Episodes

Season 2022 – Talk 19 – 19th Century Colonialism – did the National Trust get it right? In 19th Century Colonialism – did the National Trust get it right? Peter Duffy discusses how the spread of the ‘Anglo’ communities was different to previous centuries. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. His own experience: He tells us that as a young boy, he and his brother left England to live with his Aunt in Canada because a German invasion was expected at any ...

Moynihan Train Hall and I join The Crescent – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 11 In ‘Moynihan Train Hall and I join The Crescent’ I take a good look at the wonderful new facility at New York’s Penn Station. I then board The Crescent for the journey to New Orleans. To view the photographs for this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Moynihan Train Hall: This is a magnificent facility, in the James A Farley building, which gives access to Penn Station’s platforms. The ...

Season 2022 – Talk 18 – Tea in Literature In Tea in Literature Sue Willson talks about the use of tea in novels over the past couple of centuries. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Morse: Sue’s first story isn’t from a book, instead she looks at the Morse episode ‘Twilight of the Gods’. She isn’t sure whether the issue over the ‘Senior Tea’ is in the book however she notes that it gives John Gielgud a wonderful moment when he insists that it must go...

We arrive into Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 10 In ‘We arrive into Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station’ the Silver Star completes our journey from Miami to New York. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Leaving Wilmington: We travel through an industrial area after leaving Wilmington Station. Passing the Delaware Car Company who have seven acres of sidings and a workshop where they repair...

17th to 30th April – MrT’s Gardening Year – Episode 2023 05 In ‘17th to 30th April’ MrT reports on two weeks of activity in the garden. To view the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: It’s a late spring: One of the joys in MrT’s year is when the beech hedge starts to come into leaf. The pale green leaves are soft and delicate at this stage which makes them susceptible to late frosts. Beech hedges also provide environmental benefits. The...

From Washington to Wilmington – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 9 In ‘From Washington to Wilmington’ the Silver Star travels through the Federal centre of the United States and into Delaware. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Across the Potomac: As we cross the Potomac River, we can see the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery on the Virginia side. The 383 mile long river forms part of the borders between Maryland, Washi...

10th to 16th April – MrT’s Gardening Year – Episode 2023 04 In ‘10th to 16th April’ there is changeable weather in the garden with very heavy rain early in the week. To view the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Tuesday, April 11th: MrT puts his Sweet Pea seedlings in the cold frame to harden off. Once he feels that they can withstand the weather they’ll go into large containers where they’ll spend the summer. Because the weather is w...

Season 2022 – Talk 17 – Being Left Handed in History In Being Left Handed in History Margaret Denyer tells us about the trials and tribulations of left handed people throughout history. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Introduction: Margaret is a ‘leftie’ herself and that drives her interest in this topic. She tells us that it isn’t easy to identify left handed people in history because there are no indisputable records. The paintings of historical...

Through Virginia to Alexandria – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 8 In ‘Through Virginia to Alexandria’ the Silver Star travels through 220 miles of Virginia. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Into Virginia: Soon after leaving Rocky Mount we enter Virginia. The first town that we pass through is Emporia which has been a transport crossroads for many years. The town became a city in 1967. A major north-south CSX railway line ...

April 3rd to Easter – MrT’s Gardening Year – Episode 2023 03 In ‘April 3rd to Easter’ MrT’s week in his garden is punctuated by rain. To view the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Tuesday, April 4th: A cold night with a frost first thing. The sun comes out and there are bees and butterflies gathering nectar from the grape hyacinths (Muscari). These have spread over the years and appear to be easy to grow! MrT gives the lawn at the bac...

Through North Carolina from Cary to Rocky Mount – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 7 In ‘Through North Carolina from Cary to Rocky Mount’ the Silver Star travels through 79 miles of North Carolina. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Cary: Today Cary is served by the Silver Star, Carolinian and Piedmont services. In 1854 the railway reaches the the town when the North Carolina Railroad arrives. This is Cary’s northernmost trac...

March 27th to April 2nd – MrT’s Gardening Year – Episode 2023 02 In ‘March 27th to April 2nd’ we join MrT in his garden as Spring marches forward rapidly. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Monday, March 27th: MrT starts his day by going into the greenhouse because he wants to see how things are progressing. The trailing lobelia seeds are now germinating, however it will be a few weeks before they can be pricked out. The first...

