Podcasts about British Isles

Jingle Bells isn't all holiday cheer. From swamp-dwelling cryptids that lure with chimes, to phantom bells tolling from sunken kingdoms, to the ominous Belled Buzzard and a chilling modern encounter in the woods—this episode explores how bells ring not just with joy, but with warning, deception, and dread.It's Christmas Eve, and while sleigh bells jingle in frosted streets, Journey to the Fringe invites you to listen closer. Because not every bell signals joy. Some toll from beneath the sea, echoing the downfall of lost kingdoms like Ys and Cantre'r Gwaelod. Some ring from phantom towers, warning of tragedy yet to come. Others chime from the shadows of the forest, held by hands that should not exist.In “Jingle Bells,” Taylor and Chelsie guide you through folklore's darker soundscapes:

GB2RS News Sunday, the 21st of December 2025 The news headlines: A British Science Week opportunity not to be missed Could you be the new RSGB Honorary Skills and Career Development Officer? Challenge yourself with the RSGB Construction Competition The RSGB is giving away 400 FM radio receiver kits and Morse code tutor kits as part of its British Science Week 2026 activities. The kits are available for school, university, Scout, Girlguiding, and Cadet groups, as well as other youth-related Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics groups. The project is being delivered thanks to a partnership between the RSGB Outreach Team, the Radio Communications Foundation and the RSGB Legacy Fund. To get involved, simply complete a form available at rsgb.org/bsw. If you need support, the RSGB can put you in touch with local radio amateurs who can assist. In exchange for the free kits, you'll need to send a brief report and photos that the Society can share afterwards to celebrate the activity and inspire other groups to try amateur radio. Don't miss out on this opportunity to share amateur radio with the next generation. The RSGB is looking for a volunteer Honorary Skills and Career Development Officer. One of the main responsibilities will be to build a team to engage with early-career engineers, as well as those making a career transition, in order to encourage them to use amateur radio to develop their skills and knowledge. As part of this engagement, the Society would like the new team to design and deliver learning material and courses at a level both just beyond and significantly beyond the Full Licence. Go to rsgb.org/volunteers  for the full role description. Keep yourself busy over the Christmas holidays by getting involved with the RSGB Construction Competition. There are seven categories to enter, including ‘Beginners' and ‘Software', which is for designs that recognise the importance of software technology to all aspects of amateur radio. A £150 cash prize will be awarded to the winner of each category, with a £50 cash prize for the runner-up. Find out more about the other categories and details of how to enter at rsgb.org/construction-competition The RSGB is releasing more presentations from its recent Convention. The lectures range in topics from Polar modulation to engaging young people with amateur radio. Four further presentations will be released over the festive season. To make sure you are the first to receive notifications when they're available, click the subscribe button on the Society's YouTube channel at youtube.com/thersgb  Young operators continue to host the special callsign GB25YOTA for Youngsters on the Air Month. Cambridge University Wireless Society is active today, Sunday the 21st of December and then tomorrow, Monday the 22nd of December, Jack, M7OFM, will be operating under the supervision of Pete, M0OFM. Jack will also be on the air on Christmas Day between 10 am and 12 pm, so ensure you listen out and make a seasonal QSO with him. View the operating times, bands and modes at rsgb.org/yota-month The RSGB would like to thank Dr Harry Squance, GI4JTF, who has retired after volunteering for 25 years as a QSL Bureau sub-manager. Most recently, Harry was the GI/MI/2I QSL sub-manager, and those callsigns will now be covered by Lindsay Pennell, GI3KME. All stamped addressed envelopes and any outstanding QSL cards will be transferred to Lindsay, but RSGB members in Northern Ireland who collect cards should, in future, send stamped addressed envelopes directly to Lindsay. The list of QSL Sub-managers at rsgb.org/qsl  has been updated to reflect the changes. On the 1st of December 1924, the 200kW Alexanderson alternator, with the callsign SAQ, was put into commercial operation with telegram traffic from Sweden to the United States. 101 years later, it is the only remaining electro-mechanical transmitter from this era and is still in running condition. At 0800UTC on Christmas Eve, the transmitter is scheduled to broadcast its traditional Christmas message using CW on 17.2kHz. Find out more by visiting tinyurl.com/SAQ25 Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. The deadline for submissions for the GB2RS News on Sunday, the 28th of December, is 10 am on Tuesday, the 23rd of December. Please note there will be no GB2RS broadcast on Sunday, the 4th of January 2026, but many newsreaders will be holding informal nets in their usual broadcasting slots. And now for details of rallies and events Sparkford Radio Rally is due to take place on Sunday, the 28th of December at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel, near Yeovil, BA22 7QX. The doors will be open from 9.30 am, and admission will cost £2. Refreshments and free parking will be available on site. For more details, contact Luke on 07870 168 197 or email luke@mymixradio.co.uk On the 25th of January 2026, Lincoln Short Wave Club Winter Radio Rally will be held at Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. This is an indoor event with ample free parking. The doors will be open from 10 am, and admission is £3. Tables cost £10. To book tables, or for more information, contact Steve, M5ZZZ on 0777 7699 069 or email m5zzz@outlook.com Now the Special Event news The Rugby Amateur Transmitting Society will be using special callsign GB100GBR from the 1st to the 4th of January to celebrate the centenary of the first CW transmissions from the GBR transmitter at Rugby Radio Station. Operators will begin transmitting from the historic site at 1200UTC on the 1st of January, the same time as the original station 100 years earlier in 1926. Listen for activity on the HF bands using CW, FT8 and SSB. More information about the station is available at QRZ.com Simeon, M0VOB in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is running special event callsign GB54NTA until Monday, the 5th of January. The station is active on the HF, 2m and 70cm bands. Recently, the station was worked on the 40m band using FT8. All QSOs will be logged and confirmed via QRZ.com Now the DX news Roland, F8EN, is active as TR8CR from Gabon until the 25th of December. He operates CW only. QSL via F6AJA. For more information, visit QRZ.com George, VU2DGR, is using the AT44I callsign from Bharati Research Station until the 31st of December. He is a member of the 44th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. The station is often worked using FT8 on the 20m band. QSL via George's home call. Now the contest news On Friday, the 26th of December, the DARC Christmas Contest runs from 0830 to 1100 UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The Worked All Britain Christmas Party starts on Friday, the 26th of December and ends on Tuesday, the 6th of January 2026. Using all modes on all bands, the exchange is your Worked All Britain book number. On Saturday, the 27th of December, the RSGB 50MHz Christmas Contest runs from 1500 to 1700 UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Stew Perry Topband Challenge starts at 1500UTC on Saturday, the 27th of December and ends at 1500 UTC on Sunday, the 28th of December. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is your four-character locator. On Sunday, the 28th of December, the RSGB 70MHz Christmas Contest runs from 1500 to 1700 UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 18th of December 2025 Last week, we suffered from the double whammy of a reduced solar flux index and an increased Kp index. The solar flux index went down to 119 by Thursday, the 18th, with the sunspots looking pretty spartan when compared with just a week or so ago. Unfortunately, a coronal hole contributed to a fast solar wind with a south-pointing interplanetary magnetic field or Bz. The net result was a Kp index of 5 and a minor G1 geomagnetic storm. Nevertheless, the maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, over a 3,000km path mostly remained above 28MHz, at least during daylight hours, and there was DX to be worked. As it's Christmas, let's focus on special calls for the season. YR0XMAS in Romania has been worked on the 20m band using CW and will be active until the end of the month. A little further afield is the 12 Days of Christmas event in the US. It runs until Christmas Day with 12 three-letter callsigns in the W2 and K2 series. You only have to work one to get a certificate, so it should be possible for most amateurs. If you are lucky enough to work all 12, plus a bonus station in Puerto Rico, you can get a special ‘Clean Sweep Plus' endorsement. W2S has already been spotted in the UK, and more details are available by Googling ‘12 days of Christmas ham radio'. Next week, we have another large coronal hole to contend with, which NOAA predicts may push the Kp index to 5 between the 22nd and 26th of December. The good news is that the solar flux index may increase over the same period, perhaps up to 180 by the 28th of December. Make the most of the low bands as we hit the winter solstice, with its long periods of darkness. And certainly check 14 to 28MHz during daylight hours. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The tail end of the previous week ended on a dramatically mild, wet and windy note, with heavy rain and gales in places. It might be good for the earth, but little else springs to mind other than some chance rain scatter for the GHz folk. The main feature of this Christmas propagation report is that we have a major change becoming established after this weekend. This change takes the form of swapping out the mild Atlantic pattern for a blocked, cold easterly flow with high pressure parked to the north of the British Isles near the Faroe Islands. If this takes place as suggested by some of the models, then a much colder easterly wind will remain with us for much of the Christmas week. The strength of the high means that the flow is only likely to produce shallow cloud, barely enough for an isolated wintry flurry on the east coast of England.  Lighter winds over northern Britain, closer to the high, will possibly allow some tropo, but it is not convincing in view of the shallow dry layer below the inversion. It will mean some sharp frosts are possible where skies clear. Long dark winter nights are potentially good for seeing meteors, and it is worth mentioning two showers this time. The first is the Ursids, which peak around the 22nd and 23rd of December. The second shower to be aware of is the Quadrantids, which peaks on the 3rd and 4th of January. This is a much larger shower than the Ursids, so maybe the one to focus on for radio activity. Aurora remains on the list, especially in view of the large coronal hole recently. As ever, keep an eye on the Kp index for high values, but it is even better to note conditions on the LF bands for signs of ‘watery' sounding signals. The Sporadic-E folklore often speaks of isolated mid-winter events, and, in view of the two meteor showers adding fuel and there being some useful jet streams, it is certainly worth mentioning. Using the jet stream over the Pyrenees for paths to Spain early this week is a good place to start. For EME operators, Moon declination is rising again, and path losses are decreasing. We are past apogee for the month, the point where the Moon is farthest from the Earth. 144MHz sky noise is also reducing again after reaching a peak yesterday, the 20th of December. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Broadcasting legend Clare Balding tells us why the Celebrity Traitors' castle was the perfect place to finish writing her latest book, how the author of a ‘bonkbuster' that was banned from her school became the person who got Clare into novel-writing, and the animals and women in literature who have captured her imagination. Clare grew up in the countryside surrounded by horses and dogs, reading everything from Jilly Cooper to Henry James. A keen rider, she competed as an amateur flat jockey during her teenage years, winning Champion Lady Rider in 1990. She is now one of Britain's leading broadcasters, receiving the BAFTA Special Award and RTS Presenter of the Year Award for her expert coverage of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and is an ardent campaigner for better coverage of women's sport. Clare hosts her much-loved Ramblings series on Radio 4, taking her across the British Isles exploring its landscape and its storytelling. She is also a bestselling and award-winning author of numerous books and children's novels, including her autobiography, My Animals and Other Family, which won the National Book Award for Autobiography of the Year. Her debut novel for adults, Pastures New, is a love letter to the countryside and the kindness of small communities, told with Clare's characteristic warmth and wit.  Clare's book choices are:  **Black Beauty by Anna Sewell **Riders by Jilly Cooper **The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid **Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus  **Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women's Prize's BookshelfiePodcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women's Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.  Don't want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now! You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org- every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.  This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

