Podcasts about National Army Museum

In this episode of the Anglotopia podcast, host Jonathan Thomas interviews military historian John Maass about his book "From Trenton to Yorktown: The Five Decisive Turning Points of the American Revolution." Maass, who works at the National Army Museum, discusses why he selected these specific turning points and how they altered the trajectory of the war. The conversation explores Washington's desperate gamble at Trenton when his army was at its lowest point, the truth behind the Valley Forge mythology, the critical importance of the Saratoga victory in securing French support, and how British strategic errors and logistical failures contributed to their ultimate defeat. Maass provides fresh insights into how these key moments secured American independence while highlighting the shared British-American history before the revolution. Links "From Trenton to Yorktown" book (Osprey Publishing) - Amazon "From Trenton to Yorktown" book (Osprey Publishing) - Bookshop.org National Museum of the US Army website and programs National Army Museum Events Join the Friends of Anglotopia Club to Get Early Podcast Access Key Takeaways Maass defines turning points as "battles, campaigns, seizures, and other military events that are decisive and result in significant change that alters the trajectory of the conflict toward the war's outcome." Washington's victories at Trenton and Princeton, though involving relatively small forces, were crucial when the Continental Army was at its lowest point and restored morale. Valley Forge wasn't just about Baron von Steuben's training—it was where Washington solidified his political position, improved relations with Congress, and created a more disciplined army. The Saratoga campaign's British failure resulted from divided command structures and severe logistical challenges in North American terrain. The French alliance after Saratoga was essential for American victory, particularly the French Navy's contribution which culminated in the Battle of the Capes before Yorktown. British strategic mistakes included dividing their forces, underestimating American resolve, and prioritizing the West Indies over the American colonies after French involvement. Sound Bites "I wanted to do something interpretive that kind of pulled together a lot of existing scholarship… and that was, I intended it to be provocative in that I wanted to literally provoke discussion." "When Washington decided a few days before Christmas that he was going to cross the Delaware River with his army… he was arguably at the lowest point in the war, professionally himself, but also militarily." "Washington knew that his army was the embodiment of the cause of independence. It wasn't Congress. It wasn't some mythical 'the people.' It wasn't the spirit of '76, but the revolution really was alive, not well, in his army." "Up until Valley Forge, he was definitely the general. And I think after that, he was also the commander in chief." "I don't think the outcome would have been favorable if there was no French intervention at all, period, end of story." "Really the most important moment in the entire Yorktown campaign… was the British and French naval battle off the coast of the mouth of the Chesapeake called the Battle of the Capes… the most important naval battle in early American history. And not a single American was involved in it." Chapters 00:00 Diverging Histories: The American and British Connection 01:42 The Role of the National Army Museum 03:57 Inspiration Behind the Book 08:06 Defining Turning Points in the Revolutionary War 10:37 The Significance of Trenton and Princeton 19:13 Myths of Valley Forge: Reality vs. Narrative 28:08 The Political Maneuvering at Valley Forge 32:04 British Strategic Mistakes in the War 35:42 Logistics and Supply Issues in Key Battles 40:22 The Crucial Role of the French Navy 46:00 British Strategic Errors and Missed Opportunities 53:00 anglotopia-podcast-outro.mp4 Video

In this episode of the Anglotopia podcast, host Jonathan Thomas interviews military historian John Maass about his book "From Trenton to Yorktown: The Five Decisive Turning Points of the American Revolution." Maass, who works at the National Army Museum, discusses why he selected these specific turning points and how they altered the trajectory of the war. The conversation explores Washington's desperate gamble at Trenton when his army was at its lowest point, the truth behind the Valley Forge mythology, the critical importance of the Saratoga victory in securing French support, and how British strategic errors and logistical failures contributed to their ultimate defeat. Maass provides fresh insights into how these key moments secured American independence while highlighting the shared British-American history before the revolution. Links "From Trenton to Yorktown" book (Osprey Publishing) - Amazon "From Trenton to Yorktown" book (Osprey Publishing) - Bookshop.org National Museum of the US Army website and programs National Army Museum Events Join the Friends of Anglotopia Club to Get Early Podcast Access Key Takeaways Maass defines turning points as "battles, campaigns, seizures, and other military events that are decisive and result in significant change that alters the trajectory of the conflict toward the war's outcome." Washington's victories at Trenton and Princeton, though involving relatively small forces, were crucial when the Continental Army was at its lowest point and restored morale. Valley Forge wasn't just about Baron von Steuben's training—it was where Washington solidified his political position, improved relations with Congress, and created a more disciplined army. The Saratoga campaign's British failure resulted from divided command structures and severe logistical challenges in North American terrain. The French alliance after Saratoga was essential for American victory, particularly the French Navy's contribution which culminated in the Battle of the Capes before Yorktown. British strategic mistakes included dividing their forces, underestimating American resolve, and prioritizing the West Indies over the American colonies after French involvement. Sound Bites "I wanted to do something interpretive that kind of pulled together a lot of existing scholarship… and that was, I intended it to be provocative in that I wanted to literally provoke discussion." "When Washington decided a few days before Christmas that he was going to cross the Delaware River with his army… he was arguably at the lowest point in the war, professionally himself, but also militarily." "Washington knew that his army was the embodiment of the cause of independence. It wasn't Congress. It wasn't some mythical 'the people.' It wasn't the spirit of '76, but the revolution really was alive, not well, in his army." "Up until Valley Forge, he was definitely the general. And I think after that, he was also the commander in chief." "I don't think the outcome would have been favorable if there was no French intervention at all, period, end of story." "Really the most important moment in the entire Yorktown campaign… was the British and French naval battle off the coast of the mouth of the Chesapeake called the Battle of the Capes… the most important naval battle in early American history. And not a single American was involved in it." Chapters 00:00 Diverging Histories: The American and British Connection 01:42 The Role of the National Army Museum 03:57 Inspiration Behind the Book 08:06 Defining Turning Points in the Revolutionary War 10:37 The Significance of Trenton and Princeton 19:13 Myths of Valley Forge: Reality vs. Narrative 28:08 The Political Maneuvering at Valley Forge 32:04 British Strategic Mistakes in the War 35:42 Logistics and Supply Issues in Key Battles 40:22 The Crucial Role of the French Navy 46:00 British Strategic Errors and Missed Opportunities 53:00 anglotopia-podcast-outro.mp4

On another special episode of Battle Lines, Roland Oliphant and guests look at the war memoir. How have war memoirs shaped our understanding of wars? Has the art and the role of the memoir changed over time? And will the ones written today similarly influence how future generations will remember the wars of our time?ContributorsFrancis Dearnley (The Telegraph's Assistant Comment Editor)Dr. Matilda Greig (Historian at the National Army Museum in London, specialising in the Napoleonic period)Colin Freeman (Journalist and author)'Dead Men Telling Tales, Napoleonic War Veterans and the Military Memoir Industry, 1808-1914' by Matilda Greig, is available here:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/dead-men-telling-tales-9780192896025?cc=es&lang=en'Curse of the Al Dulaimi Hotel : And Other Half-Truths from Baghdad', by Colin Freeman, is available here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Curse-Al-Dulaimi-Hotel-Half-Truths/dp/1906308020 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special episode of Battle Lines, Roland Oliphant and guests tackle the late David Knowles' favourite conversational gambit: Who is your favourite of Napoleon's Marshals? As they ponder their own choice they look back at who the generals were, what made them ‘great', and why they continue to capture the imagination.ContributorsFrancis Dearnley (The Telegraph's Assistant Comment Editor)Dr. Matilda Greig (Historian at the National Army Museum in London, specialising in the Napoleonic period.Dr. Zack White (historian and host of 'The Napoleonic Wars Podcast')The Napoleonic & Revolutionary War Graves CharityTo learn more about the charity that aims to provide similar care to the dead of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars to that we see from more recent conflicts, visit:https://www.nrwgc.com/'Napoleonic Objects and their Afterlives', edited by Matilda Greig, is available here:https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/napoleonic-objects-and-their-afterlives-9781350415072/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Voted Britain's ‘greatest general' by the National Army Museum in 2011, ‘Uncle Bill' Slim led the XIVth Army from defeat to victory. Dr Robert Lyman tells us about Slim's strategic leadership. Field Marshal William Slim (1891–1970) is famous for transforming troops who had retreated almost 1,000 miles through Burma pursued by the Japanese Army into a force that emerged from the Second World War victorious. Whether in defeat – where his leadership ensured his forces maintained their order and discipline – or in the campaign that led to their victory, his men loved him, giving him the affectionate title ‘Uncle Bill'. To have achieved this is all the more remarkable given the diversity of forces under his command. A master of combined and joint warfare, his forces included African, American, British, Chinese, Gurkha and Indian troops, and his ability to integrate air into his campaign predates – but acts as an exemplar for – the relationships needed for the air-land battle. Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten stated about our subject that: “Whenever leadership is spoken of or written about, tribute is regularly paid to his supreme qualities as the finest leader of fighting men in the Second World War”. Our guest, Dr Robert Lyman MBE, agrees with this; he is a former officer in the British Army and a renowned author. His books include a biography of William Slim – Slim, Master of War (Constable & Robinson, 2004); a record of the Battle of Kohima (Kohima, 1944, published by Osprey Press, 2010); and, with General Lord Richard Dannatt, Victory to Defeat (Osprey, 2023). Dr Lyman is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Robert Lyman MBE is a British military historian. A former Major in the British Army, he has published over 16 books on the Second World War in Europe, North Africa and Asia. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, regularly appearing on TV and radio, lectures at organisations such as the National Army Museum, and is a battlefield guide. Notable works: A War of Empires: Japan, India, Burma & Britain: 1941–45: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1472847156/ Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918–40: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1472860845/ Sponsors: Mint Mobile: to get your new 3-month premium wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to https://mintmobile.com/TRIGGER Start earning A Yield on Silver, Paid in Silver with Monetary Metals. Click here to find out more: https://bit.ly/3Rs8Rv2 Join our Premium Membership for early access, extended and ad-free content: https://triggernometry.supercast.com OR Support TRIGGERnometry Here: Bitcoin: bc1qm6vvhduc6s3rvy8u76sllmrfpynfv94qw8p8d5 Music by: Music by: Xentric | info@xentricapc.com | https://www.xentricapc.com/ YouTube: @xentricapc  Buy Merch Here: https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/shop/ Advertise on TRIGGERnometry: marketing@triggerpod.co.uk Join the Mailing List: https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/#mailinglist Find TRIGGERnometry on Social Media:  https://twitter.com/triggerpod https://www.facebook.com/triggerpod/ https://www.instagram.com/triggerpod/ About TRIGGERnometry:  Stand-up comedians Konstantin Kisin (@konstantinkisin) and Francis Foster (@francisjfoster) make sense of politics, economics, free speech, AI, drug policy and WW3 with the help of presidential advisors, renowned economists, award-winning journalists, controversial writers, leading scientists and notorious comedians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our final week of investigating WAR HORSE, Katie and Tania return to the present day to talk about today's modern army horses. Join us as we talk with Ted Heath, Curator at the Household Cavalry Museum, about how today's cavalry horses are selected and cared for. It's a double whammy as we also talk to Glynn Jones, a former member of the Blues and Royals. Glynn tells us about his career in the army, and the posts he held at the stables. You can view any of our War Horse content, including our time with the National Theatre's UK Tour company, by popping over to YouTube and subscribing to our channel (Poles, Piaffe and Prosecco Podcast). You'll also see the World War One 'horse furniture' and equipment that Belinda showed us behind the scenes at the National Army Museum stores. Find out more about the Household Cavalry Museum: https://householdcavalry.co.uk/museum/ Book your tickets to watch War Horse on stage at a venue near you: https://www.warhorseonstage.com Join us on socials: Facebook: Poles, Piaffe & Prosecco Podcast Instagram: Poles, Piaffe & Prossecco_Podcast YouTube: Poles, Piaffe & Prosecco Podcast. #equestrianpodcast #dressage #dressagetrainer #poleworkforhorses #yourquestionsanswered #expertadvice #equestrianlifestyle #prosecco #piaffe #warhorseontour #warhorse #warhorseonstage

