Podcast
01 April 2025
A fortnightly podcast in which veteran construction industry journalists Bishop and Taylor have a natter about some of the week’s events in the UK construction industry, seeking meaning even where none may exist.
8th March 2023
Bishop & Taylor give two cheers to National Highways for choosing to repair a Scottish viaduct instead of simply filling it in; they discuss latest initiatives in the push for a national retrofit strategy; and they sympathise with a contractor stuck between a rock and a hard place.
22nd February 2023
Bishop & Taylor’s wide-ranging discussion in this episode takes in the 90-year-old Buy American Act, concrete made from seashells, problems with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and what plant-hire companies want from the upcoming budget statement.
8th February 2023
Bishop & Taylor discuss a Supreme Court judgment on nuisance, the review of Compulsory Purchase Orders, and claims that HS2 is not as biodiversity-neutral as it thinks it is.
25th January 2023
Bishop & Taylor discuss Levelling Up fund allocation and changes to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. They are then joined by John Allcoat, head of construction stats at the Office for National Statistics, who explains what he does and how he does it. Best of all, he has some good news…!
11th January 2023
Bishop & Taylor kick off 2023 with a look at the latest HSE statistics, including those relating to hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS); with the return of Andy Milner to Amey, they discuss boomerang CEOs; and they close proceedings with their views on internships.
14th December 2022
Bishop & Taylor look back on some of the highs and lows of 2022. But first there’s the week’s news to catch up on: new owners for Mick George and Jewsons; and a warning from fire chiefs about modern methods of construction.
30th November 2022
Bishop & Taylor discuss government spending plans, how Sizewell C power station will be funded and whether builders should have a builder as their institute’s president
16th November 2022
Bishop & Taylor discuss a toddler’s death caused by uninhabitable social housing and the latest from that other great recent social housing scandal, Grenfell Tower. They also discuss why the Code for Construction Product Information has stalled and the temporary reprieve for CE marking in the UK.
2nd November 2022
Bishop and Taylor discuss some of the challenges facing the new transport secretary, a new concept for self-service readymix, and Interserve’s £4.4m fine for data protection failings. The also discuss corporate uniforms, of which Taylor approves.
19th October 2022
Just like the prime minister, Ray O’Rourke is not yet ready to leave his job. Both are on the agenda of Bishop & Taylor in this episode. They also discuss whether the future of offsite construction means offshoring to distant lands, the Lafarge scandal and whether electricians deserve protection.