We're back from London! And we haven't changed a bit. Nope, not us. We sound and act exactly the same as before we spent some time on the British Isles. So come join us for a spot of tea as we talk about ADVENTURE X, THE GREATEST GAMING CONVENTION ON EARTH. Matt and Roses discuss their trip, the con, the demos they played, and then take YOUR LISTENER QUESTIONS until they're sick to their frickin' stomachs! Games Mentioned: Winter Burrow Strange Jigsaws Baba is You There Is No Game Foolish Mortals Pippistrello and the Cursed Yo-Yo Lone Fungus: Melody of Spores The Dark Room with John Robertson Blue Prince Contradiction The Roottrees are Dead Her Story Immortality Mouthwashing Sanitorium The Chzos Mythos (Trilby Games) 7 Days a Flumpy Broken AgeAdventure X Demos: Asocial Giraffe* Ashwood Conspiracy Behind the Hydra's Eyes Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror REFORGED Chance's Lucky Escape* City of Voices* Contact Protocol DEAD HAND: RED STAR Dark Tides Dolos: Your Best Future Duskpunk* Esoteric Ebb* Expelled Freida is Changing* Ghost Haunting In Their Shoes* Legends of Castille * MAW Minddiver Mithra Mops & Mobs Panthalassa* Spirits of the Afterland Sleepytime Village The Beekeeper's Picnic* The Dark Queen of Mortholme* The Midnight Barber The RATLINE The Seance of Blake Manor* The Tragedy at Deer Creek* Trance Theft Horso Truer Than You Vice Undercover* We Stay Behind Your Crown is Mine* - games we highlight in the episodeEmail us! mattandroses@gmail.comJoin our Discord: https://discord.gg/fPv7hRgTeVFollow us on Instagram: instagram.com/saveyourgamepodcastShow less

What's happening this December on Papley Grove Farm, St Neots? ffinlo Costain talks to Martin Lines from the Nature Friendly Farming Network – and meets Michael Meharg, who farms near Dundrod in Northern Ireland. Michael is a past chair of the NFFN in Northern Ireland.The trio discuss farming's contribution to Christmas, Irish Moiled cattle, the ecological crisis in Lough Neagh (the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles), and the funding situation for farmers in Northern Ireland.#farming #food #regenerativefarming #organicfarming #northernireland #loughneagh #irishmoiledcattle #cattle #nifarming #irishfarming

In this episode of Rock, Paper, Swords!, hosts Matthew Harffy and Justin Hill welcome writer and academic Dr Victoria Whitworth to discuss her new book:The Book of Kells: Unlocking the EnigmaVictoria takes us deep into the world of early medieval art, manuscript culture, monastic life, and the enduring mystery behind one of the most iconic artefacts of the British Isles.From pigments and parchment to spiritual symbolism, cultural context, and the sheer strangeness of medieval creativity, this conversation blends history, art, storytelling, and humour.We also explore her research process, her time living in Orkney, how she approaches writing for academic and general audiences, and why The Book of Kells continues to fascinate historians, artists, and readers alike.

In this bonus episode of Folk Files, I interview Ruth Perry, the author of The Ballad World of Anna Gordon, Mrs. Brown of Falkland. Anna Gordon is one of the most famous source singers in the history of folk music from the British Isles, and Ruth Perry's book dives into her life as a woman and ballad singer in 18th century Scotland. The book is available at https://global.oup.com/academic/ It's pricy, and understandably so, since it contains a wealth of new information and scholarship, but you can use the discount code AAFLYG6 to save 30%. You can listen to the accompanying ballads for free at https://global.oup.com/booksites/content/9780198939092/ In this episode, I use clips from the following songs: Lady Elspat, King Henry, Lamkin, and Thomas Rymer & Queen of Elfland You can purchase a CD with all twelve of the ballads at birnamcdshop.com or on Amazon (See more information here: https://www.birnamcd.com/birnam-pr/anna-gordon/ ) This interview has been edited for time. Special Thanks to Ruth Perry and Aaron J. Morton

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get ad-free episodes, early release, and bonus shows⁠ North Carolina wood boogers, ghost cars, and yet another psychologically scarring commercial from the British Isles are just a few of the things in the mailbag this week! Our musical guest on this episode is Moonrunner83 with his latest single, "Your Name is Tattooed On My Heart." Full shownotes @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GhostStoryGuys.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Galahad and the Grail is Book 1 of Merlin’s Isle, Malcolm Guite’s retelling of the King Arthur legends in ballad form. It releases in March of 2026. In the prelude to Galahad and the Grail, a voice shimmering in the morning air says: Poet, take up the tale–Take up the tale the land still keeps,In earth and water magic sleeps,The dryad sighs, the naiad weeps,But you can lift the veil. Malcolm has taken up a very old tale and lifted the veil on stories that have lingered in the traditions of the British Isles longer than the English language itself. Scholar and teacher Junius Johnson is taking up the tale in another way. Starting in January 2026, Junius is teaching a 20-week online class on the King Arthur legend. He describes the class as a chance to see for yourself why this story has fascinated the imagination for so many centuries. In this episode, Malcolm, Junius talk with Jonathan Rogers about how King Arthur rode into their lives, and what these stories have meant to them. This episode is sponsored by The Habit Writer Development Cohorts. Join "Cohort Week Zero," a free mini-class, at TheHabit.co/Development.Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/memberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“God Loves a Terrier” with Vandra Huber [caption id="attachment_14655" align="alignleft" width="523"] Dr. Vandra Huber, McVan Scottish Terriers.[/caption] Host Laura Reeves is joined by Terrier expert Vandra Huber for an overview of this plucky, feisty, fun group of dogs. Huber gave herself a Scottish Terrier as a college graduation present. Forty five years later her many claims to fame include co-ownership of Peggy Sue, Ch. Gaelforce Post Script, piloted by Maripi Wooldridge to Best in Show at Westminster Kennel Club in 1995. Ch. McVan's To Russia With Love, Knopa, won Best in Show at Crufts in 2015 handled by Rebecca Cross, who had been campaigning her in the United States. “Terrier comes from the word terra,” Huber noted. “So these are dogs that do have jobs, just like other groups of dogs, have specific jobs. And the work that terriers perform relates to earth functions. So we have everything from the short -legged terriers who have to be a bit tenacious, okay, maybe a lot tenacious, to go into burrows … think about if you went into a burrow or even saw a badger. If you drag that badger out with your teeth and get out of a burrow and bring it back. “Or then we have the smooth fox terrier whose job is to accompany individuals on the hunt and to be clever enough to round up that fox and alert the hunter as to where that fox is hiding. And yes, they are a little bit sly too. “And then we go to the larger terriers, coated terriers, I'll add, and their work is usually more above ground. So the shorter the legs the more into the earth they go. “You've got to think that most terriers come from the British Isles so you've got rocky terrain, you've got grass, you've got burrows to dig in and oh yes Scotties and these short -legged tears are extremely good as mousers and in digging up any tulips you might plant… “They are awesome squirrel hunters. So a terrier, when it is playing into its natural instincts, you also have to be a little tough because, like a cat, they're going to bring that dead prey to you very proudly. It could be a bunny. It could be a squirrel. So many of those types of creatures are fair game because most of the terriers believe they are bigger and stronger than almost anything else.”