This week, Katie and Tania delve deeper into the story behind Michael Morpurgo and the National Theatre's WAR HORSE, and this week, we get real. Join us as we talk with Belinda Day, Senior Curator at the National Army Museum, about the REAL war horses, how they were kept and how high the standards of care were. Can you imaging managing a troop of horses in a battlefield? Neither could we! Find out how they did it. Hop over to YouTube and subscribe to our channel (Poles, Piaffe and Prosecco Podcast) to see the World War One 'horse furniture' and equipment that Belinda showed us and have a peek behind the scenes at the National Army Museum stores. Next week, we talk with Ted Heath and Glynn Jones about the modern cavalry horses and their lives. Don't miss it! Find our more about the National Army Museum: X - ⁠@NAM_London⁠ Instagram - ⁠@nam_london⁠ Facebook – ⁠National Army Museum⁠ Website - ⁠https://www.nam.ac.uk⁠ Book your tickets to watch War Horse on stage at a venue near you: https://www.warhorseonstage.com Join us on socials: Facebook: Poles, Piaffe & Prosecco Podcast Instagram: Poles, Piaffe & Prossecco_Podcast YouTube: Poles, Piaffe & Prosecco Podcast. #equestrianpodcast #dressage #dressagetrainer #poleworkforhorses #yourquestionsanswered #expertadvice #equestrianlifestyle #prosecco #piaffe #warhorseontour #warhorse #warhorseonstage #nationalarmymuseum @nam_london

This is a special one... We continue our month of episodes dedicated to the National Theatre's WAR HORSE. In this episode, Katie and Tania meet Joey (and his puppeteers) with Director of Puppetry Matthew Forbes. It is an understatement to say the duo were moved! Listen to Matthew Forbes working with the puppeteers to bring Joey to life, and find out which move Grand Prix trainer Tania taught him! Make sure you subscribe to our sparkly new YouTube channel (Poles, Piaffe & Prosecco Podcast) so that you can watch our time with Joey and the puppeteers, and see if Joey should be on the team for Los Angeles after learning his new move with Tania! You can buy tickets for the UK tour of War Horse here: https://www.warhorseonstage.com Next friday, join us as we meet Belinda Day, Senior Curator of the National Army Museum. Find out about the REAL war horses, how they were kept and how welfare standard were higher than you'd think. Join us on socials: Facebook: Poles, Piaffe and Prosecco Podcast Instagram: Poles, Piaffe and Prosecco _ podcast YouTube: Poles, Piaffe and Prosecco Podcast #warhorse #warhorseonstage #warhorsetour #warhorseUKtour #nationaltheatre #equestrianlifestyle #equestrianpodcast #dressage #dressagetrainer #piaffe #prosecco #yourquestionsanswered #expertadvice #dressagetrainer

BRIXMIS and its operations behind enemy lines continue to fascinate the listeners of Cold War Conversations. In August 2024 I was honoured to be invited to the National Army Museum in London to interview Andrew Long, the author of BRIXMIS and the Secret Cold War - Intelligence Collecting Operations Behind Enemy Lines in East Germany. The National Army Museum is a leading authority on the British Army and its impact on society past and present. It's well worth a visit, particularly their Foe to Friend exhibition about the British Army in Germany since 1945 which is on until the end of September 2024. In front of a sellout audience including approximately 50 BRIXMIS veterans and their families, we discuss the role, purpose and achievements of BRIXMIS. The accompanying presentation can be viewed here. The interview starts with an introduction from former BRIXMIS officer Major General Peter Williams and Chairman of the BRIXMIS Association. I'm delighted to welcome Peter Williams, Andrew Long and a sellout audience at the National Army Museum to our Cold War Conversation. Buy the book and support the podcast https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9781399067843 Linked episodes BRIXMIS, the defence of Cold War Berlin & Rudolf Hess https://pod.fo/e/f833 Pete – a BRIXMIS driver behind enemy lines in East Germany https://pod.fo/e/eeb4c Arrested 11 times, plus 3 shooting incidents – a BRIXMIS officer's diary Pt 1 https://pod.fo/e/13af96 Imprisoned in a Soviet Military gaol - a BRIXMIS officer's diary Pt 2 https://pod.fo/e/13ca90 In conversation with 7 BRIXMIS veterans – Part 1 https://pod.fo/e/1599d9 In conversation with 7 BRIXMIS veterans – Part 2 https://pod.fo/e/15b0ac Royal Military Police versus the Soviets (SOXMIS) in Cold War West Germany https://pod.fo/e/12c9d6 Behind enemy lines in East Germany with a US Military Liaison Mission driver Part 1 https://pod.fo/e/d4229 Behind enemy lines in East Germany with a US Military Liaison Mission driver Part 2 https://pod.fo/e/d757b Soviet and U.S. Military Liaison Missions & US Counterintelligence https://pod.fo/e/e4f55 Cold War US Army Intelligence Analyst https://pod.fo/e/1f383 US Army Intelligence gathering in the unified Germany https://pod.fo/e/b2cb3 Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode362/ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod 00:00 Introduction 12:06 Post war Germany was split into four occupation zones 16:35 BRIXMIS offices in Berlin and East Germany 21:06 Contacts between Soviets and British 23:27 The tour role in  East Germany 30:16 Exploiting intelligence from Soviet rubbish tips 32:15 Restricted areas in East Germany 35:55 Missions and intelligence scoops 40:04 Descriptions of special equipment 42:05 BRIXMIS Cars 44:01 James Bond switches 47:59 Photography   50:36 Overnighting in East Germany 53:25 There East German and Soviet opposition 56:58 Close scrapes and fatalities 01:02 Where to buy the book Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Indian Army was the largest volunteer army during the Second World War. Indian Army divisions fought in the Middle East, North Africa and Italy - and went to make up the overwhelming majority of the troops in South East Asia. Over two million personnel served in the Indian Army. I'm Angus Wallace, and in this episode, I am joined by Dr Alan Jefferys to discuss how the Indian Army developed a more comprehensive training structure than any other Commonwealth country during WWII. This was achieved through both the dissemination of doctrine and the professionalism of a small cadre of Indian Army officers who brought about a military culture within the Indian Army - starting in the 1930s - that came to fruition during the Second World War. Alan is the Head of Equipment and Uniform at the National Army Museum and the author of Approach to Battle: Training the Indian Army During the Second World War. Patreonpatreon.com/ww2podcast  

What can the relics of Waterloo tell us about the battle? Mat and historian Peter Hart visit the National Army Museum in London to inspect a bone saw that cut off a famous leg, the skeleton of Napoleon's horse, the canons and muskets that caused the carnage and much more!Want to know more? Subscribe to listen to a special BONUS EPISODE about walking the battlefield of Waterloo, by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/MMHistoryPresenter: Mat McLachlanGuest: Peter HartProducer: Jess StebnickiSubscribe via Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes, early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and special online events with Mat McLachlan! https://www.patreon.com/MMHistoryJoin one of our battlefield tours and walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs! Visit www.battlefields.com.au for more information.Find out more about the podcast and everything Mat is doing at https://linktr.ee/matmclachlan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The year 1911 was action-packed. Churchill, who'd been made Home Secretary the year before and got caught up in that great fake-news event, the Tonypandy massacre, added to his reputation, not in a good way, at the Sidney Street Siege. His leader in their radical duo, David Lloyd George, got his National Insurance Act through and set Britain firmly on the road towards a welfare state. Not that everyone was happy about it, including many of the workers it was designed to help. But it's noteworthy that even when the Conservative came back to power, they left the National Insurance scheme in place. Then the Kaiser sent a gunboat to Agadir. Europe took a step closer to a major war but avoided it again. For now. Still, Britain decided it had to make some war preparations at last. One involved a change at the top of Navy, with Churchill, in yet another milestone on his career, taking over as First Lord of the Admiralty. Meanwhile, the Irish and the women had to wait again. Though at least the women had a promise, one first made three years earlier. Now, Asquith made clear, it would at last be kept. The Irish would have to hang on a little longer. Illustration: Churchill (the leading figure in the top hat) at the Sidney Street siege. National Army Museum, Out of Copyright Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License.

In this episode of Activity Quest, Adam is visiting the National Army Museum to find out about the history of the British Army and there's a curious tale of a horse hoof... Georgia is also here and giving us a craft that you can do at home: we are making our own medals!Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What a treat today! Our guest is Second World War historian and author James Holland. James is a prolific author of both fiction and non-fiction, a media personality, and an occasional battlefield tour guide. James earned a BA in History at St. Chad's College, Durham, and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Research Fellow at Swansea University. He has authored fourteen books on the Second World War, including Brothers in Arms: One Legendary Tank Regiment's Bloody War from D-Day to VE-Day (Bantam Press) and Normandy '44: D-Day and the Battle for France (Bantam Press), which was a Military History Matters Book of the Year in 2020. James' first history book was Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege 1940–43 (Orion). Additionally, he has written books on the Second World War and Burma, the Battle of Britain, the Dam Busters, North Africa, and the Sicily/Italy campaigns. His forthcoming book is The Savage Storm: The Brutal Battle for Italy, 1943 (Atlantic Monthly Press). Additionally, he has written eight books on the Second World War for children and nine novels, many of which are part of the popular Jack Tanner series. He is co-founder and program director of the Chalke Valley History Festival and he has his own collection at the Imperial War Museum. He also worked with the National Army Museum to develop an exhibit based on Brothers in Arms. James has presented and written programs for the BBC, National Geographic, The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, and the PBS documentary series Pritzker Military Presents. A few of the documentaries James has been part of were short-listed for BAFTAs! He is the co-host with Al Murray of the incredibly popular ⁠We Have Ways of Making You Talk⁠ podcast (600 episodes strong!), which if you have any interest in the Second World War you should check out. James is dedicated to bringing the history of the Second World War to as wide an audience as possible. We'll talk about doing the work of a historian, the process of writing, "Chik Lit," Ian Botham, podcasting, the Italian Campaign, the Beatles . . . What didn't we talk about? Join us for a wonderful chat with the energetic and prolific James Holland! Shoutout to the Horseshoe Inn in Ebbesbourne Wake, Wiltshire! Subscribe to Military Historians are People, Too! and all of your favorite podcasts, and check out our Shameless Swag Store on Zazzle! Rec.: 05/22/2023

