Episodes

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 26 – The Talented and Tormented T E Lawrence – part 1 The Talented and Tormented T E Lawrence – part 1 is the first of two talks by Adrian Martin about this fascinating person. Adrian tells us that this is not a ‘one sided Boys Own Paper tale of derring do’. He gives us analysis, balance and objectivity in his talk about the fascinating life of T E Lawrence. We hear about the enigmas and contradictions in his character because there is much more to him than the ‘Matine...

Farnham Repair Café update – episode 11 Farnham Repair Café update is a podcast made as part of the Surrey’s Greener Future initiative. Surrey County Council asked people to submit ideas to help combat the climate crisis in September 2019 . They selected ten ideas from the submissions and Environmental podcasts is one of them. The Repair Café Conference: I last met Martin Charter in early March 2020 at the Repair Café Conference just before the first Covid 19 lockdown in the UK. You can liste...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 25 – Islamic Spain’s History through Art and Architecture Islamic Spain’s History through Art and Architecture is a talk by Alan Freedland. He splits his talk into 5 sections. Alan uses many illustrations in the talk. Where copyright allows I use the original illustrations, however where the images are copyright I try to find substitutes. Where there are substitutes I have included those however, because I am unable find non copyright images in some cases, some are omi...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 24 – Profumo In the talk Profumo Adrian Martin gives us a cocktail of drugs, lust politics and power. To these ingredients he adds spies, lies, corruption, hypocrisy and revenge thus creating a heady mix for us to listen to. Photographs of the key players are subject to copyright and therefore cannot be included here. John Profumo: Profumo first enters Parliament in 1940 aged 25. In the 1945 General election he loses his Kettering seat and so in 1950 returns to Parlia...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 23 – Colours in History In the talk Colours in History Jo Watson explains many of the reasons why specific colours have their specific associations. The talk has many illustrations therefore you will find it interesting to view the picture gallery whilst listening to the talk. Pictures: Please click here to open the gallery. When the gallery opens please click on the first image. Purple: Jo tells us that the first recipe for purple dye goes back over 3,500 years. It...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 22 – Spanish Medieval History as illustrated by the Church of San Juan de los Reyes in Toledo In the talk Spanish Medieval History illustrated by the Church of San Juan de los Reyes in Toledo Peter Duffy takes us on a journey through the Iberian Peninsula between the fifth and fifteenth centuries. Pictures The talk has pictures and diagrams to illustrate Peter’s words. Please click here to open the gallery. When the gallery opens please click on the first image. Tole...

National Treasures – Thomas Cochrane In Thomas Cochrane Richard Thomas takes us on a journey across the world following the adventures of Thomas Cochrane. He was one of Nelson’s most successful Captains, he became an Admiral and a Lord. His exploits have inspired the writers of novels that many of us will have read. Listen to Richard tell the full story! Pictures and maps illustrate the talk. Please click on an icon below to open the gallery. A childhood in Culross, Fife Thomas is born in Dec...

Episode 31 – The Autumn Steam Gala 2019 Welcome to The Autumn Steam Gala 2019 where I see some locomotives in pristine condition and talk to people. This is being published in time for the Spring Steam Gala 2021. To view the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click here to open the gallery in another tab. When the gallery is open ‘hovering’ over a picture shows arrows to move forwards (or back), enlarge the picture (an ‘X’ in the top right hand corner) and close the gallery (an ‘X...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 21 – Poverty In Poverty Lorna Thomas takes us on a journey through the centuries from the middle ages to the early twentieth century. The talk is illustrated with pictures and diagrams which illustrate Lorna’s words. Please click on an icon below to open the gallery. In Feudal times…. We learn about the stratification of society in Feudal times. We find, above all the layers the Pope and Church, and then see the layers within a country’s society. There are five distin...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 20 – Are all inventions necessary In Are all inventions necessary Joanne Watson introduces us to a great number of inventions that, for some, make one wonder about the sanity of the inventors. For others, we must wonder about the users! To fully appreciate Joanne’s talk you should follow her presentation, accessed below. The images really do bring the talk to life! Please Click Here The gallery opens in a new tab. If you wish to enlarge an picture please click on the ...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 19 – The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles In The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles David Simpson tells us about the delegates and the decisions taken. This talk follows on from David’s talk on the end of the First World War which you can listen to here. Please Click Here The gallery opens in a new tab. If you wish to enlarge an picture please click on the at the top right hand corner of the image. The Big Four Clemenceau, Lloyd Ge...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 18 – The End of World War 1 In The End of World War 1 David Simpson introduces us to the key people and events of 1918. To view the pictures accompanying this talk: Please Click Here The gallery opens in a new tab. If you wish to enlarge an picture please click on the at the top right hand corner of the image. The Road to Peace The war continued until 11 a.m. because the Allied armies wanted to make sure that they were in a position of strength. They fear that the G...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 17 – The perplexing history of colour In The perplexing history of colour as prompted by Gladstone’s analysis of Homer, to give the talk its full title, Alan Freeland tells us about how colours have been described through the ages. To view the pictures accompanying this talk: Please Click Here The gallery opens in a new tab. If you wish to enlarge an image please click on the at the top right hand corner of the image. The use of colour words in English Alan starts w...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 16 – Britain post 1945 In Britain post 1945 Michael A’Bear tells us about the how Britain evolved in the period between 1945 and the late 1960s. The talk focuses on the changing political landscape and its results. To view the photographs accompanying this talk: Please Click Here The gallery opens in a new tab. If you wish to enlarge an image please click on the at the top right hand corner of the image. Beveridge and the Labour Landslide Britain post 1945 starts wi...

