The Lead Digest: Skipton, secrets and the Sycamore Gap
Our round-up by The Lead’s team of what we’ve been reading, listening to, scrolling and watching each week.
Here at The Lead, we like to consume just as much as we create, which is why we spend a little time each week rounding up our favourite stories, books, podcasts and films we’ve been enjoying.
Padraig recommends this article in Harper's about the profound weirdness of the Sycamore Gap trial. It’s a great glimpse of Britain in one of its weird quasi-pagan spasms.
Zoë is really enjoying watching the HBO show Industry (which is available on BBC iPlayer) in light of the new season coming out. It’s one of those where, if you're not particularly finance-literate, it all starts to come together on the second or third watch. Zoë’s progressive self says it’s a brilliant portrayal of the corrupting nature of money and capitalism, but on a personal level, the show is highly bingeable; dark, bleak, funny and fills the “rich people eating each other alive”-shaped hole left by Succession.
Ella enjoyed reading Dispatch Media’s article about Skipton, officially England’s happiest town, and what that actually means.
She also devoured this Substack essay about the necessary distinction between keeping secrets and lying, and why both can feel equally uncomfortable, by horses_and_memories.
Natalie is devouring the latest investigative podcast from the Observer and Tortoise – The Walkers: The Real Salt Path, because it’s a story she can’t get enough of since the origins of the bestselling book – about financial ruin, terminal illness, and healing through nature – were questioned in an Observer article last year. Now, the same journalist is pulling at that tantalising thread to find out what else the couple may have lied about.
Watched, read or listened to something you think we’d like to feature? Drop ella@thelead.uk a line and we will consider for inclusion. And feel free to share this post to a friend or family member who you think needs some reading or listening inspiration!
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