Podcasts about National trust

We all know the future rests upon us building heart-grounded, spirit-led communities that link humanity to the Web of Life. We know that the key to this is building reciprocal relationships with our food and the land from which it comes.  Doing this is…harder.  So this week, we're speaking with Abel Pearson of Glasbren.  Abel is a friend of the podcast - we last spoke in the depths of the pandemic when he was farming 3 acres and beginning to feed the local community in ways that helped the people in a ten mile radius really to connect with the spirit of the land on which their food was grown.  Now, Abel and the team are farming 138 acres of National Trust property, and still producing food for people in the local area - but so much more than that, they are building communities of place, passion and purpose, centred on the land and the cycles of the seasons and the ways we can build authentic relationship, full of reverence for the many, many layers of life in, on and under it the soil.  He says that everything he does now is for his young son and the children to come, in the hope that they might yet enjoy abundant foodscapes, clean rivers and regenerative cultures.Glasbren https://www.glasbren.org.uk/Support the Farm https://www.glasbren.org.uk/farm-supporterGlasbren courses https://www.glasbren.org.uk/coursesEpisode #25 with Abel https://accidentalgods.life/nurturing-our-bodies-and-souls/If you'd like to join us at Accidental Gods, this is the membership. If you'd like to join our next Gathering (you don't have to be a member) it's on 6th July - details are here.And if you'd like to train more deeply in the contemporary shamanic work, you'll find us here. 

It's the 1980s and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has burst onto the scene, scoring millions of young fans.   Half-human, half-turtle fighters Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo originated as comic book characters before spawning phenomenally popular films and cartoons.   But “turtlemania” also inadvertently sparked a pet craze that ultimately led to an invasive species problem.   Red-eared terrapins were a particularly popular pet. But many people didn't realise they would grow from a matchbox-sized hatchling to a dinner-plate sized adult that lives for more than 40 years.       As a result a significant number of freshwater turtles were illegally released into waterways in the late 80 and 90s.  Rosie joins Turtle Tally UK's Suzie Simpson to uncover the wild origin story of how invasive freshwater turtles became a familiar sight in our waterways.   [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure.      Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.      Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.     https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/ Production:   Host: Rosie Holdsworth   Producer: Michelle Douglass   Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez   Contributor:   Suzie Simpson, Turtle Tally UK  Image:  (c) Suzie Simpson / Turtle Tally UK Discover More:  Head to Turtle Tally UK citizen science project to discover more about freshwater turtles in the UK and submit your sightings  https://www.turtletally.co.uk/  Find out about the National Trust's work protecting our waterways and how you can help  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/our-cause/nature-climate/climate-change-sustainability/protecting-coasts-and-rivers The National Trust cares for places so people and nature can thrive. Everyone can get involved, everyone can make a difference. Nature, beauty, history. For everyone, for ever. You can donate to us at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/donate Follow Wild Tales nature podcast on your favourite podcast app or Youtube @nationaltrustcharity. And join us on Instagram @wildtalesnt. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story idea you'd love to hear, contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk 

Katherine Mills, General Manager for Munstead Wood, is anexperienced heritage professional with 14 years in the National Trust. Having run some of the charity's most significant and popular properties, including Nymans, West Sussex, and Polesden Lacey, Surrey, UK; Katherine was responsible for the final purchase and acquisition of Munstead Wood in April 2023. Since acquiring the property, Katherine has recruited a team of individuals to care for the house and garden, as well as develop plans for restoring Gertrude Jekyll's home, providing future access, and securing its long-term future.

For GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day) 2025 (Thursday 15 May 2025) we are going to focus on access to heritage for blind and partially sighted people as RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey is joined by Rachael Osmotherley, Visitor Journey Development Manager for Access, Experiences and Partnerships at the national Trust to highlight the great accessAble Guides for over 1,000 national Trust locations.  Rachael began by telling Toby about how the project came about, an overview of what sort of access information around the Trust's locations and properties feature in the AccessAble Guides and especially information for blind and partially sighted visitors. The national Trust AccessAble Guides can be found by either visiting the accessAble website - https://www.accessable.co.uk Or by visiting the access for Everyone pages of the national Trust website - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/about-us/access-for-everyone  (Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)

For the first time in the RHS Chelsea Flower Show's history, seagrass the ocean's only flowering plant, will take centre stage in a garden designed by Ryan McMahon of Falkirk based MUSA Landscape Architecture, for marine restoration charity Seawilding, supported by Project Giving Back.   The Seawilding Garden's design is inspired by the landscape found at Loch Craignish on the west coast of Scotland and home of Seawilding, a marine restoration charity active in restoring lost biodiversity to our marine environment.  Seagrass meadows are a rich habitat for biodiversity, providing an important habitat for commercial fish species as well as many other marine animals, they protect our coasts from erosion, and they lock away carbon in the sediment preventing it from being released into the atmosphere, often referred to as ‘blue carbon'. Although covering just 1% of the sea bed, seagrass accounts for 15% of carbon storage in the ocean. This is a fascinating episode exploring seagrass, and seawilding! -------------------------------------------- Be sure to sign up to our mailing list so we can let you know when new episodes are published. Scotland Grows magazine is our digital title which celebrates Scottish gardening, and drops into your inbox 6 times a year. If you would like to receive a copy, just follow this LINK. You can follow Scotland Grows on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, we'd love to have your company there! And of course, you can always find your share of gardening goodness on our website at scotlandgrowsmagazine.com. -------------------------------------------- This series is sponsored by ROOTS, a brilliant subscription from the National Trust for Scotland which helps both your garden and Trust gardens thrive. For £7 a month you will be sent a ROOTS pack every six weeks, with gardening gifts, including Scottish seeds six times a year, stories about Scotland's plant life, and tips from  expert Trust gardeners, as well as an invitation to two exclusive ROOTS events a year with the Trust gardens team. Whether you buy ROOTS for yourself or as a gift for a loved one, your £7 a month will go towards supporting Trust gardens and designed landscapes in Scotland. Sign up today at nts.org.uk/roots and use the code Grows25 to receive an extra packet of seeds in your first pack.

Matthew Shepherd, Director of Outreach and Education, Bring Back the Pollinators Matthew has worked for the Xerces Society for more than two decades, initially at the vanguard of a new movement to protect pollinators, but then on endangered species and a range of other issues, as well as several years leading Xerces' communications work. Throughout this time, he maintained a direct involvement in pollinator conservation in towns and cities, and in his current role has returned to outreach and community engagement. Much of this focuses on supporting neighborhood-level efforts such as pollinator gardens and small habitat projects in parks, as well as leading the Bring Back the Pollinators campaign and promoting the No Mow May and Leave the Leaves initiatives. Matthew is author of numerous articles and other publications, including Attracting Native Pollinators (Storey Publishing, 2011) and Gardening for Butterflies (Timber Press, 2016). He also is the long-time editor of Wings, the Xerces Society's magazine. Matthew's 35-year conservation career began in England and took him to Kenya before his arrival in the United States. After completing a master's of science in land resource management, Matthew managed National Trust lands in Oxfordshire, established a successful community-based conservation program in Essex, and helped to create Samphire Hoe, an award-winning nature park at the foot of the White Cliffs of Dover. During a VSO placement in Kenya, he worked with local communities and government agencies to improve the management of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, on the coast north of Mombasa. It was in Kenya that he met a Peace Corps volunteer⁠—who is the reason he moved to Oregon. They live on the west side of the Portland metro region. Their two children are now at college, but they still get together—although sometimes they roll their eyes when Matthew points out yet another super-cool insect that he found.

