Podcasts about alnwick castle

As well as the Great Kitchen of Alnwick Castle being opened to visitors for the first time in 2025, the suite of larder rooms connected to it are also available to see. One of these was the Game Larder - a very important space in the Victorian period for the types of meat that were stored in there ready to be cooked. And one of the ways that game was procured was the traditional pursuit of falconry!With that in mind, who better to tell us about hunting with birds of prey at this time in history than Raphael Historic Falconry? We sat down with Emma and Mike - with an extra special guest appearance from Ella the goshawk, who you will hear at various points! - to learn about how falconry might have played a part in the processes of the castle Kitchens.You will hear about the restoration of falconry as a fashionable 19th century gentleman's pursuit, and how it pushed the medieval and Tudor traditions of falconry forward. You'll also discover the kinds of birds used, how the game they caught would then be gutted, plucked and hung (skip ahead a minute or two if you have a sensitive stomach) and how Queen Victoria and the Duke of Wellington pioneered the use of birds of prey as pest control!You can see Raphael Historic Falconry in action at Alnwick Castle this summer, where they'll be performing - hopefully with Ella the goshawk accompanying them! - on select dates in July and August. Please check our website for full details.And for more from Emma, head all the way back to episode 4 of this podcast for an introduction to falconry and Alnwick Castle's links to this fascinating tradition.

Elizabeth Percy, 1st Duchess of Northumberland, who lived at Alnwick Castle in the middle decades of the 18th century, was a collector, courtier and artistic patron. But did you know she was also a regular theatregoer?Her many diaries include various mentions of plays she saw, some of which were by William Shakespeare, and her collections include miniature portraits of famous actors and actresses. But what was Shakespeare and the theatre like for Georgian audiences? How did it change during the 1st Duchess' lifetime? And why is the 18th century important in the history of Shakespeare?To find out more, we spoke to our regular Shakespearean expert, Ronan Paterson, and another special guest. Professor Ryuta Minami, of the Tokyo Keizai University of Economics, is an expert in theatre of the 17th and 18th centuries, and joined us for a fascinating conversation.Among other things, you will hear how theatre and acting changed during this time, and how Shakespeare was changed for Georgian tastes; stories of the great actors of the 18th century, especially David Garrick, who had a few connections to the 1st Duchess; and Northumberland's own theatre history and traditions.Speaking of this, we have a Shakespeare troupe visiting us this summer! The Three Inch Fools bring their production of A Midsummer Night's Dream to Alnwick Castle on 22 July. Find tickets on our website, by searching Three Inch Fools At Alnwick Castle, or by visiting https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-midsummer-nights-dream-presented-by-the-three-inch-fools-tickets-1289546200399 . It's one of our favourite plays (even if Samuel Pepys wouldn't agree!)And for more Shakespeare on the Alnwick Castle Podcast, find our previous annual episodes in our feed - episode 8 for the castle's Shakespeare connections, episode 33 for Henry IV Part I, and episode 58 for Shakespeare's Wars of the Roses.

In the last episode of the podcast, you will have heard the history of the Alnwick Castle Kitchens, created by architect Anthony Salvin in the late 1850s for the 4th Duke of Northumberland. In this follow-up episode, you will find out about what has been happening in the past year to open these amazing spaces to the public for the first time ever.The Great Kitchen and its larder rooms will be open for visitors from our 2025 season onwards - and a lot of work has been taking place to make this happen.We are joined by two of the key people involved in 'Project 'Shurlock': Rediscovering the Life of the Great Kitchen at Alnwick Castle' - project head Catherine Neil and one of our favourite recurring guests on the podcast, archivist Chris Hunwick.Catherine and Chris sat together to discuss the first phase of the project and the discoveries made so far. They look over some of the original photographs that inspired the project, explain the project title, and much more. We hope you enjoy this glimpse behind the scenes before your next visit to the castle - where you will see the results of Phase 1!For the episode focusing on the history of the Kitchens, look for episode 77 in our podcast archive. Enjoy!

Question: which part of Alnwick Castle was once considered the finest of its kind in the world?Answer: it was the Victorian Kitchens, which were created in the 1850s to be an architectural, culinary and technological marvel!In this episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast, we explore some of the history of the castle kitchens - from the original medieval kitchen area to the developments of the Victorian period. You will hear reports from newspapers of the time, find out about the underground tunnels that delivered food, and hear about a few of the people who worked in these spaces.The Kitchen spaces have changed over time. In the 20th century, a school, a training college and St Cloud State University have all used the Great Kitchen and the larder rooms nearby. Last year, a long-term project began to rediscover the history of this area within Alnwick Castle - look out for next month's episode to hear more about that!This episode was recorded in various castle locations, so you may hear the sound levels change slightly as it is playing.Bon appetit!

The Alnwick Castle Podcast returns for 2025! Before we get into the description of this episode, a quick programming note. New episodes of the podcast will now arrive on the last Wednesday of each month, or every four weeks. Please make sure to stay subscribed so you do not miss any.On this episode, we travel to Rome during the Italian Renaissance to explore one of the most impressive parts of the Alnwick Castle art collection. The Visitation by Sebastiano del Piombo catches the eye of every visitor who walks through the Ante Library in the State Rooms. But who was Sebastiano? What was the argument he had with Michelangelo? Why are these fragments of an unfinished artwork important? And how did they end up in Alnwick?To answer all these questions and many more, we spoke to an expert - Dr Piers Baker-Bates of the Open University, who has a book soon to be published about Sebastiano, one of the most pioneering painters in 16th century Italy. We hope you enjoy learning more about Renaissance art, Sebastiano, and The Visitation. To see the images Piers describes in our conversation, please check our social media feeds - pictures of The Visitation will accompany the posts about this podcast.We'll see you at the end of February for the next episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast!

In our final episode of 2024, the Alnwick Castle Podcast presents a timeline of the entire history of the castle ... or, at least, the most significant moments in the history of the castle.Join our hosts Daniel and Deborah as they run through the story of Alnwick Castle in chronological order, from the arrival of the Percy family in England in 1067 to the use of the castle as a filming location in the first Harry Potter movie in 2000.We hope the timeline is a useful and entertaining help for getting the history of Alnwick Castle in order, and for showing its connections to so many famous figures and moments in wider history.Several of the subjects mentioned have their own dedicated podcast further back in our feed. Just look for:Wars of the RosesThomas Percy and the Gunpowder PlotThe Dunbar PrisonersThe 1st Duke and Duchess of NorthumberlandPercy Tenantry VolunteersSt Cloud State Universityto find out more.We will return with more podcasts in 2025 - if there is any subject you would like to hear us talk more about, just get in touch and let us know. We will see you then!

You may have visited Alnwick Castle this year, or last year, or before that, but did you know there is a beautiful park just west of the castle with a history almost as long?In this episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast, join hosts Daniel and Deborah for a brief history of Hulne Park - from the two groups of monks that lived there in the medieval period, to its restoration in the Georgian period, to the modern day.You will hear about the transport of cattle from Northumberland to London in the 15th century; the decision made in the Victorian period to open the park to the public; and how Hulne Park connects Alnwick Castle to Russian empress Catherine the Great!This episode is just a quick taster of the history of Alnwick parkland. For more, we recommend the book 'A History of Alnwick Parks and Pleasure Grounds', by the castle's former archivist Colin Shrimpton. And of course, for many days of the year Hulne Park is still available for visitors to enjoy. Please go to northumberlandestates.co.uk to find out more.For more brief histories from the Alnwick Castle podcast, head into our feed and go all the way back to episodes 1 and 2 - or more something more specific, look for episode 54, focusing on the Wars of the Roses, or episodes 30 and 31 exploring the lives of notable Percy women. Enjoy1

During summer time at Alnwick Castle, we love to invite historical musicians to play music of the past for our visitors in the castle grounds. New to Alnwick this year were the duo Pearl in the Egg (a.k.a Karen and Liz), who play melodies from the 11th century Saxon period to the 16th century Elizabethan.We joined them at the end of their final day of performances at the Castle to find out more about them, their instruments, and the kind of music you might hear at a castle like Alnwick - or a nearby tavern. The first part of the episode took place outside in the grounds, so you may hear various background noises. For this part of the podcast, we had an audience of castle visitors, including the Kaye family, who had some questions of their own to ask! You will hear some short excerpts of medieval music too.The second part of the episode happened inside, and also features excerpts of music, including an extended piece with vocals at the conclusion of our conversation.For more musical episodes of the Alnwick Castle Podcast, look in our feed for podcasts about medieval music with Trouvere, Tudor music, and the Northumbrian pipes. And head to pearlintheegg.co.uk for more about this great musician duo!

fWotD Episode 2741: Thomas Percy (Gunpowder Plot) Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Tuesday, 5 November 2024 is Thomas Percy (Gunpowder Plot).Thomas Percy (c. 1560 – 8 November 1605) was a member of the group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He was a tall, physically impressive man; little is known of his early life beyond his matriculation in 1579 at the University of Cambridge, and his marriage in 1591 to Martha Wright. In 1596 his second cousin once removed, Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland, appointed him constable of Alnwick Castle and made him responsible for the Percy family's northern estates. He served the earl in the Low Countries in about 1600–1601, and in the years before 1603 was his intermediary in a series of confidential communications with King James VI of Scotland.Following James's accession to the English throne in 1603, Percy became disenchanted with the new king, who he supposed had reneged on his promises of toleration for English Catholics. His meeting in June 1603 with Robert Catesby, a religious zealot similarly unimpressed with the new royal Stuart dynasty, led the following year to his joining Catesby's conspiracy to kill the king and his ministers by blowing up the House of Lords with gunpowder. Percy helped fund the group and secured the leases to certain properties in London, one of which was the undercroft directly beneath the House of Lords, in which the gunpowder was finally placed. The conspirators also planned to instigate an uprising in the Midlands and to simultaneously kidnap James's daughter, Elizabeth. Percy was to remain in London and secure the capture of her brother, Henry.When the plot was exposed early on 5 November 1605, Percy immediately fled to the Midlands, catching up with some of the other conspirators en route to Dunchurch in Warwickshire. Their flight ended on the border of Staffordshire, at Holbeche House, where they were besieged early on 8 November by the pursuing sheriff of Worcester and his men. Percy was reportedly killed by the same musketball as Catesby, and was buried nearby. His body was later exhumed, and his head exhibited outside Parliament. His membership in the plot proved extremely damaging to his patron, the Earl of Northumberland, who although uninvolved was imprisoned in the Tower of London until 1621.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 12:21 UTC on Friday, 8 November 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Thomas Percy (Gunpowder Plot) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Emma.

Alnwick Castle, for hundreds of years, was a border fortress, part of the defensive line protecting England from Scottish attacks. But throughout the medieval period and into the Tudor and Elizabethan periods, families on both sides of the border were known as reivers - thieves, raiders and criminals who took every opportunity to attack their rivals.We spoke to our resident master longbowman, Andy Rice, who also happens to be a bit of an expert on the reivers! Andy tells us who they were, when reiving was at its peak and when it died out, and the Percy family's role as wardens on the border, based at Alnwick Castle, trying to restore order where they could.You will also find out about the great rival to the Percys in Elizabethan times, Sir John Forster; what led the Archbishop of Glasgow to write "the great cursing" against the reivers, and their connection to Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon!We recorded this episode in Artisans Courtyard, on quite a windy day, so you may hear various microphone popping sounds background noises at certain times. (We have tried to remove these wherever we could.)We hope you enjoy this look into reivers (especially if you've only heard the word before on sci-fi shows like 'Firefly'!) and also hope you can leave us a rating or review if you did!