Free Guide: How to Work With The Celtic Reed Moon⁠In this episode, I'm introducing you to the Celtic Lunar Tree Calendar. With 13 trees for 13 moons, it's rooted in earth- based animistic Celtic tradition that offers a slower, simpler, more ancestral rhythm than Western astrology. After attuning to the Moon with Western astrology for many years, I still appreciate it, but I realized it's something my grandmothers would have had no concept of. "What would my grandmothers have done?" is a question I find myself asking a lot lately, including how they would've attuned to the Moon and their Intuition.If Western astrology feels overwhelming, rigid, flat, or disconnected, the Tree Calendar offers a return to ancestral knowing—one that honors your inner timing, the seasons of your life, and the natural intelligence of the earth.You'll hear how this ancient way of tracking time transformed my spiritual practice after a life-changing pilgrimage to the British Isles, how it connects with my maternal lineage (and maybe yours too!) and why it feels more grounding, intuitive, and emotionally resonant for me than following the constantly shifting zodiac.I'll walk you month-by-month through what I've learned since starting to follow it in July: the teachings of the Holly, Hazel, Vine, and Ivy moons, while weaving in stories of my own and my clients'—including devotion in caregiving, intuition finding you when you haven't found it, the loving art of concealment, and the myth of limitless resilience. I'm also introducing the next lunar cycle that starts Nov 19—the Reed Moon (the Clarity Moon)—and explaining why Winter naturally brings sharper vision, deeper dreaming, and the perfect conditions for divination.If you've been craving a spiritual path that feels simpler, slower, earth-rooted, and ancestral… you will love this episode.Press play to hear:What the Celtic Lunar Tree Calendar actually is and how it developed through Celtic animist worldviewWhy I left Western astrology as my primary lunar practice, and how I still weave astrology in gentlyHow my British Isles pilgrimage awakened my connection to my maternal lineageWhy the tree calendar feels like “home”—and why it resonates so deeply for modern womenHow Holly taught devotion through a powerful client story about caregivingHow Hazel revealed intuition through Celtic mythology and the question, “What if you don't access your intuition—what if your intuition accesses you?”How Vine teaches truth and timing, including the story of loving concealmentHow Ivy teaches resilience through resourcing and relationship, especially with the Unseen worldWhy winter clarity is real, both spiritually and scientificallyWhat the Reed Moon (the Clarity Moon) is all about as we enter this next lunar cycleA peek at all the upcoming trees in the remaining months of the Celtic yearThis episode is an invitation to reconnect with the rhythms our grandmothers lived by.To follow these teachings month by month, I send out weekly emails in rhythm with the current tree's lessons—all for free.Join me by downloading the Free Guide: How to Work With The Celtic Reed Moon.Emails referenced in this episode:Holly Moon: Devotion + "Are you actually stuck, or are you devoted?"Vine Moon: Truth + “Is it lying or is it loving?”

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine Britain's arc from Tudor origins through imperial dominance to modern decline, analyzing how internal unification of the British Isles catalyzed global expansion. -- SPONSOR: SHOPIFY⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shopify.com/cognitive⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For generations, Irish speakers north and south of the Irish Border have fought to keep their language alive. And today, what was once dismissed as a fading tongue is undergoing an exhilarating and vibrant revival.The Republic's newly elected president Catherine Connolly has made it clear the Irish language will play a central role during her time in office and says she wants to see the native tongue of this island flourish.Meanwhile, north of the Border, the Irish language is also making headlines. In October, attendees at the annual Oireachtas na Samhna Irish-language festival heard Belfast was “leading the revival” of the language. New Irish-medium schools are springing up across the city to meet a surge in demand and Belfast is now hailed by many as Ireland's largest urban Gaeltacht.However, beneath all this buzz lies a battleground. The Irish language remains highly politically charged across Northern Ireland, with unionist leaders pushing back against what they see as an erosion of their identity and traditions. They argue the language is being imposed, without consent, into on daily lives.From bilingual street signs to Irish on council property – every word is a flashpoint.So why does the Irish language stir such fierce resistance in Northern Ireland?Claims that the language is being “weaponised”, are unhelpful and only create further divisions, says Linda Ervine, one of the leading activists and teachers of the Irish language in Northern Ireland and manager of the Turas Irish language project in east Belfast.“I try to say to people if you don't like the language, it doesn't symbolise who you are, that's fine, I totally accept that,” Ms Ervine tells today's In The News episode. “Nobody is removing the English. All we're asking for is a shared space.”“The language is part of the family of Celtic language, it's spoken throughout the British Isles,” she says. “No matter our history, we have these shared, familial and linguistic ties to each other and I think that's something to be celebrated, not something to be frightened of.”Today, on In The News, what's behind the revival of the Irish Language in Belfast, and why is it controversial?Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A big VLOG update as we approach the end of the year. This past November 7, 2025 we took a historic step in cutting the cord with the cloud. We still have more to do, but the critical infrastructure has been successfully moved to The Vault. It's our Indendepence Day and it will make it all the more difficult for outside influences to cancel preaching. We are also approaching the end of our 2025 Gospel of John campaign of 12 cities in 12 months. We will have reached 120,000 homes in total when we come to the year-end. For the final year, we are mailing 10,000 booklets to Starbase, TX. In that connection, we have published an open letter to Elon Musk, a self-proclaimed truth-seeker, with an invitation to Jesus Christ, the way the truth, and the life. More GPUs have been acquired to build out Vault AI as we find ourselves increasing the workload in-house with artificial intelligence. It is used for Global Sermons, Smart Edit, transcription, formatting, and more. We value your support in this regard. We have also launched our newly-minted Broadcaster Dashboard that brings a completely re-written interface for churches to manage their content. Mobile-friendly, dark-mode, support for Canada, British Isles, and faster than ever! Finally, we invite you to take a look at our book and upcoming film, The Story of SermonAudio, as we trace God's good hand of providence in leading us these 25 years to where we are today. The story is not really about SermonAudio, but about God and His ability to use the weak to confound the mighty. www.sermonaudiostory.com Support us here: sermonaudio.com/vault

In this episode, I chat with Patricia Doe from The Wilderness Group about the beauty of soft adventure travel — those immersive, outdoor experiences that blend nature, culture, and connection in the most meaningful way.Patricia shares her story (including what it was like growing up in a castle-turned-hotel!) and how The Wilderness Group designs soft adventure experiences across the British Isles — from the rugged Highlands of Scotland to the serene landscapes of Ireland, England, and Wales. I also share that I'm collaborating with The Wilderness Group (and why) to create the upcoming 2026 Wander Your Way Adventures to Scotland. And that I'll  be working with them again on future small group tours launching in 2027. Patricia and I dive into how soft adventure in Europe opens doors to local culture through gentle hikes, village walks, and authentic encounters that reveal the heart of a place. We also highlight hidden gems, underrated destinations, and easy ways to get outdoors that make travel both enriching and approachable.Hint: You don't have to be an über fit under 30!If you've ever wanted to experience Europe beyond the main tourist trail and embrace the outdoors, this episode is packed with inspiration and ideas for your next journey.Want to chat more about soft adventure travel?Email lynne at Lynne@WanderYourWay.comIn this episode:1:03: Intro and Introducing Patricia Doe4:27: Patricia's background7:01: The Wilderness Group10:54: Special place for Patricia14:06: Patricia's picks19:05: Trip expectations28:10: Cities vs Nature35:30: More of Patricia's favorite places39:13: Fitness level49:00: Final thoughts54:58: Soft adventures and Wander Your Way1:02:47: Wrapping it upImportant links:Wilderness ScotlandWilderness IrelandWilderness EnglandWander Your Way AdventuresSolo Traveler Tracey's ListWhy Europe Is an Amazing Destination for Nature LoversOutdoors Europe with Jackie NourseWander Your Way ResourcesWander Your Way ★ Support this podcast ★