Dan and Ellen talk with Carlene Hempel and Harrison Zuritsky. Carlene, a journalism professor at Northeastern, recently led a reporting trip to Flint, Michigan. Harrison and other students produced a stunning internet magazine called Flint Unfiltered that takes a deep dive into the causes and effects of Flint's economic downturn and toxic water crisis. Since 2009, Carlene has been leading students on reporting trips, where they work as part of a traveling press corps. She has taken groups to many countries, including Egypt, Syria, Cuba and Panama. Harrison, a second-year student with concentrations in journalism and data science, joined her on the Flint trip.  Like so many at Northeastern, Carlene has a background that includes academic achievement as well as wide-ranging professional experience. She has been a professor for 20 years and holds a PhD from Northeastern. She also started her career writing for The Middlesex News in Framingham, now The MetroWest Daily News, and The Boston Globe. She then moved to North Carolina, where she worked for MSNBC and The Raleigh News & Observer. Dan has Quick Take from Maine. The former owner of the Portland Press Herald is going to have three of his weekly papers printed at the Press Herald's facility in South Portland, giving a boost to the National Trust for Local News. And he's also followed through on a plan to open a café at one of his weeklies in a unique effort to boost civic engagement. Ellen weighs in on a new study of local news by our friend of the pod, Professor Joshua Darr at Syracuse University. Darr teamed up with three other researchers to do a meta analysis of surveys on media trust. They made a number of findings, but the headline is that Americans trust local newsrooms more than national news outlets. This is especially true if the local news outlet has the actual name of the community in its title. But there's a downside: that automatic trust also allows pink slime sites to take hold.

Two men have been found guilty of criminal damage, for the felling of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in Northumbria. Constance Kampfner sat through the trial, in which the prosecution called what Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers had done, ‘a moronic mission to cause mindless vandalism.' The men were remanded in custody for their own protection after the verdict was announced. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Constance KampfnerHost: Luke Jones Producer: Hannah Varrall and Shabnam Grewal Clips: BBC News, Sky News, Channel 4 News, National Trust .Photo: Getty ImagesGet in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The St. Alphonsus Liguori “Rock” Catholic Church in north St. Louis received $500,000 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to restore its 120-year-old stained glass windows. Acting pastor Rev. Rodney Olive and longtime parishioner Monica Huddleston share what that grant funding means for the historic, predominantly Black church that's endured more than its share of building damage — and why the preservation work is important for the community around the church.

The Down's Syndrome Scotland Show Garden, inspired by a young Scottish boy called Liam, has been designed by Chelsea newcomers, Duncan Hall and Nick Burton  of Burton Hall Garden Design, who wanted to design a Show Garden for Down's Syndrome Scotland to help break some of the barriers and stigmas faced by people who have Down's syndrome, whilst celebrating their many positive qualities.  In this episode, we chat with the garden designers about the garden ahead of this year's RHS Chelsea Show, and with Eddie McConnell, CEO of Down's Syndrome Scotland on the difference this garden will make to the conversations around Down's syndrome, and on the benefits it will bring in its relocation back to Scotland after the show. We featured the garden in Issue 27 of Scotland Grows Magazine and if you re not a subscriber to the magazine, you can find details here. We also promised to link in the show notes to Eddie's son Findlay's Instagram page, where he would welcome more followers so go make Findlay's day! -------------------------------------------- Be sure to sign up to our mailing list so we can let you know when new episodes are published. Scotland Grows magazine is our digital title which celebrates Scottish gardening, and drops into your inbox 6 times a year. If you would like to receive a copy, just follow this LINK. You can follow Scotland Grows on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, we'd love to have your company there! And of course, you can always find your share of gardening goodness on our website at scotlandgrowsmagazine.com. -------------------------------------------- This series is sponsored by ROOTS, a brilliant subscription from the National Trust for Scotland which helps both your garden and Trust gardens thrive. For £7 a month you will be sent a ROOTS pack every six weeks, with gardening gifts, including Scottish seeds six times a year, stories about Scotland's plant life, and tips from  expert Trust gardeners, as well as an invitation to two exclusive ROOTS events a year with the Trust gardens team. Whether you buy ROOTS for yourself or as a gift for a loved one, your £7 a month will go towards supporting Trust gardens and designed landscapes in Scotland. Sign up today at nts.org.uk/roots and use the code Grows25 to receive an extra packet of seeds in your first pack.

Some of the highest rates of sea level rise in the country are in the Chesapeake Bay region where it's twice the average annual global rate. Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the Pamunkey Indian Tribe's reservation, on a peninsula in King William County, among its eleven Most Endangered Historic Places in America. […]

Cardigans, Waves & Being a Musical Mum – with Alice LaIn this joyful, down-to-earth episode of My Music, Graham Coath is joined by the wonderfully relatable Alice La — singer, songwriter, banjo enthusiast, and mum. They talk parenting, music, sheep-themed knitwear, postnatal honesty, and why her EP Waves is a love letter to the ocean, her son, and the stormy magic of motherhood.From bar gigs and creative inspiration to how having a child keeps you grounded (and occasionally serves as a turban), this is a real, raw, and uplifting conversation — complete with a campaign to prove “Michael is wrong.”

This episode of Scran is all about Scotland's historical relationship with tea and more specifically the rise and fall of the great Glasgow tea rooms.  Rosalind is joined by Dr Lindsay Middleton, Food Historian and Knowledge Exchange Associate at the University of Glasgow and friend of the podcast Peter Gilchrist, who is a Scottish food history writer. Lindsey and Peter organised the 2025 Scottish Food History Symposium on tea which took place recently and was delivered in partnership with Mackintosh at the Willow and the National Trust for Scotland.Roaslind went along to the tea Symposium at Mackintosh at the Willow in Glasgow. There she learnt how tea in Glasgow was linked to women, trade and slavery, art, class, tourism, Scottish identity, and diaspora. The event was truly fascinating and shared the rich history of Glaswegian tearooms. You'll hear from Perilla Kinchin, Author of Taking Tea with Mackintosh: The Story of Miss Cranston's Tea Rooms - talking about Kate Cranston, the first lady of Glasgow's tea rooms in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  You'll also hear snippets from Professor Andrew Mackillop's talk on some of the earliest presence of tea in Glasgow and how it became surprisingly political. You can find out more about the symposium from @tenementkitchen and @lindsaymiddleton_ on instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're celebrating the start of our ninth series with a guest whose passion for growing to show is truly infectious. Calum Clunie takes us behind the scenes of competitive gardening, offering a treasure trove of insider tips on what to grow, which varieties excel on the showbench, and how to boost your chances for that coveted rosette. From his first big wins with stump-rooted carrots at age 15 to his favourite gardening jobs and bold orange blooms, Calum reveals the camaraderie, fun, and learning that come from getting involved with your local horticultural shows. Whether you're a seasoned exhibitor or just curious to give showing a try, this episode is packed with tips, stories, and encouragement so grab a notepad - there's plenty to inspire you to enter your own veggies or blooms into a horticultural show this year, and do let us know by leaving a comment if you've been inspired to pop an entry into your local flower show. -------------------------------------------- Be sure to sign up to our mailing list so we can let you know when new episodes are published. Scotland Grows magazine is our digital title which celebrates Scottish gardening, and drops into your inbox 6 times a year. If you would like to receive a copy, just follow this LINK. You can follow Scotland Grows on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, we'd love to have your company there! And of course, you can always find your share of gardening goodness on our website at scotlandgrowsmagazine.com. -------------------------------------------- This series is sponsored by ROOTS, a brilliant subscription from the National Trust for Scotland which helps both your garden and Trust gardens thrive. For £7 a month you will be sent a ROOTS pack every six weeks, with gardening gifts, including Scottish seeds six times a year, stories about Scotland's plant life, and tips from  expert Trust gardeners, as well as an invitation to two exclusive ROOTS events a year with the Trust gardens team. Whether you buy ROOTS for yourself or as a gift for a loved one, your £7 a month will go towards supporting Trust gardens and designed landscapes in Scotland. Sign up today at nts.org.uk/roots and use the code Grows25 to receive an extra packet of seeds in your first pack.