主播：Flora（中国）+ Erin（美国） 歌曲：Double Trouble我们今天来聊聊最近在全球重映的魔法题材系列电影——Harry Potter。It has captured the hearts of millions worldwide (俘获了全世界数百万人的心). Even now, with the re-release (重映) of the films, fans—both old and new—are flocking to (涌向) cinemas to relive the magic (重温). 前几天Flora订票的时候发现Harry Potter的放映厅位置爆满。You really had to scramble to get the best seats (抢最佳观影位置) for the movie!It's the same thing in the U.S. Erin knows a lot of people would seat in theaters for hours on end, watch like an entire marathon of the movies (很多人会在影院里一坐就是几个小时，就像看一整部马拉松式的电影一样). So Today, we're breaking down the top reasons (首要原因) why Harry Potter remains so beloved.01. The relatability of its characters 角色的亲和力They're real, flawed (有缺点的), and far from perfect. 让人觉得没有距离感。In fact, there are actually a lot of movies and TV shows that simplify (简化) the characters and their emotions.We see them deal with everyday problems, especially as teens and young adults. They aren't portrayed (被描绘) as overly mature (过度成熟)—they are as messy and unsure as we were at their age.And it perfectly reflects the everyday challenges that we face as teenagers. From Harry's insecurities (不安全感) to Hermione's perfectionism (完美主义) and Ron's feelings of inadequacy (不自信), these are issues we've all faced.相信这些是大家经历过的事情，所以我们很容易resonate with them（与他们产生共鸣）。That authenticity (真实性) makes us connect with them on a personal level.02. A magical world intertwined with reality 与现实交织的魔法世界Another reason the series feels so magical is how the wizarding world (魔法世界) is intertwined (交织) with our own. It's not some completely distant, far-off place. Instead, the magical world runs parallel to our reality (与现实平行).This makes a lot of kids believe in Hogwarts (霍格沃茨) even more. 所以很多孩子到了11岁的时候会期待收到来自Hogwarts的录取通知。It seems like magic could actually be hidden around the corner. You can almost imagine bumping into (撞见) a wizard in Diagon Alley (对角巷) or stumbling onto (偶然发现) Platform 9¾ (9¾站台) at King's Cross (国王十字). That connection makes it feel closer and more real.03. Distinctive school divisions 独特的学院划分In fact, Hogwarts itself is another huge draw (巨大的吸引力). 他们没有按照教授的内容去划分学院，而是按照学生的traits and characteristics（特征和特性）。It is unlike traditional magical schools at all.Gryffindors (格兰芬多) are known for their bravery, Ravenclaws (拉文克劳) for their intelligence, Hufflepuffs (赫奇帕奇) for their loyalty, and Slytherins (斯莱特林) for their ambition. It's not just about learning magic—it's about belonging to a group that reflects who you are.找到一个属于你的群体会帮你建立a sense of belonging（一种归属感）。Wherever in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin, you will all find a place where you belong.Fans love imagining which house they'd be sorted into (被分到哪个学院). It's more than (不仅仅是) just a school; it's a home where your values and traits are recognized and celebrated (这是一个让你的价值观和特质得到认可和庆祝的家). Anywhere on the internet that mentions Harry Potter, you see people discussing what house they are.Flora did a Personality Test-Which Hogwarts House Are You in (你在哪个霍格沃茨的学院里)?Basically, you need to do some multiple choice questions (多选题) where you'll get points for each option, and at the end you'll need to add up the points. 一个分数区间会对应一个霍格沃茨学院。大家如果对这个测试感兴趣也可以去搜一下：Which Hogwarts House Are You in? If you're interested in MBTI 16 personality, you must be very much the same with this one.04. The stunning visuals 令人惊叹不已的视觉效果Like Gloucester Cathedral (格洛斯特大教堂——位于英格兰南部的格洛斯特郡) and Alnwick Castle(阿尼克城堡——位于英格兰东北部的诺森伯兰郡), it makes them even more special.These places are not just CGI (computer-generated imagery)—they have history, depth, and character. This makes them more relatable and appealing. 05. Memorable quotes 令人难忘的名言It's like magic brought to life (魔法被赋予了生命). Harry Potter最powerful（强大）也是最伟大的地方就在于它教会我们的life lessons（人生教训），it's about love, friendship, and loyalty（爱、友谊和忠诚）。These values that transcend gender, race, and age.和我们大多数人一样，他们一开始只是nobodies（无名小卒）。Over the course of the series (在这个系列中), they grow, face incredible challenges, and mature in ways we can all admire. 也许这才是我们普通人崇拜的英雄。It's a story of resilience (坚韧) and growth. No matter who you are or where you start, you can become something greater through courage, friendship, and perseverance. They're all precious treasures in life.Finally, the series is packed with memorable quotes(充满了令人难忘的名言) that stick with (继续跟着) you long after you've closed the book or left the theater.Like Dumbledore (邓布利多)'s wisdom: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live (人不要依赖梦想而忘记生活).”Or “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light (即便在最黑暗的时候，也可以找到幸福，只要你记得开灯).”“We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are (每个人内心都有光明与阴暗的一面，重要的是我们如何选择，那才是真正的我们).”These lines aren't just magical—they're reminders of how we can approach life (对待生活). 它们讲述了the struggles we all face and the choices we make。That's why we love Harry Potter so much. It's the characters we relate to, the magical world that feels so close, the life lessons that guide us, and the quotes that stay with us forever.Whether you're watching the re-release in theaters or picking up the books for the hundredth time, Harry Potter's magic never fades (哈利·波特的魔法永不褪色). 他会一直提醒我们：friendship, bravery, and staying true to ourselves（友谊、勇气和忠于自己），这三样东西是何其宝贵。06. Online reviews of the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie接下来是来自Rotten Tomatoes“烂番茄网站”的一些影评。（1）《哈利·波特》系列电影是少有的违背 “原著总是更好 ”这一观点的系列电影。（2）看到孩子们自己动手、智胜同龄人和成年人、战胜强敌，总是令人激动不已。（3）......第一部电影还算不错（decent-enough），很好地建立了罗琳笔下令人印象深刻的细腻世界和人物形象。If you love Harry Potter as much as we do, share your favorite reason with us. Thanks for joining us today. Until next time, keep the magic alive (让魔法永存)!请在评论区告诉我们：你觉得《哈利·波特》系列电影怎么样？

If you are a subscriber to the Alnwick Castle Podcast (thank you!) or you follow us on social media, you will be aware of the Library Project that has been taking place throughout 2024, restoring and reimagining this vital part of the State Rooms.As part of our podcast mini-series following the progress of the project, we were joined for a third and final time by Project Conservator Ellin Belton and Household Controller Andrew Jarman as work in the Library reached its final stages. They reflect on the developments since we last spoke in the summer, and on the project as a whole, as well as pay tribute to the members of the project team who have devoted time and effort to the Library since February this year.We hope you enjoy hearing from Ellin and Andrew again, but if you missed their other podcast appearances, head to episodes 59 and 62 in our podcast feed to catch up on the Alnwick Castle Library Project so far.If you enjoyed the episode, we would be grateful for any five-star ratings and reviews you can leave us on your podcast platform - and we hope to welcome you to the beautiful, newly-restored Library in 2025!

What can 500-year-old tiles tell us about the rise and fall of a noble family in the Tudor period? Quite a lot, as it turns out! Join us for this historical detective story, as we look into the mystery of why the survival of Percy family tiles is such a rare occurrence, and what the building of a Victorian chocolate factory has to do with their rediscovery...To explain this intriguing history, we are joined (for her fourth appearance on the podcast) by Karen Slade from the Company of Artisans, an expert on medieval tiles who has spent years researching and recreating the Percy tiles from the fragments that remain. It is always fascinating listening to Karen and we hope you think so too!The book Karen refers to during the episode is 'Medieval Floor Tiles of Northern England' by Jenny Stopford, published by Oxbow books.For more from Karen, head into our podcast archive for episode 47 about illuminated manuscripts and the scriptorium, or episode 15 for an introduction to the subject of tiles.And, of course, don't forget to make a tile of your own on your next visit to Artisans Courtyard at Alnwick Castle!

Did you know there was a Duke of Northumberland two centuries before the Percy family of Alnwick Castle were given the title? And that the person who held the dukedom also spent time here at Alnwick? He was John Dudley, part of one of the most important families of the Tudor period and one of the people who features in The House of Dudley, a fascinating book by Dr Joanne Paul that explores this family and their history.We were very lucky to get to speak to Dr Paul about John Dudley and his connections to Alnwick Castle and Northumberland, as well as many other things, from the first rise of the Dudleys around the time of the Wars of the Roses to their connection with Syon House - now another Percy family property.You will also hear about the relationship between Robert Dudley and Queen Elizabeth I, the 7th Earl of Northumberland and his dislike of Robert, and the story of how a single "and" changed the life of Lady Jane Grey (who was a Dudley through marriage) and the course of English history.The House of Dudley is available now from all good bookshops - highly recommended for anybody interested in the Tudors!You can follow Joanne Paul on Instagram or Threads, or visit her website at joannepaul.com .

A funny yet accurate observation about Alnwick Castle's famous Poison Garden inspires a question about human nature. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin's newest book Life in Five Senses to see how she discovered a surprising path to a life of more energy, creativity, luck, and love: by tuning in to the five senses. Now available - order here. Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Burnings is the debut novel from author Naomi Kelsey, and tells the story of some of the women accused of witchcraft during a period of intense persecution in 16th century Scotland. We were lucky enough to be joined at the castle by Naomi, who told us all about the history behind the book from early modern medicine to Stuart court intrigue, her process of researching characters and other historical details, and much more. The Wizard Earl of Northumberland, one of our favourites here on the podcast, was lord of Alnwick Castle while the North Berwick witch trials were ongoing, and he is discussed in this episode as an apparent magic user who seemed to be immune from suspicion.We also talk about literary and historical inspirations with Naomi, from Tracy Borman to Terry Pratchett!You can find The Burnings in hardback or paperback now from all good bookshops and you can follow Naomi on Twitter and Instagram.If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to follow us too! You can find Alnwick Castle on all major social media platforms - why not leave a post to tell us you're a fan of the podcast - we'd love to read it!

What do Alnwick Castle, Chatsworth House, Blenheim Palace, Castle Howard, Muncaster Castle and over 1400 other places across the UK have in common? They are all part of Historic Houses, an organisation that for over 50 years has been a voice for independent heritage.To find out more, we spoke to Historic Houses' Policy & Education Manager, Sarah Roller. Sarah explains the history of the organisation, what they do, and what makes all these great places so special - whether they are well-known or a hidden gem. She also tells us about her own fascinating role and background in history, and there are quite a few mentions of the importance of a good historic house slice of cake!If you would like to become a Historic Houses member and get, among other things, free entry to hundreds of houses, castles, and gardens - including Alnwick Castle! - visit historichouses.org .And if you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating or review, share with your friends (perhaps over cake), and subscribe so you don't miss any future podcasts!

It was ten years ago this summer that global hit drama Downton Abbey first filmed at Alnwick Castle, for their 2014 Christmas special. The show returned to the Castle the following summer for what would be their final episode before transferring to the big screen (and Alnwick makes a small cameo in the first Downton movie as well).To mark the anniversary of Downton Abbey at Alnwick - or Brancaster - Castle, we gathered two of our team members, Film Tour Guide Brad and Downton fan Jody, to talk all things Downton. You will hear a freewheeling conversation with memories and stories from the episodes that were filmed at Alnwick - co-host Daniel was at the Castle at the time! - discussion of favourite characters and moments and what makes Downton so special - co-host Deborah is an expert! - and even some speculation about the upcoming third movie, which sadly does not feature the Castle but that we are very excited about all the same.Do you remember watching the Alnwick Castle episodes of Downton? Were you visiting the Castle during the filming ten years ago? We would love to hear from you! Get in touch by emailing podcast@alnwickcastle.com .To hear more Brad on the Alnwick Castle podcast, check out episode 42, about the most recent film made at the Castle, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves. And for more Jody, head to episode 24, all about working at Alnwick Castle!

On Friday 11th October, Alnwick Castle welcomes historian and broadcaster Nicola Tallis to speak about her new book. Young Elizabeth is the story of the early years of Queen Elizabeth I, and is a fascinating, comprehensive biography of this part of Elizabeth's life - from the execution of her mother Anne Boleyn to her becoming the last Tudor monarch.We were lucky enough to be joined on the podcast by Nicola Tallis to tell us about the process of writing the book, her thoughts on the relationship (or not) between Anne Boleyn and Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, Elizabeth's complicated relationship with her final stepmother Katheryn Parr, and much more.You can hear Nicola speak in person about Young Elizabeth at Alnwick Castle this autumn. Please go to alnwickcastle.com or visit our page on Eventbrite to get your tickets now!Young Elizabeth is available in hardback now in all good bookshops. Or, you can pick up a copy when you attend our evening with Nicola Tallis!For more, follow Nicola on Twitter at @nicolatallis or on Instagram @historiannicola. We'd also be very happy if you followed us @alnwickcastle and @alnwickcastleofficial - and of course, if you subscribed to the podcast!

