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.

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.

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.