  Hooked rugs are humble things made of recycled cloth and worn out textiles, originally born of need and lack: and yet they have come to mean much more to the communities that produced and enjoyed them. In America they have become an emblem of homespun pioneer thrift and self-reliance and an important element in the definition of a certain kind of national values.   Handmade hooked rugs are the stuff of everyday life, but in Canada they became a vital form of income for impoverished seafaring families in Labrador and Newfoundland. And in northern England and southern Scotland they brightened up the hearth of many rural and urban working-class homes.   But in the far north of the British Isles a very different tradition developed where sewn pile rugs came to play a role as vital protection for sleeping bodies against night time trolls and witches.   Join us as we explore the many forms of hooky, proggy, proddy, clooty, clippy, stobby, and bodgy rugs that have spread around the world.   For more information about this episode and pictures of the people and places mentioned in this episode please go to https://hapticandhue.com/tales-of-textiles-series-7/.   And if you would like to find out about Friends of Haptic & Hue with an extra podcast every month hosted by Jo Andrews and Bill Taylor – here's the link: https://hapticandhue.com/join/

With the autumn harvest safely stowed away, many people in bygone centuries turned their attention to hunting. And just as the Harvest Moon helped them bring in the crops, the Hunter’s Moon helped them find game. The moonlight made it easier to track animals through the empty fields and beyond. Although most present-day Americans don’t have to worry about storing food for the winter, we still keep the names for those full Moons. We had the Harvest Moon last month. And tonight, it’s time for the Hunter’s Moon. The names for both of these full Moons come mainly from parts of Europe and the British Isles. The names were recorded as far back as the early 1700s, but they’d probably been in everyday use for much longer. Variations of the “Hunter’s Moon” label were used by several native tribes and nations in the Americas as well. The Harvest Moon is usually defined as the full Moon closest to the autumn equinox. Most years, that puts it in September. But this year, October’s full Moon edged out September by just a few hours. So the Hunter’s Moon got bumped into November. Officially, the Moon will be full at 7:19 a.m. Central Standard Time tomorrow. So it will appear almost as “full” when it rises tomorrow night as it does tonight – extra time to appreciate the brilliant glow of the Hunter’s Moon. Tomorrow: A giant black hole at the center of a little red dot. Script by Damond Benningfield

Could melting Arctic ice be reshaping British and Irish winters?The Arctic just hit its lowest winter sea ice maximum on record - and as a region is warming faster than many other parts of the world. New groundbreaking research reveals a climate "tug-of-war" between Arctic ice loss and ocean warming that could fundamentally alter our winter weather patterns.In this episode of Climate Conversations, Clare Nasir introduces a fascinating deep dive into how rapid Arctic changes ripple thousands of miles south to affect our weather. Alex Burkill speaks with two leading climate scientists about why the Arctic is warming three times faster than the global average, and what this means for future weather patterns across the UK and Ireland. MEET THE EXPERTS:Dr Ed Blockley - Met Office Arctic Sea Ice Expert Ed explains the mechanisms linking rapid Arctic warming to mid-latitude weather patterns and the critical role of temperature gradients in driving the jet stream.Dr Steph Hay - University of Exeter, Lead Author Steph reveals surprising findings from her groundbreaking paper on Arctic sea ice impacts specifically on the British Isles—the first study to focus on our region in such detail.

Angela Harding is an artist, printmaker and illustrator. Based in Rutland, Angela's work is inspired by the countryside of the British Isles, and in particular British birds. Alongside her many prints and artistic creations, her award-willing illustrations can be found adorning many a book cover.Angela was born in Stoke-on-Trent in June 1960, the middle of three daughters to Stephen and Joan Harding. It was an artistic household: her father, a headteacher, passed on his love of poetry to Angela, her mother taught pottery, and all three sisters would end up going to art college. She left school at sixteen and, at her mother's behest, did a pre-nursing course before pursuing her passion for art. She studied Fine Art at Leicester Polytechnic from where she graduated with a first in 1982. After indulging her love of travel – both on her bike around Britain as well as on a Magic Bus across Europe – Angela spent twenty years working in the art world, from teaching to consultancy. During these years, she married and raised two children, then divorced and married her second husband, Mark.In 2008, she made the life changing decision to pursue a career as a professional artist: she abandoned the media she had previously worked in and concentrated on linocuts and silkscreen printing. She has worked as a magazine illustrator and today her prints can be found on everything from book covers to tea towels and greeting cards. Her advent calendars – first produced in 2015 – have become a collector's item. She has also published several books of her own.When she's not on her boat sailing around the British Isles, Angela lives in Rutland, with her husband Mark and her whippet, Oaty. DISC ONE: I Wanna Thank Ya (featuring Snoop Dogg) - Angie Stone DISC TWO: The Thought Fox. Written and read by Ted Hughes DISC THREE: Britten: Songs from "Friday Afternoons", Op. 7: Songs From Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: "Cuckoo!". Performed by Choir of Downside School, Purley, Viola Tunnard (piano), Benjamin Britten (conductor) DISC FOUR: Rise - Public Image Ltd. DISC FIVE: My Lady Story - Anohni and the Johnsons DISC SIX: La conga blicoti - Joséphine Baker DISC SEVEN: Skeleton Tree - LYR DISC EIGHT: Marie douceur - Marie colère - Marie Laforêt BOOK CHOICE: Complete Poetical Works and Letters of Edward Thomas LUXURY ITEM: A lino printing set with champagne CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: I Wanna Thank Ya (featuring Snoop Dogg) - Angie Stone Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah TaylorThere are more than 2000 programmes in our archive available for you to listen to. We have cast away other notable artists including Helen Oxenbury, Maggie Hambling and Quentin Blake. You'll also find the Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage in our archive too. You can find their episodes on BBC Sounds or on our Desert Island Discs website.

Making a Grade: Victorian Examinations and the Rise of Standardized Testing (U Toronto Press, 2025) takes historiographic and sociological perspectives developed to understand large-scale scientific and technical systems and uses them to highlight the standardization that went into "standardized testing." Starting in the 1850s achievement tests became standardized in the British Isles, and were administered on an industrial scale. By the end of the century more than two million people had written mass exams, particularly in science, technology, and mathematics. Some candidates responded to this standardization by cramming or cheating; others embraced the hope that such tests rewarded not only knowledge but also merit. Written with humour, Making a Grade looks at how standardized testing practices quietly appeared, and then spread worldwide. This book situates mass exams, marks, and credentials in an emerging paper-based meritocracy, arguing that such exams often first appeared as "cameras" to neutrally record achievement, and then became "engines" to change education as people tailored their behaviour to fit these tests. Taking the perspectives of both examiners and examinees, Making a Grade claims that our own culture's desire for accountability through objective testing has a long history. James Elwick is Associate Professor at the Department of Science, Technology and Society, for which he is also Chair. He has written on the history of the life sciences and scientists including John Tyndall, Herbert Spencer, and T.H. Huxley, and is currently writing a history of academic integrity, viewed through the lens of students who cheat on their tests and other school assessments. Jacob Ward is a historian at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. He has written in the history of science and technology, environmental history, business and financial history, and political history. He recently published Visions of a Digital Nation: Market and Monopoly in British Telecommunications (MIT Press, 2024) and he's currently working on a history of futurology in the United Kingdom and Europe from 1945 to the present day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Making a Grade: Victorian Examinations and the Rise of Standardized Testing (U Toronto Press, 2025) takes historiographic and sociological perspectives developed to understand large-scale scientific and technical systems and uses them to highlight the standardization that went into "standardized testing." Starting in the 1850s achievement tests became standardized in the British Isles, and were administered on an industrial scale. By the end of the century more than two million people had written mass exams, particularly in science, technology, and mathematics. Some candidates responded to this standardization by cramming or cheating; others embraced the hope that such tests rewarded not only knowledge but also merit. Written with humour, Making a Grade looks at how standardized testing practices quietly appeared, and then spread worldwide. This book situates mass exams, marks, and credentials in an emerging paper-based meritocracy, arguing that such exams often first appeared as "cameras" to neutrally record achievement, and then became "engines" to change education as people tailored their behaviour to fit these tests. Taking the perspectives of both examiners and examinees, Making a Grade claims that our own culture's desire for accountability through objective testing has a long history. James Elwick is Associate Professor at the Department of Science, Technology and Society, for which he is also Chair. He has written on the history of the life sciences and scientists including John Tyndall, Herbert Spencer, and T.H. Huxley, and is currently writing a history of academic integrity, viewed through the lens of students who cheat on their tests and other school assessments. Jacob Ward is a historian at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. He has written in the history of science and technology, environmental history, business and financial history, and political history. He recently published Visions of a Digital Nation: Market and Monopoly in British Telecommunications (MIT Press, 2024) and he's currently working on a history of futurology in the United Kingdom and Europe from 1945 to the present day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/education