Hello and welcome back dear listeners! On today's episode, I am excited to start back up with a design that manages to tick-off all the boxes of a good story. It's got murder, revenge, designs, dungeons, poisonous plants, and more. In this episode on Alnwick Castle and Gardens, in Northumberland, United Kingdom. We are going to deep dive into this site and history, talking about the castle itself as well as the Gardens. Covering topics such as the poison garden, how the family connects to the gunpowder plot, and more. Information about the castle and gardens can be found at:        https://www.alnwickcastle.com/ https://www.alnwickgarden.com/ The blog is located at architecturecoffeeandink.com which also has the complete link of all my sources, previous episodes, and old blog posts. You can email me at architecturecoffeeandink@gmail.com, or head over to the Insta, @architecturecoffeeandink,as well as the TikTok, @architecturecoffeeandink. Architecture, Coffee, & Ink is a Hollywood C. Studios, LLC Production. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/architecturecoffeeandink/support

We return to the Wars of the Roses for the latest episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast, for an exclusive audio tour of the new exhibition inspired by Lions of the Red Rose, the story of the Percy family and their involvement in the Wars.We were lucky enough to be shown around every part of the exhibition by Alnwick Castle Archivist Chris Hunwick, who explains the stories behind the documents on display - who they belonged to, what they mean, and how they have survived to the present day. You will hear about seals, coins, 15th century fingerprints ... and a rat named Cedric.This episode gives you a level of access to Lions of the Red Rose you won't get anywhere else. We are very grateful to Chris for his time and his incredible knowledge, and hope you enjoy it to - whether you have visited the exhibition already or not!If you plan to visit, the exhibition is found within the State Rooms of Alnwick Castle. Lions of the Red Rose, the new book by the 12th Duke of Northumberland, is available from the Castle gift shops.If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Chris, head back into our podcast archive for episode 12, about the Alnwick Castle Model, or episode 37, about the Crowns and Coronets exhibition created in 2023.

When master medieval archer Andy Rice was last on the Alnwick Castle podcast, we were introduced to some of the principles and the importance of archery in the Middle Ages. For our latest episode, Andy returned for a live interview in Artisans Courtyard - with a live audience listening in!You will hear Andy explain how the bow and its arrows were made. Continuing our 2024 theme of the Wars of the Roses, he describes how archery made a difference (or didn't) in battles like Towton in 1461. And then we get a little bit gory with the story of the arrows during the Battle of Shrewsbury - one that was fatal for Alnwick Castle's own Harry Hotspur, and one that Prince Hal, the future Henry V, survived.C/W: This last section of the episode (16:42-28:08) contains references to medieval surgery and may not be for the queasy or faint-hearted!This was a live episode recording in Artisans Courtyard, so you will also hear various background noises as Andy speaks.See Andy demonstrate the medieval longbow in person at Alnwick Castle this July and August. Check our website for all the dates and details.Finally, if you missed Andy's first podcast about archery, head into our podcast archive where you will find it and every other episode of the Alnwick Castle podcast!

We last told you all about the Alnwick Castle Library project in April this year, on episode 59 of the podcast. On that episode, we spoke to Project Conservator Ellin Belton and Household Controller Andrew Jarman and found out the plans for restoring this amazing state room within Alnwick Castle.The project has continued its progress since then, so we went back to the Library to find out the latest updates. This time, Deborah was joined by Ellin and Andrew, as well as Buildings manager for Alnwick Castle, Robin Smeaton - making his long-awaited debut on the podcast. Together, these key members of the project team tell us all about the work cleaning the Library ceiling, the discoveries made during that process, and how amazing it will look when it is revealed to people once again. We also hear news and details on the Library's silk wall hangings, its 200-year-old chandelier and the challenges of following plumbing instructions in 1899's  'The Book of the Bells and the Book of the Flues'!We recorded this episode just below the incredible Library ceiling, at the top of the scaffolding in place within the room - so you may hear background noise that reflects this.If you enjoyed the episode - please let us know! We will visit the Library again before the end of the project and if there is anything you want to know, we would love to ask your questions to the team. Thank you!

Cecily, the debut novel from Annie Garthwaite, told the story of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, through to the triumph of her son Edward in the Battle of Towton in 1461. In her new book, 'The King's Mother', Annie follows Cecily in her new role as King's Mother to Edward - a position virtually unique in English history. But she is not the only woman vying for that position...The book is a brilliant read, and we are very lucky that Annie Garthwaite will be joining us in person at Alnwick Castle to speak about it on Tuesday 9th July.Before that, our host Deborah spoke to Annie about the book, how she approached the history of the Wars of the Roses, and her depictions of Cecily, Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort. You will also get an exclusive sneak preview as Annie reads a short excerpt from 'The King's Mother'.The book will be available from all good bookshops from Thursday 11th July. If you want to get hold of a copy two days before publication, tickets for our evening with Annie Garthwaite are available now - check alnwickcastle.com or visit our EventBrite page for all the details!

In our silliest, most anarchic episode yet, the Alnwick Castle Podcast has crossed over with the Silly History Boys Show! This band of hilarious historical performers will be joining us at Alnwick Castle this May half term holiday (and again later in the summer) for a series of brilliant interactive shows... so our hosts Daniel and Deborah met Tombo, Billbo and Uncle Bob-Bob (a.k.a Tom, Will and Rob) to find out just how silly history can be.In the interview - which you'll join in media res, another first for us! - you will find out how the Silly History Boys work, learn new words like "funducation" and "mythtory", and get a preview of just how the group will recreate the entire Wars of the Roses in half an hour when they appear at Alnwick Castle.The Silly History Boys Show is available on all major podcast platforms - we recommend giving it a listen. We also suggest you see them in person this half term, and this summer, at Alnwick - check our website for all the dates.And if you found this episode funducational, please share it and recommend it to your friends!

Das BRITPOD-Team entführt uns in dieser Episode an einen äußerst geheimnisvollen Ort, der zu den gefährlichsten Plätzen Englands gehört: am nördlichsten Punkt Englands, an der Grenze zu Schottland, liegt die Grafschaft Northumberland. Hier, im mächtigen Gebäude des Alnwick Castle, befindet sich der Stammsitz der Familie Percy, deren Oberhaupt den Titel "Duke of Northumberland" trägt. Die imposante Anlage ist fast 1.000 Jahre alt und war Filmkulisse für unzählige Filme und Serie, u.a. Robin Hood, Maria Stuart, Downton Abbey, Transformers und die komplette Harry Potter Reihe: Alnwick Castle dient in den Filmen als original Kulisse des Zauberschlosses Hogwarts! Gefährlich wird es im Garten der Schlossanlage: Ein schweres, schwarzes Eisentor mit der Warnung „These Plants Can Kill“ warnt Besucher am Eingang zum Poison Garden. Über 100 giftige Pflanzenarten hat die Gräfin gesammelt - viele von ihnen potenziell tödlich: Engelstrompete, Stechpalme, Kirschlorbeer, Eisenhut, Tollkirsche, Schierling - der Gift-Garten darf nur mit einem professionellen Guide besucht werden. Sie warnen: "Nichts anfassen, nicht an den Blüten schnuppern, keine Blätter aufsammeln". Außerdem in dieser Episode: "Das Lamm, das zu viel wusste“ - BRIPOD-Macher Claus Beling stellt seinen neuen Krimi vor (Rowohlt Polaris Verlag), in dem ebenfalls eine Giftpflanze eine Hauptrolle spielt: Blauer Eisenhut. Hier im Podcast gibt Claus einen exklusiven Einblick in seine Arbeit und erzählt sehr detailliert, wie die Geschichte zu seinem neuen Roman entstanden ist. Unter seinem Pseudonym Thomas Chatwin veröffentlicht der erfolgreiche Buchautor seit vielen Jahren Krimis, die vornehmlich in der englischen Grafschaft Cornwall spielen. -- Sneak Peak zu "Das Lamm, das zu viel wusste“: Familie Doyle plant eines ihrer legendären Sommerfeste am Strand. Enkelin Kate freut sich besonders darauf, ihre alte Freundin April wiederzusehen. Doch dazu kommt es nicht mehr: In einem einsam gelegenen Strandhaus stoßen die Doyles auf zwei Tote, eine davon ist ausgerechnet April. Warum wollte sie Kate so dringend treffen? Welches Geheimnis nahm sie mit in den Tod? Zeitgleich kommt Aprils Großvater in einem Altersheim ums Leben – angeblich ein tragischer Unfall. Die Doyles wären nicht die Doyles, wenn sie an Zufall glauben würden. Grandma Emily trommelt den Familienrat zusammen. Es wäre doch gelacht, wenn die Doyles nicht auch dieses Rätsel lösen könnten. Wie gewohnt mit vereinten Kräften und viel britischem Humor! -- BUCH GEWINNEN per WHATSAPP: Sichere Dir eines von 5 signierten Büchern und gehöre zu den ersten, die Thomas Chatwins neuen Roman lesen können! +49 8152 989770 - einfach diese Nummer einspeichern und eine WhatsApp mit Name und Adresse schicken - und schon bist Du bei der Verlosung dabei! -- Ein ALL EARS ON YOU Original Podcast.

2024 sees the undertaking of a huge project within the Library of Alnwick Castle. Created to house the collection of 14,000 books in the 19th century, in recent years the Library has been a main living space for the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland and their family - as well as a favourite room for many of our visitors (and staff). This year, it is being transformed, and conserved from top to bottom, in preparation for the family returning to live in the castle over the winter months.To find out more about the project, Deborah spoke to Ellin Belton, the Project Conservator, and Andrew Jarman, Household Controller for the Duke and Duchess. They explain the thinking behind the project, the work that goes into the smallest of details, and the amount of scaffolding required to reach the beautiful carved ceiling of the Library - as well as much more.We hope to return to the Library later this year for an update on the project, but if you would like to find out more, visitors to Alnwick Castle can still visit the room during our open season, where you might see Ellin and her team at work!If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by leaving us a five-star rating and review wherever you get your podcasts.

Since his last appearance on the Alnwick Castle Podcast a year ago, one of our favourite regular guests Bill Openshaw has released his first book! To The Call Of Bugles explores the full history of the Percy Tenantry Volunteers, the army based at the Castle and around the north east over 200 years ago to defend it from invasion by Napoleon.Bill joined our hosts Deborah and Daniel once again on this episode, alongside fellow PTV enthusiast Nick Lewis, to tell us some of his favourite stories from the book, new discoveries he has made, and to give us a preview of what visitors to Alnwick Castle might expect to see this year - regular appearances, demonstrations and performances by Percy Tenantry Volunteers reenactors, including Bill himself!Check our website alnwickcastle.com for full dates of all our PTV days in 2024.If you want more about the Percy Tenantry, we highly recommend picking up a copy of To The Call Of Bugles, available now from online retailers and the Alnwick Castle gift shops. Bring it on your visit and Bill might just sign it!You can also go back into our podcast archive and find episode 9, 'The Percy Tenantry Volunteers', or episode 32, 'The 2nd Duke of Northumberland' to learn more.

Throughout the medieval period (and beyond), the jester was an important - and often hilarous - figure in the royal courts of England, and the art of being a fool has not been forgotten! In this episode of the podcast, our hosts Deborah and Daniel speak to Tom Fool, one of the finest silly people working today, to find out how he got into his stilt-walking, fire-breathing, fruit-throwing profession. You will hear about the history of the fool, from Henry II to Henry VIII, and what to expect if you visit Alnwick Castle this Easter and see Tom Fool perform his brilliant shows.For full details on when Tom is appearing at Alnwick Castle, please visit our website. You can also hear him on the Silly History Boys podcast, available from all good providers.If you found this podcast side-splitting, please let us know by leaving a five-star review or rating wherever you get your podcasts!

Lions of the Red Rose is a brand new book exploring the history of the Wars of the Roses by focusing on members of the Percy family - the 2nd Earl of Northumberland, his four warrior sons, and their surviving heir, battling through some of the most brutal and violent decades of British history.The book, which also includes beautifully produced illustrations and maps by Peter Phillips, as well as images of incredible surviving documents from the Alnwick Castle archive, was written by His Grace the 12th Duke of Northumberland.  The Alnwick Castle Podcast was able to speak with him about the process behind writing the book, his thoughts on his warring Percy family ancestors, from whom he can trace direct descent, and the most interesting discoveries he made in researching Lions of the Red Rose.The book will be available from this year from the Alnwick Castle gift shops, and is accompanied by a new exhibition, also called Lions of the Red Rose.The previous book by the Duke of Northumberland, Lions of the North, is also available to buy now.For more on the Percys and the Wars of the Roses, please check out our previous episode, which offers a brief introduction to the subject. Look out for future podcasts covering the new exhibition and more as we spend 2024 sharing the story of the Lions of the Red Rose.

