Podcasts about english midlands

Hello and welcome to Episode 63. This episode we travel to the very north of mainland Scotland where one man's solitude is interrupted by two mysterious castaways, in ‘The Man from Archangel' from 1885. You can read the story here: https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php/The_Man_from_Archangel Or listen to a Librivox reading here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts2yXxclU-c The episode will be uploaded to our YouTube channel soon, where you can listen with closed captions. In the meantime, you can subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@doingsofdoyle And follow us on BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/doingsofdoyle.com). We don't do Twitter no more. Synopsis Having come into an unexpected inheritance, the morose and misanthropic John McVittie is able to give up his unrewarding legal practice in the English Midlands and retire to a remote coastal estate in Caithness in eastern Scotland. Here he pursues his esoteric scientific and philosophic interests, with only his aged housekeeper for company. But his quiet existence is disrupted when a Russian schooner is wrecked in a storm and McVittie rescues a young woman from the doomed ship. Apparently, however, she is not the only survivor as shortly afterwards McVittie discovers that his lonely house is under observation from a mysterious bearded stranger… Next time on Doings of Doyle… We discuss ACD's unconventional ghost story, ‘The Story of the Brown Hand' (1898), from his Round the Fire Stories. Acknowledgements Thanks to our sponsor, Belanger Books (www.belangerbooks.com), and our supporters on Patreon and Paypal. Image credits: Thanks to Alexis Barquin at The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopaedia for permission to reproduce these images. Please support the encyclopaedia at www.arthur-conan-doyle.com. Music credit: Sneaky Snitch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ YouTube video created by @headlinerapp.

Tonight, we'll read the opening to “Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life” written by English author George Eliot, and originally published in 1871. George Eliot is the pen name of Mary Ann Evans. The novel is set in a fictional English Midlands town in the early 1800s, following many separate characters whose lives intersect at times. Issues include the status of women, the nature of marriage, idealism, self-interest, religion, hypocrisy, political reform, and education. Initial reviews were mixed, but it is now seen widely as her best work and one of the great English novels. — read by 'V' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The world's first iron bridge spans the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire in the English Midlands. Through the gorge runs the River Severn, which is prone to flooding - and becoming more so, through climate change. The Ironbridge Gorge is often called the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. The area contains all the elements of progress that contributed to the rapid development of this industrial region in the 18th century, from the mines themselves to the railway lines.  "Nearby, the blast furnace of Coalbrookdale, built in 1708, is a reminder of the discovery of coke. The bridge at Ironbridge had a considerable influence on developments in the fields of technology and architecture. This recording was made at the highest point of the arch of the bridge, at a time when the river was in flood and parts of the surrounding area were inaccessible as a result. You hear the rush of the water some 18m below the bridge, the voices of tourists and visitors walking past, the sounds of the town (stereo L) and a passing light aeroplane, and an angrily barking dog! You also hear the clicking and beeping of tourists' cameras as they photograph the flooding, including one who stands directly above the recorder, then accidentally kicks it over and apologises!  "Many thousands of people visit the Iron Bridge and the surrounding area (UNESCO WHS) but mostly in fine weather. Local people's experience of the Gorge inevitably includes experiencing the impact of flooding, hence I thought it was important to capture a sound few visitors will have heard." UNESCO listing: Ironbridge Gorge Recorded by Jim Hawkins. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin chats all things Worcestershire and the surrounds with folklorist and author Hugh Williams.Born in Worcester at the heart of the English Midlands, Hugh has gone about things the old fashioned way. Which is to say, he has spent almost his whole life physically exploring, discovering and researching the stranger places of England's middle counties, and is deeply passionate about telling their stories.Part of this he does through his blog, which is absolutely amazing, and he has also written three books, The Mystery of Mercia Volumes I and II, which are collections of lore and folktales centred on the old Anglo Saxon kingdom of Mercia, and, more recently, The Magic of Mercia: A History of Witchcraft and Magic in the Midlands of England. Drawing on traditional sources as well as his own collecting and site visits, Hugh's work paints a vivid picture of the English heartlands, from their very beginnings right through to the present day. All of which has earned him a prominent position on social media, where he posts pictures and videos of his discoveries to tens of thousands of people. Plus, he's now moving into the world of TV presenting – he's just filmed for the new History Channel series Weird Britain which will be released next year! So, settle in for a chat which folds in Danish reeves being skinned and their outer layers pinned to cathedrals, Cunning Folk, giants, Wild Hunts, foliate heads, and much, much more!To learn more Hugh and his work, do visit his website at mysteriesofmercia.com and you can find him on social media via @mysteriesofmerciaThe Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cáel's tombstone: For the love of women, women put him here.In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.Listen and subscribe to the ► Podcast at Connected..

Hello and welcome to episode 55. This time, we look at a story that was for a long time not included in the works of Conan Doyle - 1884's ‘The Blood-Stone Tragedy: A Druidical Story.' Read the story here: https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php/The_Blood-Stone_Tragedy:_A_Druidical_Story The episode will be uploaded to our YouTube channel soon, where you can listen with closed captions. In the meantime, you can subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@doingsofdoyle Synopsis Whilst travelling in the English Midlands, the narrator hears a strange tale from a fellow traveller whose wife, in their pre-marital days, underwent a terrifying experience during a family holiday in North Wales. Frustrated by the domestic restrictions imposed upon her while the men of the party enjoy climbing expeditions, the intrepid Miss Madison decides to indulge in some local exploration on her own. She eventually becomes lost amongst the mountains and the valleys and is close to despair when she discovers a primitive hut and its odd inhabitant, a wild and bearded figure dressed in a white robe. But her relief at finding a potential guide soon turns to unease as her new acquaintance begins to talk of strange gods and human sacrifice… Next time ‘John Barrington Cowles' (1884) – published two months after ‘The Blood-Stone Tragedy' in Cassell's and far better! – is our story next month. You can read it here: https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php/John_Barrington_Cowles Support the podcast Please help us reach new listeners by leaving a rating or view on the podcast platform of your choice. And if you want to sponsor the podcast, please check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/doingsofdoyle Acknowledgements We would like to thank Michael Halewood of Halewood and Sons of Preston for his help on this episode: https://www.pbfa.org/members/halewood-sons; https://www.abebooks.co.uk/halewood-sons-aba-ilab-1867-preston/277945/sf Thanks to our sponsor, Belanger Books (www.belangerbooks.com), and our supporters on Patreon and Paypal. Image credits: Thanks to Alexis Barquin at The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopaedia for permission to reproduce these images. Please support the encyclopaedia at www.arthur-conan-doyle.com. Music credit: Sneaky Snitch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

30 years ago, an iconic video game character was born in the English Midlands, becoming Rare's breakout star and growing to be an adopted Nintendo mainstay standing alongside their homegrown favorites. Hyle and Cameron discuss the design evolution of Diddy Kong, from his earliest days as a new look for Donkey Kong Jr. to his status as a Video Game Hero today!