Making a Grade: Victorian Examinations and the Rise of Standardized Testing (U Toronto Press, 2025) takes historiographic and sociological perspectives developed to understand large-scale scientific and technical systems and uses them to highlight the standardization that went into "standardized testing." Starting in the 1850s achievement tests became standardized in the British Isles, and were administered on an industrial scale. By the end of the century more than two million people had written mass exams, particularly in science, technology, and mathematics. Some candidates responded to this standardization by cramming or cheating; others embraced the hope that such tests rewarded not only knowledge but also merit. Written with humour, Making a Grade looks at how standardized testing practices quietly appeared, and then spread worldwide. This book situates mass exams, marks, and credentials in an emerging paper-based meritocracy, arguing that such exams often first appeared as "cameras" to neutrally record achievement, and then became "engines" to change education as people tailored their behaviour to fit these tests. Taking the perspectives of both examiners and examinees, Making a Grade claims that our own culture's desire for accountability through objective testing has a long history. James Elwick is Associate Professor at the Department of Science, Technology and Society, for which he is also Chair. He has written on the history of the life sciences and scientists including John Tyndall, Herbert Spencer, and T.H. Huxley, and is currently writing a history of academic integrity, viewed through the lens of students who cheat on their tests and other school assessments. Jacob Ward is a historian at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. He has written in the history of science and technology, environmental history, business and financial history, and political history. He recently published Visions of a Digital Nation: Market and Monopoly in British Telecommunications (MIT Press, 2024) and he's currently working on a history of futurology in the United Kingdom and Europe from 1945 to the present day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Making a Grade: Victorian Examinations and the Rise of Standardized Testing (U Toronto Press, 2025) takes historiographic and sociological perspectives developed to understand large-scale scientific and technical systems and uses them to highlight the standardization that went into "standardized testing." Starting in the 1850s achievement tests became standardized in the British Isles, and were administered on an industrial scale. By the end of the century more than two million people had written mass exams, particularly in science, technology, and mathematics. Some candidates responded to this standardization by cramming or cheating; others embraced the hope that such tests rewarded not only knowledge but also merit. Written with humour, Making a Grade looks at how standardized testing practices quietly appeared, and then spread worldwide. This book situates mass exams, marks, and credentials in an emerging paper-based meritocracy, arguing that such exams often first appeared as "cameras" to neutrally record achievement, and then became "engines" to change education as people tailored their behaviour to fit these tests. Taking the perspectives of both examiners and examinees, Making a Grade claims that our own culture's desire for accountability through objective testing has a long history. James Elwick is Associate Professor at the Department of Science, Technology and Society, for which he is also Chair. He has written on the history of the life sciences and scientists including John Tyndall, Herbert Spencer, and T.H. Huxley, and is currently writing a history of academic integrity, viewed through the lens of students who cheat on their tests and other school assessments. Jacob Ward is a historian at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. He has written in the history of science and technology, environmental history, business and financial history, and political history. He recently published Visions of a Digital Nation: Market and Monopoly in British Telecommunications (MIT Press, 2024) and he's currently working on a history of futurology in the United Kingdom and Europe from 1945 to the present day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Making a Grade: Victorian Examinations and the Rise of Standardized Testing (U Toronto Press, 2025) takes historiographic and sociological perspectives developed to understand large-scale scientific and technical systems and uses them to highlight the standardization that went into "standardized testing." Starting in the 1850s achievement tests became standardized in the British Isles, and were administered on an industrial scale. By the end of the century more than two million people had written mass exams, particularly in science, technology, and mathematics. Some candidates responded to this standardization by cramming or cheating; others embraced the hope that such tests rewarded not only knowledge but also merit. Written with humour, Making a Grade looks at how standardized testing practices quietly appeared, and then spread worldwide. This book situates mass exams, marks, and credentials in an emerging paper-based meritocracy, arguing that such exams often first appeared as "cameras" to neutrally record achievement, and then became "engines" to change education as people tailored their behaviour to fit these tests. Taking the perspectives of both examiners and examinees, Making a Grade claims that our own culture's desire for accountability through objective testing has a long history. James Elwick is Associate Professor at the Department of Science, Technology and Society, for which he is also Chair. He has written on the history of the life sciences and scientists including John Tyndall, Herbert Spencer, and T.H. Huxley, and is currently writing a history of academic integrity, viewed through the lens of students who cheat on their tests and other school assessments. Jacob Ward is a historian at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. He has written in the history of science and technology, environmental history, business and financial history, and political history. He recently published Visions of a Digital Nation: Market and Monopoly in British Telecommunications (MIT Press, 2024) and he's currently working on a history of futurology in the United Kingdom and Europe from 1945 to the present day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore 18th-century Europe's L'Ancien Regime: aristocratic culture, Louis XIV's Versailles, military revolutions, European warfare, Enlightenment developments, and the economic and political conditions leading to the French Revolution. -- SPONSOR: SHOPIFY⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at ⁠⁠⁠https://shopify.com/cognitive⁠⁠⁠ -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (06:00) European haute culture, Baroque period, and aristocratic living (14:40) Louis XIV, Versailles, and French court politics (19:59) Sponsor: Shopiy (22:00) Enlightenment developments and Treaty of Westphalia (28:20) Seeds of the French Revolution and bureaucratic power (34:40) Economic inequality in 18th century France (40:00) Military revolution: from mercenaries to national armies (49:00) English systems: accent evolution, boarding schools, and Civil War (52:20) Religious wars in Britain and the Glorious Revolution (56:10) Enlightenment, literacy, and class divisions across Europe (1:05:00) European regional divisions (Northwest, Latin, Eastern, Ottoman) (1:12:10) English nobility strategy and meritocratic integration (1:21:50) British Isles unification: Scotland and Ireland (1:27:40) European warfare system and balance of power (1:29:50) Austrian and Russian Empires (1:35:50) Great Northern War: Charles XII vs Peter the Great (1:39:50) Enlightened despotism (Catherine the Great, Frederick II, Maria Theresa) (1:45:50) Spain's decline and Vauban's predictions for France (1:56:30) War of Spanish Succession (2:04:40) 18th century warfare culture and tactics (2:11:10) Frederick the Great and the Seven Years War (2:15:20) War of Jenkins' Ear (2:16:40) Wrap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your cat the devil in disguise? Probably not, although they may act like it sometimes! But once upon a time, they would have been accused of luring you into witchcraft. In Britain in the 16th and 17th centuries witch hunting became an obsession and supposed ‘witches' were put on trial, and some were even sentenced to death. Being an animal lover was considered a sure sign that someone was practicing witchcraft. Friendliness towards cats, rabbits or dogs could lead to accusations of witchcraft, as these animals, known as familiars, were suspected of working for the devil. One of those accused of witchcraft and seen with familiars was Elizabeth Clarke, a poor, disabled woman from Essex. Join Rosie and historian Dr Romany Reagan as they uncover Elizabeth's story and the strange tale of the witches' familiars. [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure.  Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.  Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor. https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/   Production:  Host: Rosie Holdsworth Producers: Rosie Toy and Katy Kelly Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez   Contributor: Dr Romany Reagan Discover More:  Find out more about witchcraft: https://essexwitchmuseum.co.uk Uncover folklore, legends, myths and lost histories from the British Isles with Dr Romany Reagan: https://blackthornandstone.com Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nationaltrustcharity/podcasts If you'd like to get in touch with feedback or a story idea you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk 

As part of Dublin Festival of History, this lecture was organised to mark the RIA Library exhibition, Collecting Ireland's History. This lecture was organised in collaboration with the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland (VRTI) Library Network and explored the diverse approaches to collecting Irish historical manuscripts of the last 700 years; and the role of libraries in preserving and recovering lost materials. Focusing on materials from the Bodleian Libraries, Cambridge University Library, British Library, National Library Ireland, Trinity College Dublin and the Royal Irish Academy, the talk also addressed the themes presented in the accompanying Collecting Ireland's History exhibition. It examined the links between private and institutional collecting and how their combined efforts are helping to reconstruct a lost archive: the Public Record Office of Ireland, destroyed on 30 June 1922. About the speaker Dr Sarah Hendriks is an early modern historian specialising in the socio-cultural and architectural history of Ireland and the British Isles. She has studied and worked in universities around the world including The Australian National University, The University of Oxford, The University of Cambridge, and The University of Edinburgh. At the time of recording, Sarah was Archival Discovery Research Fellow and Lead Coordinator of the Library Network for the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland.