In 2024, the Alnwick Castle Podcast will feature a series of episodes focusing on the Wars of the Roses, the violent, decades-long struggle for the English crown in the 15th century, in which the Percy family and Alnwick Castle played a part. These podcasts will be part of a variety of events and visitor activities based on the Wars of the Roses, tying in with the release of Lions Of The Red Rose, a new book on the subject by the 12th Duke of Northumberland.To get the series started, our hosts Daniel and Deborah take you on a brief journey through the Wars of the Roses, summarising the Percy family involvement from start to finish. In future podcasts, you will hear from our archivist about the upcoming Lions of the Red Rose exhibition, from authors and other experts, and much more. Visit Alnwick Castle this year and you will get to experience the story and this part of British history in person!

On Saturday 25th May, author, medical historian and TikTok sensation Suzie Edge will be appearing in person at Alnwick Castle to talk about her latest book, Vital Organs: A History of the World's Most Famous Body Parts. You can get your tickets now from alnwickcastle.com .As a preview for the event, Suzie returned to the Alnwick Castle Podcast to talk all things body parts with our hosts Deborah and Daniel. From the various medical problems of royals like Louis XIV of France and Charles II of Spain, to the surgical innovations that came from different body parts, we cover all kinds of gruesome - and fascinating - stories from across history.Vital Organs is out now from all good bookshops - or you can purchase a copy signed by Suzie Edge at our event on Saturday 25th May.If you missed her first appearance on the podcast, talking about her debut book Mortal Monarchs, look for episode 28 in our back catalogue. Thank you for listening!

Formerly belonging to King Louis XIV and displayed in his palace at Versailles, the huge cabinets known as the Cucci Cabinets are two of the most important pieces of furniture in the world - and if you have visited the State Rooms at Alnwick Castle, you will have seen them on display in the Drawing Room.To find out more about these two stars of the castle collection, our podcast hosts Deborah and Daniel spoke to cabinetmaker and conservator Yannick Chastang, who worked for eighteen months on the Cucci Cabinets to preserve them for the future. We spoke with Yannick for nearly an hour on the full history of the cabinets and how they came from Versailles to Alnwick; how they were made, the decorative techniques that make them so special, and what they were used for; and his own part in the history of these objects.Make sure to ask about the Cucci Cabinets on your next visit to Alnwick Castle so you don't miss them - and if you enjoyed the episode please let us know with a rating or review on your podcast platform!

Following the Battle of Dunbar in early September 1650, thousands of Scottish prisoners of war were marched south to Durham Cathedral. On their way, they were kept overnight at Alnwick Castle.In the first Alnwick Castle Podcast of 2024, hosts Deborah and Daniel find out more about the prisoners, how we know they were at the Castle, and what ultimately happened to them. We spoke to Megan Olshefski, a scholar and researcher whose work has tracked surviving Dunbar prisoners from Durham and across the Atlantic to the American colonies where they lived out their days.It was especially interesting to talk to Megan, as in September 2023, she recreated the march from Dunbar to Durham - even camping out overnight in the grounds of Alnwick Castle! We find out all about what it was like to retrace these historical footsteps.You can find Megan on Twitter @meganolshefski.If you are new to the Alnwick Castle Podcast - welcome! There are 50 other episodes in our back catalogue to enjoy. If you liked this one, please subscribe so you don't miss any future pods, and please share us with your friends.Special thanks to tech wizard Peter Johnson for salvaging this episode after our recording equipment went awry!

We're back at Alnwick to discuss a medieval bloodsucker who terrorised Alnwick. This isn't Twilight we're talking the real deal. Plus, Tom answers some ancient riddles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Alnwick Castle Podcast is 50 episodes old! To celebrate making it to 50 podcasts, and because it is almost Christmas... we have devoted this special episode to some of the questions you have asked about Alnwick Castle - some of the most popular questions that are often asked about the castle itself and its history. Our hosts Deborah and Daniel tackle these questions and do their best to answer them, from favourite rooms and items in the collection to the age of the castle and whether it ever really had a Great Hall.A technical note: we had some trouble with a microphone cable during recording, and so you may notice some variation in volume when Daniel is speaking.We make reference during this episode to several of our previous 49 podcasts. If you haven't heard them already, do go back and listen to:Episode 2 - for general castle historyEpisode 5 - for more on the 1st Duchess of NorthumberlandEpisodes 8 and 33 - for more on Harry HotspurEpisodes 10 and 36 - for more on Syon HouseEpisode 22 - for more on the Wizard EarlEpisode 27 - for more on Thomas Percy and Treason: The MusicalEpisode 29 - for more on the collectionsEpisode 46 - for our interview with Tracy BormanThe Alnwick Castle Podcast is taking a short break after this episode, but will be back in January 2024 for episode 51. We hope you will join us then - and for the next 50 episodes (fingers crossed!)

People have practiced archery for thousands of years, and it has been part of life at Alnwick Castle since the very beginning, from the death of Harry Hotspur via arrow in 1403, to the local archers gathered by the 5th Earl of Northumberland in 1514, to the modern day when visitors to the Castle can have a go at archery with our trained instructors.To find out more about archery, our hosts Daniel and Deborah spoke to master longbowman Andy Rice, who told us all about the importance of archery in the medieval period, the equipment archers needed in the Middle Ages, and his own background as a demonstrator of historical archery. We were also joined by one of the Castle archers, Kathryn, who compared notes with Andy on the differences between what she teaches and how it would have been done centuries ago.We hope you enjoyed this episode, and did not 'play fast and loose'* with the skip button. If you did, please leave us a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts, and remember to send us your Alnwick Castle questions at podcast@alnwickcastle.com for our 50th episode, out in two weeks!*this will make sense when you hear the episode...

This episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast looks a little more into the academic side of castles and their heritage, as hosts Daniel and Deborah are joined by Iain Wheeldon, senior lecturer in the School of Arts and Cultures at Newcastle University.Daniel spoke to Iain about the issues facing the cultural sector right now, the importance of castles to the heritage of Northumberland, and what exactly the difference is between heritage and history.Iain also told us about the Cultural Peeps careers pathway project, a podcast series which features professionals from across the sector sharing their career journeys and insights. If you are trying to get into the world of museums, galleries, heritage, arts or culture, we recommend listening to the series - you can find Cultural Peeps on Soundcloud, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.We recorded in our usual spooky castle tower room, so you may hear some echo.Our own 50th episode is approaching quickly, and we want to feature YOUR questions. If there is anything you want to know about Alnwick Castle, send it in to podcast@alnwickcastle.com and we might feature it in the episode!

Welcome to the 'Bakery Bears Radio Show' Episode 97   In todays brand new Radio Show, join us as we talk about our love of the English Stately Home. Along the way we discuss our first visits and where they were to, our love of Chatsworth, the history of the Stately home whilst Kay breaks in a new pair of walking shoes!   Join Kay & Dan as they: Take you out on a wet and windy walk Introduce you to Kays new shoes which are Aspics GT-2000 M11 Discuss there first interactions with Stately Homes We mentioned Fountains Abbey & Castle Howard Talk you through a short history of what Stately Homes were Discuss their history with Chatsworth and mention Devonshire Cottage in Beeley Talk through the ‘feel' many Stately Homes give you when you arrive on their land We mentioned Alnwick Castle, Newby Hall, Raby Castle & Haddon Hall We'll be back in two weeks with our next Radio Show! You can find past episodes of the Radio Show here: On Podbean : https://bakerybearsradioshow.podbean.com On Apple Podcasts : https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-bakery-bears-radio-show/id1474815454 Follow the Bakery Bears on Twitter https://twitter.com/bakerybears Follow the Bakery Bears on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bakerybears/

What is a scriptorium? What was needed to make books in medieval Europe? What makes a manuscript illuminated? These are some of the questions we explore on the latest episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast.Hosts Deborah and Daniel welcome back Karen Slade (or Kate Tiler, depending when in history you are!) from the Company of Artisans to tell us all about the sciptoriums where medieval books were created. She explains how the written word was transformed into art, and how books became holy objects. We find out about the process of creating inks and colours, the people and the skills involved - as well as why it was so difficult to make the colour blue, what a waferer was, and how the artist JMW Turner carried on the tradition of the scriptorium and illuminated letters.We hope you enjoy the episode. If there is anything you want to know about Alnwick Castle, please email us on podcast@alnwickcastle.com and ask - we'll feature some of your questions on our 50th episode this December!

We venture inside the Alnwick Poison Garden to find the world's most dangerous plants––including some common fruits and vegetables with a sinister side. Guide Tom Pattison takes us on a tour and offers up tales of deadly accidents, hallucinogenic honey and the case of the Curry Killer. Plus, Tristan Donovan reveals how soda changed the world, Dan Pashman reimagines breakfast cereal, Cheryl Day tackles your baking dilemmas, and we make Upside-Down Cardamom-Spiced Plum Cake.Get this week's recipe for Upside-Down Cardamom-Spiced Plum Cake here.We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secret ingredients or unexpected techniques with us for a chance to hear yourself on Milk Street Radio! Here's how: https://www.177milkstreet.com/radiotipsListen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We were thrilled to host historian and broadcaster Tracy Borman at Alnwick Castle this summer to speak about her new book Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History - and even more thrilled that Tracy joined us for a special episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast.Hosts Daniel and Deborah spoke with Tracy for nearly an hour about the reasons and background behind the book, the new ways of looking at such a familiar subject, the personal side of historical public figures and the rehabilitation of Anne Boleyn (as well as her connection with Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland). Aside from Anne and Elizabeth, we also talked about Tracy's other books, witches and witch hunts, her historical holy grail, King Henry III's polar bear, what it's like exploring the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace, and what not to do if you want to stay on the good side of the famous Tower ravens!Daniel and Deborah were recording in an echoey castle room for this episode, so you may notice a difference in their sound quality at times - we've done our best to minimise this in the edit.You can catch Tracy Borman on tour around the country this year - check her website and social media for full details.The new series of Inside the Tower of London featuring Tracy will be broadcast later in 2023.Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I is available now in hardback from all good bookshops.Deborah and Daniel had so much fun talking to Tracy, this ended up being the longest episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast to date! Please share this episode with your friends if you enjoyed it - and send in your Alnwick Castle questions to podcast@alnwickcastle.com to feature on our upcoming 50th episode!

Join Catherine and Taylor as they dive into the paranormal and share some haunts from ghost in a real Hogwarts castle to sleep paralysis and The Hat Man. In this weeks episode a lot of important questions are discussed. Is being smushed a good enough reason to give up your afterlife? Can The Hat Man be sucked up by The Little Green Machine by Bissell? Can a 'Sage Date' be good for your relationship? Follow Us: Instagram: ⁠@strangegossippod⁠Youtube: @strangegossippodTikTok: @strangegossippod Have a good story/something to share? Email us!strangegossippod@gmail.com 

As it is the month of October, with Halloween coming up, we wanted to bring you an episode full of the strangest, spookiest stories connected with Alnwick Castle. Did the 1st Duchess of Northumberland see a ghost when she visited a haunted house in 1762? Was the town of Alnwick plagued by a real vampire? What was so suspicious about the death of the 8th Earl of Northumberland? And how did the Castle end up with the beard of Henry IV, taken from his skeleton centuries after his burial?These are the questions - and we invited resident Castle storytellers Sean Kenney and Melanie Dagg to perform these stories for you, before hosts Deborah and Daniel reveal the truth behind the mystery. We hope you have fun - but don't have nightmares!If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know with a positive rating or review. We would also love to hear the questions you would like answered about Alnwick Castle. Email podcast@alnwickcastle.com and we will feature them on our upcoming 50th episode!