Larissa Iapichino is the European long jump silver medallist indoors and out. She talks to The Warm Up Track about being the daughter of Fiona May, winner of two long jump World titles and two Olympic silver medals. Larissa is coached by her father, Gianni, who was also an elite athlete and coached her mother too, so how do they keep athletics and their family life separate? How does Larissa cope with having a famous mum and the inevitable comparisons that come with that? She tells us why it's important to pay attention to all of her life's different ‘spheres'; because she's not only an athlete, she's a friend, a sister, a daughter and much more besides.With her mother Fiona May competing first for Great Britain and later for Italy, what's it like being a child of both places? Why does Larissa love the rain in Derby, but not Italian rain? While her mother is her mentor, she's also a bag of nerves when her daughter is jumping – so where in the stadium was she when Larissa was winning European silver in Rome?Plus, you'll also find out why the BBC conjures up memories of visiting her grandparents in the English Midlands.Photo: Italy's Larissa Iapichino competes in the women's long jump final during day six of the 26th European Athletics Championships - Rome 2024 at Stadio Olimpico on June 12, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Credit: Getty Images)

In this episode of Interlinks I talk to Andy Bass Managing Director at BassClusker Consulting based in Sutton Coldfield near Birmingham in the English Midlands.Andy works with leaders to boost productivity and profitable growth with a key focus on using resources they have already. Helping then to find ways to exploit their Hidden Gold as he terms it.To that end he has written two book which have been commercially published titled , "Start With What Works: A faster way to grow your business" and "Committed Action: The three-step method to inspire your people to take ownership and get results."In this conversation we talk about Andy's key ideas underlying the start-with-what-works concept and we get some great insights and advice arising from his many years of experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey Queerdos, do you ever think about dying? Well, wash away the blues of existential dread with today's episode. First, in our True Crime Story, Kevin asks a question a town in the English Midlands has been asking since 1943: “Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?” Next, in our Spoopy Tale, Edie forces upon us everything they know about the 2000 John Travolta mega-flop 'Battlefield Earth'. So put on your thinking caps, lock up your man-animals, and get ready for this week's show. Let's dive in! True Crime Story Starts @ 00:10:13 Spoopy Story Starts @ 00:43:25 Source notes: www.creepyinqueeriespod.com Follow on Instagram: @CreepyInQueeriesPod Send Us an Email: creepyinqueeriespod@gmail.com Listen on Youtube: Creepy InQueeries Pod Follow on Facebook: @CreepyInQueeriesPod

Your audio narrator, Rick Reiman, takes you from London to the English Midlands, as we journey with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson and “the stockbroker's clerk,” in quest of the solution to a mystery and a hideous crime.  Sherlock Holmes solves it only at the very end, and only with the aid of one of the … Continue reading NEW! An Audio Narration of Conan Doyle's “The Stockbroker's Clerk,” a Sherlock Holmes Short Story →

Tony Lenihan, a retired policeman, works for his local council in the English Midlands as their ‘Sustainable Travel and Wellbeing Coordinator'. He's also a keen cyclist and, in the early autumn of 2022, after more than 40 years of work, he decided to take a career break and head off on a solo cycling adventure from Bilbao to Athens. It would be a 7-week ferry-hopping Greek odyssey that took him through northern Spain, to the islands of Sardinia and Scilly, across the heel of Italy to Brindisi before sailing the Adriatic to his final destination of Greece. He talked to The Cycling Europe Podcast about his continental experiences… but also about ‘active travel' in the UK and how the country measures up (or not) to its European neighbours. 

Tony Lenihan is a touring cyclist and in the next full episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast - number 068 - you will hear him talk about a journey he made 'from B to A' - Bilbao to Athens in the early autumn of 2022. The podcast was recorded at the same time as the British Chancellor of the Exchequer (the finance minister) was delivering his annual budget to parliament and the nation. Tony works for a council in the English Midlands and is their 'Sustainable Travel and Wellbeing Coordinator'. Before we spoke about his trip, we took the timely opportunity to discuss his professional interest in cycling; active travel, which has recently seen a large cut in funding in England. I comment in the recording that what we said was worthy of a podcast in itself... so here it is. A little shorter than normal - just 15 minutes - with no introduction etc... Spolier alert: the chancellor didn't announce a U-turn on funding, just £200 million for potholes... The full podcast will be published on YouTube: YouTube.com/@CyclingEuropeYouTube - on 18.3.23 and then across all podcast platforms on 25.3.23.

How might the death of the former Pope Benedict affect the future direction of the Catholic Church? When Benedict XVI resigned in 2013 citing old age, he became the first Pope in 600 years to step down from the role. For almost a decade there were in effect two popes living at close quarters in the Vatican. Some have regarded Benedict as more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis. We examine how the death of the former Pope could affect the pontificate of Francis and ask if it could lead to change. Government figures show that more than half of adults released from prison in England and Wales go on to reoffend. In the second of our series on religion in prison, we hear about a faith group which is helping offenders to get back on their feet when they're first released. Staff and clients at the Yellow Ribbon Community Chaplaincy in the English Midlands say drug and alcohol addictions often aren't tackled in prison, and there's little support for people when they're freed. The Justice ministry told us that it's improving rehabilitation in prison, and increasing the number of specialised wings to treat drug addiction and keep prisoners substance-free. The data from the last Census released recently revealed a changing religious landscape in England and Wales, with a decline in the number of people identifying as Christian. But there were other interesting changes, including a rise in Shamanism. In 2011, just 650 people described themselves as Shaman, but a decade later, that had risen sharply to 8,000. We explore the appeal of Shamanism and ask why its popularity is increasing. Producer: Jonathan Hallewell Presenter: Emily Buchanan

The Card by Arnold Bennett audiobook. The ‘Card' in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry'. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns') of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve' he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town. “'And yet,' demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what's he done? What great cause is he identified with? '‘He's identified,' said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up'.”

From my tv show - the Cornish Ghost Whisperers, investigators Vic Harbord and Christine Townend on Humberside and Liz Cormell - medium and investigator - in the English Midlands...