Stu is joined by author Lee Herbert to discuss his new book Rampage, chronicling the WWF's explosive impact on the UK from 1989–1993. They dive into how events were set up, the merchandise boom, and the media frenzy that helped shape a generation of British wrestling fans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The British Isles are remarkable for their extraordinary seabird life: spectacular gatherings of charismatic Arctic terns, elegant fulmars and stoic eiders, to name just a few. Often found in the most remote and dramatic reaches of our shores, these colonies are landscapes shaped not by us but by the birds.In 2015, Stephen Rutt escaped his hectic, anxiety-inducing life in London for the bird observatory on North Ronaldsay, the most northerly of the Orkney Islands. In thrall to these windswept havens and the people and birds that inhabit them, he began a journey to the edges of Britain. From Shetland, to the Farnes of Northumberland, down to the Welsh islands off the Pembrokeshire coast, he explores the part seabirds have played in our history and what they continue to mean to Britain today.The Seafarers is the story of those travels: a love letter, written from the rocks and the edges, for the salt-stained, isolated and ever-changing lives of seabirds. This beguiling book reveals what it feels like to be immersed in a completely wild landscape, examining the allure of the remote in an over-crowded world.Support the showConnect with me at... GoodReads: Hannah Buschert IG: @HannahgoesbirdingFacebook: @HannahandErikGoBirdingEmail us at HannahandErikGoBirding@gmail.comWebsite: http://www.gobirdingpodcast.comGet a discount at Buteo Books using code: BIRDNERDBOOKCLUB

As of this writing in summer 2025, parts of the United Kingdom are experiencing drought conditions. Which is strange to me because I figured that it is always raining in the British Isles. But here we are. Turns out that droughts do indeed happen in England. And they aren't too uncommon either. Which makes a strong water supply system essential. Over thirty years ago in 1989, England and Wales privatized its water industry, selling them into the public markets. Today, several of those companies - including the largest - teeter from excessive debt and huge infrastructure bills. How did this happen? In today's video, a brief history of the momentous 1989 water privatization and the debt crisis it created.

As of this writing in summer 2025, parts of the United Kingdom are experiencing drought conditions. Which is strange to me because I figured that it is always raining in the British Isles. But here we are. Turns out that droughts do indeed happen in England. And they aren't too uncommon either. Which makes a strong water supply system essential. Over thirty years ago in 1989, England and Wales privatized its water industry, selling them into the public markets. Today, several of those companies - including the largest - teeter from excessive debt and huge infrastructure bills. How did this happen? In today's video, a brief history of the momentous 1989 water privatization and the debt crisis it created.

In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer engages with Dr. Greg Quiggle and Dr. Jerry Root to discuss an upcoming study tour focused on the English Reformation and the works of C.S. Lewis. The conversation delves into the complexities of the English Reformation, exploring its political and theological dimensions, and how these historical events resonate with contemporary issues. The discussion also highlights C.S. Lewis's contributions to Christian thought and the importance of dialogue in understanding faith. The episode concludes with a reflection on the distinction between reality and truth, emphasizing the need for accurate thinking in a world filled with diverse perspectives. Find out more about the tour with Drs. Root and Quiggle here. Subscribe to our YouTube channel

On the Secret Witch Show today our guest is Sarah Robinson. Sarah is an Author and Yoga Teacher based in the green outskirts of Bath, UK. She is fascinated by myth, magic and folklore; which is evident in her books which include the bestselling Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore and Fairy Tale, the Witch and the Wildwood, and the upcoming Witch Country: Seeking the Witch in the British Landscape – flying out on Samhain 2025 - all published by Womancraft Publishing. Sarah loves exploring the power of myth, magic and story in both her writing and yoga teaching, and is passionate about helping everyone connect to their own special magic and inner power. In this episode we explore how the land can be a living remedy - how it holds our stories, reflects our wounds, and helps us remember the Witch within. Sarah shares her journey of rewilding wonder and rooting back into the magic of the British Isles, offering reflections on the spirit of place, ancestral grief, seasonal rhythm, and the healing power of story. We speak to what it means to be held by land and lore, how myth helps us navigate modern overwhelm and disconnection, and why there is no ‘right' way to find your magic. This is a conversation for the Witch who longs to belong, and is ready to remember - via the land - that you already do. What You'll Learn from this Episode: The ‘land' - aka the wild - acts as a living mirror, reflecting our inner wounds, wonder, and wisdom - places are remedies! We don't need to travel far to find magic - unless we choose to - we belong right where we are, and we can take steps to reconnect to ourselves in our local lands Stories, myths, and folklore live within the land, waiting to be heard There is no one ‘right' way to be a witch or walk the land with reverence - however we do, we can learn and heal Places of grief and wounding hold powerful medicine when we're willing to listen and face the truth Magic begins with presence - start where you are and let the land speak to you - you might be surprised what you learn. Resources and things that we spoke about: Sarah's Links: Sarah's books - The Witch and the Wildwood, Witch Country (out October) Website - https://sentiayoga.com/ Facebook - Sarah Robinson: Author - https://www.facebook.com/SarahRobinsonAuthor/ Instagram - @yogaforwitches Our links: Join our Apothecary Membership for the live Create Space for your Witch ceremony on 25th September: www.nicolebarton.co.uk/membership  Social: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nicoleamandabarton  Facebook Group - Secret Witch Sisterhood: www.facebook.com/groups/secretwitch  Instagram - @iamnicolebarton Instagram - @archetypalapothecary You Tube - https://www.youtube.com/@secretwitchsociety Tiktok - @archetypalapothecary Free Moonlit Apothecary Love Letters: www.nicolebarton.co.uk/moonlitapothecary  Thank you for listening, we'd love to know what comes alive for you in this week's episode, so please let us know. If you loved it, there's a fresh episode every other week - subscribe so you don't miss it! Thank you, Nicole and Team Secret Witch xox

Tracing a line from Pied Pumkin through Spirit of the West, Nyetz, The Bills, Outlaw Social, and Viper Central to the Unfaithful Servants, my "take" on BC's special West coast sound! Started with some hot new sounds from Africa, featured a bunch of local concert previews, some tasty new releases, and a few songs which came to mind on our recent cruise around the British Isles, Eire, and Norway

This week on The Spooky Sleepover, Nikki and Cheryl dive into another whirlwind in the KCQ Multiverse! From Lady Gaga's spectacular London O2 show that had Cheryl losing her mind, to a creepy wander through the Paris Catacombs (yes, actual French bone tunnels!), and straight up into the skies with bizarre UFO sightings over Essex – it's chaos, camp and conspiracies galore.And if that wasn't wild enough, we're revealing our ultimate Zombie Apocalypse survival plans – what would really happen if the undead took over the British Isles?Expect late-night laughs, mayhem, and plenty of gossip in this week's KCQ bonus show.