In this episode we're in Alnwick Castle! The place where Harry Potter learnt Quidditch, the Percy family (not the pigs) lived, and where Tom and his friends stripped naked and got arrested. Safe it say it's a place that has seen some things! To show us around is our lovely host, Daniel Watkins. Join us for a romp through it's history but just promise to keep your kit on. LinksFollow Bad Manors on InstagramFollow Tom on Instagram and TikTokTake a look at Alnwick Castle Credits Produced by Atomized Studios for iHeartRadioHost: Tom HoughtonProducers: Willem Olenski, Rebecca Rappaport & Chris AttawayExecutive Producers: Faye Stewart & Zad RogersProduction Manager: Kaitlin ParamorProduction Coordinator: Bella SaliniSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The music of the Tudor period - songs and instrumental pieces that would have been performed at the royal courts of Henry VIII or Elizabeth I, and heard by people like the Percy Earls and Countesses of Northumberland - is beautiful, fascinating and often haunting. This August at Alnwick Castle, we welcomed The Tudor Songbook, also known as singer Jay Britton, to perform Tudor music for visitors. Podcast hosts Deborah and Daniel (and special guest interviewer Karina, one of our resident historical Artisans) spoke to Jay and her lutenist Fabio Fernandes after their weekend of performances. We heard about the importance of music to the Tudors, the intricacies of lute playing, what it is like singing songs that were composed by Henry or admired by Anne Boleyn, the historically accurate costumes Jay wears to perform and more.And as a special bonus, you'll hear passages from three pieces of Tudor music, performed specially for the Alnwick Castle Podcast by Jay and Fabio!Find The Tudor Songbook @thetudorsongbook on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.We hope you enjoyed this episode - please give us a positive review and rating on your podcast platform if you did. And don't forget to send us your Alnwick Castle questions for our upcoming 50th episode special by emailing podcast@alnwickcastle.com !

Captain Goodwill and Science Officer Synoiz beam down to Alnwick Castle this week with special guest Seán Ferrick to review Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2. A huge thank you to Stuart Hatton of @MrGayEurope for having us this week. Sadly, he couldn't join us for this episode, but we will get him eventually! To find out more about the competition, please take a look below!

Have you been enjoying watching tennis this summer, like Wimbledon or the US Open? Have you ever thought about how tennis was played centuries ago? Then this episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast is for you! Host Deborah spoke to award-winning researcher Selene, who has been thoroughly exploring the game of "real tennis" in the early modern period and how it relates to ideas of masculinity at the time. What does this have to do with Alnwick Castle? Through podcast favourite Henry Percy, the Wizard Earl of Northumberland, who was a keen tennis player and a big fan of the sport! Selene goes into detail about his plans for a tennis court at Syon House as well as other connections he had.You will also hear about the different ways tennis was played and perceived in the 1500s and 1600s, the records and sources used to find out about it, and more of the famous players like Henry VIII, James VII & II and Mary, Queen of Scots.CONTENT NOTE: From 25:00 - 28:00 there is discussion of an early modern play which features sexual innuendo and language about tennis.We hope you enjoy the episode. If there's anything you'd like to know about Alnwick Castle, please let us know and we'll answer your questions on our upcoming 50th episode! You can email us on podcast@alnwickcastle.com .

On the island of Britain, between the Atlantic ocean and the North Sea, lies a haunted castle. Okay, yes—technically there are probably a bunch of haunted castles on -this- island. We're looking for Alnwick Castle in Northumberland in northern UK, in particular. Alnwick castle (parts of which were founded in 1096) has a peculiar bamboo labyrinth in “Alnwick Gardens” that was created from 500 live, evergreen and yet perennial bamboo grasses. Bamboo is part of the grass family Poaceae. The jumbo sized grassy bamboo reaches up and over the paved pathways creating a natural arch and tunnel-like walkway. The shaded corridors wander, and upcoming tunnels await your visit in shadow. Google images of the labyrinth at Alnwick castle do indeed confirm the dark corridors. But the labyrinth is not the darkest part of the Alnwick Gardens—And I'm being, -deadly- serious... Once upon a time, when lace up roller skates, feathered hair, and bubble gum were hip, there were two guys that didn't see eye to eye. Stephen, a university educated storyteller and author. And Stanley who never darkened the door of film school, telling stories from books and making popular acclaimed movies—his way, with generous creative changes, one of which you may recognize,  The book “The Shining” by Stephen King was published in January of 1977–and please note: this is your spoiler alert at least in regards to the Shining labyrinth... Do you have any stories from your studio, art class, gallery or museum? Or about art that falls into the realm of spooky art or art history stories or art hauntings? Send your suggestion, story, or say hello At whisperingcontact@gmail.com Please comment or say hello on Instagram! It's always great to hear from you! If you'd like to purchase a Whispering Gallery skull pin visit the Etsy store at:  etsy.com/shop/SuzanneNikolaisenArt The writing and production of the Whispering Gallery podcast - and copyright are held by Suzanne Nikolaisen. If you would like to support the podcast and the books I'm buying for research visit buymeacoffee.com/suznikart to help cover the cost of books, audio and our podcast host. Look for us on Instagram @whisperinggallerypodcast You can join the Whispering Gallery at https://www.facebook.com/whisperinggallerystories/ Spooky, supernatural, unexplained, paranormal art The Whispering Gallery podcast explores spooky, spine-tingling and hard-to-believe art stories; including cursed paintings and gems, paintings and prints of monsters, hauntings, UFOs and more. We look at art history a little differently. Learn about the spooky side of art guided by artists from around the world, and throughout history. Suzanne Nikolaisen sparks your imagination with spine-tingling and hard-to-believe art stories that are best told after dark. Subscribe to join our community of spooky art fans! Please share an episode you love with a friend! Remember to keep your flashlight close, and your spooky art stories closer! Many thanks to the following resources for my research and the production of this episode: Photo Source: Creative Commons License https://art.thewalters.org/detail/2191/theseus-and-the-minotaur-2/ Theseus and the Minotaur, sculpture (terracotta), by Arnold Seligmann, French, 18th century https://audioboom.com/channels/5015282-the-whispering-gallery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandi_(Hinduism) wikipedia.org  Drone snap, Crete Greece agar by drone 4k YouTube  https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/museo-gregoriano-egizio/sala-v--statuario/statua-antropomorfa-del-dio-apis.html bull headed statue of Apis Egyptian god, manifestation of Ptah. https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/collex/exhibits/discovery-collection-memory-oriental-institute-100/human-headed-winged-bull/#:~:text=The%20lamassu%20is%20a%20mythological,the%20iconography%20of%20these%20figures. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/thes/hd_thes.htm#:~:text=Theseus%2C%20forgetting%20his%20father's%20direction,giving%20the%20sea%20its%20name. https://www.mandycanudigit.com/2019/04/22/tai-haku-cherry-trees-at-the-alnwick-garden/ https://www.pottertour.co.uk/alnwick-northumberland/alnwick-gardens-treehouse-restaurant.html https://www.spookyisles.com/grey-lady-ghosts/ https://hauntedpalaceblog.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/the-legend-of-the-alnwick-castle-vampire/ https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/spaces/golden-rectangle-garden.htm Bamboo image https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Alnwick_Garden#/media/File:Alnwick_bamboo_labyrinth.jpg By Vadakkan - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=131405002 https://www.thebondgate.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/The-Alnwick-Garden-map-1030x730.png map Google Maps screenshot https://www.google.com/maps/@55.4131471,-1.699987,338m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/alnwick-poison-garden https://geektrippers.com/harry-potter-filming-locations-in-scotland/ https://www.spookyisles.com/grey-lady-ghosts/ From “Spectacular Hedge Mazes From Around the World” by Couples Wanderlust on YouTube https://hauntedpalaceblog.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/the-legend-of-the-alnwick-castle-vampire/ https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/backgrounders/fibonacci-and-golden-ratio https://plantsciences.montana.edu/horticulture/ASHS_Teaching_MethodsWG/Landscape-Design/Vendrame_Basic%20Principles%20of%20Landscape%20Design.pdf https://www.britannica.com/technology/labyrinth-architecture https://happytowander.com/harry-potter-filming-locations  https://freesound.org/ (thank you for the music and sound fx from the community!)   Whispering Gallery podcast, strange art stories, art history, art labyrinth and mazes