We have six guests on this week's episode, as we visited Milton Keyes in the English Midlands, the home industrial estates and dual carriageways, but also the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team.At its base also lives the Oracle Red Bull Racing Erena, where the drivers for the upcoming F1 Esports Series Pro Championship have been training ahead of the upcoming season.In this episode you'll head from Red Bull Racing drivers Marcel Kiefer, Frede Rasmusen and Liam Parnell, followed by the new-look Scuderia AlphaTauri Esports line-up of Sebastian Job, Joni Törmälä and Josh Idowu.We'll go through each driver, so you have insight into professional-level preparation for the world's biggest racing esports competition.We start with Marcel Kiefer who returns once again to the Oracle Red Bull Racing Esports team, which finished second last season and is looking to reclaim the team's title.Apologies, in some of these interviews there is the sound of some competitive table football in the background, hopefully, you can hear past that, however.Don't forget you can email podcast@traxion.gg if you have any questions about F1 Esports you'd like us to answer.If you'd like to hear more episodes like this one, please follow, like and subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment on the Traxion.GG website or a review. Your feedback is invaluable and helps us to create more episodes in the future.Follow Oracle Red Bull Racing Esportshttps://www.redbullracing.com/int-en/red-bull-racing-esportshttps://twitter.com/redbullracingEShttps://www.instagram.com/redbullracingesports/Follow Traxion.GGhttps://twitter.com/TraxionGGhttps://www.instagram.com/traxiongg/https://www.twitch.tv/traxiongghttps://www.youtube.com/traxiongghttps://www.facebook.com/TraxionGG/All Automotive with Matt Clawson Automotive related topics. Anything from owning an repair facility to racing. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Most of us rely on farmers to produce our food and rising costs for farmers are leading to spiralling food prices. It's in part down to huge increases in the cost of fuel and fertiliser, shortages of labour and the pressures of a changing climate. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women farmers from Australia and the UK about their love for the land, the responsibility of running a family farm and how they deal with the pressure. Katrina Sasse is an Australian cereal farmer and 2017 Nuffield Australia Scholar. She works on her large family farm and has a smaller bit of land herself. She questioned why, when addressing the shortage of farmers, nothing was focused on the capacity of farm daughters to become farmers. As part of her Nuffield research she travelled the world to interview farmers about the structural and cultural issues within agriculture that need to change for the gender gap to close. Sarah Bell manages her family's mixed arable farm in the English Midlands along with her husband and parents. Unusually she's the one who's running the family farm despite having a brother – but he didn't want to go into farming. She also runs a consultancy business to agricultural food industry businesses and other farmers two days a week to supplement the farm income. She jokes there are more men called Mark on boards in the grain trade than there are women. Her key principle is ‘farm profitably and tread lightly'. Produced by Jane Thurlow (Image: (L) Katrina Sasse, credit: Kim Storey. (R) Sarah Bell, credit: Sonara Studios Oakham Rutland.)

My guest today is Martin Clagget, author of A Spark of Revolution: William Small, Thomas Jefferson, and James Watt; The Curious Connection Between the American Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. It's the first biography of William Small ever written. If Small is remembered at all, it's because he was the tutor of Thomas Jefferson at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg. But Clagget meticulously demonstrates that his life contained much more than that.  For Small was a Scotsman who was clearly one of the great eighteenth century polymaths. His interests extended from the moral philosophy of the Scottish “common sense” school, to medicine and surgery, and even to building and tinkering with machines. Amazingly enough, all of these talents were employed in his short life. Not only did he become a fixture of Williamsburg society, educating a future generation of revolutionary leaders, but on returning to Britain he settled in the growing almost-industrial city of Birmingham. There he became fast friend with Matthew Boulton, a pioneering industrialist, and brought together the influential group of thinkers and  tinkerers known as the “Lunar Society.” And there in Birmingham  he encountered a fellow Scot, James Watt, and interested Boulton in Watt's design for a steam engine. Indeed, so closely linked was Small to the project, that had he lived he would have split the royalties on the steam engine with Watt and Boulton. Truly Small was at the heart of two revolutions, both the American Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution that sprang forth from the English Midlands.   For Further Investigation Martin Clagett speaks at Monticello about his book. Martin Clagett, Scientific Jefferson, Revealed Jenny Uglow, The Lunar Men–"In the 1760s a group of amateur experimenters met and made friends in the English Midlands. Most came from humble families, all lived far from the center of things, but they were young and their optimism was boundless: together they would change the world."