The 5 C's of History: Causality Series, #1 of 4. According to the website of Britain's National Army Museum, the first Opium War started when, “In May 1839, Chinese officials demanded that Charles Elliot, the British Chief Superintendent of Trade in China, hand over their stocks of opium at Canton for destruction. This outraged the British, and was the incident that sparked conflict.” In popular culture, and especially among European and American historians, the “Opium Wars” have long been framed as a conflict between the powerful/domineering British and the weak/insular Chinese, in which the British exploited China by getting the Chinese people addicted to opium and then went to war when the Chinese government finally tried to stop them, and the British used their military might to then extract punishing and unequal trade relationships with the Chinese for the next 100 years. Certainly elements of this framework, of this cause and effect, are true. There was a confrontation in May of 1839, and the Nanking Treaty absolutely created an exploitative and unequal trade relationship between the British and Chinese. And yet, unsurprisingly, this is far from the whole story - and far from the only way historians have interpreted the “Opium Wars”. Today we're going to discuss the causes of the first Opium War, and the different - sometimes problematic - ways historians have framed the 1839-42 Anglo-Sino conflict.  Select Bibliography Transcribed Qianlong emperor's letter to King George III - in Chinese, and in English Song-Chuan Chen, Merchants of War and Peace: British Knowledge of China in the Making of the Opium War (Oxford University Press, 2017) Paul French, Through the Looking Glass: China's Foreign Journalists from Opium Wars to Mao (Hong Kong University Press, 2009).  Henrietta Harrison, “The Qianlong Emperor's Letter to George III and the Early-Twentieth-Century Origins of IDeas about Traditional China's Foreign Relations,” American Historical Association (2017).  Stephen Platt, Imperial Twilight: The Opium War And The End Of China's Last Golden Age (Penguin, 2019) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is  Kelly Molson, Founder of Rubber Cheese.Download the Rubber Cheese 2022 Visitor Attraction Website Report - the first digital benchmark statistics for the attractions sector.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website rubbercheese.com/podcast.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcastCompetition ends July 31st 2023. The winner will be contacted via Twitter. Show references: https://twitter.com/ChelsPhysicGdnhttps://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/https://twitter.com/FSampershttps://www.linkedin.com/in/frances-sampayo-6a4939100/ Frances Sampayo is the Deputy Director of Chelsea Physic Garden. In her day to day role she leads visitor experience, learning & public engagement, volunteering and interpretation. Ensuring that these areas are central to the organisations strategic vision.  Frances has worked for galleries, museums, heritage attractions, palaces, and now a botanic garden. She brings to life completely unique events at each site, ensuring they are rooted in people. This includes visitors, staff and collaborators. For Frances, the places she works often have many barriers for visitors, and programming offers the chance to break these down. You may not feel a botanic garden is for you, but why not start with a music night instead? The more complicated and creative the event, the better.  Transcriptions: Kelly Molson: Welcome to Skip The Queue, a podcast for people working in or working with visitor attractions. I'm your host, Kelly Molson. Each episode, I speak with industry experts from the attractions world. In today's episode I speak with Frances Sampayo, Deputy Director (Visitor Experience) at the Chelsea Physic Garden.We discuss the transformative journey the garden has been on with it's public programming calendar, and the exciting and unexpected outcomes that's brought the organisation.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on itunes, Spotify and all the usual channels by searching Skip The Queue.Kelly Molson: Frances, it's so lovely to have you on the podcast. Thank you for coming to join me. Frances Sampayo: Oh, thank you so much. A longtime listener. So thrilled to be here. Kelly Molson: Always lovely to hear. Well, will you be thrilled after the icebreaker questions? Who knows? Let's go. Right, I want to know, when you go out for dinner, are you a starter and a main kind of gal or main and a pudding, or all three? I mean, you can have all three. Frances Sampayo: I think it's pudding, especially if it's Tiramisu. That's it. Decision made. Kelly Molson: Okay, so Tiramisu is on the menu. That's the one you're going for. That's it. That's the focus.Frances Sampayo: Yeah, I'd probably just have that over the main, to be honest. Kelly Molson: Do you know what? There is a pudding. Yeah. So there are pudding restaurants, though, aren't there, where you can go and yeah, there's one in Cambridge. I walked past it last week while were in town and it's basically just puddings. Frances Sampayo: Oh, great. Kelly Molson: You can have a main pudding, a starter pudding and a pudding. Frances Sampayo: I will never go there. That's too dangerous for me. But, yeah. Kelly Molson: Open invite to come and join me. I would go crumble all the way. Frances Sampayo: Oh, nice. Kelly Molson: Okay, good. If you had to pick one item to win a lifetime supply of, what would you pick? Frances Sampayo: Probably something really boring like sunblock, because I am so pale to that. That would be really handy for me. Kelly Molson: Well, we should all wear sunscreen. Very important. Doesn't matter about being pale. More important to not have skin cancer. Frances Sampayo: Very true. Very true. Kelly Molson: Okay, good. Final one. If you could be any fictional character, who would you like to be and why? Frances Sampayo: That is a great question. I would love to probably go into, like, a Regency novel, but I wouldn't want to be a main character. I'd probably just want to be someone on the sidelines who gets to see everything and just kind of fly on the wall and kind of see everything that's happening in these amazing worlds.  Yeah, that would be great. I like it. Yeah. Kelly Molson: What's the draw to that kind of era? Is it the architecture? Is it the clothing? Frances Sampayo: Can I give a real kind of sector answer? Kelly Molson: Absolutely.Frances Sampayo: Part one would be we so often use as filming locations, so there's a lot of Regency dramas. That would be great to see something like this happening in one of these spaces. And the second is, I once duty managed a kind of 18th century themed party at a site I worked where everyone was in fancy dress from the era. And it was amazing sharing people were just sheivelling as the evening went on, stockings were falling down, men had rouge on, all of those amazing things. And just seeing that come to life was amazing. So I'd love to kind of get to see it kind of happening in actual Regency time period, as opposed to just kind of as an event in the 21st century. Kelly Molson: I love that. Really kind of sets the tone for what we're going to talk about today as well, the events. All right, that was an excellent answer. Thank you. Right, Frances, what is your unpopular opinion? Frances Sampayo: So I'm not a fan of false Jeopardy, which is a big component of reality TV, particularly cooking shows, where someone will take a bite of food and then just the camera pauses for what feels like five minutes and they do all the close up shots of everyone looking really tense, and I just, "Oh, I hate it". So I know it's something very popular, it's in all the reality TV shows, but I always skip that bit, look at my phone or do something else. Kelly Molson: Just get on with it. Just get on with it. Frances Sampayo: Get on with it. Kelly Molson: Or you don't we don't need the drama or the tense. Frances Sampayo: Just put this poor person out of their misery. And you think it's better than anything, like, I could have ever even imagined I cooked. And you just dragging this poor person's emotional journey out. So, yeah, just think just get over it. Just do it. Tell them whether it's good or not. Kelly Molson: I like it. Yeah, I would like that. I'd just like to know yes or no. Don't keep me hanging around. It's like it causes more anxiety than you need it to be. Kelly Molson: I'm definitely one of those people. If someone says, can we have a chat on Monday? I'm like, can we just do it now? Do we need to wait over the weekend? Is it good or is it bad? Because I will just think about this continuously now for the week. So let's just get it out of the way. Frances Sampayo: Let's do it now. Yeah. My team liked me to do if I book in a catch up. We had to catch up, good thing. Catch up, constructive thing, just to help.Kelly Molson: Yeah, that's really useful.Frances Sampayo: Because, again, it is that forced Jeopardy thing of, "Yeah, oh, no, I've got to wait the whole weekend and I don't know what this meeting is about". “It's a good thing. Ten minutes. It's fine, don't worry.”Kelly Molson: That's a really good positive tip, isn't it? Yes, but what if it's not a good day?Frances Sampayo: Then I'll call it something else. Kelly Molson: Okay. Catch up. Not okay. Frances Sampayo: Yes, catch up. It's all gone wrong. Kelly Molson: Okay, that is an excellent tip, I can say that. Share that with the team after our call. Thank you. We've got so much to talk about today. I'm really excited about this chat. Can you tell our listeners a little bit about what they can expect at the Chelsea Physic Garden and then just a little bit about what your role is as well? Frances Sampayo: So Chelsea Physic Garden is a four acre garden. We're in Chelsea, as the name suggests, and we've got over four and a half thousand plants that you can come and see. So we've got a living collection. Most collections in museums are behind glass, but us is living, we have to take care of it and we've got an amazing team of gardeners that do that. So we call ourselves London's oldest outdoor classroom because we've always been a place for people to come and learn about plants. So we've got a really fantastic learning team, but we've also got a really dynamic engagement programme, which helps people connect in different ways to plants, because it can be quite intimidating, I think, particularly if you grew up in a city you don't know much about nature, you might not have had a garden. Frances Sampayo: So we've got a really dynamic programme, giving people lots of different entry points. This year, we turned 350. So in September, we're opening glass houses that have all been restored with support of the National Heritage Fund. So if you're going to come and visit and you've got a restoration project coming up, September is a great time to come to the garden. But we always say, whatever day you come, that's the best day to come, because you're going to see something no one else gets to see, because flowers can change one day to the next 1 hour to the next. So it's a really special place to come and just connect with nature, really. So that's a bit about the garden now, a bit about my role. I've got quite a broad role. So we're a small site, we're a small team. Frances Sampayo: And I think when you have a small site and a small team, you get jobs that actually have quite a lot within their remit. So I, as Deputy Director of the organisation, was brought in to bring a cohesive visitor experience across the site. And that meant I lead different teams that look after all of our people touch points. So visitors learning, public engagement volunteers and then everything that sits behind that holistically to give people a great visit or to support them in a different way. So safety, security facilities interpretation, that comes under my remit as well, because it's supporting that visitor experience ultimately. So it's quite a kind of unique role. It's really dynamic. Every single day is different. Can go from planning our ten year strategy to what's going to happen in the next ten minutes because the toilets have all overflown. Frances Sampayo: So it's really dynamic role and just like the garden. So it's great fun here. Kelly Molson: Yeah, it sounds it as well. So I think that when we spoke a few weeks ago, I came away from the call just thinking, wow, the remit of what you have there is quite phenomenal, the different things that you can be doing all the time. But I also thought, what a privilege it must be to be there, because, like you say, it is a living museum and it just must be incredible to see it change, literally on a daily basis. Frances Sampayo: Yeah, it's amazing. So we're recording this just after our Easter weekend, and I had a great time on Sunday, were out in the garden helping people do their Planet Hero trail to learn about how to be more sustainable. And the tulips just got a little bit of sun and suddenly they all opened up and they were just really expressive, dancing kind of around, and then a cloud came over and they all closed up again and you just think, I don't have a garden, I didn't grow up with a garden, grew up in a flat. And so you just get to see things that you never get to see before. Frances Sampayo: And it's been a real privilege to get to learn how the garden operates over the year and to see there are plants now that I think I can't wait until May, because I'll get to see that in flower and it's really amazing. Kelly Molson: Wow. Well, that's kind of what we're going to talk about today, because as an organisation, you've been on a bit of a transformative journey with your public programming, and a lot of that is about kind of education and getting people to kind of understand what you have there and how things grow and how that all works together. But I kind of want to just go back and talk about, what the starting point for this journey? How did that come about, where did that start? Frances Sampayo: Yeah, and it really has been a journey. So I joined the garden back in 2018 and we had a really established programme of walks, talks and workshops. So quite a formal learning programme. And it was really great, really established, always sold well. And I went on a conference with LEAF, which is the London Environmental Education Forum, and as I was talking to people, they heard I was from Chelsea Physic Garden, and they go, “Oh, I love that workshop you do. We do one similar.” And I started to understand that actually, our programme had been an inspiration point for a lot of people, which is great, we love a bit of professional learning, but of course, that's our competitors. Frances Sampayo: So that was a starting point for me to think, we need to think about something new and then we have the kind of emergence of the experience economy. And we had retailers on the King's road, like Anthropology, running wreath making sessions, floristry sessions. And it really alerted me to the fact that, actually, if we didn't diversify our programme, if we didn't start thinking a bit differently, not only were our competitors going to catch up, but actually other sites that we would never have thought of as competitors because of the new kind of economic model. So, yeah, it was a really important moment for us to start thinking differently. Kelly Molson: That's crazy, isn't it? Because that's the comparison that was made quite a lot, I think, during and after the pandemic, is that attractions, you're now competing with things like Netflix, and you would never have considered that before. So that's really interesting to hear you make that kind of comparison to retail. And that's not something that I would have considered before either. Frances Sampayo: No, it was amazing. I wanted to sign up for a lot of these in person classes. I'm the kind of heritage person and I'm being taken by the retail model, so I've got to try and bring it back. So, yeah, that was a big starting point. And, yeah, as you say, kind of Netflix. You can sit and watch, you could sit on YouTube and just watch a plant grow and on a time lapse for 20 minutes and you say, “Oh, no, actually, you want to get out into nature. So how are we going to get those people here?”Kelly Molson:  Yeah. So what kind of objectives did you set for the programme? Frances Sampayo: So I've got to be honest, I'm not the best at kind of setting formal objectives, particularly, I think, because this programme was really around culture change and I think whenever you bring people into doing a cultural shift within an organisation, they're going to bring new ideas. So I didn't set kind of formal objectives and say, we're going to achieve 20% increase in this or that. I've done that in other areas, but it didn't feel right to do that with our public programme. So what we did instead was talk about giving people more kind of creativity to create new programmes. So kind of, what can we do that's new that we haven't done before? What have you always really wanted to try but haven't been able to? Because this is the time for us to try and fail and learn and adapt. Frances Sampayo: And actually, what sits behind that the kind of team don't always pick up on, is you're introducing a feedback cycle and you're saying, actually, we're going to evaluate everything. And we haven't necessarily had that culture where we listen to what people responded to within our sessions that they liked, that they didn't like. So we wanted to start that feedback loop and then ultimately, we wanted to future proof our programme. So we need new audiences, we've got to diversify our model, become financially sustainable. So those are the kind of key areas I really wanted to push, but I didn't kind of set them as specific objectives. They all kind of developed naturally as more people get involved, we're able to expand the ambition. Frances Sampayo: And now, five years on, we've got our own public programme manager, so it's really become embedded and they're going to again challenge us and push us up a whole other level. So it's been really brilliant to let it grow, but set a kind, of course, I guess, for how we want to deliver it and how we want to change. Kelly Molson: I'm really interested to know what's changed. So what was a kind of typical programme previously and what does your programme look like now? Like, how brave have people been? Frances Sampayo: Yeah, we've been pretty brave. It's been a big change. So I think the first area where there's really been a shift is moving away from an academic forum. So being a learning space for 350 years, that really carried into our learning programme and all of our public programmes. So even sessions where were getting people to do botanical soap making, that started with a formal lecture, really, about what the botanicals were you were going to use, why they were so brilliant. So we've really shifted away from that and we put that same information into our sessions, but not in a formal way. It's much more informal, much more exciting, and people learn through connecting with the plant itself, as opposed to being told with a presentation and some slides, this is how brilliant lemon is, or things like that. Frances Sampayo: So that shift away from the academic has been really fundamental, but you might not necessarily notice that kind of straight away with the session that's more in terms of the content. We've also looked at our accessibility, so we've got a broader range of price points now, a broader range of length of sessions. So we used to have sessions that were a full day or a half day and that was it. Now people are a lot more time poor, so we've got some sessions that are an hour, some that are 2 hours, a full day or even multiple days, but people can select now what they want and there's a much better variety. So we're seeing we get a lot more visitors come onto a kind of two hour session instead of a four hour half day. Frances Sampayo: And our youth panel also talked to us about the different price points and making the journey a lot easier to buying a ticket. So we've got lower price points now. And also you don't have to buy a ticket to the garden on top of buying a ticket to an event, which has been a big shift. So those are kind of some behind the scenes things, which are pretty bold, but not the kind of glamorous thing. But in terms of that kind of more dynamic programming, we did a lot during the pandemic because of being an outdoor attraction, so we had some ideas that were kind of on the back burner that were able to bring forward. So were able to launch Plant Fair when outdoor retail returned, which was brilliant. Frances Sampayo: We were able to introduce a series of concerts on the lawn called The Lawn Session, so those music nights have stayed, and also Family Theatre, which we hadn't done before in the garden, so we now do that every year. So were able to bring in some really new programming, which was really bold for us as a site, because we hadn't really connected with those audiences or felt like audiences that would go to a music night would come to the garden. So that was really great fun. But the most bold programme we launched was our Dash of Lavender programme, so that's LGBTQ plus History Month celebration, and that happens in February. So we've got an exhibition in the garden and then lots of different events, from poetry nights to drawing workshops. Frances Sampayo: And this year, our volunteer guides also got involved and they launched tours around the garden to tell people more about LGBTQ history and horticulture, which was really fantastic, because that, again, is an example of growing support for the programme bit by bit, and people saying, “Okay, now I understand what this is. I want to get more involved.” And we've been supported through that by an amazing partner called Sixto, who runs Queer botany, who's just a great presence within the sector and doing amazing things. I'm sure everyone wants to work with them now, which is really frustrating for us. Frances Sampayo: We love Six, though, but, yeah, that's been the kind of most dynamic programme that we've introduced and has had the biggest impact, but because we'd done all of those smaller steps, that it felt like a really natural progression for the site to do this and it's been really accepted and understood. Whereas previously, if we'd said we're going to do a History Month celebrating LGBTQ plus individuals, people really wouldn't have understood it. So it's made a huge impact. Kelly Molson: That is phenomenal to hear. It's really interesting. As you were talking, we just go back to the start of this section where you were talking about the soap making, and I thought, “Oh, that sounds really interesting. I'd probably like to do that.” But I probably wouldn't have booked onto the previous incarnation of it because I would have thought, "Maybe this is just a bit not for me". I'm kind of doing it because I'm interested in the fragrances and how you make them and that kind of side of it. I'm not sure I want to be lectured about the botanicals themselves, so it might put me off, so I guess it might put a lot of other people off. So have your audiences changed since you introduced the new programme? Kelly Molson: And it would be interesting to know if you set out and defined what you wanted those new audiences to be and how if you've achieved that. Frances Sampayo: Oh, great question. So we did do some kind of planning of new audiences and who we wanted to engage, but we also wanted to make sure we brought our existing audience and our members kind of along with us and make sure that they felt really taken care of. So, in terms of our existing audience, particularly our members, they're 50% of our visitor profile post pandemic, and they're predominantly white, female, cisgendered, able bodied, or potentially have kind of corrected sight through using glasses. They're retired. So that's our kind of core audience, if you will. So we wanted to make sure that we really supported them as well, so they have had some new benefits introduced, like a quiet hour at the garden in the morning, so kind of private access before everyone else comes in. Frances Sampayo: We also started running coffee mornings for them, social isolation is a really big challenge within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. So we've got some older members of our membership community, so that helps them get involved. And they also get early access to a lot of our member events or a lot of our public programme events. So they feel like they're getting a lot of special treatment, but it's a lot of stuff that we would have been doing anyway. And I think that's helped them kind of come with us on the journey as we've brought in a lot of new audiences. So people under 40, families, people living within walking distance of the garden within a 30 minutes catchment, that's actually really quite a disruptive audience to bring in against that traditional model. Frances Sampayo: So we've got people who live in Wandsworth, Lambeth, Vauxhall, all really local to us, who wouldn't see the garden as a place for them. We've got people living in Battersea who are part of the new, amazing community in Battersea with all these developments, but they've got the park right next to them and we're on the other side of the Thames, so why do they want to come here? So it's really helped us establish we are here for local people. We've got things that interest under 40s, we've got things that interest families, but throughout all of that, we've really considered how we're going to bring our core audience on that journey with us. So, yeah, we've tried to balance it, but it has really changed. Kelly Molson: Were you worried about how, when you talked about what your existing kind of demographic was for your members and your audience, were you quite worried about how they might react to some of the new ideas that you were bringing in? Frances Sampayo: I wasn't really worried, if I'm completely honest. I think I knew that we were going to take care of them and I knew that some people would appreciate that and some people would really enjoy coming into the garden for a quiet hour in the morning or coming to a coffee morning. So I knew that some of the visitors that are part of that membership community would really enjoy that. And I thought, if they don't, that is kind of up to them to self select and not come to the garden. But ultimately we have to change because you can't exist for 350 years by standing still. And I think that is quite brave, I think, to say that. And it's not dismissive of our kind of core audience or our existing audience, it's just saying there's space for everyone, there's space for more people here. Frances Sampayo: And if you're not okay with that, you've got your quiet hour, you can come then. We're trying to accommodate you. But actually, if you want to come to Chelsea History Festival weekend, where we've got circus performers and a military band in the garden, come along to that. That's great. You're going to really have a good time if you want. So we kind of accepted that we might lose some visitors and I, unfortunately, sometimes get complaints from people about, "I've ruined the garden or I've ruined the atmosphere", but for every complaint I get like that, I get 20, "I would never have come here if you weren't doing this. And I discovered the garden because you had a poetry evening and I thought that was amazing, or I came on the lawn sessions for a date and now I'm coming back to see the collection in the day." Frances Sampayo: So it really is worth it and you just have to be kind of resilient and true to what you're doing and why and stick to it, because we're kind of here for people and we want as many people to enjoy the garden as possible. So there has to be a bit of disruption and a bit of change.Kelly Molson: Yeah. I mean, we all like to say that we don't like change, though, don't we? You're always going to get somebody who really don't like change and it's really uncomfortable for them, but you can't stay the same for those people. How do you think? Because this has all happened over quite a short period of time, really, hasn't it? I mean, we can throw COVID into the mix and I think it goes without saying, really, that everybody became a bit braver during that time, because it was a time of, "Well, let's just try it. What else could go wrong?" Right? But what do you think that you've been able to kind of change and adapt so quickly? Frances Sampayo: Yeah, so I think it's all about people. We've got a really amazing team here and they're really committed to what we're doing. I kind of label it as persistent, professional radicalism, which people enjoy, but that's kind of what we're doing. We want to make change, so we have to be persistent. We'll consider the fact that some visitors might not like it, but others will, and we've got data to support us and then we're kind of radical because that's just what we're doing, being really bold as we approach things. And this team of people that I get to work with, really kind of support that and want to work in that way. At the start, weren't all saying we're being radical at work and we're being really bold. People weren't necessarily comfortable with that. Frances Sampayo: So there were a lot of conversations that needed to have with people around, giving them permission to explore new things and say, "What are you excited about that we've never done in the garden before, that you think would be really cool that you'd want to come to, or what do you want to do?" And gradually people started understanding that actually there was permission for them to try new things and to work in new ways. So one of the learning team really wanted to learn more about podcasting. So brilliant. There's a training course on podcast. You go on that, you tell me why it would be good for the garden and if you can convince me, I'll back you up and we'll make sure that we kind of get this going and get you the equipment you need and the space you need. Frances Sampayo: So were able to do that and now we've got a really great podcast that's available in all good podcast places that you can listen to about the garden and it helps people that aren't here connect with it. And that just came from a mad idea from one of the teams saying, "Actually, I'd really like to learn a bit more about this, and were able to just kind of go with it." So empowering the team has been really key to that. And then also for me, I'm really lucky that our director, Sue Medway is really supportive of kind of what we're doing. And our trustee board as well have kind of become used to me coming in and saying, “Oh, we're now teaching children how to make broomsticks for Halloween.”Kelly Molson: It's such a great idea.Frances Sampayo: So it's so great and it's a sustainable way of using twigs, things like that. So we use all kind of organic well, all materials from the garden. They learn how to make them and yeah, cool, they get to pretend that they've got magic powers and can fly around the garden, but also they can take that home, they can help with the housework, they know a bit more about sustainable cleaning, don't have to buy a new broom. So there's all kinds of things that we're doing and people have just kind of accepted now that we're going to do things a bit differently. And when they open their kind of board papers, there might be something a bit mad in there, but they really enjoy it. So it's great. Kelly Molson: That is a brilliant idea and it kind of sums up the ethos of the whole place, right? You're teaching children to do something really fun with the things that you have there and they're learning about sustainability. It's absolutely perfect. Yeah, I really love that. I should probably book onto that podcasting workshop that you talked about as well. Add that to my list of things to do. When we talked a few weeks ago as well, I think you mentioned, I think you kind of mentioned, like, the 80 20 rule that we talk about quite frequently. About 80% of what you do is kind of in fixed once the programme is decided, but you have that kind of 20% of flexibility where if something is relevant, you can go, “Hey, we've got a little bit of space here, let's put something on.” So it's nice to be able to have that level of flexibility and kind of agileness about what you do. Frances Sampayo: Yeah, definitely. So, again, when I first joined, actually, that was something that were kind of not confident in. So by November, the whole following year would be planned and then the walks, talks and workshops, leaflets that were produced would talk you through the whole year. So we'd printed the whole year in advance. That was it. This is the programme, we're sticking to it. So now we kind of print only kind of two or three months in advance. And we also use QR codes a lot to say just check our website for what's happening. And that really gives us the space to be agile. So we now programme 80% and then it gives us that space that if you pick up a really amazing phone call from someone, can do an event. Frances Sampayo: We get a lot of really interesting artistic projects, we also get some really amazing kind of sell out events and it's actually we've got to have capacity to run that event again because it was so popular. So, yeah, that's been a really big shift, is just having that kind of 80 20 and it also helps the team with capacity management, I think, because sometimes when we get approached for things like we had this really amazing approach for kind of a shadow puppet theatre to come into the garden and it was a really interesting opportunity for us. It would have been a bit of a kind of learning curve, but we just didn't have capacity. Frances Sampayo: And it was really good to be able to say to the team, “Actually, we've already factored in five new events in the next four months, so do we think that we can build this one in as well? Because those are five new events that we haven't run before.” So it just made us a bit more kind of structured in our decision making process of what we could take on and couldn't. And so that went on the back burner and we said we potentially be available in the future. But yeah, it just makes us have decisions that are kind of really grounded, I guess, from what I'm saying. It seems like we just say yes to everything, but sometimes we do say no and think about whether something's right for us or whether we've got capacity for it. And 80 20 has really helped. Kelly Molson: Yeah, that felt like a considered no, not a reflex no, but actually with other things that we have on, we don't need to do this right now. We'd love to, but we don't need to. And that's a good position to be in, to be able to make that kind of decision. I would love to know what you've learned about it all and what's the one thing that surprised you the most about the process that you've been through? Frances Sampayo: Well, I've learned a lot. It's been a really amazing journey and obviously I've learned a lot just about our collection and from our horticultural team. But aside from that, it's really been about listening to people that your team are going to make you better, they're going to make your programme better, and sometimes you have to listen to challenge and critique just as much as you have to listen to positivity. I think that gives you a lot to learn from. And again, that's that feedback cycle and loop from earlier, I think it's really important to be excited and that makes your team excited about things and want to go the extra mile and put in the energy that it takes to get these things off the ground. Really about empowerment, that's been the key to the success, is just having an empowered team. Frances Sampayo: And I think particularly recently, I've been reflecting on just how important it is to be grateful. And I think I've learned a lot about being grateful not only to the team, but also to our visitors and our audiences that come here and the fact that they've chosen to come to us and making sure that we're grateful for that. So those have kind of been some recent learnings that I've been reflecting on. And then in terms of surprise, well, I think something that I wish I could have used as my answer to your earlier question about objectives and kind of what you set out to achieve actually came as a surprise to me. Frances Sampayo: So we've had at least three staff members and more volunteers cite the public programme as the way that they discovered the garden and also as part of their motivation for joining and wanting to apply. Yeah, so it's been really interesting, and I wish that I'd kind of gone into it at the beginning and kind of said, "Well, yeah, well, this is going to lead to an increase in applicants for jobs and diversity of applicants for jobs", but I just didn't really consider it as an outcome. And it's been great. And actually, one of our Cafe team who cited the Dash of Lavender programme as a motivation for joining went so above and beyond. During Dash of Lavender this year, they had the inclusive pride flag all over. Frances Sampayo: We had a whole range of lavender themed, like macaroons and desserts, and they really took it to another level, because they felt like we, as an organisation, were accepting of this programme and therefore would just really support them to deliver what they felt was their interpretation of the programme. And we did, even if that did mean having to have lavender themed macaroons every day, which is a really hard life. Kelly Molson: That sounds really tough. Frances Sampayo: Oh, no, what a shame. But, yeah, it was just brilliant because they really took it and ran with it and that just makes us better and hopefully our visitors will enjoy that as well. But, yeah, that was completely unexpected. Kelly Molson: That's such an amazing outcome, isn't it? And like you said, completely unexpected that they've really taken ownership of it. They've taken ownership of the programme and put more into it than you ever could have imagined. Frances Sampayo: Yeah, because I could never have done that. And I think I'm really lucky every single day here, because I work with such amazing people. I get to say, "Oh, brilliant. I get to represent everything that people have done and achieved and come up with". And that's just one of those completely unexpected outcomes, which is delicious and great fun. I think they even created a cocktail for out of hours events that transformed. So the cocktail started pink and then they poured in a blue gin and then it turned into a lavender colour. Kelly Molson: They really thought about it. Frances Sampayo: It was amazing. And then the visitors that came here, it's just such an added benefit. So, yeah, creativity comes from everywhere and it's brilliant to see.Kelly Molson: That is brilliant. Yeah, that's another question, actually, is unexpected outcomes. So that was one of the unexpected outcomes, which you had no idea that it could have been an objective that was achieved. But there's been some other things that have come out of this as well, hasn't there? Can you tell us a little bit about them? Frances Sampayo: Yeah, and it comes back to that idea that 80 20 and just having space to pick up the phone and have those conversations. So we do a lot more working in collaboration than we've ever done before. And I think it's maybe because we've caught people's attention as a partner and people are interested in what we're doing now, not just from that kind of LEAF forum, but a lot more dynamic organisations, not just kind of botanically rooted organisations. So many plant puns. I have to apologise, it's just what. Happens when you want to kit. Kelly Molson: We're pun agnostic on this brilliant show.Frances Sampayo: Yeah, one of my favourite activities that we've launched is the Chelsea History Festival, which we run in collaboration with the National Army Museum and the Royal Hospital, which are our neighbours along the Royal Hospital road. And the three of our sites are really different. We have really different audience bases, but we've come together for this week long festival each year and because of that, we've had a military band in the garden that would never have happened if we didn't collaborate and weren't open to collaborating. We've seen a real kind of increase in visitors because of that. And what's been interesting is a lot of visitors go to the National Army Museum because they have a soft play, so there's a lot of families that go there who now come here afterwards, and so they're actually going to both sites.Yeah. Kelly Molson: Oh, that's great.Frances Sampayo: Whereas before, they might have just gone to the Army Museum and not known that were here. So it's really brilliant for us to be doing that work in partnership. And the Royal Hospital are doing more and more to open up. Obviously, their primary function is to be a care home for the Chelsea Pensioners, that's their priority. But they are doing more to connect with the local community and so we're able to facilitate that, maybe host some things for them and just continue to work as a trio of sites as opposed to three independent institutions, which is really exciting moving forward. I think it's really going to change how we all operate. And so that's kind of one collaboration that we just wouldn't have happened if weren't open to working in that way. Frances Sampayo: And we've also launched Crossing the Floors with David Hingley, who's been on the podcast. I'm sure many people know that initiative to kind of link up front of house teams to get experience of working in different sites. Kelly Molson: Such a great idea. Frances Sampayo: It's such an amazing idea. And we're kind of completely different as a site, as an outdoor site. So a lot of people working in places might never have got to come to an outdoor site before. And they get to kind of see how we programme things, how we deliver activities in a very different way, very seasonal way, as opposed to kind of exhibition, programme driven. So that's been really interesting. And, yeah, other collaborations have just come from picking up the phone. We do a lot of work with the University of Westminster now to help blind and partially sighted people have a multisensory experience in a botanical garden, which doesn't sound you think? Well, yeah, of course it's multisensory being in a garden, but actually, you can't touch a lot of our collection. A lot of it's poisonous. Frances Sampayo: It's going to do you a lot of harm if you touch it. So, yeah, how do we kind of layer that in a safe way? So there's so much that can come from collaborating with different sites and, again, that just is going to improve everything we do here and we learn a lot. Kelly Molson: That's so good, isn't it? And I guess all of those things, by changing the programme, you've changed the profile of the garden and you've raised your kind of perception, or changed the perception of it to so many different audiences. And now those audiences will go to the attractions and the places that are next door to them, and yet you don't suffer any visitor loss from that. And likewise, because they're now coming to two of the different ones on the same day, it's just perfect. Frances Sampayo: Yeah, it's great. And hopefully in the future we'll be able to keep building on that as three sites and continue to work together. We're an independent charity, so every kind of penny we earn, we have to earn ourselves. NAM have got a different funding model, as have the Royal Hospital, so we've got a lot to learn as well from each other as organisations of how we approach things and what we need to consider, so it's even better for organisational learning as well. It's just going to help elevate everyone. And as you said earlier, I think people became a lot bolder following the pandemic in terms of sharing and wanting to help each other, whereas before were all very isolated, so that's really helped things. Kelly Molson: It's brilliant. Thank you for coming on to share this with us today. It's been so lovely to talk to you about it. We always ask our guests to share a book that they love, so have you prepared something for us today? Frances Sampayo: Yes, so that was a really hard question and I thought about the book that I've gifted the most. So last year I read Black Tudors by Miranda Kaufman. I don't know if anyone's recommended it previously. Kelly Molson: No, I don't think so. Frances Sampayo: So it's a really fantastic history book. And as someone who's worked at sites with kind of Tudor history in the past, it completely blew my mind to hear about how dynamic the range of black people were in Britain and beyond in the Tudor times, because we really don't get to hear about that. I think, kind of in traditional academic circles. So it's a great read and I think I gifted about five copies of it last year, so I think people would it's just brilliant and I hope someone gets to enjoy it. Kelly Molson: Well, listeners, as ever, if you want to listen, if you want to win a copy of Frances's book, you know what to do. Head over to our Twitter account. And if you retweet this episode announcement with the words, I want Frances's book, then you might get the chance for us to gift you us to gift it to you, not Frances. She can save her pennies. Thank you so much for coming on. It's been such a pleasure. I don't know, you've sold it to me. I mean, I want to come and make a broomstick and some soap. Frances Sampayo: Yeah, soap and a broomstick. Kelly Molson: That's like my perfect day out. Frances Sampayo: That's our tagline for 2024, actually. Just visit garden. Soap and a broomstick. Kelly Molson: Sold. I'll order my ticket in advance. Thanks, Frances. Frances Sampayo: Thanks, Kelly. Kelly Molson: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned. Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcriptions from this episode and more over on our website, rubbercheese.com/podcast.