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is  Kelly Molson, Founder of Rubber Cheese.Download the Rubber Cheese 2022 Visitor Attraction Website Report - the first digital benchmark statistics for the attractions sector.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website rubbercheese.com/podcast.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcastCompetition ends July 31st 2023. The winner will be contacted via Twitter.  Show references:  https://www.alnwickgarden.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjmcallister/https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2023-05-24/worlds-biggest-play-park-set-to-open Ian McAllister is the Strategic Head of Marketing and Communications at The Alnwick Garden and Lilidorei.  His route into attraction marketing wasn't an obvious one – from not joining the RAF (based mainly on eyesight and petulance) he dabbled in recruitment ( based mainly on proximity to his flat) then television (based mainly on flatmate work envy).  He manages a team of marketers who deliver all marketing, PR and communications to these two attractions based in Northumberland. Transcriptions: Kelly Molson: Welcome to Skip The Queue, a podcast for people working in or working with visitor attractions. I'm your host, Kelly Molson. Each episode, I speak with industry experts from the attractions world. In today's episode I speak with Ian McAllister, Strategic Head of Marketing and Communications at The Alnwick Garden.Ian shares with us the magical story behind Lilidorei, logistics of creating a play structure over 26 meters tall, snot ice cream, free Fridays and the impact this will have on the local area and children. If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue. Kelly Molson: Ian, I'm so excited to have you on the podcast today. Thank you for coming to join me. Ian McAllister: No problem. Kelly Molson: Let's start with some icebreakers, shall we? Ian and I, we had a little pre podcast chat a few weeks ago and we established that we're both from sunny old Essex. This could end up quite messy, really, couldn't it? Because I tend to whenever I'm speaking to my Essex kinfolk, my accent goes, very Essex. This might get messy. Ian McAllister: The good thing is, living up here, people don't know my real accent, but once they hear that, I'm sure that it'll come out. Kelly Molson: They will after this, Ian. Right, okay, icebreakers. I want to know, topical, what's the worst Essex nightclub that you've ever been in? Ian McAllister: Tots, Southend. But it was so bad that I used to go every Friday. It was bad for the sticky floors and for the people that were there and for the music they played and everything about it was terrible. But every Friday I would still go up there. I don't know why.Kelly Molson: So bad. It's so good. I can remember driving there from my part of Essex and going out Tots. Someone broke my big toe into Tots. Literally, like, stamped on my big toe and broke it. Ian McAllister: Do you remember? There was a place called Ritzes, which I think was in Romford, and went there one night, and this was back in the day, where people thought if you were wearing trainers, you were going to cause trouble, so you weren't allowed to wear trainers. And a mate of mine, Paul Mayo. I had two good friends in Essex, Paul Mayo and Ross Gherkin, so they were the three of us. But Paul Mayo went up to the club and they wouldn't let me say trainers. So he left the queue and went around the corner, took his shoes off and took his black socks off, put his trainers back on and his black socks over his trainers, and they just let him straight in. Kelly Molson: Wow. Ian McAllister: Yeah. Which made Moonwalking brilliant, because he had a really good sock that he could moonwalk across the dance floor. Kelly Molson: That is ridiculous. That's ridiculous. So sorry, we just need to go back to your friend's names as well. Mayo and Gherkin. Are you joking? Ian McAllister: Mayo and Gherkin? No. So, I mean, I was always Mac. So I was always Ian Mac. Then there was Mayo and Gherkin. So they were the three of us that used to kick around together in Essex. Kelly Molson: That is chaos already. Ian McAllister: There you go. Opening question. Kelly Molson: This is an ethics thing as well, right? Everybody has nicknames, don't they? You know the Gavin and Stacy thing, where you got Smithy and what? Chinese Allen. That's the thing. That is so Essex, it's ridiculous. Ian McAllister: My nickname for ages was I wasn't a good looking chap growing up. And I had a brace, a demi wave, and I had these big reactor like glasses and I don't know if you've ever seen the National Lampoons European vacation, but the sun was called Rusty Grizzwald. So my friend Gary decided that I was just called Rusty, so he still calls me it to this day. So I'm still just Rusty. Kelly Molson: Oh, God, that's so weird, because my next question was going to be, if you ever been told you look like someone famous, who was it? Ian McAllister: Yeah, but that's not a positive thing. Kelly Molson: No. I wasn't expecting Rusty from National Lampoons to come up. Ian McAllister: I mean, lots of people to try and compare themselves to you, like some Brad Pitt and George Clooney, whereas I'm going for 15 year old Rusty Grizzled. Kelly Molson: Humble. I think that's quite humble, isn't it? Right, final one. I feel like the ice is well and truly broken, melted. What is your best scar story? Ian McAllister: My best scar story is a very recent one. Last year on New Year's Day, I took the kids for a lovely walk to our local woods with the dog. And me being me, I challenged them both to climb a tree. And it was a tree that was like one of these trees that's too good not to climb, do you know what I mean? It was really big branches and big trunk. So I've got twins, 14 year old twins, a boy and a girl. So my daughter was like a whippet and she went up the tree and then my son, with a bit of encouragement, went up the tree and he got his foot wedged in, like the V of the branch, about seven and a half, eight foot up, so he couldn't get out. Ian McAllister: So I climbed up behind him and I held onto a branch either side of him. I said, "Right, all you got to do is just wiggle your foot a little bit". So he obviously didn't hear a word I said. He yanked his foot out, so we both fell out the tree. So I grabbed onto him and he landed on me. And as he landed, I heard ankle snap. So I'm at the top of a woods, probably a mile into the woods. So the kids that week before have been at Scouts and they learned about what three words. So we had to phone an ambulance and they did the what three words and this, that and the other. Ian McAllister: So the ambulance had to then he couldn't drive, so you had to push the stretcher for a mile, pretty much up an incline to get to me. Had to take a breather because it was so far up, put me on the stretcher, but then the ambulance had to drop, so it's just me and the kids that live here with the dog. So the ambulance then had to drop the dog and my kids at my house before they took me to hospital. So turned out I completely broken my ankle, so I had to go for an operation. And I had a metal plate pulse, ligament and wiring all around my ankle. Ian McAllister: So I've got a treat of a scar on my ankle that they also cut through two nerves, so I also can't feel from a nerve down from the little toe, from a knee down to the little toe at the minute. Kelly Molson: I feel like we're going to have to put a warning on this podcast episode, if anyone's like a slightly queasy disposition. Wow. I was not expecting that. Ian McAllister: Yeah, it's a lovely story, isn't it? I think I've learned the lesson. I made a blue plaque on photoshop about Ian fell here and I went back to the tree afterwards and pinned it on the tree. Kelly Molson: It's a special moment. Ian McAllister: That tree will always be in my memory. Kelly Molson: But well done, your children, on learning the skills to get you out of a very tricky situation. Ian McAllister: Yeah, it was great, but they loved it because they got riding an ambulance, so their Snapchat stories were filled up that day with pictures of them and the dog in an ambulance on a muddy New Year's Day. Kelly Molson: Great story. Thank you for sharing. I feel like we've started the podcast on high. Ian McAllister: We can't really go any lower than this, can we? Kelly Molson: Not really, no. Your unpopular opinion, Ian. I dread to think what this might be. Ian McAllister: Had a few and I was trying to think which one would upset the least people. So I had a few. I was trying to think which one upset the least people. So this one's cake. And I hate cake. And I've always hated cake, really dislike cake. And I think people say to me, "what is it you don't like about cake?". And I think I've narrowed it down to the taste, the texture, the smell and the look. Because just everything about a cake, I don't like. So when it comes to birthdays, the kids obviously get me a birthday cake because they can eat it themselves, but I just don't like cake. I've got a bit of a funny not so much now, but I had a funny food thing. I'm sorry in advance. I didn't eat yellow food for about six months. Ian McAllister: It was anything yellow, even to the point where if I got a packet of M&Ms, I wouldn't eat the yellow ones. Kelly Molson: Can I just ask what age you were? Was this 30? Ian McAllister: Probably worse than that? It's about 35. Like my late 30s. Genuinely, genuinely developed an aversion to yellow food. So my friend Steven, who's head of HR at work, he went through a phase of thinking to try and reeducate me. So every Friday he'd go through Steven's adventures in food. It was all the food that I probably should have eaten by the time I was, like, 40 years and hadn't. So things like sushi or porridge. Every Friday he'd bring in something and it would be a chart, like a reward chart. And he'd put a little sticker on if I liked it or didn't like it. Just because people don't know I'm a 47 year old man with two children. Kelly Molson: Oh, God. And have you eaten a banana since? That's what I need to know. Ian McAllister: Yeah, since I started re eating yellow food, I'm all over it. I like a banana, like a bit of pineapple. Cheese is great. We just have the argument because people would say to me, and this was my bugbear, and they get really irritated with this. It's a what about chips? Chips aren't yellow. They're like a beige. So chips were allowed. Kelly Molson: Okay. And pasta as well. They're all in the beige category rather than yellow. Okay. Ian McAllister: Yeah. So can you imagine presenting me with a yellow cake? Yellow cake? That'd be my idea of h***. Kelly Molson: That's your worst nightmare, isn't it? Jaffa Cake. How do you sit about that? Is that a cake or a biscuit? Ian McAllister: But food of choice would always be a chocolate hobnob. No question. Kelly Molson: Great biscuit. Yeah. In the fridge. Ian McAllister: Great biscuit. Crunch. Good for the dunk. Always in the fridge, yeah. Chocolate. What do you think about this chocolate? Does it live in your cupboard or in your fridge? Kelly Molson: Fridge. I like a crunch. I like it to go crunch and then I like that it then melts in your mouth. It's like two different sensations in one. People will argue about this. This is not an unpopular popular opinion, by the way, but people will not be happy about this at all. Ian McAllister: No, but I mean, the people that aren't happy with it are wrong. Kelly Molson: They are. Agreed. Oh, my goodness, what a start for this podcast. Okay, how did an Essex boy end up in Northumberland? Tell me a little bit about your background, because you're not from attractions background at all, are you? You come from a completely different sector. Ian McAllister: Yeah, when I got married, which since divorced, but when I got married, my best man suggested it was witness protection. That's what kind of brought me 350 miles north. But the fact was I was working, I'm from Essex, as we've previously mentioned, and I then went to university in Surrey. I went to Kingston and I was working just locally, really, just in pubs and clubs. And I went downstairs to my flat and it was a redeployment, so I thought, it's time to get a proper job. And it was literally under my flat and I ended up working there, mainly because it was under my flat and it took about 10 seconds to commute to it. So I spent a bit of time in recruitment and at the time I was living with two flatmates weirdly, both called Marcus. Ian McAllister: So Marcus One and Marcus Two both worked in TV. One worked, I think Channel Five and One was a BBC or ITV. And I kept telling how good their jobs were and how great their life was, and I thought, "Well, you know what, can't beat them, got to join them". So I did actually beat them. So I wrote to MTV with a really cocky letter saying how much it be their big mistake if they didn't recruit me and this and the other. So I went in for my interview and the guy said, I've got you in because you're either really good or really cocky. And I don't know which one it is. So eventually they gave me a job. So I worked in media in London and I think I was there for two years. Ian McAllister: I just got sick of the rat race and it was just the commute to London. It was an hour each way and I was fed up of it, and I was fed up with the people and I was fed up of the busyness. And I met my then wife, who is from up here, but she had a flat in Edinburgh. I just thought, "You know what, I've got no real commitments down here". I don't have any kids or pets or any of that sort of stuff. So I just chose to order and we moved to Edinburgh and I kind of flipped around in recruitment and odds and ends, moved to the north and set up a property company. So were renting properties to students. Ian McAllister: Then I went to work for a marketing company and then I ended up working where I do now, The Alnwick Garden part time doing marketing and then just kind of worked my way up from there. I couldn't remember what the question was. Was it your background? Kelly Molson: Yeah, you answered it well. Yeah. Well done. Ian McAllister: Thanks. Definitely didn't come from tourism, but I kind of came from marketing kind of sales. And I think I've always been one of these people that might be clear by now that could just talk. Kelly Molson: That's coming across. Definitely getting that on this episode. But I like that you sound like someone who makes their own opportunities in life, which I like. You just go out and get what you want and what's going to fit for you. Tell us a little bit about Alnwick Garden because we're going to talk a little bit about something attached to Alnwick Garden. But Alnwick Gardens itself is quite spectacular. Think it dates back is it 1996? It dates back to is that when. Ian McAllister: It was originally about 1890s. We can date it back to. So it was the original garden kitchen garden for the Alnwick Castle. So it was throughout the two World Wars, it was what fed all the local farmers and the local community and this, that and the other. So come the 90s is when the Duchess of Northumberland, who lives in the castle, was married to the Duke. That's when she took it on as a bit of a project. And she got in some designers from, I think Belgium called Vertz Design. So it's a Vertz design garden and she took it over as a garden and she always wanted it to be she always said it was going to be a stage for people to do whatever they want in, so we can put on events. Ian McAllister: We've had random things, like we've had mixed martial arts in the garden and then we've had Peppa Pig characters coming in. So it's a real variety of things that we do in the garden. But, yeah, so it's been open for 20 odd years now. We're a charity, so we're just about celebrating the 20th year of becoming a charity. So, yeah, the Alnwick Garden itself is a garden, as you'd expect. It's got world's largest Taihaku cherry orchard outside of Japan, got Poison Garden, it's got the world's largest treehouse, which is a restaurant. It's got all these kind of unusual things that you wouldn't necessarily put in, like an RHS garden or a queue garden type place. And it's a great big open space that we market, people come and we do weird events in. Kelly Molson: So it's quite special in its own right, isn't it? But then, about twelve years ago, Jane Percy, the Duchess of Northumberland, she had another idea, didn't she? And that's what we're going to talk about today. Do you all get a little bit worried when she says, "I've got this idea?". Because this one's been a pretty mental one, hasn't it? Spectacularly mental one. Ian McAllister: Yeah. It's kind of that first glimmer of, "Oh, God, what's it going to be now with the backup of the thing is that when she has an idea, she sees it through". And I say this, I know a lot of people chuck this phrase around loosely, and I don't mean it this at all. She's a visionary, because she has these completely off the wall ideas, but has then got the determination and the team behind her to actually see them through. So the new project being the biggie, which has been years in the making and years in the planning, and I'm sure do you want to introduce it or do you want me to say what it is? Kelly Molson: Well, what do you do it. The world's biggest children's play