He's not a pop star, but Jeffrey Bowie is alleged to have toured staff areas of a hospital in Oklahoma, hunting for computers he could install spyware on. We dive into the bizarre case of the man accused of hacking medical networks and then sharing how he did it on LinkedIn. Plus! Move over Nigerian princes — the WASPI scams are here. Fraudsters are now targeting UK women born in the 1950s, exploiting pension injustice for phishing gain.All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault.Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.Episode links:Cybersecurity Firm CEO Charged with Installing Malware on a Hospital Computer - HIPAA Journal.Edmond cybersecurity CEO accused in major hack at hospital - YouTube.Jeffrey Bowie's post on LinkedIn - Wayback Machine.Martin Lewis issues scam warning as fraudsters use him to target WASPI women - Metro News.‘Waspi' women warned over fake compensation websites - The Guardian.WASPI campaigners warn of "dangerous" spike in fake compensation scams - Financial Reporter.National Trust.Wallet Creator - iOS App Store.DIY Dubai chocolate: Ravneet Gill's recipe for crunchy pistachio chocolate - The Guardian.Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)Sponsored by:Vanta – Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!1Password Extended Access Management – Secure every sign-in for every app on every device.SUPPORT THE SHOW:Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.Become a supporter via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free...

This episode is the second part of a partnership between the National Trust for Scotland and the National Trust. Scroll back for Love Scotland's episode about Lord George Murray. General James Wolfe, the 'boy solider' who joined the military at 14 and fought in one of Britain's bloodiest battles while he was still a teenager. National Trust historian James Grasby visits Wolfe's childhood home to find out what would shape him into becoming a soldier at such a young age and delves into his involvement in The Battle of Culloden in Scotland in 1746. Presenter: Jame Grasby Producer: Claire Hickinbotham Sound Designer: Jesus Gomez Contributors Ghazala Jabeen – National Trust, Quebec House Freddie Matthews – Historian and Cultural Heritage Curator Stephen Brumwell – History writer - brumwellhistory.com Discover more You can visit General Wolfe's childhood home, Quebec House │ Kent | National Trust, which was renamed in his honour after his victory at The Battle of Quebec and see where he grew up, as well as Henrietta's cookbook, and the robe his body is thought to have been brought back to Britain with. You can also visit the battlefield at Culloden | National Trust for Scotland

For their 100th podcast, Dan and Ellen talk with Tom Breen, the editor of the New Haven Independent. Tom joined the staff of the Independent in 2018, and then became managing editor. Last November, he stepped up to succeed founding editor Paul Bass, who launched the Independent in 2005 and is still very involved. He's executive director of the Online Journalism Project, the nonprofit organization he set up to oversee the Independent, the Valley Independent Sentinel in New Haven's northwest suburbs, and WNHH. He continues to report the news for the Independent and hosts a show on WNHH, and he started another nonprofit, Midbrow, which publishes arts reviews in New Haven and several other cities across the country. Listeners will also hear from Alexa Coultoff, a Northeastern student who wrote an in-depth report on the local news ecosystem in Fall River, Massachusetts, a blue-collar community south of Boston that flipped to Donald Trump in the last election after many decades of being a solidly Democratic city. We recently published Alexa's story at Whatworks.news. Ellen has a Quick Take on two big moves on the local news front. The National Trust for Local News has named a new CEO to replace Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro, who resigned earlier this year. The new leader is Tom Wiley, who is now president and publisher of the Buffalo News. And in the heartland, the Minnesota Star Tribune has named a new editor to replace Suki Dardarian, who is retiring. The nod goes to Kathleen Hennessey, the deputy politics editor of the New York Times and a former AP reporter. Dan's Quick Take examines a recent court decision ruling that Google has engaged in anti-competitive behavior in the way it controls the technology for digital advertising. This was the result of a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department and a number of states, but it's also the subject of lawsuits brought by the news business, which argues that Google has destroyed the value of online ads. It's potentially good news. It's also complicated, and its effect may be way off in the future.    

The Bees' Knees Comms Cast - Alexia Robinson, Founder of Love British FoodIn this episode of The Bee's Knees Comms Cast, we sit down with Alexia Robinson, founder of Love British Food, an initiative that has been driving grassroots change in the food and farming sectors for over two decades.  Alexia shares the story behind British Food Fortnight and how her innovative, community-driven approach to communications is making a lasting impact on attitudes towards, and adoption of British food and recognition of the value of sustainability.Key highlights:The origins of Love British Food: Alexia reflects on the challenging period after the foot and mouth outbreak and how British Food Fortnight was created to inspire consumer confidence in British produce, while providing farmers with a platform to showcase their work.Bottom-up communication: Love British Food's campaign approach focuses on grassroots, community-driven action rather than top-down directives. Alexia explains how empowering individuals at a local level, such as farmers, chefs, and catering teams, helps create lasting behavioural change.Partnerships that matter: From engaging with food service giants like Green King and Aramark to partnering with public sector organisations like the NHS and in schools, Alexia discusses how Love British Food has expanded its reach to drive sustainable food choices on a larger scale.Changing attitudes in schools and beyond: Alexia shares the success of a food education guide created for schools, endorsed by government bodies, and how it's helping to instil a love of British food in future generations.The role of communications in sustainability: We explore the importance of communicating sustainability goals and how Love British Food's approach is creating meaningful, long-term connections between British food producers and consumers.The power of community networks: Alexia talks about leveraging established networks and organisations like the Women's Institute, National Trust, and young farmer's groups to spread the message of buying British and supporting local food.Join us as we explore how Love British Food is reshaping the food sector through the power of community-driven communication, making British food synonymous with sustainability, nutrition, and support for local farmers.Listen to the episode and get involved in British Food Fortnight every September.For more information on how to participate, visit Love British Food.Episode Timestamps:1:09 - Introduction to Love British Food and British Food Fortnight5:35 - The founding story of Love British Food and the vision behind it10:32 - The bottom-up approach: how grassroots efforts are driving real change17:01 - Engaging the public sector and NHS catering teams24:41 - Changing procurement practices and empowering change makers28:51 - The role of schools and community networks in spreading the message36:23 - The importance of multi-channel communication in sustainability39:23 - Closing thoughts and how you can get involved in British Food FortnightFollow the podcast on your favourite platform so you don't miss an episode!  The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk

Today we'll visit with the CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Carol Quillen; the 2025 President of the AIA, Evelyn Lee; the founder of Tucson Modern, Demion Clinco, and the co-host of HGTV's Who's Afraid of a Cheap Old House, Elizabeth Finkelstein.  