Recorded on location from The National Army Museum, James Holland visits the newly opened Conflict In Europe gallery with museum director Justin Maciejewski and the exhibition's curator Sophie StathiA Goalhanger Films ProductionProduced by Joey McCarthyExec Producer: Tony PastorTwitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPodWebsite: wehavewayspod.comEmail: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest today is the prolific scholar and Arsenal supporter Gary D. Sheffield. Gary is Visiting Professor at the Humanities Research Institute of the University of Buckingham and Professor Emeritus at the University of Wolverhampton, where he set up the First World War Programme. He was previously Chair of War Studies at the University of Birmingham and Professor of Modern History at King's College London. He also served as Land Warfare Historian on the Higher Command and Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College. Gary earned his undergraduate and MA degrees in History at the University of Leeds and went on to take his PhD at King's College, London. Gary's list of publications is extensive. He is the author or editor of more than 15 books. His book Forgotten Victory: The First World War – Myths and Realities was a bestseller. Gary's contribution to The British General Staff: Innovation and Reform earned him a share of the Templer Medal in 2003. The Chief: Douglas Haig and the British Army was selected as a military book of the year by The Times and shortlisted for the Duke of Westminster's Medal for Military Literature. Among Gary's numerous other books are Leadership in the Trenches: Officer-Man Relations, Morale and Discipline in The British Army in the Era of the First World War, The Somme: A New History, A Short History of the First World War, and The First World War in 100 Objects. He is currently completing a project titled Civilian Armies: British and Dominions Soldiers' Experience in the Two World Wars, which will be published by Yale University Press. Gary is a member of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Arts, he sits on the Advisory Boards of the Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, the Academic Advisory Panel of the National Army Museum, and the Academic Advisory Board of the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Trust. He also served as the President of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides and the Honorary President of the Western Front Association. Finally, Gary frequently appears on television and documentaries, writes for the press, and speaks to podcasters like us. We can't thank Gary enough for taking the time with us. Join us for a delightful chat about reading military history as a kid, Tony Adams, battlefield tours, curries, and Bob Dylan. You'll enjoy this one. Check out the @MHPTPodcast Swag Store! Rec.: 03/03/2023