park. Ian McAllister: Yeah. So it's called Lilidorei, which every single thing in it is from her head. And she's got this really creative outlook on life, and she's then pulls in the right people to kind of bring them to life. So she imagined this place where kids could just be away from technology, where they could play and actually play like we used to when were little. And we'd go out making dens and kind of making up our own stories. And it's called Lilidorei,. So the concept of the place is that it's a Lilidorei, village and there's nine clans that live in this village and all of the clans worship Christmas. So you've got good clans and you've got bad clans. Ian McAllister: And it's weird talking about this in a normal way now, and I've seen construction staff talk about this, and it feels weird to be saying things like the elves and the fairies and the pixies. But it got to the point when were building where you'd see the big construction workers and the joiners fags in their mouth, talking about pixies houses and fairies and elves. But the concept is that some of the clans are really good, like the fairies and the pixies, and then some are a bit more troublesome, like the goblins and the hobgoblins and the trolls. But at Christmas time, they all come together to worship Christmas. So whilst it's Christmas themed, it's not Christmas all year, apart from the gift shop, which is fully Christmas at every time. Ian McAllister: They can buy a ball tomorrow if you want, but we've also got the world's largest play structure. So the place structure was built by a company called MONSTROM, who are based in Denmark. And it's one of these things that's got to be seen to believed, which makes marketing it quite tricky because you can't really feel it until you stood underneath it. But local landmark, the angel of the north, is always a good point of reference. So our play structure is 6 meters taller than the angel of the north. And there's a slide from the top, so it's a 26 meters high structure and there's a slide that comes from 20 meters up. Ian McAllister: But to get to this slide, you go around this really convoluted system of walkways and corridors and climbing up uncomfortable spaces and squeezing through things and climbing up nets, and that's just part of it. The rest of it is all these clan houses. So it's a really fascinating place. Kelly Molson: It's amazing, isn't it, that all of this came out of her head? So I watched the ITV, did a publication on your launch, which was it was only a couple of weeks ago, wasn't it, that it opened? The presenter of the snippet, he went up the slide and came down it and he was talking it through and he was saying, 26 meters. And I was like, "Yeah, that's quite high, isn't it?". But you can't really grasp when someone says that. To me, I couldn't really kind of grasp what the height of 26 meters actually looked like. So when you said that comparison that you've just given about the angel of the north, that's really big. Ian McAllister: But there's no point. It's all enclosed. So, like, you've got open netting and this and other but there's nowhere that kids can actually fall off, if you like. So I think kids, it tests their bravery. It's handy for us from an insurance point of view, health and safety, certainly, but kids like, test themselves. So you'll see them start the session and they'll just be on the little swings at the bottom or on the little spinny mushrooms, and then by the end of the session, you see them at the top running around like it's no one's business, just testing bravery. I think that's the big thing. Kelly Molson: Yeah. And I love the idea that it opens your imagination. You can be any part of that story. You've got that underlying story of the clans and that they worship Christmas, but then you make your own part of that story to go with it, and based on where you interact and where you go and where you climb or what houses you go into and all of those kind of things. It is pure magic, isn't it? Ian McAllister: It is. And we've got a team of people that work. They're called secret keepers. So they're sitting in their outfits and costumes, but they're really extravagantly dressed with feathers in their hats and all sorts. Their job is almost to facilitate the play. So it was almost a marketer's dream when I started off because we couldn't really talk about what it was because people didn't understand until it was built, couldn't see it. So I came up with a concept, which is the most lazy marketing you'll ever think of and the whole tagline which is carried through is, what's your story? So really what we're doing is we're encouraging people to make their own narrative and to make their own story, which saves me the job for a start, but also we don't want to dictate that. Ian McAllister: Well, that clan looks like this because you can't see the clans, you can see the houses and you can imagine how they are, but you can't actually see anything. So when you get there, it's all brought together by this immersive sound we've got. It's like a million quids worth of sound system for each clan. House has got its own immersive sound system that kind of gives you implications or ideas as to what that clan might be up to or what's happening inside the house. So you can look into their house window and you can see how it's all set up. So it kind of starts to build this picture and then the secret keepers are there to encourage that with the kids and, "What do you think they look like? And could you hear that sort of noise?". Ian McAllister: And it gives this underlying narrative for every kid that comes, is obviously going to leave with a different picture of what a particular clan or a particular circumstance is like. Kelly Molson: That's amazing. So you don't have the characters. They never see what the goblins look like, for instance. They have to make all of that upload in their own minds. Ian McAllister: Yeah, I mean, we've got this sort of narrative in the background. We've got an idea of what Duchess has imagined the Clans to look like or the Clans to do, or the Clans to kind of be like. But we never tell the kids this. It's all about provoking thought and provoking story. There was books that I used to read when I was a kid, and they would choose your own adventure books, and it was kind of you make your own adventure. So every even if one kid came to Lilidorei, five times, they might have a completely different experience each time just because of their imagination and the sort of stuff that the secret keepers have fed them, if you like. Kelly Molson: I love that. While we're talking about secret keepers, you've got ahead of Play, haven't you, Nathan? I don't know any other organisations or attractions that have got ahead of Play. How did that kind of come about? Ian McAllister: So to give me his full name, it's Nathan Bonk.Kelly Molson: Excellent name. Ian McAllister: Nathan Bonk, he's come over from America specifically to organise the play and the secret keepers and this. So that's his kind of creation, if you like, in conjunction with the Duchess. So he was meeting with the duchess virtually daily to make sure he's on the right lines, and she was happy with what he was doing, but to kind of put an extra element of weirdness into the story, which in case we haven't had enough weirdness in the podcast already in the Garden going back two or three years, I'm friends with a guy called Stewart who's the reigning Mr. Gay World, and he's only reigning because they disbanded the competition after he finished it. So he kept title. He's kept that. So he got in touch to say that he wanted somewhere to host Mr. Gay England, which is like a pride initiative. Ian McAllister: And it's not just a catwalk, it's education and it's exams, and then the winner of it ends up representing the gay community to go to Parliament and lobby Parliament and speak in schools and this and the other. So I said, well, the best place, really, if you think of the most sort of unusual place that you could think of in a really rural town where there aren't many people of any persuasion, would be Alnwick. So we put it in the middle of the garden. The cat walks right down the middle of the garden, and we've rebranded that entire day, which we're doing again this year, Gay Day. So what we do is we have Gay Day, and it's everything. We've got market traders, LBTQ+ friendly market traders and face painters, and we do trails and all sorts of things. Ian McAllister: So anyway, last year we had Mr. Gay Europe and Nathan's friends with Stewart. So Nathan came over to help with the competition. Mr. Norway had COVID, so couldn't turn up. So there were one person short. So Nathan ended up weirdly representing America in the Mr. Gay Europe competition. Kelly Molson: Wow. Ian McAllister: If you get to know Nathan, as you'd understand, he's always got an outfit of two just stashed away just in case. So he came out with like, the short camouflage shorts and the face paint and waving the USA flag. Anyway, after Gay Day, he went home and he'd fallen in love with Alnwick. And it was just it wasn't New York. He lived like a six minute walk to Central Park. So it's totally different. But he fell in love with the place. And he sent me an email, a bit of a video explaining why love Alnwick and if there's any opportunities that came up, and this, that, and the other. And the only thing that popped in them ahead as soon as I saw his video was the head of play, and I just knew that he would be the person for this role. Kelly Molson: But was it a role that you were looking for or did you create. Ian McAllister: It for the role we discussed? We always discussed that we needed someone. It was going to be it's almost like a head of operations for Lillidorei, but that sounds far too boring. So we always knew there was going to be a role for somebody. I don't think we quite realised to the extent of how influential this role would be in creating the entire story and the entire visit. So Nathan, with his ideas, he's opened theme parks before. He's been in stunt performances in various theme parks. He opened, like, the Harry Potter experiences in Orlando. So he's done all this stuff already. But I remember he Zoom called me one morning. He said, you're never going to believe it. I've got an interview with the Duchess at lunchtime. Brilliant. So I gave him a few bit of background and what were working towards. Ian McAllister: About 2 hours later, he zoomed me back. He said, you're never going to believe it. I've got the job. They sort me out a house. I'm flying over next week, and I've got a tea at the castle with the Duchess. It's like every American film you've seen where they tried to represent England in a completely fictional way. He was living it. Kelly Molson: What a life. Wow. Ian McAllister: And that was it. And he's been here since. And he loves it. He's absolutely settled. He's incredible. He's got this team of amazing people who do things like juggling with Diablos and teaching kids that go on balance boards and hula hoops. Their job is to interact with everybody that comes in and just create the atmosphere. Kelly Molson: And that's what makes the place so special, isn't it? It's that interaction from the people and the encouragement of the ideas that the children have to explore them that makes it a magical place. Ian McAllister: It is. It's incredible to sit as a construction site. All of a sudden. And now to see 600, 700 kids running around each session screaming and laughing and coming out with ruddy faces and wet trousers, it's everything we wanted it to be come to life, a Kelly Molson: It sounds magic. And I've seen those faces, I've seen the kids faces on the ITV clip, which we'll put in the show notes, actually, so you can have a look at it if you haven't had a chance to go up there yet. I want to talk a little bit about, because you've said a few times now, Alnwick want to talk a little bit about, because you've said a few times now, Alnwick, it's relatively rural, a small community, there's not a huge amount going on there other than this spectacular Alnwick Garden and Lilidorei that's just launched. You offer Free Fridays. And I saw the Duchess talk about this. It's for local children, school children, to come for free on a Friday so they can experience what's happening there. What impact do you think that Lilidorei is going to have on the local community and the children there? Ian McAllister: I think so. Two elements to that, really, then, the creation of the attraction itself. We've always estimated roughly, or looking quite accurately, based on recent figures, that it's going to bring an extra 200,000 people a year into the area. And that's going to benefit, obviously, it's going to benefit us, it's going to benefit the Alnwick Garden Trust, it's going to benefit the Alnwick Castle, which is another attraction up the road. All the local restaurants, pubs, hotels, everyone's going to benefit because what we're hoping to do is turn AlnwickAll the local restaurants, pubs, hotels, everyone's going to benefit because what we're hoping to do is turn Alnwick into a multi day destination, so people won't just come for one of the things and go back to Newcastle, back to Edinburgh. They'll do it as a day trip. So we're hoping that it will really kind of drive the local economy. Ian McAllister: So in terms of local economic benefit, I think that's kind of nailed, really. The figures are already quite obvious. In terms of the Free Fridays, then you don't have to go that far out of Alnwick, particularly if you went to South Northumberland and there's quite a lot of people that are in all sorts of various situations. There's schools in different areas, there's kids that just would not be able to afford to come otherwise because it's comparable to other attractions. But it's still not a cheap day out, it's not three quid to go to the local soft play. So there's a lot of kids that the Duchess particularly just didn't think it was fair, wouldn't be able to experience it, hence Free Fridays. Ian McAllister: So the idea of Free Friday is that every school child in Northumberland, and then eventually, when we've kind of been running for a bit, we'll widen it to Tyne and Wear into Newcastle. But at the minute, every child in Northumberland should be able to experience Lillidorei without having to pay. So we've opened up this application process where local schools can apply to come to one of the sessions and that's for any Friday throughout the year. So already the mini uptake has been phenomenal and there's schools that you see that you think, you know, I know exactly what area that school is in and without making too many judgments, you know, that they just would not be able to afford to come, so we're giving them the opportunity to come. Ian McAllister: So that's part one of Free Fridays, which is well underway at the minute, and I think we're almost booked up for the rest of the next twelve months with Fridays. Kelly Molson: That's amazing. Ian McAllister: But the next part is that the Duchess is to now do other initiatives to try and put money into a ring fenced account. So then eventually when that account builds up, we'll also be able to start to subsidise travel. So if you've got a school that's an hour's journey away, hopefully this pot of money, they can apply to it to pay for their hiring of a school coach or a minibus or whatever it's going to be to actually bring the kids up. So it's an entirely free day and there's different things like she's doing private tours, we're doing packages where you can have a nice meal at the treehouse and then come into Lilidorei afterwards. So like I say, that's all going to be ring fence specifically for transport from Free Fridays. Kelly Molson: That's incredible. What an opportunity. And like you say, for the kids that just would not have that opportunity to be able to go and experience it. It's just such a wonderful thing to be able to do. Ian McAllister: It is, it's incredible. And I think a lot of the feedback we saw before we opened, because again, as I say, it was quite hard to explain the concept of it and what you actually got for your 15 quid entry fee. So a lot of people say you've outpriced us and we can't afford it and this, that and the other. And that's why it was really good to then say, "Look, if you want to bring your kids, just tell your kids to speak to their teacher and get the teacher to speak to us and we can facilitate them for free". So it's making a difference already. It's incredible. Kelly Molson: Yeah. And I guess then it's about selling what that 15 pounds gets you the benefits of that 15 pounds. Yes, it's a relatively higher price point, but you start to break it down about the experience that they get there and the magic that can actually happen that they can't get anywhere else, and then it starts to become slightly more appealing purchase.  