The Pacific Surfliner (2) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 26 To view the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on this link to open the gallery that accompanies The Pacific Surfliner (2): Note: to expand a picture please click on the at the top right corner of the image. Arriving at the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego: The Pacific Surfliner (2) opens as the train reaches San Diego downtown. The station is called the Santa Fe Depot. It was built in the Mission Style and the ma...

Episode 10 – Surrey’s Wildflowering Project Welcome to Surrey’s Wildflowering Project, a podcast made as part of the Surrey’s Greener Future initiative. Surrey County Council asked people to submit ideas to help combat the climate crisis in September 2019 . They selected ten ideas from the submissions. Surrey’s Widflowering project I last met Nigel Collin in January 2020 before the Covid pandemic really took off. Nigel is the driving force behind the Wildflowering Project. Surrey County Counc...

The Pacific Surfliner (1) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 25 Leaving Los Angeles Union Station: The Pacific Surfliner (1) opens as I board the train. My morning has been bit fraught as I didn’t realise that you needed ID in order to buy a railway ticket! I had to go back to my hotel, grab my passport and get back to the station to get my ticket and board the train. At least I make the train with 5 minutes to spare. It appears that quite a few people board this train instead of the northbo...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 15 – Remedies of Days Past In Remedies of Days Past Lorna Thomas tells us about the remedies and supplements that her mother used. This is a talk full of the traditional cures that many of us will remember! The talk starts with hand washing, something that came back into vogue in 2020. Virol Lorna continues by telling us of a rather delightful food supplement called Virol. According to the advertising this was a supplement that was essential for all children. Fortunat...

The Coast Starlight (4) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 24 Santa Barbara: The Coast Starlight (4) starts as we approach Santa Barbara. We are running beside the road and I see a sign that tells me that the next nine exits are for the city. Quite a few passengers leave the train at Santa Barbara. We leave the station 53 minutes late. The conductor (guard for UK listeners) is confident that we’ll make up the time. As we leave Santa Barbara we pass through an expensive part of town with hous...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 30 – Tales of Christmas Past In Tales of Christmas Past Lorna Thomas tells us how the Christmas that people celebrate today has come about. This is a talk full of the traditions of Christmas! What does Christmas mean to you? Lorna starts by asking what Christmas means to us, is it a tree with presents underneath it or does it mean the Nativity? She also explains why the 25th of December, in mid-winter, became the date of this Christian celebration. Lorna then discuss...

The Coast Starlight (3) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 23 Descending the Cuesta Grade: The Coast Starlight (3) starts as we pass through some of the tunnels at the summit of the Cuesta Grade. We descend at a rate of 2 feet for every 100 feet forwards. Because of the incline passenger trains are limited to 30 mph and freight trains 25 mph. There are horseshoe turns where I can see both ends of the train from my seat in the Observation car. The highway runs parallel with us for part of the ...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 14 – Guildford in 1914 In Guildford in 1914 Michael A’Bear takes us back to the events in the town at the start of World War One. He tells us that, until close to the outbreak, most people did not expect war. How we were entertained He introduces us to some of the people who were keeping us entertained. Charlie Chaplin who had joined the Keystone Studio and was developing his ‘tramp’ persona. George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion opened in London in April 1914 starring...

The Coast Starlight (2) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 22 South to San Jose: The Coast Starlight (2) starts with the conductor announcing that we’ll shortly arrive in San Jose. We’ve just gone through Santa Clara. As we approach San Jose we pass a Caltrain depot. Caltrain runs commuter services between San Francisco and San Jose. There is a $1.9 billion project to electrify 51 miles of track. As we progress I see the concrete stubs in the ground which will have the cable masts bolted to ...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 13 – The Alhambra In The Alhambra Nigel Marriott tells us about the near 800 year rule by the Moors in Spain. Invasion and conquest Tariq Ibn Ziyad invaded in 711, leading 10,000 men. They swept Roderic, the Visigoth king, aside, taking eight years to bring most of the Iberian peninsula under Islamic rule. The remaining Visigoths and Hispano Romans held out in the north because they offered stubborn and organised resistance. Moorish Forces Tariq Ibn Ziyad led an arm...