It's the mid-1800s and pteridomania – or fern frenzy – is the new big craze.   Across the UK, plant enthusiasts are heading into the countryside to pick all the prized specimens they can find.   And fern fans far and wide are avidly creating collections and displays of the leafy green plants to show off.   Uncover the truth about this Victorian phenomenon and how it influenced our love of house plants.   But who were the pteridomaniacs? What did ferns secretly symbolise about young women and sex? And how can we learn from the conservation consequences of the craze?   Join Presenter and Ranger Rosie Holdsworth and Curator Clara Woolford to unfurl the curious story of Victorian fern fever.    [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure.    Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.    Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.   https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/   Discover more:    Visit Cragside in Northumberland for a taste of fern fever. See the fernery, rockery and glass houses designed by Lady Armstrong in the 1800s, now cared for by the National Trust.   https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/cragside Production:  Host: Rosie Holdsworth   Producer: Michelle Douglass  Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez     Follow Wild Tales nature podcast on your favourite podcast app or on Instagram @wildtalesnt. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story idea you'd love to hear, contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

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 Paul Marden.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 SkiptheQueue.fm.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  or Bluesky for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcast.Competition ends on 7th May 2025. The winner will be contacted via Bluesky. Show references: Dynamic Earth website: https://dynamicearth.org.uk/Dynamic Earth X: https://x.com/ourdynamicearthDynamic Earth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/our-dynamic-earth-dynamic-earth-enterprises-ltd-dynamic-earth-charitable-trust-/Mark Bishop joined Dynamic Earth in the summer of 2022. The Edinburgh Science Centre & Planetarium provides science engagement to over 250,000 people a year at the centre and across Scotland. Prior to joining Dynamic Earth, Mark was a director at the National Trust for Scotland for seven years. In the 23 years Mark has been in the voluntary sector, he has also held senior roles at Prostate Cancer UK, Leonard Cheshire Disability and The Royal British Legion. His commercial sector experience includes roles at HarperCollins, Sky, and he co-founded two Internet start-ups. He continues to be a Trustee of Dads Rock, which is a charity dedicated to supporting men to be great parents. Transcriptions: Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue, a podcast for people working in and working with visitor Attractions. I'm your host, Paul Marden. The Millennium Commission was set up by the UK Government to celebrate the turn of the millennium. Funded by the National Lottery, not only did it fund the Millennium Dome, now the O2, it also funded many regional venues, including a number of science centres such as Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, which was the first major millennium attraction in Edinburgh. In this episode, I'm talking to Mark Bishop, the CEO of Dynamic Earth, about those millennium babies and what the next 25 years looks for them. After a career in charity fundraising, Mark moved to the attraction sector in 2015 at the National Trust for Scotland, before becoming CEO of Dynamic Earth nearly three years ago. Now let's get into the interview. Paul Marden: Mark, welcome to Skip the Queue. Mark Bishop: Hi. Morning. How are you? Paul Marden: I'm very good. I'm very good on a very sunny morning here down in Hampshire at the moment. I don't know what the Easter holidays are like up there for you at the moment, Mark. Mark Bishop: Well, people always talk about the weather being different in Scotland, so here in Edinburgh, we had the most amazing first week of spring last week, and that made me sad because indoor visitor attractions often benefit from when it's cloudy or rainy. So I am delighted to say the second half of Easter is terrible outside, but amazing inside our building. Paul Marden: Oh, good. So, visitor numbers are good for you this Easter holiday, are they? Mark Bishop: Well, we had probably the best number of people in since COVID Yesterday. We had 1302 people in. Paul Marden: Wowsers.Mark Bishop: That's great, because to have families and groups in celebrating science in our building during their holiday time makes me happy. Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, went. I've been doing day trips with my daughter just recently over the Easter break and you can definitely feel there's lots of people out and about and enjoying themselves over these Easter holidays. So good to hear that it's been kind to you as well. Longtime listeners will know that we always start our interviews with an icebreaker question that you cannot prepare for. So I think I've been kind to you. I've got a couple for you here. This is an A or B question. If you're going out for a night out, is it going to be a concert or is it going to be a museum nighttime exhibition? Mark Bishop: I think I'm supposed to, on behalf of the sector, go for the latter, but I am going to answer it in an authentic way and say A, a concert. So before I had kids, I'd probably go to about 150 concerts a year. Really, in the days when NME existed and it had a print edition and I'd pretty much just buy it, flick it and go, that looks interesting. And go without ever even hearing things because Spotify didn't exist and he goes to stuff and it was terrible or brilliant, but I loved it just from the variety and the surprise factor. Obviously, these days we kind of plan our music events a bit better. We know the artists and in theory we make better choices. But perhaps we don't do such good random things as well. Who knows? Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. Okay, now this one's a little bit more in depth. If there is a skill that you could master immediately, what would it be? Mark Bishop: Trying to understand how my three kids think and how I need to respond to that. But I don't think I'm the only parent on the planet that loves seeing the variety of ways they behave. But just question, how on earth did they come to be and think like that? Paul Marden: Yeah, it sounds like almost a kind of being able to speak child and become an interpreter, a child whisperer. Mark Bishop: And I think we, you know, sort of kind of be a bit more profound about these things. As an Earth Science Centre, that predominantly kind of has family audience, actually, some of the best questions we get are from younger people. So sometimes minds are probably more open and liberated. Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. Well, that's a nice segue, isn't it? So why don't you tell us a little bit about the Dynamic Earth? What stories does the Dynamic Earth try to tell? Mark Bishop: So Dynamic Earth, for those who don't know it, is the Edinburgh Science Centre and Planetarium. And as I'm sure we'll talk about, we were the first out of the millennium babies to launch back on 2nd July 1999. Our building predates being a science centre. It used to be a Scottish and Newcastle brewery. So when people say, I can't organise the proverbial in a brewery, I go, possibly released half row. And in the mid-1990s, they stopped making beer and handed the land over to public benefit. And it's become the UK's leading Earth science centre. So we're very much a science centre, but we're a science centre with a very specific theme around our planet and our universe and the experiences are very deliberately immersive. Mark Bishop: So we allow people to experience in a safe way what it feels like to be in an earthquake, to see a volcanic eruption, to touch a real iceberg, to dive to the bottom of the ocean and then fly out to the outer reaches of space. And we do all of that because we think our planet is beautiful and fascinating and the wonders of the world need to be celebrated. But increasingly, we also want to showcase the perils we're placing on our planet, our only home. We have about a quarter million people come through our doors a year, and that would be families, that'd be tour groups. There'll be a lot of school groups coming in, 30,000 kind of school groups coming in, and then we have about 400 conferences and events a year. Mark Bishop: So we have everything from Arctic conferences, water resilient conferences, and electric aeroplane conferences. You name it, we have it in our building. And I think a lot of the conferences have keynote speakers that tend to be first ministers or senior politicians, because unless somebody can tell me otherwise, I think we are the closest science centre in the world to a seat of government, because the Scottish parliament is 10 yards across the road. Paul Marden: Excellent. So you have the year of government as well? Mark Bishop: We like to think so. Paul Marden: So I've not been to Dynamic Earth yet, and I need to solve that problem. Yeah. But I'm getting a picture in my mind of telling the story around the geology of the planet, and there's going to be lots of physics around. The planetary stuff that you talk about when you take that big zoom out. Are there other elements of the science, the different sciences, that you bring into this storytelling? Is there elements of biology and botany and things like that you bring into this? Mark Bishop: Yeah, absolutely. So, for example, one of the galleries I didn't mention to you is a rainforest gallery. So you go into a tropical rainforest, regardless of what the weather is like outside in Edinburgh and Scotland, you come into a tropical rainforest, but the sounds and smells and sensations of that rainforest immerse you. And we do that because, you know, probably very few people will travel in their lifetime to a tropical rainforest. And there's lots of environmental reasons why you probably wouldn't encourage people to do that. But to be immersed in that space and to feel what it's like to be in a rainforest allows you to understand that it's humans' relationship with the world around them, and that we're not the only beings on this planet. And so hopefully we try and humble people by realising there are other habitats and species than ourselves. Paul Marden: Excellent. So today's episode, what we want to do, we've got a series of episodes that we want to do around the Millennium Project. I've got particular interest in this because my first job whilst I was still at uni was at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, which was a millennium project. So I was there whilst they were digging. I can vividly remember it being a building site, and this dome where they built the gardens, sort of lifted out of the earth. So I felt, I can remember being there and feeling like this was something important, we were building something for the long term. It was an exciting opportunity. And we're at this kind of big anniversary, aren't we, this year, 25 years since many of those millennium projects opened. Paul Marden: And I wanted to kind of look back on those 25 years. Did it work out the way it was planned to work out? Did it turn out to be this exciting new opportunity, building a long term legacy for the country? Were there some growing pains, that kind of thing? And what does the future, what's the next 25 years and beyond look like for those millennium babies? So let's take a little step back because although I was wearing my wellies and walking around a building site, I didn't pay a lot of attention to what drove the investment in the first place. So there was a big explosion, wasn't there, through investment from the Millennium Commission in science centres. So what drove that in the first place? Why did these science centres come into being as a result, the Millennium Commission? Mark Bishop: Well, I think the thing that probably everybody felt in the 90s, from the mid-90s onwards, was you just heard about the millennium coming, as if this was going to be a significant zeitgeist kind of piece. We're all being told that every electronic device was going to break because of the millennium bug. Paul Marden: Yes. Mark Bishop: And that one didn't come to be kind of thankfully. But I think beyond that kind of anxiety piece around technology, there was a sort of spirit of looking to the future, thinking what might be. I felt like a time of optimism and hope. And so therefore it kind of made sense for government and other agencies to invest in thinking about the future, because a lot of museums and galleries and other institutions are fantastic custodians of the past. Mark Bishop: And of course galleries and museums reflect present times in terms of exhibitions and storytelling and interpretation. But there really weren't many