The Card is a comic novel written by Arnold Bennett in 1911, and entitled Denry the Audacious in the American edition. The ‘Card' in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry'. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns') of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve' he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest ever mayor of his home town.The novel begins when "Edward Henry Machin first saw the smoke on May 27, 1867"—the very day of Bennett's own birth. At age 12, Denry begins his career by altering his marks in a test sufficiently to earn him a scholarship to grammar school. At 16, he leaves school to work for Mr Duncalf, the town clerk and a solicitor. Duncalf is responsible for organising an exclusive ball; Denry "invites" himself, then also a few others in exchange for things he will need, such as lessons from dance instructor Ruth Earp.“'And yet,' demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what's he done? What great cause is he identified with?'‘He's identified,' said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up'.” Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Card is a comic novel written by Arnold Bennett in 1911, and entitled Denry the Audacious in the American edition. The ‘Card' in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry'. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns') of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve' he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest ever mayor of his home town.The novel begins when "Edward Henry Machin first saw the smoke on May 27, 1867"—the very day of Bennett's own birth. At age 12, Denry begins his career by altering his marks in a test sufficiently to earn him a scholarship to grammar school. At 16, he leaves school to work for Mr Duncalf, the town clerk and a solicitor. Duncalf is responsible for organising an exclusive ball; Denry "invites" himself, then also a few others in exchange for things he will need, such as lessons from dance instructor Ruth Earp.“'And yet,' demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what's he done? What great cause is he identified with?'‘He's identified,' said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up'.” Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Card is a comic novel written by Arnold Bennett in 1911, and entitled Denry the Audacious in the American edition. The ‘Card' in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry'. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns') of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve' he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest ever mayor of his home town.The novel begins when "Edward Henry Machin first saw the smoke on May 27, 1867"—the very day of Bennett's own birth. At age 12, Denry begins his career by altering his marks in a test sufficiently to earn him a scholarship to grammar school. At 16, he leaves school to work for Mr Duncalf, the town clerk and a solicitor. Duncalf is responsible for organising an exclusive ball; Denry "invites" himself, then also a few others in exchange for things he will need, such as lessons from dance instructor Ruth Earp.“'And yet,' demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what's he done? What great cause is he identified with?'‘He's identified,' said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up'.” Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Card is a comic novel written by Arnold Bennett in 1911, and entitled Denry the Audacious in the American edition. The ‘Card' in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry'. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns') of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve' he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest ever mayor of his home town.The novel begins when "Edward Henry Machin first saw the smoke on May 27, 1867"—the very day of Bennett's own birth. At age 12, Denry begins his career by altering his marks in a test sufficiently to earn him a scholarship to grammar school. At 16, he leaves school to work for Mr Duncalf, the town clerk and a solicitor. Duncalf is responsible for organising an exclusive ball; Denry "invites" himself, then also a few others in exchange for things he will need, such as lessons from dance instructor Ruth Earp.“'And yet,' demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what's he done? What great cause is he identified with?'‘He's identified,' said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up'.” Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Card is a comic novel written by Arnold Bennett in 1911, and entitled Denry the Audacious in the American edition. The ‘Card' in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry'. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns') of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve' he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest ever mayor of his home town.The novel begins when "Edward Henry Machin first saw the smoke on May 27, 1867"—the very day of Bennett's own birth. At age 12, Denry begins his career by altering his marks in a test sufficiently to earn him a scholarship to grammar school. At 16, he leaves school to work for Mr Duncalf, the town clerk and a solicitor. Duncalf is responsible for organising an exclusive ball; Denry "invites" himself, then also a few others in exchange for things he will need, such as lessons from dance instructor Ruth Earp.“'And yet,' demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what's he done? What great cause is he identified with?'‘He's identified,' said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up'.” Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Card is a comic novel written by Arnold Bennett in 1911, and entitled Denry the Audacious in the American edition. The ‘Card' in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry'. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns') of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve' he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest ever mayor of his home town.The novel begins when "Edward Henry Machin first saw the smoke on May 27, 1867"—the very day of Bennett's own birth. At age 12, Denry begins his career by altering his marks in a test sufficiently to earn him a scholarship to grammar school. At 16, he leaves school to work for Mr Duncalf, the town clerk and a solicitor. Duncalf is responsible for organising an exclusive ball; Denry "invites" himself, then also a few others in exchange for things he will need, such as lessons from dance instructor Ruth Earp.“'And yet,' demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what's he done? What great cause is he identified with?'‘He's identified,' said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up'.” Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mercia, the kingdom which grew out of the English Midlands, dominated England south of the Humber from the 620s until its final fall in the late 800s. It was a military and cultural powerhouse for much of that time, yet its origins are mysterious, even more mysterious than those of the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. In this episode, we begin our look at the history of Mercia by considering its origins in the distant past of legend and using archaeological and literary analysis to chart its history up to its entry on the historical stage.    Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening "Alexander Nakarada- Adventure" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... https://youtube.com/c/SerpentSoundStu... Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: https://youtu.be/0iVgv5OP4so Social Media -  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/anglosaxonengland Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Anglo-Saxon-England-Podcast-110529958048053 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzyGUvYZCstptNQeWTwfQuA      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ninder Johal, who joins Saf as his guest talks about the business landscape in the English Midlands. Both men have an Asian heritage, but they share their passion for Birmingham and the surrounding area that is now home. They address some telling questions such as whether Birmingham is the UK's second city by name only and what can be done to raise its profile across the globe. They discuss the journey from a past based on heavy engineering to the present and look to the future Safaraz Ali is joined by a long-time colleague and friend Ninder Johal as they discuss the state of business in the English Midlands, the place that they both call home.Ninder began his business career in the music industry. He is now an adviser, non-executive director, founder of the Signature awards that celebrate the best in business, as well as publisher of the Business Influencer magazine.Safaraz has described Ninder as a guru and mentor. They share their experiences of a life in business and how the place where they live had to change and reinvent itself, moving from heavy engineering based upon automotive to high technology and services. The discussion includes an analysis of where things have been done well and less well.Saf and Ninder discuss concerns about why they believe the education system is letting young people and businesses down. They agree that making sure there is a supply of talent is crucial and Saf shares his passion for apprenticeships and the role that earning as you learn has to play in ensuring a world class workforce.The two men discuss global Britain and its place in the world. Ninder believes that it is many years before we can know if Brexit has been good or not.Both men come from an Asian heritage, but they share a passion and love of the place that they call home. Saf and Ninder believe that Birmingham is a great city with much to offer the world and have no truck with the suggestion that it is the UK's second city in name only.They foresee a bright future providing that there is a continual willingness to learn and adapt, a refusal to sit back on laurels and the processes to make sure a talented and skilled workforce is available.

Chanel and Kelsi are joined by author Talia Hibbert. They discuss finding inspiration,  the importance of representation in novels and some of their favorite books. Talia also shares her journey as a writer and gives advice to other creatives. More about Talia Hibbert:Talia Hibbert is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who lives in a bedroom full of books. Supposedly, there is a world beyond that room, but she has yet to drum up enough interest to investigate.She writes steamy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalized identities need honest and positive representation. Her interests include makeup, junk food, and unnecessary sarcasm. Talia and her many books reside in the English Midlands.IG: @taliahibbert FB: @AuthorTaliaHibbertTW: @TaliaHibbert

The Black Country (1945-1966) The post-war years transformed the Black Country of the English Midlands. The region was a driving force in the country's industrial recovery and this was a golden era of working class prosperity with full employment and high wages. But it was also a time of social tension.  The region's industry desperately needed labour to satisfy continuing demand. Attracted by the promise of high wages, an increasing number of men came to the Black Country towns like Smethwick and Wolverhampton from the Caribbean and the Indian Sub-Continent to fill these jobs. Racial tensions grew, fuelled and encouraged by some local politicians. Simon Briercliffe, a historian of the Black Country based at the Black Country Living Museum (BCLM) discusses the causes of these tensions with our publisher, Mike Gibbs. Keywords: Black Country, Race Relations, Enoch Powell, Smethwick, Wolverhampton

The end of the Second World War ushered in a period of great prosperity in the Black Country of the English Midlands.  It began two decades of full employment and high wages, widespread urban regeneration with thousands of new homes being built and new labour saving appliances changing the domestic lives of men, women and children forever.  Many of the products in these homes came from Black Country companies which were now known around the world for their innovations and it was in these towns that the vital components for the cars which furled so much of Britain's post-war recovery were made. Wherever you looked, the region – Britain's industrial heartland – was changing.  But prosperity had to be maintained and  jobs had to be filled.  So families came  - first from Europe and Ireland and then from the Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent to help the Black Country continue to forge ahead. In this programme, the first of three podcasts, historian and author, Simon Briercliffe, of The Black Country Living Museum, explores this post-war story with History West Midlands publisher, Mike Gibbs. Keywords: Black Country, Black Country Living Museum, Industry, World War Two

Psychic and investigator Liz Cormell - in the English Midlands - worked for a UK police force and now spends a lot of her time checking out some of the UK's scariest locations...