You can stay there for quite a long time, right? You've got that dwell time as well. So when you work it out, cost per hour, it actually seemed quite reasonable. Ian McAllister: And I think having two kids myself, I think what am I going to compare this to? So you can't compare it to going to local council run park because it's nowhere near the same, it's not just a climbing frame. And then I think, "Well, what else would I do for the kids for that time period on a Saturday if we're bored?" Probably get the cinema. So the cinema is going to be 1520 quid to get in. And then, sweetness, you got 2 hours of sitting in silence watching a film and then you come out, go home and that's done. Ian McAllister: So to compare it to that, to Lilidorei, you've got a three hour session where you can come in, whole family can interact and it's running free and it's fresh air, I mean, it's not fumbling, it's always fresh air and by fresh I mean probably freezing most of the time. But you've got this it's a completely different experience and I think where people were just looking at it as it's a climbing frame, well, I could just go up the park. So it's trying to explain to people that it is different and yeah, it doesn't work out a really cheap day if you've got two parents and three kids, for example. But what we have done, we've introduced, and we're going to look at this after some holidays, we introduced the founder Lilidorei membership. Ian McAllister: My idea with this is always it's got to be for the child focused. So it's the child that has the membership. So little Johnny could have a membership for him and an adult, or him and two adults, and that means they could bring in mum and dad or they could bring in Nanny Granddad or they could bring in whoever they want. But it's always for me been the child that dictates this whole thing. So we always say that well behaved adults can come in with a responsible child. So we've kind of flipped the narrative a little bit there. And in terms of the membership itself, I used to read the Beano when I was a kid and the only thing I ever wanted grown up was Dennis the Menace fan club membership. Ian McAllister: And with that it cut a wallet, a membership card and a badge. And so for me, Lilidorei membership, you get a wallet, a card and a badge. So all these founder lidorians walk around proudly displaying their badge because there was a limited number of to be the very first people to be these members. But it's empowering the kids. The adults are allowed to come if the kid says they can come. I almost wanted to wake up on a Saturday morning and the child go, "Right, mom, you've been good, you can come with me. Dad, you got to wash the car and do the dishes". Kelly Molson: I love that. I love that giving them the choice of who they take and to take Granny as well. Yeah, it's a really good point about the memberships, isn't it? Because it is generally tied to the adult and the children that they have. But I love that you've empowered the kids to make that choice. Yeah. So you've got to be the kid. The parents have to be good all week. Ian McAllister: Exactly. That's to end the story points.Kelly Molson: Yeah. Well, we're going back to your food eating and your little sticker chart, aren't we? That's what you need. There you go. Sell that in the shop for the adults to buy their sticker reward chart, whether they get to come back or not on the next visit. Ian McAllister: That's a great idea, talking to the shop, actually, just briefly, because you may. Kelly Molson: Segue listen, I'm on fire today, Ian. Segue into the shop. Ian McAllister: My good friend Matthew Henderson, who anyone who listens to podcast will have heard him before. He has been incredible. He's been absolutely amazing. It was him that put you and I in touch in the first place. We bought him in to get the shop ready. And to say it's shop ready is the biggest understatement of the century, because I've never seen anything like it. The people that work in retail, a retail manager, Tracy, to coin a phrase, and not sound corny, it's like all the Christmases have come at once, because she's always wanted this shop that she's proud of, that she's selling things that she believes in. It's all been sourced specifically for her. And Matt has done just what a job. It's incredible. Kelly Molson: He is such a great guy, Matt. So Matthew came on our podcast. It was only a few episodes away, actually, ago, actually, and Matt used to work at Beamish and now he's out on his own. He's a consultant now and helps lots of attractions work out their special offering, the uniqueness when it comes to products. And I have seen a photograph of the shop and, oh, my God, it looks like an attraction in itself. It looks like something you'd pay to go visit in itself, like a Santa's Grotte or say. It's just incredible. Ian McAllister: It's phenomenal. And he was also fundamental in helping us with all the food and stuff that we're doing across site, but mainly in there. You know about the ice creams? Kelly Molson: I know about the ice cream. Tell us. Ian McAllister: So there's three flavours. I mean, you've got a vanilla, but then you've got the other obvious choices. You've got Troll Snot ice cream and you've got fairy dust ice cream. So fairy dust is like a raspberry ripple with popping candy. And Troll Snot is pure bright green, but it's sour apple, which sounds vile, but it's actually really nice. But I've got pictures of him with a hair net at the ice cream facility, which I keep telling him should be his next Tinder profile. He's got so involved in it, he's been instrumental in the whole thing. I don't think we'd be anywhere near where we are now without Matthew. Kelly Molson: Oh, wow. Well, that is a massive compliment to Matthew in itself, isn't it? No, he's a great guy. And I think it's something that sometimes gets a bit overlooked when it comes to shop. And you often go to places and you see the same things. Exit through the gift shop, you see the same things, and it genuinely just feels like, and I can only say this from the photos, but it just feels like you're stepping into such a magical world as an extension of the magical world that you've just come out of. Ian McAllister: It really is. It's surreal because on Press Day, we had a launch day a couple of weeks ago, it was so hot. It was a beautiful day. I clearly have the sunglasses on all day, caught a nice tan. Apart from the work stuff, it was a really nice day. But then you do, you exit into the shop and it's like you've already sudden fast forwarded six months and you're in the middle of Christmas. There's Christmas trees and candy canes and balls, not to mention the ridiculous amount of old fashioned sweet jars with trolls fingers and different fudges. And it is surreal because then you've had this 20 minutes Christmas experience in the shop and then you're back into 24 degree heat again. It's bizarre. Kelly Molson: You opened on was it the 25th of May? Is that your opening day? Ian McAllister: Yeah. So a couple of days before half term, were supposed to have a lot more testing than we had, but because of construction issues, we ended up with two testing days. We were supposed to have at least a month or two months testing, but we had to literally do it all in two days. So we opened a VIP date and then we opened for the public on the Thursday. We would never have predicted this, the Thursday Friday, and then the full half term, every single slot was sold out to the point where after a couple of days, we made a judgment call to up capacity and then we upped it again. And it's been full, absolutely full. Kelly Molson: And have you kept that capacity as well? Ian McAllister: Because I think we didn't want the risk of opening, saying, right, we're going to get 800 kids in per session, and then all of a sudden there's 800 people trying to go down a slide. So we didn't want to ruin the visitors experience with queues and with too many people and crowds and this and the other. So we opened with 300 capacity, which was, I mean, once 300 people are on the play structure, you kind of see it. It's like you can't hear them, you can't see them, they've just vanished like ants. So we upped it to five and we're looking at up in it again to, I think, 750. We're going to maybe try and push it up to for some holidays. Kelly Molson: Gosh, that's incredible. So safe to say that it's been a successful launch, then. Ian McAllister: You know what, we couldn't have asked for more. We've had the weather, we've had the publicity. Everything has been going so well. It's been a really positive experience. It was touch and go for a bit where we're all sort of walking around a few days before launch. S***, there's a bump there. There's a thing here. And the construction team, I've never seen anyone react like it like the lighting team would pretty much work until 04:00 in the morning. So they'd work all day. But then they'd want to test their lights so they'd have to wait until it got dark. But then they'd work all night till 04:00 the next morning, go home for a few hours kip and then come back again. Ian McAllister: And we've got a big thank you party tonight at Lilidorei to thank all of the staff, volunteers and construction team for everything they've done to a few hundred people coming tonight. And it's been overwhelming how everybody's got involved, even contractors that might be there for a week doing something. It's been almost like a pride project for them. Kelly Molson: It's amazing. Well, but that shines through in what you've created, right? Everybody that's touched it has taken some kind of ownership of it. What a lovely thing to do. Just throw the party as well to say thank you. It's June now. The story behind Lilidorei obviously involves Christmas. I'm really intrigued as to what you might have planned for Christmas. Are you allowed to talk about any of that yet or is it embargoed? Ian McAllister: I can talk about it a little bit because I've seen it. So we had a sneak peek. So for the last two years, we've been followed around by MGM who have been filming the documentary for Channel Four. So Channel Four documentary goes out, I think, August. So there's a six part Saturday night documentary going out all about the Duchess. It's called The Duchess, but it's all about her leading up to this project. So their last filming day was VIP press day. Kelly Molson: Wow. Ian McAllister: About three days before that, we had a preview one night at 10:00. We would like to go onto site to get a preview of Christmas. I don't even think I can come up with the words. And I'm quite good with words. I can't even put together a sentence that explains quite how magical it is. It's just the lights, the sounds, the atmosphere. And this was a summer's night at 10:00, so I can't even think what it would be like when it is actually Christmas. And we've got three Santa's grottos. To talk, you kind of back a little bit.  Ian McAllister: You've probably seen the picture of the big Lilidorei entrance gate. So when you get to the gate, you've got sounds. You've got a troll talking to a pixie and who wants pixie, wants to let us in and the troll won't let her. So you stand there and you can hear this immersive sound and they won't open the gate. So what you have to do is kind of find a way around and go through a hidden tunnel. At Christmas, those gates will open and it's like, all of a sudden, Christmas is there. So you come in, every Christmas tree is going to be lit, and bear in mind, we've got 1400 Christmas trees. Every Christmas trees got fairy lights in. The atmosphere was just phenomenal. It sounds like a cop out, but it's got to be seen to believed. Kelly Molson: Well, I look forward to that, because that sounds right up my street. Ian McAllister: You know, you're welcome. You're more than welcome. I'll even treat you to some troll snot ice cream. Kelly Molson: How could I possibly say no to that? Ian McAllister: It's the Essex charm, isn't it? Kelly Molson: Just wins me over every time Ian, thank you for coming on. So we always ask our guests to recommend a book at the end of a podcast. What have you got for us today? Ian McAllister: And it was post, COVID I read it and someone had recommended it. So I went and bought a copy and it's got to the point now where I've probably funded about 90% of the book sales because I'll keep buying copies and saying to someone, you love this, I've given them a copy and it's The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Have you read it? Kelly Molson: Yeah. Great book. Ian McAllister: For me, I think I am where I am now and my career path, my life path, everything was based on decisions and sometimes it's easy to sit and think, that's a bad decision. If I hadn't made that decision, I'd be much happier now. And The Midnight Library, for anyone who hasn't read it, is all about going back and retrospectively looking at your decisions that you've made in life and you get a glimpse of where that decision took you. And I think for me, what it did was instead of me constantly going back, not depressed or anything, but you kind of sit and dwell sometimes instead of thinking well. Ian McAllister: So, for example, I nearly joined the RAF when I was 17 and I wanted to be military police, but because I've got terrible eyesight, they said, well, we can't give you a gun because you probably shoot the wrong person. So they offered me dentistry. So, looking at the time, I was typical Essex. Toys were out, the pram, I'm not doing this, I don't want to do it. So I went to uni and did all that stuff. But I often think back, I think, you know what? If I'd have gone in the RFN and had paid to train me as a dentist and I've done the service, I could have come out and sat me in dental practice and this, that and the other.Ian McAllister: And I often think, would I be happier had I done that and done that as a career path and been a professional, if you like, because I still don't consider myself a professional. But then this book almost made me reframe that a little bit and think, you know what, I might not have done that. I might have hated it or something else would have changed and I wouldn't have had my beautiful children, I'm a stupid dog, or wouldn't have any of that sort of stuff now if I'd have taken that career path. So in a nutshell, for me, The Midnight Library is a really good read. It's quite an easy read, I found, because I was really invested in it, but it made me reframe a little bit. Kelly Molson: Yeah, it's a great book. I've read it a couple of times now and similar to you, it's made me look back at not so much choices but events that have happened to us. Me and my partner, we've had a load of people this is quite public knowledge, we've had a load of trouble having children and we lost quite a few along the way and multiple rounds of IVF and all of that malarkey. And I think that book made me reflect on some of those things that had happened because you start to question, am I a bad person here? Or like, why are these things happening to us? We're good people, what's wrong? Kelly Molson: But some of those things that have happened regardless, despite them being really difficult and quite awful, they've led you to other things that are magic and they've given you gifts of something really tragic happened. Has been able to give us the gift of being able to talk about it openly, which has then gone on and helped other people be able to talk about it or share how they are or just given someone found them, someone that they can talk to. And I think you have to just kind of look back at those things and I don't know, it's a long winded way of saying I completely agree with you and it's a really good book. If you're feeling a bit reflective about your life, it's definitely one to go and have a read of. So yeah, good read. Ian McAllister: I think it may me kind of start to think about the ways I've handled things and how I sort of shape things moving forward so that my best friend died when were at college and my nephew died when he was eight. And all these things in your life that at the time are the worst thing that could ever possibly happen and you could either go one way or the other and it almost explained or kind of put into context a little bit. I think that these things happen not necessarily for a reason, but the way that you cope with it and deal with it and move on after it. That's almost like the learning that you take from it. But this is a different podcast altogether. This is like a griefcast, so we'll do another one. Kelly Molson: This has ended on a complete opposite spectrum than it started, Ian. Anyway, listeners, if you want to win a copy of that book, I'd highly recommend you go and do this. So go over to this podcast announcement and retweet it with the words I want Ian's book. And you will be put into the draw to win a copy of The Midnight Garden. Kelly Molson: Midnight Garden? Midnight Library. Midnight Garden is a whole different book, kids book Midnight Library.Kelly Molson: Ian, thanks for coming on today. It's been brilliant to chat to you. We will put all of the information about Lilidorei and Alnwick Gardens into the show notes so you can have a little look for yourself. But those tickets for Christmas are going to sell out quickly, people, so get yourself on the mailing list. That's all I'm going to say. Ian McAllister: Thank you, Kelly. It's been so nice to talk to you. Living this far north, it's nice to establish my roots with an Essex person again. Kelly Molson: Well, always welcome. Six months check in, right?Ian McAllister: Thanks, Kelly.  Kelly Molson: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned. Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcriptions from this episode and more over on our website, rubbercheese.com/podcast.