In this special episode we record LIVE from the National Army Museum in London.  We talk to a panel of 3 guests about their lives, service, injury and recovery.  A Road to Recovery Special with Harry Parker, Gemma Morgan and Simon Brown https://www.nam.ac.uk More Information - Simon:  https://blesma.org/news-media/blesma-news/2020/on-the-set-of-scars/ Harry: https://www.waterstones.com/book/hybrid-humans/harry-parker/9781788163101 Gemma: https://morganeight.com

As an early Christmas gift, we're releasing Al Murray and James Holland's conversation about Command from the National Army Museum.A Goalhanger Films ProductionProduced by Exec Producer: Tony PastorTwitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPodWebsite: wehavewayspod.comEmail: wehavewayspod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jen and Jackie may not be the most coordinated, sporty people out there, but we sure do love sporty romance books! Jen leads this discussion this time into the history and objectives of sports, and why we, romance nerds, feel so attracted to all those...tight ends.(Jackie's buzz word this month is apparently "zeitgeist;" she's so sorry)Books we mention:Playbook series by Alexa MartinFake It Till You Bake It by Jamie WesleyPlaying For Keeps by Nichole RoseIcebreaker by Hannah GraceBromance Book Club series by Lyssa Kay AdamsJen FrederickPucked series by Helena HuntingLeviathan Fitness series by Ashley BennettKennedy RyanMelt For You by J.T. GeissingerThe Forbidden Man by Karina HalleSources:The Anthropology of Sport: An Introduction (Blanchard, 1995)"History of Sports" (Wikipedia)"Sport and preparing troops for war" (National Army Museum, n.d.)"A Brief History of Sports" (Bellis, 2019)"Drill and Kill: How Americans Link War and Sports" (Stark, 2010)"The Benefits of Play for Adults" (Robinson et al., 2022)"Drama, Testosterone, and Passion: The Appeal of M/M and Sports" (Andrews, 2013)"Sports And Romance Novels: A Match Made In...Hockey" (Given, 2019)"Can college athletes get paid? Can they make money on social media?" (Alikpala, 2022)