Visit our website https://psycho-killer.co for exclusive videos, photos, articles, and transcripts.Part 1 of a two-part UK true-crime documentaryIt was the culmination of a reign of terror climaxing in a crime that horrified a nation. Between 1967 and 1974, an athletic, shadowy figure carried out a series of nighttime raids on sub-post offices in the English Midlands. The masked robber, who always wore dark clothing, was as ruthless as he was physically fit. These characteristics earned him the nickname ‘The Black Panther'. Before long, the Panther turned to cold-blooded murder. Then, with the same chilling disregard for life which characterised his earlier crimes, he kidnapped and murdered a teenage girl. The girl, who he believed to be heiress to a vast fortune, was Lesley Whittle. The Black Panther was eventually unmasked as Donald Neilson, a psychopath with a massive chip on his shoulder. The Six O'clock Knock is a Psycho Killer production.Transcript[Music] This podcast contains descriptions of death and violence that some listeners may find upsetting hello and welcome to the Six O'clock Knock the podcast where we combine a journalist's curiosity with the detectives powers of logical deduction I'm Simon Ford writer broadcaster and former BBC reporter and I'm Jacques Morrell a former major crime detective I might have left the job but I can't leave the job alone it's in our blood you see so we decided to get together and compare notes about old cases cold cases and just plain weird cases and boom the Six O'clock Knock was born we're going to get under the skin of one of the most violent sinister and mysterious British criminals of the 20th century the expression reign of terror could have been coined to describe his career of crime so little is known about this mercurial murderer and kidnapper we've reimagined some moments from his life using eyewitness testimony court transcripts and accounts from the period his name was Donald Neilson but in the 1970s he was known and feared by the nickname bestowed on him by the press the black panther [Music] Donald Neilson was born with the different and slightly unfortunate name of Donald Nappey on Saturday the 1st of August 1936 he was just 10 when his mother died he was bullied at school and he soon found himself in trouble with the law it was military service that interrupted his downward spiral the teenage Donald Nappey had met the love of his life the British army it was more than a love affair though it was an obsession [Music] oh Nappey rash golly flags it was the kind of stupid remark Donald Nappey was used to hearing from his fellow conscripts in the king's own Yorkshire light infantry a zealous non-smoker lance corporal Nappey drew himself up to his four five feet four inches and bellowed gets a bloody move on you lanky streaks of piss before I put you both on a charge all because he turned down his cigarette ration instead of sharing it with the other soldiers what do you want striker [ __ ] short ass Nappey his surname had been a source of torment from almost the day he was born bullied at school the taunting continued when he enlisted in the army for national service but despite having to repeat his basic training and a uniform that always appeared a size too big the army life suited young Donald it was regimented and orderly you knew where you were with orders in a year he'd gone from an orphan delinquent to a young man with a purpose he'd hardly started shaving cue more teasing when they promoted him to lance corporal now he got to issue a few orders of his own not that his obsessive list making nit-picking and penalties for petty infringements earned him much respect from his subordinates humour the squad his best friend was how they coped with his type Nappey two pubes Nappey one ball Nappey the 18 year old jogged across Strensil Camp high on the north Yorkshire moors his wiry frame humping a 30 pound bergen rucksack the other men grumbled about the so-called lazy wind it goes through you not around you but lance corporal Nappey embraced the chilly conditions wait until they get to Aden or Kenya he said to himself and they're miles from anywhere with no rations or facing some Mao Mao gorillas when the ammo runs out they'll wish they'd listen to me then the sarcastic bastards by now Nappey was double timing it his hobnailed ammunition boots wrapping on the brushed concrete of the perimeter road up here on the moors the route around the base was both his running track and assault course they could say what they liked but lance corporal Nappey had the rest of them licked when it came to PT just don't mention that business with the SAS lads absorbed in the rhythm of running Donald Nappey was enjoying a daydream in which he as commander of his own elite unit showed the SASs how to do it properly this unforgivable lapse of vigilance explained as he would later tell himself his failure to register the parked land rover with heart-stopping suddenness colonel Nappey of the special air service found himself face to face with an enraged Alsatian he was so close that the phone flying from its gnashing jaws caught him full in the face sweet Jesus Christ he roared somebody get that [ __ ] monster under control yes sorry cool bro replied the handler smirking as he jumped out of the canvas covered land rover Spartan's been cooped up all day you know what he's like when he hasn't had his exercise despite varying his route and the timing of his runs lance corporal Nappey was prone to encounter the same dog with uncanny regularity this time the Alsatian had emerged from the tarpaulin at head height like some furious canine cuckoo from a clock exercise my ass private insubordination fatigues guard room 1500 hours got it what about spartan xeon for teams as well corporal the snarling dog was straining at the leash dancing like a bear on its hind legs lance corporal Nappey hoped the sentry hadn't seen that his knees were knocking under his car key drill shorts bloody dogs he hated bloody dogs 1500 hours and think yourself lucky I don't have the bugger shots the private jumped to attention snapping up a salute dismissed Nappey spat back infuriated that his voice was an octave higher than normal he swallowed hard and was waiting for the land rover to disappear when he thought he heard a whisper don't worry spartan he won't shoot you he wouldn't know which way round to point the bloody gun Nappey scanned the heather and the gorse but there was nobody there bloody imagination getting the better of him in the distance a helicopter was circling wakka wakka wakka wakka there's gonna be a few changes around here be hollered in case anyone was listening then checking the two synchronized wristwatches he always wore lance corporal Nappey resumed his steady pace and followed the perimeter fence back towards the main gate that sodding name will have to go for a start he thought no son of mine will be saddled with a moniker like Nappey dirty Nappey nipper Nappey happy Nappey he'd had enough he fancied Neilson that had a ring to it that would get respect [Music] it wasn't until 1960 that the 24 year old Donald Nappey changed his name to Neilson by that stage he'd left the army and married Irene Tate they had a daughter Catherine and that spurred Mr Nappey to make the switch to Neilson Saturday's child works hard for a living and Donald Neilson slogged away at a few jobs he was a taxi driver and a handyman but he never stuck at anything for long why did he leave the army if he enjoyed it so much that's an excellent question I've read that Irene persuaded him to leave he was 18 when they wed and she was 20 and he never served more than his compulsory two years national service the consensus is that he was a Walter Mitty character you know full of high ideals and daydreams but he simply couldn't cut the mustard he was a poor marksman had to repeat his basic training and of course because of his name he was the butt of jokes but despite this he was super fit physically strong and mentally alert he even studied military training methods and particularly the survival techniques of Britain's royal marine commando units and the crack special air service Neilson could have been a good soldier if he'd stuck at it instead he transferred that rigorous military discipline into his domestic life treating his wife and daughter like raw recruits taking them on military-style manoeuvres into the local woods balling at them like a sergeant major the army had changed him yeah like flicking a switch that couldn't be turned off what's more Neilson had developed a brooding sense of injustice he blamed everyone and everything else for his lot in life in particular he despised immigrants as a national serviceman in Aden and Kenya he'd seen himself as a defender of the British empire but in the 50s Britain was no longer a global power the Suez crisis in 1956Read more: https://bit.ly/black-panther-part-1-transcript

Medical professions can often be useful for overseas mission work, but today's guest tells us all about the mission field here in today's NHS. In her work with the Christian Medical Fellowship, we hear about how young doctors and nurses are learning to share their faith - and seeing God at work!Georgie Coster is an intensive care nurse in the English Midlands and Associate Head of Nurses and Midwives at the Christian Medical Fellowship.Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

Germany's first direct power link with Norway, called NordLink, has officially opened. The cable under the North Sea will provide enough renewable hydroelectric power for 3.6m households. Sven Egenter is editor in chief of the news service Clean Energy Wire in Berlin, and tells us how the Nordlink cable will work. Also in the programme, following the deaths of more than 315,000 people from coronavirus, India could fast track the clearance of some foreign vaccines in a bid to speed up vaccination in the country. The BBC's Rahul Tandon has an extended report on how the country's rollout is going so far. The BBC's Theo Leggett visits plane engine maker Rolls Royce, which is inaugurating the world's biggest engine testbed in its home town of Derby in the English Midlands. Plus, as the cast of TV sitcom Friends reunite for a one-off special to look back at the making of the show, we discuss why it remains so popular, with Pete Allison, host of the Friends with Friends podcast, and Kelsey Miller, author of I'll Be There for You: The One about Friends. (Picture: Norway and Germany's leaders Erna Solberg and Angela Merkel at the NordLink launch. Picture credit: Getty Images.)