science centres or organisations that were specifically existing to help each of us come to terms with what hasn't yet happened. So I think that's probably the kind of founding driving spirit behind it. And Dynamic Earth was very much part of that wave. Paul Marden: You talk a little bit about being a former brewery. How did Dynamic Earth come into being? What, what was the background story to it? Because these things didn't just appear on the high street in the year 2000. They were projects that ran up to that point, weren't they? Mark Bishop: Yeah. And I love going through our limited but really important kind of archive of documents to try and understand these things. And I sort of love heritage because my last job was working at the National Trust for Scotland. So therefore I'm kind of fascinated by the past as well as kind of looking to the future. And so when I go through our kind of archives and records, it shows that we stopped being a brewery in the early 1990s. Scottish Newcastle said to themselves, you know, we want to give the space over to public benefit. At the time, it wasn't defined to be a science centre. And this part of Edinburgh, the bottom end of the Royal Mile, had a royal Palace. It's had that for a long time. But it was pretty much run down housing and factories. Mark Bishop: And so this whole end of town was very down on its luck and everything kind of needed to be thought through again. So Edinburgh City Council and other agencies like Scottish Enterprise and major kind of funders all got behind thinking about this whole part of town in Scotland's capital, rather than just thinking about a side centre. Paul Marden: Right. Mark Bishop: So the land that Scotland Newcastle gave over to doing good things was partly sold off by dynavicarth to allow, you know, to allow flats to be developed next door we've got Rockstar North. The other side of me, we've got the Scottish parliament that opens 24 hours away from Dynamic Earth kind of stuff. So they opened the same week. So it's a whole story of kind of urban capital city regeneration that lies behind that. But very specifically, why did Dynamic Earth become an Earth Science Centre? Yeah, and you can't see it, but if I dramatically look out my window, I can see Arthur's Seat and the Salisbury Crags through Holyrood Park. Anybody who comes to Edinburgh, whose legs allow, will walk up the hill and experience an old volcano and a beautiful view of the city. Mark Bishop: And now the reason that's significant is that a guy called James Hutton, 300 years ago was a real leading light in the Enlightenment, and he managed to challenge all those kind of religious zealots in terms of the age of the planet by studying the rock forms right outside my window. And he went, “Guys, I've got a thought. This wasn't done in a day or seven days”. I'm telling you now, there's billions of years of laying down of rocks and stuff like that. And so, therefore, when we thought, what does this brewery need to become? Mark Bishop: A number of good people said, well, let's make this centre a homage to James Hutton, the idea that the Enlightenment is still alive with us today, the idea that you should be able to challenge existing hard set views by using insight and science to inform your thinking. And then the rest happened. Paul Marden: Excellent. So I didn't know that Edinburgh was the kind of the seat of that thinking around the geological history of the Earth and what drove the purpose for the centre. It makes lots of sense now. So let's talk about opening up. What was that experience like for the Dynamic Earth? I know there were lots of positives for many people. I know lots of millennium attractions didn't bring in the numbers of people that they were perhaps hoping for. What was that early life like at the centre? Mark Bishop: Well, so inevitably, anything that's new attracts a crowd of people who are curious. So the early couple of years were really good from a kind of visitor attraction side of things. But actually quite early on, within the first couple of years, my predecessors realised that you just can't, generally speaking, break even or make a profit from just running a visitor attraction, particularly when your purpose is educational rather than just pure entertainment. Paul Marden: Yes. Mark Bishop: And so our building had the answer built into it, in the sense we have an amazing set of conference suites for businesses, weddings and other kind of celebrations. And so quite early on, we started an events team and that now means we have 400 plus events here a year. Half of them, I would say, are kind of environmental science specific events. But that generates, you know, one and a half getting off £2 million of income ultimately for us. And that's very significant way of A, making sure that we are a place where ideas take place. Our convening power, if you want to call it that, but actually also the net contribution of that is a very significant way to fund any gap you have on the visitor side of things. Paul Marden: Yeah, I should imagine having the seat of Government 10 yards from the building helps with bringing in the events. And that's certainly not going to detract from the events portfolio, is it, being smack in the centre of the city like that? Mark Bishop: Well, if I think, I mean, in the space of what, the last three or four months, ie, 20, 25, we've had the first minister here two or three times, we've had the Deputy First Minister here the other evening. And so therefore, if you're a company or a conference organiser and you want to attract all the good and the great in terms of delegates, knowing there's a senior political figure to do the keynote address is a good way of making your marketing literature kind of really sing. I think, you know. Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. Mark Bishop: And also from a. I guess for the politicians as well, because their time is in demand, very precious. So the idea that they can reach their key stakeholders on pretty much any topic in the space of 10 yards, half an hour here and then back at your desk within the hour, that's quite attractive from a political perspective. Paul Marden: Absolutely. So, going back to those early days, as your predecessors were finding their feet, of figuring out what operating a science centre was going to be like, what were the growing pains? Were there some challenges along the way? Mark Bishop: So, inevitably, what is brand new doesn't stay new forever. And I think if you design a science centre and retrofit it into a brewery, there's obviously some trade offs in terms of layout and the design. And you have beautiful architects come in and do amazing things for you that look amazing at a kind of brochure, aesthetic level. But when you trade them day in, day out, you do sometimes question the infinite logic behind the design principle. So, for example, if you come through Dynamic Earth, we're a beautiful tented structure like the Millennium Dome or the O2 as it is today. And if you're coming in and you're buying a ticket in person, you would turn left and go to our ticket desk and join the queue there. But then the actual experience side of things is completely on the other side of the building. Mark Bishop: So the intuitive flow of coming in, getting a ticket and joining the experience is designed in a counterintuitive way where, in effect, audiences sort of meet in the middle to a certain extent. So that's probably an example of things that you just wouldn't have got right on day one, but kind of are a gentle living curse for you every day since. Paul Marden: I wonder, though, by retrofitting the centre into this old historic brewery, whether you may not have fallen foul of some of the other attractions that were built around that time, because many of them have got problems with the fabric of the building now, haven't they, these new buildings that perhaps were built with the same level of care and attention that we might lavish on them these days. Mark Bishop: Yeah, I mean, that's a good thing. I sit in this amazing sort office that basically looks like a castle turret. The walls are this thick, you know, they are very sort of stone and authentic. So it's a very authentic historic building, but with new ideas and thinking and experiences within it. So it's a trade off, I guess. Paul Marden: Yeah. So now that these centres are getting to early adulthood, how do you think they're doing? Mark Bishop: Well. Thankfully, the vast majority of science centres and other experiences that launched inspired by the millennium are still in existence. So survival in the first instance is a form of success. And I think that the fact that we're open shows we've all stood the test of time, which I think is an important achievement. I think what's clear from talking to all the science centres that I bump into is we all find it quite challenging to get that balance between your purpose and your profit, trying to get that balance between why you exist in the first place versus how you fund the building, your staff and your other bills. And so that's an ongoing kind of challenge that the original business plans are used to justify an investment probably don't reflect reality 25 years on. Mark Bishop: I think the other thing I would say that's a real shift is I think centres like Dynamic Earth were opened at the time when the Internet was absolutely in its infancy.Paul Marden: Completely. Mark Bishop: And I still remember from my homework and university work, going to libraries and getting books and using physical things to kind of acquire knowledge. And of course, the Internet now means that any facts and figures are available at the touch of a button. So if you want to know about a volcano, you can find as many facts and figures as you want on the Internet, Wikipedia or other sources. It means that Dynamic Earth and other science centres have kind of shifted from simply thinking about ourselves as a knowledge exchange centre to being a place where we inspire people to think for themselves and that. Mark Bishop: I don't know whether that happened on day 4009 or whatever it was, but I definitely think that when you look at what were doing on day one versus what we're doing in our 25th year, there's been a shift in emphasis and approach. Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. You're right that all of these facts and figures are the fingertips of the young people who are completely immersed in that as a natural way for them to research. But I've done enough school party visits, I've taken kids to different science centres, and you can't replace the storytelling, you can't replace being immersed in the place that is so powerful. Mark Bishop: I think 100% agree, and you'd be surprised if I didn't say that. But the idea that you learn as a shared experience, either as a school group or a family or a tall group, you have some jokes, you bounce ideas off of each other. And I saw that recently when my daughter came here a few months back for her last primary school visit, aged just 11, coming at 12.  And she begs me over breakfast, she said, “Please, Dad, don't do anything to embarrass me.” And I absolutely, solemnly swore at breakfast, you know, I will not do anything to embarrass you today. And I maintain I kept my promise. Mark Bishop: But when her school bus pulled up outside our building, the doors open, the kids poured out, my daughter's friends all pointed up to the top of the stairs and went, “There's a dinosaur there, Autumn, that's your dad. It's going to be your dad. You know that.” And I hope that you know that their school group had an amazing experience through the galleries, an amazing experience with our learning team and a fantastic sort of outer space experience in the planetarium. But even that sort of jokey bit of Dad's a dinosaur stayed with the kids. So at the end of their year's show, one of them hired a dinosaur outfit and they reenacted my daughter's embarrassment. And so even that tiny, silly example shows that shared experience is what it's all about. Paul Marden: Completely. I think those experiences that kids have when they go out on their school trips, it's something that Bernard et ALVA talked about earlier on this year as being really important, key points for that ALVA was asking of the government, was to make those school trips integral part of the curriculum. I think they're so powerful and so many kids don't get to experience that well. Mark Bishop: I think the challenge we sort of see here that be the same across Scotland and UK wide is even when there are opportunities to have subsidised tickets and you do everything you can to make sure the price of entry for school groups is as low as possible, often the barrier is the cost of the coach hire. Paul Marden: So I'm a governor at my daughter's school and I was talking to the head and they're in a really lucky position because they've got us. They're a very small village school, so there's only 90, 95 kids in total anyway. But they've got their own minibus which makes them mobile, so it