabench

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
All stars
Most relevant
Personal stories that at times are shared with such bravery and can be so disarmingly honest that it causes listeners some self reflection

Very touching personal stories

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I really look forward to this podcast each week, I found it recently and it is a great delight to listen to!

Great for the people watchers/listeners!

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This interview resonated in parts with me. It was a raw insight into a strangers life. which was so sad yet insightful and beautiful at the same time. There is magic and the knowledge that you can achieve that magic, if only for a while. I feel that if practised it can be found in parts of every day.

A beautifully empathic interview into someone's life.

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