Today we celebrate a colonial botanist who introduced nearly 200 plants to British horticulture after sourcing them from his good friend John Bartram in America. We'll also learn about the man who mastered growing the Poinsettia and established it as the official plant of Christmas. We’ll hear some wonderful thoughts on the Common Daisy (Bellis perennis) from one of my favorite writers. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about styling your home with botanicals - making your own horticultural haven. And then we’ll wrap things up with the story of a woman who found her way to the best job ever: creating herb gardens.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to “Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast.” And she will. It's just that easy.   The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf.   Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org   Curated News New Year Plant Hunt 2021: Day One | BSBI: Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland | Louise Marsh   Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you’d search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events January 28, 1694   Today is the birthday of a Fellow of the Royal Society, an avid gardener, and a friend to many scientific leaders in London in the mid-18th century, Peter Collinson. Peter Collinson introduced nearly 200 species of plants to British horticulture - importing many from his friend John Bartram in America. And when the American gardener John Custis learned that Peter was looking for the mountain cowslip (Primula auricula), he happily sent him a sample. Auricula means ear-shaped, and the mountain cowslip is commonly known as a bear's ear - from the shape of its leaves. And the cowslip is a spring-flowering plant, and it is native to the mountains of Europe. Custis also sent Peter a Virginia Bluebell Or Virginia cowslip (Mertensia virginica). This plant is another spring beauty that can be found in woodlands. And I have to say that the blue about Virginia Bluebell is so striking - it's an old fashioned favorite for many gardeners. The Virginia Bluebell is known as lungwort or oyster wort. And it got those rather unattractive common names because people believed the plant could treat lung disorders, and also, the leaves taste like oysters. Virginia bluebells bloom alongside daffodils, so you end up with a beautiful yellow and blue combination in the spring garden - something highly desired and gorgeous. Peter was not the only gardener in search of Virginia bluebells. Thomas Jefferson grew them at Monticello ("MontiCHELLo”) and loved them so much that they were often referred to as Jefferson's blue funnel flowers.  As for Peter, he once wrote, "Forget not me and my garden."  Given Peter’s influence on English gardens, he would be pleased to know that, after all these years, he has not been forgotten. In fact, in 2010, the author Andrea Wulf wrote about Peter in her book The Brother Gardeners: A Generation of Gentlemen Naturalists and the Birth of an Obsession - one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors.    January 28, 1895 Today is the birthday of the nurseryman known as “Mr. Poinsettia,” Paul Ecke Sr. ("Eck-EE"), and he was born in Magdeburg, Germany. Paul and his family immigrated to the United States in 1906. And when Paul took over his father's nursery business located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood in the early 1920s, the Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) was a fragile, outdoor, wild plant. And Paul fell in love with the Poinsettia immediately. And Paul felt that the Poinsettia was perfectly created for the holiday season because the bloom occurred naturally during that time of year. By 1924, Paul was forced out of Hollywood by the movie business, and that's when he brought his family and the nursery to San Diego County.  Paul and his wife Magdalena had four children, and they purchased 40 acres of land in Encinitas("en-sin-EE-tis"). It was here that Paul would turn his passion for Poinsettias into a powerhouse. And at one point, his nursery controlled 90% of the Poinsettia market in the United States. At first, Paul raised Poinsettias in the fields on his ranch. Each spring, the plants were harvested and then loaded onto two railroad cars and sent to greenhouse growers all along the east coast. And when Paul wasn't growing Poinsettias, he was talking Poinsettias. It wasn't too long before Paul started calling Poinsettias "The Christmas Flower"; Paul was endlessly marketing Poinsettias and praising their attributes as a harbinger of Christmas. Initially, Paul worked to decrease the growing time of the Poinsettia. By getting the time to bloom down from 18 months to 8 months, Paul made it possible for the Poinsettia to be grown indoors. And after figuring out how to propagate the plant through cuttings indoors, Paul was soon able to ship Poinsettias around the world by plane. In the 1960s, Paul’s son, Paul Jr., took over the business, and he cleverly sent Poinsettias to all the major television shows. When the holiday programs aired, there were the Poinsettias - in their glory - decorating the sets and stages of all the most popular TV shows. When Paul Junior learned that women's magazines did their photoshoots for the holidays over the summer, he began growing a Poinsettia crop that peaked in July. Magazines like Women's Day and Sunset were thrilled to feature the Poinsettia in their Christmas magazines - alongside Christmas Trees and Mistletoe. This venture was regarded as the Ecke family's most significant marketing success and made the Poinsettia synonymous with Christmas. Today gardeners will be fascinated to learn that the Ecke family distinguished themselves as a superior grower of Poinsettias by using a secret technique to keep their plants compact and hardy. Their solution was simple: they grafted two varieties of Poinsettias together, causing every seedling to branch and become bushy. Competitor Poinsettias were leggy and prone to falling open. Not so, with the Ecke Poinsettia. By the 1990s, the Ecke growing secret was out of the bag, and competitors began grafting Poinsettias together to compete. Today the Ecke family does not grow a single Poinsettia on their farm in San Diego County. Finally, one of Paul's Poinsettia pet peeves is the commonly-held belief that Poinsettias are poisonous. Over the years, sometimes that fear would prevent a pet owner or a young mother from buying a Poinsettia. Paul Ecke recognized the threat posed by this false belief. And so, Paul fought to reveal the truth one interview at a time. It turns out that a 50-pound child would have to eat roughly 500 Poinsettia leaves before they would even begin to have a stomach ache. Furthermore, the plant is not dangerous to pets. And here's where things get crayze: Paul would regularly eat Poinsettia leaves on camera during interviews over the holiday season to prove his point. When the Ecke nursery sold in 2012, it still controlled over half the Poinsettia market in the world. During the holiday season, roughly seventy-five million Poinsettia plants are sold - most to women over 40.   Unearthed Words The daisy’s genus name, Belis (martial or warlike), refers to its use by Roman doctors as a common treatment for battlefield wounds. John Gerard, the sixteenth-century herbalist and author of the first important herbal in English, wrote: “The leaves stamped take away bruises and swellings ... whereupon it was called in old time Bruisewort." But daisies weren’t just popular medicine. They were also popular for making prophecies. You’ve certainly learned the most famous one: “He loves me, he loves me not."  The last petal decides the question—but its unreliability is unfortunately notorious. You can, however, tell the seasons by the coming of daisies:  It's spring in the English Midlands, and people say when you can put your foot on nine daisies.  