Swinging the Lamp

About Swinging the Lamp

Thor and Rory host the Swinging the Lamp Podcast which tells stories from the sea and chats about the prevailing cultural narratives.

Publisher

Rory Hamilton

Category

society & culture · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

8 Feb 2025

Latest episode

12 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

90 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Nov 2026

   #90 Mara vs Don: The Golden Globe PR Showdown

   Hosts Thor and Rory kick off with their usual banter — coffee, shout-outs to Ride and Grind and a tribute to Police Scotland — before diving into the week’s big talking points. The bulk of the episode focuses on the Golden Globe Race and the row around Mara: did she leverage the event for publicity, or boldy push back against organiser Don McIntyre’s strict tech rules? They talk Moitessier’s 1968 precedent, the race’s history of controversy, and how modern social media alters motives and publicity for solo sailors.

2. 

   5 Nov 2026

   #89 A Captain from Crimea and the Complexity of Conflict

   A long, wide conversation moves from local adventures to century‑old geopolitics. After plans to welcome back a daring Norwegian sailing party, Rory and Thor debate police messaging, e‑scooter enforcement, and school email boundaries. The talk then pivots to history: a provocative retelling of the Lusitania sinking and arguments that wartime elites prolonged conflicts for profit, tying echoes of provocation to the Ukraine crisis. A thoughtful encounter with a Crimea‑born captain gives firsthand nuance to modern tensions, closing the episode with skepticism about official narratives and empathy for people living through geopolitical strain.

3. 

   30 Oct 2026

   #88 How to ace at interviews and get rejected by Liz Truss

   Humour, practical tips and frank opinion meet maritime culture in this episode. After a long Tesla haul to collect a boat and a hob mishap, the hosts debate EV infrastructure and passenger airfare oddities. The core segment unpacks recruitment for pilots and sailors: objective scoring’s limits, the power of case studies showing saved time or money, and how testimonials can corroborate quieter candidates’ strengths. They offer a concrete tactical tip — prepare a presentation or a 120-day plan to signal readiness — and touch on podcasting setbacks (a guest decline), a Liz Truss rejection, Golden Globe race controversies, and plans to dive into WWI naval history next week.

Podcast Authority Score: 5 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

9

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  The Delingpod: The James Delingpole Podcast

• 

  heretics. | andrew gold

• 

  The Tucker Carlson Podcast

• 

  Newscast

• 

  Americast