In this interview, Liz talks with author Clare Mulley about two incredibly complex and fascinating women: Hannah Reitsch, who was the first female helicopter pilot in the world and a fanatical Nazi, and Melitta Stauffenberg, who was an aeronautical engineer and test pilot for the Nazi regime, but who was also a resistor. Clare has written three historical biographies including THE WOMAN WHO SAVED THE CHILDREN: A BIOGRAPHY OF EGLANTYNE JEBB, FOUNDER OF SAVE THE CHILDREN; THE SPY WHO LOVED: THE SECRETS AND LIVES OF CHRISTINE GRANVILLE who was Britain's first female special agent in WWII; and the Aviatrix Book Club discussion book for May 2021, THE WOMEN WHO FLEW FOR HITLER: A TRUE STORY OF SOARING AMBITION AND SEARING RIVALRY. She reviews non-fiction for the UK's Spectator and Telegraph, and has given talks for TedX, the Houses of Parliament, Royal Albert Hall, the Imperial War Museum, the National Army Museum and British Library, as well as many festivals. She has also been featured on BBC television and radio. I highly recommend you check out her book reviews and blog at her website, www.claremulley.com. Liz Booker is a retired Coast Guard helicopter pilot and writer for young adults. She hosts the Aviatrix Book Club and the Aviatrix Book Review Website and Podcast. This episode is a rebroadcast of the Aviatrix Book Review in collaboration withComing Home Well. You can find Liz @LiteraryAviatrix on social media.Stay up to date and gain early access to new podcasts and upcoming events by signing up for our newsletter at Coming Home Well NewsletterCheck out our other podcasts: Beyond The Frontline, Be Crazy Well, Veteran Et CeteraSupport the showFollow us on our socialsYouTube @cominghomewellbehindtheserviceInstagram @cominghomewell_btsFacebook at Coming Home WellLinkedIn at Coming Home WellTwitter @ComingHomeWell

Events and historically important men and women are like radionuclides. They each have their own particular half-life.

At a young age, Alexis Soyer became a very well-known chef in both France and England, as popular for his fun personality as for his cooking. But he also left a legacy of invention and charity. Research: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Jules-Armand, prince de Polignac". Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Feb. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jules-Armand-prince-de-Polignac Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "July Revolution". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Jul. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/event/July-Revolution Guest, Ivor. "Fanny Cerrito". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fanny-Cerrito “Soyer stove, sealed pattern, 1953.” National Army Museum. https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=2002-12-6-1#:~:text=The%20Soyer%20stove%2C%20named%20after,modifications%20for%20over%20100%20years. Macmillan, Ann. “War Stories.” Simon and Schuster. 2018. Sandover, Cherry. “THE TRIUMPH OF FAME OVER DEATH: THE COMMEMORATIVE FUNERARY MONUMTHE ARTIST IN 19TH CENTURY BRITAIN AS SIGNIFIER OF IDENTITY.” University of Essex. Academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/12192637/SUMMARY_OF_THE_DISSERTATION_THE_TRIUMPH_OF_FAME_OVER_DEATH_THE_COMMEMORATIVE_FUNERARY_MONUMTHE_ARTIST_IN_19TH_CENTURY_BRITAIN_AS_SIGNIFIER_OF_IDENTITY_ Pickering, W. “Obituary – Madame Soyer.”  The Gentleman's Magazine. Volume 172. 1842. https://books.google.com/books?id=rCZIAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA667#v=onepage&q&f=false Soyer, Alexis. “Memoirs of Alexis Soyer With Unpublished Receipts and Odds and Ends of Gastronomy.” Edited by F. Volant, et al. Cambridge University Press. 2014. Brandon, Ruth. “The People's Chef.” Wiley. 2004.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Johnston is the Head of Collections and Research at the Royal Air Force Museum in London, a position that requires him to be an active researcher and work with the academic and military communities, and get to play with really cool airplane stuff! Before joining the RAF Museum, Peter was the Head of Collections, Research, and Academic Access at the National Army Museum in London (where he also got to play with really cool stuff!). He has also worked as a researcher for the Centre for Social Justice, and his work primarily involved researching governmental policies and their impact on UK veterans as they transitioned back into civilian life. Peter also served as a research assistant for the British Library's Propaganda, Power, and Persuasion exhibit back in 2013. He's a teacher as well. He held a visiting lecturer position at the University of Westminster and was an assistant lecturer at the University of Kent. Peter earned his undergraduate and MA degrees in History at the University of Durham and then a PhD at the University of Kent. His doctoral dissertation examined the British armed forces in the Falklands War. Peter's first book, British Forces in Germany, 1945-2019: The Lived Experience was published in 2019. He has also published on propaganda associated with military recruitment and museum collections. Peter has a considerable media presence, and his commentary has been featured on BBC, in The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Express, BBC Breakfast, and Good Morning Britain. You can follow Peter on Twitter @PeteAJohnston. Peter's roles as a researcher and a curator give him some valuable insight into what's going on with military history and public history, and we're thrilled to have him joining us from across the pond. So join us for a truly fascinating chat that involves Spitfires, Airfix Kits, Chinooks, Six Nations Rugby, the Bekonscot Model Village, and, of course, the BBQ Question! Postscript - Peter delighted in Italy's victory over Wales in the Six Nations Rugby! Rec.03/16/2022

Dive into the illustrious history of the U.S. Army, and see the role the Army National Guard has played throughout our Nation's history. Join us for our experience at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. Visit our Official Website: www.nationalguard.mil/leaderdevelopment Visit our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/leadersrecon Visit our Instagram page at: www.instagram.com/leaders_recon

James Holland gives a guided tour of his new exhibition at the National Army Museum.This episode was recorded live at the museum as a part of our Independent Company livestream. If you enjoyed this episode, join the IC on Patreon for more exclusive live content every Mondaywww.patreon.com/wehaveways See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today's guest is Great War scholar Jonathan Boff. Jonathan is a Reader in History and War Studies at the University of Birmingham, where he teaches courses on conflict from Homer to Helmand. He specializes in the First World War. He is currently an AHRC Leadership Fellow, researching a book on Money in Wartime which will be published by Oxford University Press in 2024. His last monograph, Haig's Enemy: Crown Prince Rupprecht and Germany's War on the Western Front, 1914-18 was published by Oxford University Press in 2018. It won the British Army Book of the Year award, and was joint winner of the World War One Association's Tomlinson Prize. His previous book, Winning and Losing on the Western Front: The British Third Army and the Defeat of Germany in 1918 (Cambridge University Press, 2012) was short-listed for the Templer Medal and for the British Army Book of the Year award. He was educated at Merton College, Oxford and the Department of War Studies, King's College London, and spent twenty years working in finance before returning to academia. He serves on the board of advisors for the National Army Museum and Army Records Society, has worked as a historical consultant with the British Army and the BBC, and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. And he is a Rugby and F1 enthusiast, so Bill is quite pleased! Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanBoff! Join us for our chat with Jonathan Boff! Rec. 11/30/2021

Britain's Greatest Battle: Imphal and KohimaThis epic battle was voted Britain's Greatest Battle in a poll by the National Army Museum, yet few know or understand why this brutal but decisive engagement was so significant. As James Holland reveals, it deserves greater recognition not just for the extraordinary leadership of General Bill Slim but also for epic heroism and the dogged determination of all those who fought there. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the world continues to battle Covid-19 and New Zealand is in the midst of another lockdown, a pandemic that struck over 100-years ago is in part being highlighted in an exhibition at the National Army Museum in Waiouru. Due to open last week, it's now delayed until a return to alert level 2 or lower. The exhibition focuses on what came to be known as the Death Ship, a troop ship from this country enroute to the U.K, but hit by the Spanish Flu in 1918. Andrew McRae takes up the story.

We get the inside info behind commemorating one of Poland's most renowned generals in the UK after several decades since the end of World War II. Host John Beauchamp speaks to George Byczyński, a British Pole who was instrumental in the fundraising campaign of a new bust of World War II hero General Władysław Anders, which has just gone on permanent display at London's National Army Museum. In this week's review: Bust of WWII hero General Anders unveiled in historic ceremony at London's National Army Museum Poland one of world's largest exporters of ice cream Polish satellites go into orbit Is there anything you want to hear or read about? Why not drop me a line? You can get in touch with the show by writing to podcasts@thefirstnews.com, and please remember to share, like and subscribe to The Debrief!

How does the military help connect Germany and the UK? What are major insights from history and pointers for the 21st century? Deputy Head of Mission Julia Gross introduces a discussion by two military historians: Dr Peter Johnston, curator of the 'Foes to Friends' exhibition at the National Army Museum, and Professor Matthias Strohn, from the University of Buckingham and the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research.

Author interview with Clare Mulley. Clare has written three historical biographies including THE WOMAN WHO SAVED THE CHILDREN: A BIOGRAPHY OF EGLANTYNE JEBB, FOUNDER OF SAVE THE CHILDREN; THE SPY WHO LOVED: THE SECRETS AND LIVES OF CHRISTINE GRANVILLE who was Britain’s first female special agent in WWII; and the Aviatrix Book Club discussion book for May 2021, THE WOMEN WHO FLEW FOR HITLER: A TRUE STORY OF SOARING AMBITION AND SEARING RIVALRY.  She reviews non-fiction for the UK’s Spectator and Telegraph, and has given talks for TedX, the Houses of Parliament, Royal Albert Hall, the Imperial War Museum, the National Army Museum and British Library, as well as many festivals. She has also been featured on BBC television and radio. I highly recommend you check out her book reviews and blog at her at her website, www.claremulley.com. In this interview, Clare talks about her path to becoming a biographer, what led her to write about these two incredibly complex and fascinating women: Hannah Reitsch and Melitta Stauffenberg, and the trail she followed to uncover their stories. She also talks about her other two books, both of which sound equally fabulous and fascinating. I am grateful to all of the authors who have chosen to invest their inspiration and tremendous effort to write about women in aviation. Books like this a treasure. As Clare highlights in the interview, Hannah is a well-known historical figure, but we might never have known about Melitta and her unique role in World War II were it not for Clare’s interest, tenacity, and research and writing skills. Everyone with any interest in history, World War II, or aviation should read this book!