But be careful: Dreaming of daisies in spring or summer brings good luck;  If you dream of them in fall or winter, however, bad luck is on the way. — Susan Wittig Albert, author, China Bayles Book of Days, January 38   Grow That Garden Library Botanical Style by Selina Lake  This book came out in 2016, and the subtitle is Inspirational decorating with nature, plants, and florals. In this book, stylist Selina Lake shows, “how to tap into the current trend for bringing nature, plants, and florals into the heart of the home.” Selina reviews the ingredients she uses to achieve her signature look—antique botanical prints and artworks, flower stalls, potting sheds, and houseplants. Then she shares how these items can be used to transform your home into a botanical paradise. Next, Selina shares five aspects of her botanical styling, from Vintage Botanicals and Boho Botanicals to Natural Botanicals and Tropical specimens. This book is 160 pages of Selina’s innovative style tips for working with botanicals to create a modern garden ambiance in your home. You can get a copy of Botanical Style by Selina Lake and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $4   Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 28, 1983 On this day, The Charlotte News shared an article by Edie Lowe called “Herb Garden Just Like Artwork.” Here’s an excerpt: “To Deborah Zimmerman designing an herb garden is like painting a picture or composing a song. “You have to orchestrate a harmonious blend of textures and colors and heights.  When designing a garden, my canvas is the ground. My picture is of the finished garden. My song is the finished garden."  Deborah’s latest design is a formal Elizabethan herb garden in the backyard of the restored Blair-Bowden House on Poplar Street. Deborah became interested in herbs and spices about 12 years ago. "I started a little business called Helping Hand Services… planting herbs and spices in people's gardens.  It started out as a means of supporting myself in school. It grew so quickly, and I enjoyed it so much.  I found myself feeling here I am being creative, and I'm getting paid for it.  I’m spreading beauty in yards working with plants and soil - which I love - and I'm getting paid to learn and create."  Deborah is continually studying herbs and spices. She is particularly fond of designing gardens like those from the Elizabethan era in the 16th and 17th centuries. "There is not much difference in the Elizabethan gardens of the 18th century and Victorian gardens. The (main) difference is the type of herbs they favored in their gardens.  The Elizabethan Gardens were more apt to have highly scented plants because of the period’s sanitation problems. They would pick herbs and spread them on the walks and floors. As company came and walked on the herbs, they'd be crushed, releasing the scents. Herbs were the air fresheners of the day."  Because people seldom bathed, scented herbs and spices were also worn in pomanders around their necks. The Victorian era was more sophisticated. Baths became popular. Perfumes and scented water made from herbs and spices were used. "Victorian people loved rose water. The damask rose was the popular flower then. It is the most highly scented rose there is.” Deborah’s 4th Ward garden, covering a 10-by-10-foot space, is fashioned with circles and diamonds inside a square. Each of the four points of the square is finished in a fleur-de-lis pattern. Deborah used creeping thyme and candytuft as a border hedge for the garden. The rest of the pattern is carried out with lavender, rosemary, lemon, verbena, aromatic herbs, clove pinks, rose geranium, basil, sage, savory, chives, coriander, and camomile. The 100-square-foot garden… will cost between $250 and $600. “The most important thing is to like what you are doing… If you are happy in your work, you tend to grow.”   Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Disease sleuthing. Ebola poetry. Doctoring. Naps. On this eclectic third episode of AMP we are joined by our first British Muslim living in America, Dr. Seema Yasmin. Author of the recent book (with illustrations by Famida Azim) Muslim Women Are Everything: Stereotype-Shattering Stories of Courage, Inspiration, and Adventure, she likewise seems to do just about everything. As the daughter of immigrants that bounced between a very insular, traditional paternal family in the English Midlands and her mom's university world in London, Seema witnessed from a very young age that Muslim women could look and love and live all sorts of ways. “Fueled by a lot of nos,” she was the first in her family to go to med school, worked as a doctor in East London, moved Stateside to enter the U.S. epidemic intelligence service, and then tackled journalism school, right as ebola was arriving in Dallas. Today she's the Director of the Stanford Health Communication Initiative, examining the spread of misinformation and disinformation about health and science around the world. (How apropos.) As much as she's dispelled falsehoods about COVID and other diseases, she's also working to combat misrepresentations about Muslims. Born of an angry Tweet over people's shock at Muslim women achieving great things, her latest book is a beautifully illustrated profile of extraordinary Muslim women—some Western, some Eastern, current and historical, young and old.  Given how few Americans say they know any Muslims and that even reputable media can perpetuate Islamic stereotypes, Seema is fighting for representation and proper inclusion, even choosing some women for the book with very different ideologies than herself.  In addition to detailing Muslim Women Are Everything and reading Asad's favorite passage aloud, we reflect on women choosing to cover themselves, or not, and how their bodies are policed. Naturally, the current pandemic and related misinformation is discussed. And we introduce you to Generation M, a progressive group of young, affluent Muslims balancing modernity and faith, at the helm of which are young women. This episode was recorded in December 2020. Follow Seema on Twitter (@DoctorYasmin) and find her book Muslim Women Are Everything here. Learn how to separate facts from fiction when it comes to health in her brand-new book appearing in 2021, Viral BS: Medical Myths and Why We Fall for Them. And stay tuned for her debut poetry collection, If God Is a Virus, based on her reporting on the Ebola epidemic from West Africa. Learn more about Fahmida Azim, illustrator of Muslim Women are Everything here. American Muslim Project is a production of Rifelion, LLC. Writer and Researcher: Lindsy Gamble Show Edited by Mark Annotto and Asad Butt Music by Simon Hutchinson Hosted by Asad Butt Follow us on Twitter (@AmMuProj) or Instagram (@american_muslim_project/) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After discovering much was not what they thought, a group of spacefaring rats have to make choices for what to do with their own lives... Today's story is the second and final part of “https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43875991-exploring-new-places (You Are Our Lifeboat)” by https://goodreads.com/leinir (Dan Leinir Turthra Jensen), or just leinir, who can usually be found relaxing in the English Midlands, where they split their time between cooking usually delicious food, writing various bits of social realism and science fiction, or creating free and open source software in the KDE project. Sometimes all three happen at the same time, and they tell me that sci fi epic they've been working on the last most of a decade is getting closer to wrapping up. While waiting for that to land, if you would like more after this one, you can find more of their stories in the anthologies found on their https://goodreads.com/leinir (GoodReads profile) at goodreads.com/leinir. This story in particular can be found in the FurPlanet anthology Exploring New Places, where a variety of animal people go out and explore a wide variety of new places. Last time, our space-faring rats discovered that not only was the ship much larger than they had thought, they had also arrived at their destination with several important things gone, and found themselves faced with a choice of what to do about it. Read for you by https://twitter.com/khakidoggy (Khaki), your faithful fireside companion.