Season 2022 – Talk 15 – Thomas Lipton In Thomas Lipton we hear the second of Jo Watson’s talks with the theme ‘some inherit wealth, others create their own fortunes’. Thomas Lipton is a classic story of a ‘self made man’. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Family and early years: The Liptons were longstanding smallholders in County Fermanagh. In the late 1840s Thomas Lipton’s parents leave Ireland because of the Great Famine of 1845. They move to Sco...

March 20th to 26th – MrT’s Gardening Year – Episode 2023 01 In ‘March 20th to 26th’ we follow MrT as he prepares his garden for the Spring. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Monday, March 20th: This series starts on the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. For many this is the first day of spring. Spring is many people’s favourite season because it is a time of renewal in the world around us. MrT has a very good show of...

Through the Night from Palatka to Southern Pines – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 6 As ‘Through the Night from Palatka to Southern Pines’ begins I’m sat with other passengers in the dining car where the crew are working hard to keep people fed. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Palatka: Palatka station dates from 1908. Amtrak‘s Silver Service trains stop here and 7,171 passengers used the station in 2021. The station buildi...

Season 2022 – Talk 14 – Waldorf Astor In Waldorf Astor we hear the first of Jo Watson’s talks with the theme ‘some inherit wealth, others create their own fortunes’. Waldorf Astor is from one of the wealthiest families in the world. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Family: John Jacob Astor moves from Germany to America. He is a businessman, merchant, real estate mogul, and investor who makes his fortune in the fur trade and by investing in real est...

From Tampa to DeLand via Lakeland- US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 5 As ‘From Tampa to DeLand via Lakeland’ begins we are starting on our return journey to Lakeland from Tampa. We are just about on schedule! View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Lakeland: Our return to the station, on the northern shore of Lake Mirror, coincides with heavy rain, thunder and lightning. The train crew need to wrap up well in order to keep dry on t...

Season 2022 – Talk 13 – The East India Company In The East India Company Alan Freeland explains why he believes that the company was so important for Britain. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Foundation: The company is founded in 1600, under a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth 1, to trade in the Indian Ocean area. They take this to be anywhere east of the Cape of Good Hope! The company isn’t the first European company to trade in this area as the...

From Sebring to Tampa – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 4 As ‘From Sebring to Tampa’ begins we hear that we are 40 minutes from our next stop. At least the scenery has started to improve! Our route takes us past fields….. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Sebring: We stop at Sebring Station which was constructed in 1924 by the Seaboard Air Line Railway. It is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Sebring Internat...

Season 2022 – Talk 12 – 5 Villains from History In 5 Villains from History our five speakers explain the villany of these characters who are responsible for many deaths, often in unpleasant ways. Warning: the details may be upsetting to some. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Vlad III: In the first part of this talk Jenny Staple tells us about Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler because of his favoured method of execution. He is also known as ...

The journey begins….. – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 3 As ‘The journey begins…..’ we pull out of Amtrak’s Miami station. Our train is longer than usual because it includes carriages for the suspended Silver Meteor service. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: My first breaker’s yard: As we travel through the north Miami suburbs we pass a train full of scrap metal and then a breaker’s yard. The first breaker’s yard of the seri...

Season 2022 – Talk 11 – John Churchill – the First Duke of Marlborough In John Churchill – the First Duke of Marlborough David Simpson explains why many believe that he was Britain’s greatest general. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Childhood: He is the second, and surviving, son of the first Sir Winston Churchill. His father backs the Royalists in the Civil War and has to pay a large fine. The family has little money. Their mother in law takes th...

Miami – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 2 In Miami I stay at the DoubleTree Grand, Biscayne Bay, visit the Miami Beach Botanical Garden and travel to Amtrak’s Miami station to join the Silver Star. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Getting to the Miami Beach Botanical Garden: I have a good night’s sleep at the DoubleTree Grand, Biscayne Bay. After a relaxed breakfast in Primo’s Kitchen I book an Uber to take me to the Miami B...

Season 2022 – Talk 10 – The Hanseatic League In The Hanseatic League Richard Thomas tells us the amazing story of this operation which controlled much of the trade between northern European countries from the late 13th to the late 17th Century. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Introduction: The Northern Crusades lead to the Germans settling in and controlling the southern Baltic in the second half of the 12th Century. At this time the Holy Roman Em...