Welcome to Watch. Review. Repeat. This is the podcast where two best friends discuss the latest in film and television and then do it all over again the following episode! Colton and Andrew return to the Rage virus-infected British Isles in '28 Years Later', which marks the reteaming of writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle! 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:17 - Andrew's Totally Embarrassing Dad Joke of the Episode! 00:07:11 - Colton's Fun Facts About '28 Years Later' 00:16:46 - 'Dances With Wolves' Indigenous Actor Graham Greene Dead at Age 73 00:22:20 - IMAX Pioneer David Keighley Dead at Age 77 00:27:49 - ‘Mortal Kombat II' Delayed to May 2026 00:33:08 - ‘Task' Official Trailer 00:37:59 - ‘Fallout' Season Two Teaser Trailer 00:44:13 - ‘The Pitt' Season 2 Official Teaser 00:47:38 - Marvel Animation's ‘Marvel Zombies' Official Trailer 00:51:58 - '28 Years Later' (Non-Spoilers and Recommendation) 01:29:20 - '28 Years Later' (Spoilers) 02:05:05 - '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' Official Trailer 02:09:29 - Catching Up With Andrew ('Alien: Earth', Odyssey by Stephen Fry, 'Secret Millionaire', College Football) 02:16:53 - Catching Up With Colton (Nine Inch Nails Peel It Back Tour, NY/Vermont Trip, 'Abbott Elementary' and 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Crossover) 02:24:54 - Conclusion/Outro Visit our website! Support us on Patreon! Thank you for listening, and please send any feedback to watchreviewrepeat@gmail.com! Intro/Outro Credit: Mechanolith Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Send us a textHow do we treat our physical health versus our mental health? Former London Metropolitan Police officer Jonathan Kemp spent 12 years in law enforcement while battling undiagnosed bipolar disorder, depression, and dyslexia—yet refused to seek professional help until his late 30s."I was determined to fix myself on my own," Kemp reveals in this powerful conversation. "I saw it as an insult to go and see a doctor. It was a weakness or admission of defeat." This mindset, particularly prevalent among first responders and those in high-pressure careers, kept him struggling silently for decades before finally seeking the treatment that transformed his life.Kemp articulates the profound disconnect in how we approach different aspects of our wellbeing: "If you had a chronic knee problem, you'd go and see a knee specialist. It defies logic that we're happy to see a professional for the rest of our body, but when it comes to the brain, we have this almost inbuilt default that you should figure it out yourself." This insight cuts to the heart of why many resist mental health support despite overwhelming suffering.The conversation explores how structured environments like policing can sometimes mask mental health challenges, while shift work can exacerbate them by disrupting sleep patterns—what Kemp identifies as his "#1 foundation" for mental health stability. He shares practical advice for supporting struggling colleagues and navigating recovery resources when confidentiality concerns arise, especially in professions where stigma remains powerful.Now an advocate and author, Kemp discusses his upcoming book "Finding Peace of Mind" (releasing on World Mental Health Day) and his ambitious seven-month awareness walk across the British Isles beginning January 2026. Through both initiatives, he's transforming his decades of struggle into resources that might help others find support sooner.Visit Jonathan at the following links: https://www.viscountrochdale.com/https://www.facebook.com/jonathankemplondonhttps://www.instagram.com/Jonathankemplondonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathankemplondonYou can order his book at Amazon: www.amazon.com/jonathankempFreed.ai: We'll Do Your SOAP Notes!Freed AI converts conversations into SOAP note.Use code Steve50 for $50 off the 1st month!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showYouTube Channel For The Podcast

Welcome to Multiverse News, Your source for Information about all your favorite fictional universesIt appears as though Marvel Studios much speculated film that was slated to release between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars in July 2027, won't be happening after all; or at least not that July, as Disney has replaced the untitled project with a sequel to The Simpsons Movie dated for July 23, 2027. The move comes as a surprise to many Marvel fans who anticipated a possible Doctor Strange or Shang-Chi sequel to take place between the Avengers tentpoles but is in keeping with what Bob Iger and Kevin Feige have promised about a slowdown in production. Elsewhere, with Marvel Zombies premiering on Disney Plus last week, Marvel TV head Brad Winderbaum teased a possible season 2, but emphasized that would be contingent on viewership and new Disney Plus subscriptions. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Olsen took the opportunity to share that although she recorded lines for the series, she doesn't remember anything about the show or plot. It was a huge week for trailers from a bevy of our favorite franchises, so lets run them down with another good old fashioned Trailer Park:Insomniac and Sony released the first gameplay trailer for Marvel's Wolverine on the PS5, which will release in fall of 2026.Lucasfilm unveiled a new trailer for Star Wars; Visions Volume 3 which also announced the cast that includes Anna Sawai, Freddie Highmore, George Takei, Harvey Guillén, Jodie Turner-Smith, Judith Light, Simu Liu, Stephanie Hsu, and Steve Buscemi.The final trailer for Jon M. Chu's Wicked: For Good released last Wednesday morning to much acclaim.And finally, a new trailer for 20th Century's Avatar: Fire and Ash teased more of the villainous faction and stakes.Director Denis Villeneuve shed new light on his upcoming version of 007 for Amazon/MGM; sharing that the casting process will begin next year after he's completed production on Dune: Part Three for Warner Bros and that he is looking to cast a “relatively unknown” “fresh face” actor in their 20s or 30s. Additional criteria the filmmaker included is that the performer must hail from the British Isles and be male, as well as his desire to capture what Fleming called “a blunt instrument” — the lethal but “extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened.” If Villeneuve and team stay true to these parameters, it potentially rules out many fan-casted favorites and seems to be in more alignment with the Broccoli family's traditions with the character than expected with new creatives in control.Mark Ronson is slated to reunite with Greta Gerwig to score her Chronicles of Narnia adaptation at Netflix. Ronson previously served as executive music producer for Gerwig's Barbie.Amazon MGM Studios‘ adaptation of Rebecca Yarros' bestselling novel Fourth Wing is closing in on a new showrunner. Wednesday Season 2 executive producer Meredith Averill is in final negotiations to board the project as writer and executive producer.Sony revealed that Spider-Man: Beyond the SpiderVerse will arrive a week earlier than expected, and land on June 18, 2027. Notably, that new date will cover the Juneteenth holiday as well as Father's Day. It previously was dated for June 25, 2027.Comedian Bill Burr is in talks to join the cast of Aaron Sorkin and Sony Pictures' sequel to The Social Network, after Jeremy Strong, Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White were officially cast. The film also has been retitled The Social Reckoning and will officially hit theaters on Oct. 9, 2026.A newly created AI “actress” named Tilly Norwood, designed by the studio Xicoia under Particle6, has reportedly drawn interest from Hollywood talent agencies. The announcement sparked major backlash from real actors, with critiques about replacing human talent, the ethics of compositing real faces, and calls to boycott agencies that represent AI personas.

Memento Mori, friends! This week, Andrew and Scotty are travelling through the quarantine zone to find a doctor, as they discuss dongs and "28 Years Later". They talk about how the movie was shot and finding beauty in death. And yes, they also talk about Samson and his large details. Of course, as always, stay tuned until the end of the episode to hear what Scotty has chosen for their next movie!"28 Years Later" was directed by Danny Boyle. In this third entry in the "28 Days Later" series, it is now 28 years after the events of "28 Weeks Later". The British Isles are now a quarantine zone. 12-year-old Spike lives in a protected community on an island connected to England only by a causeway that is accessible when the tide is low. Things change when his father, Jamie, takes Spike to the mainland to show him how they scavenge for things they need.Feel free to send us a message! What did you think of this movie? Of this episode? Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/FunWithHorrorPodcastFollow us on social media:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/396586601815924Twitter - https://twitter.com/funwhorrorInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/fun_with_horror_podcast/FWH + Fangoria collab:For 20% off at the Fango Shop, just enter FUN_WITH_HORROR_PODCAST at checkout!

HEADLINE: Defining Vikings and Early Expansion BOOK TITLE: American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America AUTHOR: Martyn Whittock 100 WORD SUMMARY: The book discusses the Norse expansion ("Viking" being an activity, not a societal label) that began sweeping across Europe and the British Isles in the late 8th century. Key drivers of this extraordinary diaspora included population growth, pushback against the Christian Frankish Empire, and, most notably, the disruption of the Islamic silver trade from Baghdad, which funded Scandinavia's gift-giving economy. This silver shortage forced the Norse to raid monasteries and coastal settlements for precious metals. The westward movement extended to the British Isles, Iceland (settled 870s), and eventually Greenland (10th century) as the Norse continued their exploration.