A crew of uplifted rats servicing and living on board a spaceship learn that there is more to their life than they had been led to believe Today's story is the first of two parts of “https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43875991-exploring-new-places (You Are Our Lifeboat)” by https://goodreads.com/leinir (Dan Leinir Turthra Jensen), or just leinir, who can usually be found relaxing in the English Midlands, where they split their time between cooking usually delicious food, writing various bits of social realism and science fiction, or creating free and open source software in the KDE project. Sometimes all three happen at the same time, and they tell me that sci fi epic they've been working on the last most of a decade is getting closer to wrapping up. While waiting for that to land, if you would like more after this one, you can find more of their stories in the anthologies found on their https://goodreads.com/leinir (GoodReads profile) at goodreads.com/leinir. This story in particular can be found in the FurPlanet anthology Exploring New Places, where a variety of animal people go out and explore a wide variety of new places. Read for you by https://twitter.com/khakidoggy (Khaki), your faithful fireside companion.

(Episode 30)  DJ Kingblind presents The Big Beat online radio show- This week we talk about & play the best music in a themed Podcast called "This is Northern Soul"  Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the English Midlands in the late 1960s from the British mod scene, based on a particular style of black American soul music, especially from the mid-1960s, with a heavy beat and fast tempo (100 bpm and above) Wanna find out more? visit www.djkingblind.com or search DJ Kingblind in your favorite podcast app to find out more!Find all links for DJ Kingblind here: https://linktr.ee/kingblindWigan Casino & northern soul dancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ygo4FbVluI&ab_channel=mikydroogSupport the show

The North Wing of The Danny Lane Music Museum is dedicated to Northern Soul. Northern Soul is its own genre of music that grew out of the underground rhythm and soul scene of the late 1960s at venues such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester, England (UK). This music and the associated dances and fashions quickly spread to other UK dancehalls and nightclubs like the Chateau Impney (Droitwich), Catacombs (Wolverhampton), the Highland Rooms at Blackpool Mecca, Golden Torch (Stoke-on-Trent) and Wigan Casino. *** The Northern part of the name refers to where in the UK the popularity first grew. It all started in Northern England and the English Midlands in the late 1960s, based on a particular style of black American soul music. A large proportion of Northern soul's original audience came from within the 1960s mod subculture. Northern soul reached the peak of its popularity in the mid- to late-1970s. At this time, there were soul clubs in virtually every major town in the Midlands and the North of England. The three venues regarded as the most important in this decade were the Golden Torch in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent (1971 to 1972), Blackpool Mecca (1971 to 1979) and Wigan Casino (1973 to 1981). *** In the book Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: the history of the DJ, the authors describe Northern soul as "a genre built from failures", stating: "...Northern Soul was the music made by hundreds of singers and bands who were copying the Detroit sound of Motown pop. Most of the records were complete failures in their own time and place... but in Northern England from the end of the 1960s through to its heyday in the middle 1970s, were exhumed and exalted." Citation: Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, Chapter 4, page 86, "A Genre Built From Failures" *** Join the conversation on Facebook at **** https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008232395712 *** or by email at: dannymemorylane@gmail.com *** In this episode you’ll hear: 1) Let The Good Times Roll / Feel So Good by Bunny Sigler 2) (That's All I Need) To Make Me a Man by Wayne Cochran [The White Knight of Soul] & The C.C. Riders 3) First I Look At The Purse by The Contours 4) What's A Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You) by Timi Yuro 5) Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) by The High Keys 6) What's It Gonna Be by Dusty Springfield 7) Sanctified Lady by Marvin Gaye 8) Landslide by Tony Clarke 9) Mockingbird by Inez & Charlie Foxx 10) Seven Day Fool by Etta James 11) Oo Wee Baby, I Love You by Fred Hughes 12) Farther Up the Road by Bobby "Blue" Bland 13) In Orbit by Joy Lovejoy 14) Run, Baby, Run (Back Into My Arms) by The Newbeats 15) Hang On by Maurice McAlister & The Radiants 16) Twine Time by Alvin Cash & The Crawlers 17) My Baby Loves Lovin' by White Plains 18) This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You) by The Isley Brothers 19) He's Got The Power by The Exciters 20) Love Control by Greg Perry 21) Nothing But A Heartache by The Flirtations 22) Any Day Now by Chuck Jackson 23) After The Laughter (Here Comes The Tears) by Gene Chandler 24) My One And Only Jimmy Boy by The Girlfriends 25) You Got What It Takes by Marv Johnson 26) Sweeter Than The Day Before by The Valentinos 27) Hey Little Girl by Major Lance 28) We Go Together by Eve Barnum 29) Tune Up by Junior Walker & The All Stars 30) Devil With The Blue Dress by Shorty Long 31) Look At Me Now by Terry Callier 32) Shake A Tail Feather by James & Bobby Purify 33) Love Machine by The Miracles (w/ Billy Griffin) 34) He's All I Got by The Supremes 35) A Fat Boy Can Cry by Billy Stewart 36) More Today Than Yesterday by The Spiral Starecase 37) Why Can't I Be Your Man by The Chessmen 38) Show Me by Joe Tex 39) Walking Back To Happiness by Helen Shapiro 40) Get Up Whirlpool (Of Love) by Edwin Starr 41) Cupid / I've Loved You for a Long Time by The Spinners 42) Traveling Stranger by Little Anthony & The Imperials 43) Lend Me Your Hand by Kindly Shepherds 44) Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead by The Marvelettes 45) The Devil Made Me Do It by The Natural Four

Fred Jeffs: The Sweetshop Murder A ‘true-crime’ mystery set in Birmingham and the Black Country, in the English Midlands. Graeme Rose investigates the real unsolved murder of his great uncle, sweetshop-owner Fred Jeffs, on Good Friday 1957, by talking to people who remember the case. Rose attempts to find answers and understand what really happened on that fateful night. Conceived, written, produced and presented by Graeme Rose. Music Composition & Sound Design by Fox & Rocha (guest musician Martin Cox) Directed by Steve Johnstone. This seven-part podcast series is supported by Black Country Touring (with support from Arts Council England and funding support from Creative Black Country). Episodes 1-4 produced with support from Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Arts Council England. Episodes 5-7 commissioned by Black Country Touring.