Jeremy has another virtual pint with Justin Maciejewski, director of the National Army Museum, former soldier and former McKinsey consultant, and a deeply thoughtful commentator on the military, one of Jeremy's fondest subjects. On the menu: the role and size of the army, military history, the army's pandemic response, poetry, recruiting, outsourcing, and all sorts. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Known affectionately to many of those he commanded as ‘Uncle Bill', FIELD MARSHAL VISCOUNT SLIM is widely regarded as ‘a soldier's general', but he was just as effective in managing relationships with those alongside and above him, as military historian ROBERT LYMAN illustrates in this podcast. In 2011, a NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM poll ranked him, jointly with the Duke of Wellington, as BRITAIN's GREATEST GENERAL. But despite his outstanding leadership of the 14th Army in the Burma Campaign, and his later appointment as Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS), he is much less well known outside of military historical circles than, for example, his immediate predecessor as CIGS, VISCOUNT MONTGOMERY OF ALAMEIN. This podcast was commissioned by THE GURKHA MUSEUM to complement an online exhibition on SLIM AND HIS LEADERSHIP LEGACY. Visit the MUSEUM'S website www.Thegurkhamuseum.co.uk to find out more about the history and heritage of this unique fighting force that has loyally served Great Britain for over 200 years. DR ROBERT LYMAN FRHistS is a writer and historian. He has published widely on the Second World War in Europe, North Africa and Asia and is Field Marshal Bill Slim's military biographer. His presentation of the case for Slim won a NATIONAL MUSEUM ARMY DEBATE in 2011 for BRITAIN'S GREATEST GENERAL and his case for Kohima/Imphal won a National Army Museum debate in 2013 for Britain's Greatest Battle. His new account of the Burma Campaign, A WAR OF EMPIRES, is being published in November 2021. https://robertlyman.com/ ARCHIVE AUDIO | General Slim speaks at 14th Army Reunion, Royal Albert Hall, 1947 – licensed courtesy of British Pathé. MUSIC | We'll Meet Again sung by Vera Lynn – recording licensed courtesy of Naxos Music UK Ltd. Words & Music by Ross Parker & Hughie Charles, © Copyright 1939 Chester Music Limited trading as Dash Music Co. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. READINGS & QUOTED SOURCES | (1) Slim's Principles of Jungle Warfare by kind permission of the 3rd Viscount Slim; (2) George Macdonald Fraser on ‘Uncle Bill' by kind permission of the author; (3) Unto the Hills by John Twells by kind permission of Christopher Twells; (4) Frank McLynn on Slim; (5) Antony Brett-James on Slim; (6) General Slim's Special Order of the Day, 8 April 1945, read by Meghbahadur Rai, The Gurkha Museum. PRODUCTION | Producer - Catriona Oliphant for ChromeRadio | Post-production - Catriona Oliphant & Chris Sharp.

Parliament getting serious about the Civil War, getting its act together on military matters - above all by launching its New Model Army - and starting to win some key battles. Against that context, and helping Parliament on its way to success, there's the meteoric rise of Oliver Cromwell, a man whose military ability hadn't been suspected before. Not that this will be the end of his surprises for England. The episode ends as the First Civil War - ironically referred to as the 'Great Civil War' - also closes with poor old King Charles I in pretty dire straits. General Oliver Cromwell at Marston Moor, 1644 Engraving by William French after Ernest Crofts ARA, published by J S Virtue and Company Limited, London, 1860 (c). National Army Museum. 1999-04-158-1 Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License

Germany has been at the heart of the British Army's story since 1945. After the Second World War, the Army helped rebuild a devastated and divided nation. It provided protection during the Cold War, and later used Germany as a base from which to deploy troops across the world. as well as some fascinating archive recordings kindly provided by the National Army Museum. If you are enjoying the podcast, you can show your support via a monthly donation of $4, £3 or €3 via Patreon, plus you will get the sought after CWC coaster as a thank you and bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/If a financial contribution is not your cup of tea, then you can still help us by leaving written reviews wherever you listen to us as well as sharing us on social media. It really helps us get new guests on the show.I am delighted to welcome James and Dr Peter Johnston to our Cold War conversation…There’s further information on this episode in our show notes which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode163/If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook.Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/coldwarpod)

Oh dear, oh dear. Charles I pushed and pushed. Eventually, the other side pushed back. First it was the Scots, who turned out to be a lot better at fighting than Charles had imagined, and gave him a considerable black eye. Then, when he turned to Parliament in London, after eleven years without calling one, far from getting the funds he needed to fight the Scots, he found himself at loggerheads with them too. And then things turned even nastier... The illustration is courtesy of the National Army Museum, and shows 'roundhead' cavalrymen in Moorland. Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License

What Winston Churchill’s Relations with Russia Can Teach Us for TodayThursday, October 29, 2020Hoover Institution, Stanford University“If only I could dine with Stalin once a week,” Winston Churchill said with unusual naïveté during the Second World War, “then there would be no trouble at all.” When it came to dealing with Russia, Churchill went through five distinct phases of engagement, of which the most dangerous was thinking that Stalin was a normal statesman for whom personal relations mattered, rather than a hardened Russian ideologue and nationalist for whom only Realpolitik mattered. Churchill’s biographer Andrew Roberts will explore how Churchill’s experience can help the West in its dealings with Vladimir Putin.Andrew Roberts is the Roger and Martha Mertz Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Lehrman Institute Distinguished Fellow at the New-York Historical Society, and Visiting Professor at the War Studies Department at King’s College. He has written over a dozen books including Salisbury: Victorian Titan, Napoleon the Great, and Churchill: Walking with Destiny, which was a New York Times Bestseller and won the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Prize. He is a trustee of the Margaret Thatcher Archive Trust and the National Army Museum, and received his PhD from Cambridge University.ABOUT THE HOOVER HISTORY WORKING GROUPhttps://www.hoover.org/research-teams/history-working-group This interview is part of the History Working Group Seminar Series. A central piece of the History Working Group is the seminar series, which is hosted in partnership with the Hoover Library & Archives. The seminar series was launched in the fall of 2019, and thus far has included six talks from Hoover research fellows, visiting scholars, and Stanford faculty. The seminars provide outside experts with an opportunity to present their research and receive feedback on their work. While the lunch seminars have grown in reputation, they have been purposefully kept small in order to ensure that the discussion retains a good seminar atmosphere.

Sport and the military in this week's podcast brought to you by the British Society of Sport History in association with the Institute of Historical Research with Beth Gaskell, who is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Greenwich where she is completing a PhD on the British Army in the nineteenth century. She has also been active in HistoryLab, the postgraduate network for historians run by the Institute of Historical Research, as well as working as a curator of newspapers at the British Library. Beth talks about her work on the depiction of masculinity in regimental publications in the long nineteenth century and the way in which sport played an increasingly important role in the institutional memory of military institutions. She also talks more personally about juggling the demands of doing a PhD while working and being a mum, as well as the role that HistoryLab played in helping her to find her voice in academia. Beth Gaskell's research, funded through a Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship, investigates military writing, military-media relations and the professionalisation of the British Army in the long nineteenth century, with a particular focus on the rise of the professional periodical press. She is a qualified Librarian who has undertaken project work at the Royal Astronomical Society, and has previously held posts at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, the National Army Museum and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. She has won two grants from RSVP (2015 and 2016) and a Cardiff University vlogging bursary to attend BAVS 2016. Her chapter on "Bibliographic Issues: Titles, Numbers, Frequencies" appeared in Researching the Nineteenth-Century Press: Case Studies (Routledge) in July 2017. She is currently curator of newspapers at the British Library.

While independence movements were established well before the beginning of World War II, the conclusion of the war itself served as an important catalyst in forcing foreign powers to retreat and grant nation-states their independence. The following is a structured timeline on when Asian states gained their independence and a brief overview of what lead to their freedom. References: 1. Frederick, William H. Visions and heat: The making of the Indonesian revolution. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press, 1989. 2. “Malayan Emergency.” National Army Museum, www.nam.ac.uk/explore/malayan-emergency 3. Editors, History.com. “World War II.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history#section_7 4. Cavendish, Richard. “Malayan Independence.” History Today, Volume 57 Issue 8, 8 Aug. 2007, www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/malayan-independence 5. Ang, Ien, and Jon Stratton. "The Singapore way of multiculturalism: Western concepts/Asian cultures." Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia (1995): 65-89. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pacific-atrocities-education/support

How does popular culture see Lawrence of Arabia? This month Angus, Chris and Jessica speak to cartoonist Ned Barnett about his work on T. E. Lawrence, including both his research travelogue, Dreamers of the Day, and his on-going three volume graphic biography of the famous polymath. Along the way we discuss Lawrence as a celebrity, the challenges of cartooning, the comparative heights of Lawrence and Peter O’Toole and the textile holdings of the National Army Museum. References Ned Barnett, Dreamers of the Day (2019) Michael Korda, Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia (2011) Scott Anderson, Lawrence in Arabia: Deceit, Imperial Folly, and the Making of the Modern Middle East  (2013) Lawrence of Arabia (1962), dir. David Lean World War I Museum (Kansas City, Missouri) National Army Museum (London) Imperial War Museums (London) Ashmolean Museum (Oxford) Holly Furneaux, Military Men of Feeling: Emotion, Touch and Masculinity in the Crimean War (2016) Hergé, Tintin Lucy Knisley, The Age of License (2014) Museum of History of Science (Oxford) With Allenby in Palestine and Lawrence in Arabia (1919), dir. Lowell Thomas Graham Dawson, Soldier Heroes: British Empire, Adventure and the Imagining of Masculinities (1994) Louis Halewood, Adam Luptak and Hanna Smyth, War Time: First World War Perspectives on Temporality (2019) TE. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1922)  

Loyd Grossman discusses his new book and saving our culture and the Royal Borough opens its Physic Garden and National Army Museum for its annual History Festival. We're reading: An Elephant in Rome : Bernini, the Pope and the making of the Eternal City by Loyd Grossman, £19.99 We're going to: The Chelsea History Festival www.chelseahistoryfestival.com until 27 th September We're visiting: The National Army Museum www.nam.ac.uk and The Chelsea Physic Garden www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk for numerous live events during The Chelsea History Festival – BOOKING ESSENTIAL We're scrabbling to get the last seats for: Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre – till 27 th September www.Openairtheatre.com ENO's Drive & Live : Puccini's La Bohème at Alexandra Palace till 27 th September www.eno.org Produced and Edited by Alex Graham

Where are the Cyber threats to the UK coming from? The former head of the National Cyber Security Centre, Ciaran Martin, on Russia, China and the impact of Covid 19. More than two thousand US troops are to leave Iraq but is it the right time to draw down forces? We speak to the Chair of the Commons Defence Committee Tobias Ellwood. More than a million British soldiers have lived and served in Germany over the past 75 years. A new exhibition at the National Army Museum opens on Saturday looking at this unique deployment .  Follow us @bfbssitrep

Where are the Cyber threats to the UK coming from? The former head of the National Cyber Security Centre, Ciaran Martin, on Russia, China and the impact of Covid 19. More than two thousand US troops are to leave Iraq but is it the right time to draw down forces? We speak to the Chair of the Commons Defence Committee Tobias Ellwood. More than a million British soldiers have lived and served in Germany over the past 75 years. A new exhibition at the National Army Museum opens on Saturday looking at this unique deployment .  Follow us @bfbssitrep

Cyber security; US troops; British Army in Germany Where are the Cyber threats to the UK coming from? The former head of the National Cyber Security Centre, Ciaran Martin, on Russia, China and the impact of Covid 19. More than two thousand US troops are to leave Iraq but is it the right time to drawdown forces? We speak to the Chair of the Commons Defence Committee Tobias Ellwood. More than a million British soldiers have lived and served in Germany over the past 75 years. A new exhibition at the National Army Museum examines this unique deployment .

Author Clare Mulley, Peter Johnston of the National Army Museum, Dave Hartley of the National Museum of the Royal Navy and First World War Historian Bethany Moore join fans of the show to debate The Most Iconic British Battle in History. Judges Holmes and O'Connell preside. 