means that any. We were at the Horse Crest, like the local heritage railway, just recently because we got invited for a trip and it was dead easy for us to go straight away. Yes. Because the kids can just get there easily and that's a different kettle of fish if you've got to hire coaches, because it's so perilously expensive now. Anyway, we digress a little bit. You've been in post now for three years, nearly three years, I think it is. Yeah. Paul Marden: What does your plan look like in the short term, but also what do you think the next 25 years look like for Dynamic Earth? Mark Bishop: I think that question sort of speaks to the idea that while an organisation should be proud of its 25 years of existence and everything it's done in that time, and we've certainly had some lovely staff celebrations and public celebrations to celebrate that important milestone. It's too self indulgent to spend all your time looking back rather than thinking about and facing into the future. And that's probably more true of science centres than anybody else, because if you were founded on looking to the future, you get to 25 years. Mark Bishop: Yes, have a little look back, but bang, think about looking forward to the future again and ask yourselves brave questions like what do we need to do that honours the spirit of what our founders did and thought about to put us together in the first place and not to betray our roots, but equally not to be constrained by them. Because the world is very different 25 years on, and particularly around the climate emergency and planetary crisis. We at Dynamic Earth, as an Earth Science Centre, feel not just an opportunity, but a kind of absolute responsibility to play our part, to kind of really shift the dial around helping people understand their role and responsibility when it comes to protecting our only home planet Earth. And so that's the kind of challenge we've set ourselves. Mark Bishop: And I'm going to do a dangerous thing of involving a prop. About 18 months, two years ago, we launched our 10 year strategy from beginning to end, and it's a document at the end of. But the exact summary is this. And of course you can see there's a clock there and you might be able to see the kind of temperature, kind of pieces, and the 1.5 is the 1 that we know quite tragically we're going to reach sometime very soon. And what we've done with that 10 year strategy is say how do we honour what we've been famous for, but how do we push and pivot that towards climate kind of response storytelling? Mark Bishop: And so therefore what we are trying to work through for ourselves is how do you maintain a popular visitor attraction? How do you inspire people, bring entertainment and delight into people's lives, but how do you absolutely hit home with some really hard truths around what we are doing to destroy the beauty of our only hope? Mark Bishop: And I'm not sure I've quite got the answers to that because becoming sort of quite purposeful and, you know, risks being didactic. And being didactic takes away the idea that you're helping people to think for themselves and risks being a bit preachy. So there's a really good set of conversations going on at Dynamic Earth and I think a lot of other places across the UK, which is, how do you, how do you exist on the right side of history while still existing as a visitor attraction? Paul Marden: Yes, because it is a tough story to tell, isn't it? And that doesn't necessarily sit comfortably with being a lovely day out with the family, but that doesn't take away from the importance of telling the story and telling it well. Mark Bishop: And I think what we feel is, if there's one criticism I'd kind of make of the past is we probably overdefined ourselves as a visitor attraction and underdefined ourselves as an Earth science education charity that happens to run the visitor attraction. And that might feel semantic, but actually it's quite fundamental because if you realise that your purpose is about educating people inclusively across Scotland, including in Edinburgh, and now increasingly helping people come to terms with climate issues, then your visitor attraction is a tool, a prop, an asset to achieve a bigger thought than just visiting numbers. Paul Marden: So is there work that you do, outreach work that goes beyond the centre in Edinburgh? Are you talking to people outside of that centre? Mark Bishop: Absolutely. And some of the work that makes me most proud of being chief exec here at Dynamic Earth is the stuff you do not see day in, day out. So we have outreach work that goes into schools and community groups right across Scotland. There's about 10 regional science festivals that take place across the year. We're at every one of those with our pop up planetarium, it's got an inflatable planetarium. Unbelievably, 30 people can slip inside a big squishy tent, and the universe comes to life wherever you happen to be. And that's kind of pretty magnificent. We go into children's hospitals, we work with community groups, we do digital and in person delivery in schools. And so therefore what we do away from Dynamic Earth as a science centre is as important as what we do at the centre. Mark Bishop: Because probably the people who might not be able to come to us for geographic reasons or financial or cultural reasons are often the people we most need to reach. And if we really believe that everybody in Scotland should play their individual and collective part in responding to climate planetary emergencies, we can't just say, well, if you don't come to us, we're not going to come to you. Because the climate issues need all of us to respond. So we have the added burden opportunity to get out there and tell our story across Scotland with that in mind. Paul Marden: Is there a shake up that's going on in the centre as you move on to this next stage of the maturity of the organisation? Mark Bishop: So I think that the things that are different in our approach is thinking about channel mix and that we kind of music to your ears because I think that science centres absolutely pride themselves on that in person shared experience, and that shouldn't go away. But actually thinking about how a one off experience is part of a longer customer or supporter journey is really key. So how do you connect with people before they come? By setting them, I know, a kind of online quiz and say how many of these questions about our planet can you answer? And then ask people to redo the quiz afterwards and see whether a visit to Dynamic Earth or another science centre has enriched their kind of knowledge. Mark Bishop: How do you connect what a family does on a Saturday to what a school group do in a classroom on a Tuesday and Wednesday? How do you get to what I call a nudge strategy, a multiple engagement kind of model? Because it strikes me that most things that, you know, mean something to people are developed over time rather than just one off experiences. So that's a shift in thinking, and it's a shift in thinking by not thinking for yourself as a visitor attraction, but thinking for yourself as a charity that exists to promote learning and engagement more broadly. Paul Marden: That's really interesting. So I'm totally guilty of thinking about the visitor attraction first and the commercial elements of it, because I guess that's our job is to get bumps on seats and to drive revenue. But when you think of that visitor attraction as the tool, not the end, you're using that tool to meet your bigger goals, aren't you? And it changes your perspective on how you do that. Mark Bishop: Well, it does because it allows you to sort of exist in a dual way of saying at a customer, experiential level, digital attraction side of things. How do you make sure that the experience you offer to people is distinctive, compelling, exciting and all the basic service features of toilets, cafe, shop, all this car parking, all those sorts of things on the functional side are doing what they need to do and then it means on the other side that you're also saying, “So what? you know, what is that trip all about? What did somebody take away?” Mark Bishop: And part of what people take away is that sense of shared experience, fun, entertainment, something to do on a wet Saturday afternoon. And that's valuable. But if you fundamentally help even a small proportion of your audience think radically different about themselves and the world around them. You might be doing something that goes way beyond what this attraction could ever imagine. Paul Marden: Yes, absolutely. So is that what you're aiming for? Is it the few minds that you can change radically, or is it the nudge of making small changes to the larger numbers of people that walk through the door? Mark Bishop: I mean, the answer to that is both, because we think every one of us has an opportunity and a responsibility to do basic things. So, I mean, the obvious good examples would be how you recycle stuff. And I look at my teenage boys, are they always recycling things in the best way or am I going through the bin resisting things? But then you ask more fundamental questions of, well, it's not just a case of recycling the bottle of plastic water. Why did you buy a bottle of plastic water in the first place? Yes, this stuff like that. Mark Bishop: And so a science centre like us helps people not just do the right thing in kind of lip service ways, but think more fundamentally about your role and relationship with what excites you at school, what studies you take, what degree you might go on to take, or what job are you going to go on to do? And how do you make sure that where you buy things from, where you work, where you spend your time is reinforcing the good rather than perpetuating the bad? And that's, you know, maybe I'm an idealist, maybe I'm a lack of realism, but actually I really do think that on our day, that's what we exist to do. Mark Bishop: And there will be maybe 1%, 2% of the people who come through our doors who are so inspired by science that they choose careers that are acting as environmental activists. I can think of a lovely lady I met the other day. I'll change her name to Laura. She told me that she came To Dynamic Earth 20 years ago for our Saturday science clubs and she used to come most Saturday mornings. And she so fell in love with science that she chose science subjects at school, went on to do a science degree and is now just finishing off a PhD in understanding volcanoes with a view that she wants to look at volcanic eruptions, where they happen and help think about where humans live alongside volcanoes. So all of that came from her coming here on Saturday mornings. Mark Bishop: So she is living proof that you inspire people young, and it can inform the whole direction of their studies and clear intention.Paul Marden: And deadline. Yeah, completely. What a lovely story to end on, but there's one more thing we have to do before we end today's Interview. We always end with a book recommendation. So, Mark, what book have you got for our listeners to maybe win today? Mark Bishop: So it will sound slightly sort of sanctimonious, but I've just started reading Mike Berners-Lee's book, A Climate of Truth. Now, Mike was in Edinburgh the other evening to do a talk as part of the Edinburgh Science Festival. Such an inspirational guy in terms of kind of climate, sustainability kind of issues. His mum must be very proud to have him. And you know, his, you know, one of the boys invents the Internet, the other one saves the planet. You sort of think to yourself, that ain't too bad. And I'm going to cheat slightly. And also just recommend one poem to people. It's Scottish poet Douglas Dunn. And it's a poem that I first heard when I was at school and I would say I read it probably 20 times a year. Mark Bishop: And the poem is called A Removal From Terry Street and it's only about 15 lines. And what I love about it is it finishes on that, on a beautiful line. That man, I wish him well, I wish him grass. And the context the poem is talking about a family removing, you know, working class family moving away from Hull and the neighbour is looking at them moving out and saying, you know, I wish him well, I wish him grass. And so I think that's just a lovely line that stayed with me. It speaks to the idea that we should all think the best of each other and hope for the futur, and think positive thoughts. Paul Marden: Well, Mark, it's been lovely talking to you. Thank you ever so much for coming on Skip the Queue, telling the story of dynamic Earth and looking forward to what happens next for your amazing attraction. Thank you very much. Mark Bishop: Thank you. Paul Marden: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others to find us. Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them to increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcripts from this episode and more over on our website, skipthequeue fm.  The 2024 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsDownload the 2024 Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report