How much information can you extract from a burnt fragment of human bone?Quite a lot, it turns out - not only about the individual, but also their broader lives and communities; and these are the stories unearthed by Jacqueline McKinley, a Principal Osteoarchaeologist with Wessex Archaeology.During her career, Jackie has analysed thousands of ancient burial sites across the British Isles, bringing to life the old traditions around death via often cremated human remains. She's also assisted criminal investigators with forensic analysis, and contributed to some of the UK's best-loved archaeological TV shows. And one thing she's absolutely clear about: far from being macabre, osteoarchaeology is more about the living, than the dead...In conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Jackie talks about the stories we can derive from skeletal remains, how western attitudes to death have gone through a major recent shift, and why she's kept some of her late father's bones.Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced for BBC Studios by Lucy Taylor Reversion for World Service by Minnie Harrop

The Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) are relatively well-known in the U.S. today (to hear more about their story, see our previous episode), but they weren't the only women who flew planes in World War II. A small group of Americans joined pilots from 25 other countries in England's Air Transport Auxiliary, where they ferried hundreds of thousands of planes across the British Isles. Among the pilots were women from all countries and men too old or otherwise unfit for active duty (including a WWI Ace with only one eye and arm). They braved poor weather, mechanically iffy planes, regular bombings, and dangerous conditions to keep the Allies in the air.Thanks to our guests in this episode Becky Aikman, Author of Spitfires: The American Women who Flew in the Face of Danger During WWII Richard Poad, organizer, Air Transport Auxiliary Museum at the Maidenhead Heritage Centre Oral histories in the episode came from the NASA Oral History Project and the TWU Libraries Women's Collection at Texas Women's University. The transcript for this episode is at s.si.edu/homefront4Sign up for our monthly newsletter here s.si.edu/airspacenewsletterAirSpace is made possible by generous support from Lockheed Martin 

In this episode, Nate Gilmore has a conversation with Carl McCann, District Superintendent of British Isles South District for the Church of the Nazarene.    To purchase Hope of All the Earth by David Gilmour, click here.   Lifelong Learning Code: 80890 Click here to learn about Lifelong Learning.

* * * Reminder: The first ever FOOD HISTORY FESTIVAL is happening on the 18th of October and it's all online! Get your tickets here:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/serve-it-forth-food-history-festival-2025-tickets-1490885802569?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdssIt's going to be a fantastic day with many excellent food historian guests, and of course my fellow Serve It Forth members, food historians, Dr Neil Buttery, Dr Alessandra Pino and Sam Bilton!Join us for a day of historical dishes, cocktails and recipes! * * * Famously, Diodorus Siculus the Greek geographer said for Britain:"It is the home of men who are complete savages and lead a miserable existence because of the cold; and therefore, in my opinion, the northern limit of our inhabited world is to be placed there"But nevertheless the Romans went and conquered it and made it part of the Roman Empire for nearly four hundred years.The stereotypes even then two thousand years abound:"Those near the coast in Kent may be more civilised, but in the interior they do not cultivate the land but share their wives with family members, live on milk and meat, and wear the skins of animals."Horace wrote.Diodorus continues: "The numerous population of natives, he says, live in thatched cottages, store their grain in subterranean caches and bake bread from it. They are "of simple manners" (ēthesin haplous) and are content with plain fare..."But beyond this, there was a thriving Celtic and British Roman culture that existed. The local foods and customs and rich pasture for animals helped the invading Romans create a rich culinary legacy, based on many imported foods from across the empire and introduced numerous plants and animals to Britain that since became native to the land, from humble leek to plums to rabbits and pheasants.So on this episode together with fellow chef and podcaster Lewis Bassett (The Full English) we sat down to chat and explore the legacy of Rome in the British Isles, through food, culinary pathways and how this intertwines with class and politics to our modern age!Join us and let's find out what did the Roman-British table and pantry had to offer!Music by Pavlos Kapralos.Enjoy!Love,The Delicious LegacySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the late 18th century in Scotland, a vagabond gained attention with a story of kidnapping, slavery, war, and immersion into native American culture. Peter Williamson became a sensation in the British Isles, but how much of his story was true? In this episode, I explore the bizarre tale of Peter Williamson. I separate fact from fiction and reveal the unlikely aspects of his story that proved to be true. Music provided by The ConradsSound Effects from Pixabay.

In 2018, Mark Ashley-Miller bought a boat. There's nothing unusual in that, but there is in what happened next: he decided to sail around the coasts of Britain and Ireland, visiting every single harbour in the British Isles. And unlike most people who have such pipe dreams, he actually did it.The journey is now over, and we're delighted that Mark joined James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast to talk about his five years at sea, the 9,000 nautical miles he's sailed, and the 300+ harbourmasters he visited in the course of his epic journey. As well as talking through the inspiration for his trip, Mark talks about his favourite places on the route, the most hospitable harbourmasters, those who were rather frostier... and the one who immediately threw Mark and his crew the keys 'to go exploring' the local area before cracking open the Irish whiskey for a night of revelry. He also talks through the day he had to be rescued by the RNLI, and the few harbours that he wasn't able to make it in to — and why.Mark has written a book about his experiences, which is available to order now with all proceeds going to The Seafarers' Charity. You can find out more about Mark and his journey at his website or see his Instagram page. Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Mark Ashley-MillerEditor and producer: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Narrator: Chloe De Burgh

ANNEXING GREENLAND AND THE VIKING GHOSTS:     2/8: Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age Hardcover – August 29, 2024 1874 GREELAND  https://www.amazon.com/Embers-Hands-Eleanor-Barraclough/dp/1788166744 magine a Viking, and a certain image springs to mind: a nameless, faceless warrior, leaping ashore from a longboat, and ready to terrorise the hapless local population of a northern European country. Yet while such characters define the Viking Age today, they were in the minority. This is the history of the other people who inhabited the medieval Nordic world-not only Norway, Denmark and Sweden, but also Iceland, Greenland, parts of the British Isles, Continental Europe and Russia- a history of a Viking Age filled with real people of different ages, genders and ethnicities, as told through the traces that they left behind, from hairstyles to place names, love-notes to gravestones. It's also a history of humans on an extraordinarily global stage, spanning the centuries from the edge of the North American continent to the Russian steppes, from the Arctic wastelands to the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphate.

ANNEXING GREENLAND AND THE VIKING GHOSTS:     1/8: Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age Hardcover – August 29, 2024 by  Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough  (Author) 1770 GREENLAND https://www.amazon.com/Embers-Hands-Eleanor-Barraclough/dp/1788166744 magine a Viking, and a certain image springs to mind: a nameless, faceless warrior, leaping ashore from a longboat, and ready to terrorise the hapless local population of a northern European country. Yet while such characters define the Viking Age today, they were in the minority. This is the history of the other people who inhabited the medieval Nordic world-not only Norway, Denmark and Sweden, but also Iceland, Greenland, parts of the British Isles, Continental Europe and Russia- a history of a Viking Age filled with real people of different ages, genders and ethnicities, as told through the traces that they left behind, from hairstyles to place names, love-notes to gravestones. It's also a history of humans on an extraordinarily global stage, spanning the centuries from the edge of the North American continent to the Russian steppes, from the Arctic wastelands to the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphate.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss John Barbour's epic poem The Brus, or Bruce, which he wrote c1375. The Brus is the earliest surviving poem in Older Scots and the only source of many of the stories of King Robert I of Scotland (1274-1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce, and his victory over the English at Bannockburn in 1314. In almost 14,000 lines of rhyming couplets, Barbour distilled the aspects of the Bruce's history most relevant for his own time under Robert II (1316-1390), the Bruce's grandson and the first of the Stewart kings, when the mood was for a new war against England after decades of military disasters. Barbour's battle scenes are meant to stir in the name of freedom, and the effect of the whole is to assert Scotland as the rightful equal of any power in Europe.WithRhiannon Purdie Professor of English and Older Scots at the University of St AndrewsSteve Boardman Professor of Medieval Scottish History at the University of EdinburghAndMichael Brown Professor of Scottish History at the University of St AndrewsProducer: Simon TillotsonReading list:John Barbour (ed. A.A.M. Duncan), The Bruce (Canongate Classics, 2007)G.W.S. Barrow, Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of Scotland (Edinburgh University Press, 1988)Stephen Boardman, The Early Stewart Kings: Robert II and Robert III (Tuckwell Press, 1996)Steve Boardman and Susan Foran (eds.), Barbour's Bruce and its Cultural Contexts: Politics, Chivalry and Literature in Late Medieval Scotland (D.S. Brewer, 2015)Michael Brown, Disunited Kingdoms: Peoples and Politics in the British Isles, 1280-1460 (Routledge, 2013)Michael Brown, The Wars of Scotland, 1214-1371 (Edinburgh University Press, 2004)Thomas Owen Clancy and Murray Pittock, Ian Brown and Susan Manning (eds.), The Edinburgh History of Scottish Literature, Vol. 1: From Columba to the Union (until 1707), (Edinburgh University Press 2006)Robert Crawford, Scotland's Books: A History of Scottish Literature (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009)Robert DeMaria Jr., Heesok Chang and Samantha Zacher (eds.), A Companion to British Literature: Vol 1, Medieval Literature, 700-1450 (John Wiley & Sons, 2014), especially 'Before the Makars: Older Scots literature under the early Stewart Kings' by Rhiannon PurdieColm McNamee, The Wars of the Bruces: Scotland, England and Ireland 1306-1328 (Tuckwell Press, 2001)Michael Penman, Robert the Bruce, King of the Scots (Yale University Press, 2014)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio ProductionSpanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.