James Holland and National Army Museum resident expert Peter Johnston examine the roles of Captain Alfred Rowe, a beach master on D-Day, and Lieutenant John Groom, who was awarded the Military Cross for covert reconnaissance of beach mines and obstacles on the Normandy coastline.A Goalhanger Films ProductionProduced by Joey McCarthyExec Producer: Tony PastorTwitter: #WeHaveWaysTwitter: @WeHaveWaysPodEmail: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

James Holland debates the merits of British and German machine guns with National Army Museum curator Peter Johnston. Was the MG42 the best gun of World War Two? And did the Sten gun deserve such a mixed reputation?A Goalhanger Films ProductionProduced by Joey McCarthyExec Producer Tony PastorTwitter: #WeHaveWaysTwitter: @WeHaveWaysPodEmail: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Al Murray and James Holland examine life in post-war Germany as the British forces start the process of rebuilding the broken nation. The discovery of Bergen-Belsen and the divided city of Berlin are also discussed with the National Army Museum’s curator Dr Peter Johnston.A Goalhanger Films ProductionProduced by Joey McCarthyExec Producer Tony PastorTwitter: #WeHaveWaysTwitter: @WeHaveWaysPodEmail: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gary Lineker is a special guest on the show as Al Murray and James Holland head to the National Army Museum to discuss the Italian campaign and sportsmen at war. Gary’s grandfather was in the medical corps and found himself in the thick of battle between Salerno and Monte Cassino. The boys also discuss the footballers and cricketers who went to war.A Goalhanger Films ProductionProduced by Harry Lineker & Joey McCarthyExec Producer: Tony PastorTwitter: @WeHaveWaysPodTwitter: #WeHaveWaysEmail: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk about the display The Clash: London Calling which just opened at the Museum of London and the National Army Museum’s exhibition of Abram Games’ wartime posters. See links below. The Clash: London Calling, Museum of London (15 November 2019 – 19 April 2019): https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london/whats-on/exhibitions/london-calling-40-years-clash Designed by: http://www.calumstorrie.com/ London Calling: 1979 panel discussion (22 November 2019): https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london/whats-on/london-calling-1979?id=232008 Lou Adler (director), Nancy Dowd (writer), Ladies & Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains (1982): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082639/ Martin Davidson, Stephen Verona (directors), Glenda Ganis (costume design), The Lords of Flatbush (1974): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071772/ The Art of Persuasion: Wartime Posters by Abram Games, National Army Museum (6 April 2019 - 24 November 2019): https://www.nam.ac.uk/whats-on/art-persuasion-wartime-posters-abram-games

Dr Peter Johnston is the Head of Collections Research and Academic Access at the National Army Museum in London and the author of a lavishly illustrated military and social history of the British forces in Germany during the Cold War.BUY THE BOOK AND SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERENow if you like the podcast you can help to support us for the price of a couple of coffees a month. You’ll be helping to cover the show’s increasing costs and keep us on the air, plus you get the sought after CWC coaster too.Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/So back to today’s episode - James speaks with Peter who provides some great accounts of the experiences of British soldiers Germany.We welcome Peter to our Cold War conversation…We have further photos, videos and information on this episode in our show notes here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode87/Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/coldwarpod)

This special episode was recorded at Veteran State Of Mind LIVE, held at The National Army Museum in Chelsea on the 17th October, where Geraint interviewed Dean Stott in front of an audience. Dean is a former British Army Commando and SBS Operator. He went on to achieve big things in the close protection world before becoming a world record breaker by cycling the Pan American highway in 99 days.Among the topics of discussion on this episode; special forces selection; evacuating embassies in Libya; and how a novice cyclist broke two world records.You can connect with Geraint at @grjbooks across social media, and find his Afghanistan memoir Brothers in Arms in all good book stores.Dean is online at @deanstott and www.deanstott.com. Is book, Relentless, is available to buy now.If you are a veteran struggling with mental health, or you just want a bit of help adjusting to civvie life, then say hello to the Royal British Legion at @royalbritishlegion or www.rbl.orgThank you to The Development Society, Kamoflage Ltd and Altberg Boots for making this episode possible. You can find them at www.devsoc.shop, www.kamouflage.co.uk and www.altberg.co.ukFor clips and content from the show, behind the scenes, and photos and videos of the guests' time on operations, follow @veteranstateofmind on Facebook and Instagram, and go to www.vsompodcast.com for links to all the connected sites, and an online submissions form for sending in your questions to the show. Cheers!Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=Ea-uUc26ENbNBYWd6-2779MBUZrl6WymCW_b0GdibwrG6-xBlWcpjLS6osk9OqZFbR9wOm&country.x=GB&locale.x=GB)

The saxophonist Jess Gillam was a finalist in the BBC Young Musician award in 2016 and went on to take the Last Night of the Proms by storm last year. She plays live in the studio and talks to Samira about her beginnings in a carnival band in Cumbria and how she wants to expand the repertoire for sax players in classical music. The influential graphic designer Abram Games, who created The Festival of Britain 1951 poster and the BBC’s first television logo, first came to prominence as the 'Official War Poster Artist' during the Second World War. Over 100 of the posters he created while employed by the War Office are on display at new exhibition at the National Army Museum in London. Curator Emma Mawdsley discusses the significance of the artist and his work. Tayari Jones’s novel, An American Marriage, tells the story of a young African-American couple whose lives are torn apart when the husband is imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Tayari Jones discusses the inspiration for her the book which has been championed by Oprah and picked by Barack Obama as one of his favourite summer reads of 2018. Presenter Samira Ahmed Producer Harry Parker

The Battle of Kohima was a critical part of the war fought between Britain and Japan during World War II. It acted as a turning point on the eastern front more generally, and Dan talks to Akiko MacDonald, the daughter of a Japanese soldier who fought in the battle and Richard Greenwood, a former England rugby captain who has done lots of work into researching the battle. The National Army Museum recently polled the Battle of Kohima as Britain's greatest battle. For an accompanying documentary to this podcast, you can watch Imphal and Kohima: Britain's Greatest Battleon History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry & Felix Maynard See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Battle of Kohima was a critical part of the war fought between Britain and Japan during World War II. It acted as a turning point on the eastern front more generally, and Dan talks to Akiko MacDonald, the daughter of a Japanese soldier who fought in the battle and Richard Greenwood, a former England rugby captain who has done lots of work into researching the battle. The National Army Museum recently polled the Battle of Kohima as Britain's greatest battle. For an accompanying documentary to this podcast, you can watch Imphal and Kohima: Britain's Greatest Battleon History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry & Felix Maynard See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One of the bloodiest battles of the First World War is being marked in the Flanders region of Belgium. Both Allied & German forces suffered more than 450,000 casualties for just an 8km gain on the frontline at the Battle of Passchendaele one hundred years ago. Dr Peter Johnston from the National Army Museum in London has been sharing the story of Talbot Kelly who fought in the battle with Chris Kaye.

This week: We ask who bombed civilians in Mosul was it IS fighters or coalition aircraft? Brexit has been triggered but why is the Prime Minister threatening to pull terrorist intelligence? Hear how the Royal Navy is fighting back against the hackers. And on the day the National Army Museum is re-opened to the public, we talk about the “little guys” – Britain's 139 small regimental museums. GUESTS: BFBS Defence Analyst Christopher Lee. The Times Correspondent Michael Evans BBC World Service political Correspondent Rob Watson Managing Director of Airbus Cyber Security in the UK Ian Goslin The Antiques Roadshow Militaria expert Mark Smith THURSDAYS at 4:30pm UK TIME on BFBS RADIO 2 and at 6:30pm UK TIME on BFBS & UK Bases. You can listen on BFBS Radio 2 at 1630 (UK time) and at 1830 (UK time) on BFBS (via web & App in the UK and on FM in Scotland, Colchester, Salisbury Plain, Aldershot, Catterick & Blandford Forum) On Sky Channel 0211 Alternatively listen again on the website, or download the Sitrep Podcast.

This week: We ask who bombed civilians in Mosul was it IS fighters or coalition aircraft? Brexit has been triggered but why is the Prime Minister threatening to pull terrorist intelligence? Hear how the Royal Navy is fighting back against the hackers. And on the day the National Army Museum is re-opened to the public, we talk about the “little guys” – Britain’s 139 small regimental museums. GUESTS: BFBS Defence Analyst Christopher Lee. The Times Correspondent Michael Evans BBC World Service political Correspondent Rob Watson Managing Director of Airbus Cyber Security in the UK Ian Goslin The Antiques Roadshow Militaria expert Mark Smith THURSDAYS at 4:30pm UK TIME on BFBS RADIO 2 and at 6:30pm UK TIME on BFBS & UK Bases. You can listen on BFBS Radio 2 at 1630 (UK time) and at 1830 (UK time) on BFBS (via web & App in the UK and on FM in Scotland, Colchester, Salisbury Plain, Aldershot, Catterick & Blandford Forum) On Sky Channel 0211 Alternatively listen again on the website, or download the Sitrep Podcast.

Two state visits to Britain, the Queen gives royal assent and visits the National Army Museum, Thailand prepares for King Bhumibol's funeral, Prince Richard dies, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend a St Patrick's Day parade and a possible royal visit to Israel. See more in this week's show.Visit our website http://rightroyalroundup.com.au.Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RightRoyalRoundup, follow us on Twitter @RightRoyalRound and Instagram rightroyalroundup.

On Monday 13 January, the 2014 national tour of Rachel Wagstaff’s stage play Birdsong, adapted from the novel by Sebastian Faulks, was launched at the National Army Museum. This stunning piece of live theatre will be performed at Swindon's Wyvern Theatre from Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 July 2014. In pre-war France, a young Englishman, Stephen Wraysford, embarks on a passionate and dangerous affair with the beautiful Isabelle Azaire that turns their worlds upside down. As the war breaks out, Stephen must lead his men through the carnage of the Battle of the Somme and through the sprawling tunnels that lie deep underground. Faced with the unprecedented horror of the war, Stephen clings to the memory of Isabelle and the idyll of his former life as his world explodes around him. The 2013 tour was hugely successful and critically acclaimed, seen by over 75,000 people and receiving 4 and 5 star reviews, with audiences calling the show ‘simply stunning’. Sebastian Faulks is thrilled the show is being re-mounted for 2014, the year that will mark 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War. The tour of Birdsong will continue to support Help for Heroes, after raising over £50,000 through collections and events on the 2013 tour. Birdsong will again be directed by Alastair Whatley, with set design by Victoria Spearing, lighting by Alex Wardle for Charcoalblue and sound by Dom Bilkey. Birdsong will be produced on tour by Alastair Whatley for The Original Theatre Company and Anne-Marie Woodley and Jon Woodley for Birdsong Productions Ltd.

On Monday 13 January, the 2014 national tour of Rachel Wagstaff’s stage play Birdsong, adapted from the novel by Sebastian Faulks, was launched at the National Army Museum. This stunning piece of live theatre will be performed at Swindon's Wyvern Theatre from Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 July 2014. In pre-war France, a young Englishman, Stephen Wraysford, embarks on a passionate and dangerous affair with the beautiful Isabelle Azaire that turns their worlds upside down. As the war breaks out, Stephen must lead his men through the carnage of the Battle of the Somme and through the sprawling tunnels that lie deep underground. Faced with the unprecedented horror of the war, Stephen clings to the memory of Isabelle and the idyll of his former life as his world explodes around him. The 2013 tour was hugely successful and critically acclaimed, seen by over 75,000 people and receiving 4 and 5 star reviews, with audiences calling the show ‘simply stunning’. Sebastian Faulks is thrilled the show is being re-mounted for 2014, the year that will mark 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War. The tour of Birdsong will continue to support Help for Heroes, after raising over £50,000 through collections and events on the 2013 tour. Birdsong will again be directed by Alastair Whatley, with set design by Victoria Spearing, lighting by Alex Wardle for Charcoalblue and sound by Dom Bilkey. Birdsong will be produced on tour by Alastair Whatley for The Original Theatre Company and Anne-Marie Woodley and Jon Woodley for Birdsong Productions Ltd.

Inside the National Army Museum in Chelsea, with N Quentin Woolf. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week Libby Purves is joined by Gloria Elliott, Des Bishop, Michael Morpurgo and Stanley Jackson. Gloria Elliott is the Chief Executive of the Noise Abatement Society. Her father, John Connell founded the society in 1959 when he realised that there was no authority to turn to about noise complaints, that noise was in his words, ' the forgotten pollutant'. The Noise Abatement Society are collaborating with 'Sounding Brighton' for Brighton & Hove White Night where a series of sonic artworks, produced especially for the occasion, will challenge notions of sound in public spaces. Des Bishop is a stand-up comedian. His book 'My Dad Was Nearly James Bond' tells the story of his dad who, as a model and actor in the sixties, nearly became James Bond, but gave it all up to raise a family. For years, Des had wanted to write a show about his dad, and when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2009, the insights that emerged during his dad's illness triggered his stand up show and now the book. 'My Dad Was Nearly James Bond' is published by Penguin. Michael Morpurgo is the children's author of books including War Horse and Private Peaceful. This month, the National Army Museum is launching its largest exhibition to date, War Horse: Fact & Fiction. The exhibition explores Michael Morpurgo's book to tell the real-life stories of horses in war and how they have shaped history from the Charge of the Light-brigade to the present-day. Stanley Jackson is a celebrity booker. Through his company, Performing Artistes, he hires famous people for corporate events. In his book 'Get Me A Celebrity' he gives advice on how to write a well-crafted speech and discusses the role of agents and the crucial role of TV exposure. 'Get Me A Celebrity' is published by Ecademy Press. Producer: Chris Paling.