Continuing our Anthropy special series from the Eden Project, we speak with Andy Jasper, CEO of the Eden Project itself. Andy shares his philosophy that sustainability should follow regeneration - that we need to boost and accelerate natural systems before we can sustain them. With a career spanning the RHS, National Trust, and now Eden Project, Andy brings a wealth of knowledge about how large-scale environmental projects can transform landscapes and communities. He discusses Eden's global expansion with projects in China, Costa Rica, and across the UK, and shares his perspective on the importance of confidence and optimism as key skills for business leaders navigating the sustainability transition.

Are we educating young people as consumers? Have educational institutions become service providers in the consumer economy of educational products?  Or are we educating young people as citizens - of their local communities, nations and the planet? If so what does that mean for how we engage them in the  processes of living and working together, making meaningful contributions and learning important things as they go.  I'm not sure that that looks much like what we're currently doing in most schools around the world. Jon Alexander is on a mission to help a new story to emerge about how people all over the world are getting involved in 'citizening' - that is, thinking of citizen as a verb and a local participatory responsibility, rather than citizen as a noun that you claim rights to.Jon began his career with success in advertising, winning the prestigious Big Creative Idea of the Year before making a dramatic change. Driven by a deep need to understand the impact on society of 3,000 commercial messages a day, he gathered three Masters degrees, exploring consumerism and its alternatives from every angle. In 2014, he co-founded the New Citizenship Project, a strategy and innovation consultancy that aims to shift the dominant story of the individual in society from Consumer to Citizen. NCP's client list includes The Guardian, the European Central Bank, and the European Journalism Centre. They have partnered with the BBC, Amnesty International, National Trust, the British Film Institute, Tate galleries, the National Union of Students, YouGov, the Centre for Public Impact, the Food Standards Agency and the Food Ethics Council. Jon is author of Citizens: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us - a book that seeks to reframe the moment in time we're living in as one of huge civic opportunity, not just crisis and collapse, and in doing so opens up a world of possibility for organisations and leaders across sectors and across the world.Links to Jon's work:Citizens (Book): https://www.jonalexander.net/How to Citizen, with Baratunde Thurston: https://stories.howtocitizen.com/formNew Citizenship Project: https://www.newcitizenproject.com/Jon's Four Thought lecture, BBC Radio 4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04md5b0Jon's NCP article on Three Post Covid Futures: https://medium.com/new-citizenship-project/subject-consumer-or-citizen-three-post-covid-futures-8c3cc469a984Jon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-alexander-11b66345/Baratunde on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baratunde/

In the first of a two-episode partnership between the National Trust for Scotland and the National Trust, join host Jackie Bird as she uncovers the life of a leading general in the Battle of Culloden. Historian and National Trust for Scotland Trustee Professor Murray Pittock reveals the story of Lieutenant General George Murray, a nobleman and soldier who was involved in each of the 18th century Jacobite Uprisings. His relationship with Charles Edward Stuart and the Jacobite soldiers, not to mention his shifting allegiance, make him a compelling figure from the period. Later in April 2025, we'll also release an episode produced by the National Trust detailing the life of Jams Wolfe, a British Army general who fought for the government at Culloden. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on Culloden, click here. If you'd like to support our work protecting Scotland's wild places, please join the Wild Scotland campaign. You may also like some of our previous episodes on Culloden. Scroll through our podcast feed to find instalments on Flora MacDonald, Scotland's most consequential battles, and how the events of Culloden influenced the world. If you'd like to help the Trust protect the battlefield and the views that surround it from the increasing threats of development, you can donate to the Culloden Fighting Fund. Find all the details you need here.  

Send us a textIn this episode of Boroughs & Burbs, we're joined by Carol Quillen, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, for a thought-provoking conversation titled The Greenest Buildings are Already Built. Carol shares invaluable insights on the intersection of historic preservation and sustainability, challenging the prevailing narrative that new construction is always the most eco-friendly option. We'll dive into how preserving and repurposing historic buildings can significantly reduce environmental impact, save resources, and contribute to a more sustainable future. Learn how the preservation of our architectural heritage plays a vital role in today's climate-conscious world. Don't miss this enlightening discussion on the green benefits of historic preservation!

A fun inspiration - on GARDENING DAY!Beatrix Potter

In this episode of the Anglotopia podcast, Jonathan and Jackie continue sharing their recent UK trip, focusing on their days in the Cotswolds. After the busy London portion covered in part one, they slow down to enjoy quintessential English countryside experiences. The hosts describe their perfect Sunday with a traditional roast at the Highwaymen Pub and visit to Basildon Park, their stay at Thornberry Castle, unexpected discoveries like Edward Jenner's house, and their literary pilgrimage to Slad. Throughout, they offer practical travel tips about visiting during half-term, making reservations, and navigating limited autumn daylight hours. Links Friends of Anglotopia Club Churchill Conference Articles The New Book The Sunday Roast Pub - The Highwayman Inn Basildon Park National Trust Basildon Park Gallery Basildon Park Long-Read Article Thornbury Castle Castle Tour Episode (Video) Motorway Services Show Gloucester Services Gloucester Services Long-Read Article Gloucester Cathedral Long-Read Article Berkeley Castle Pictures Berkeley Castle Article Edward Jenner's House Website Edward Jenner's House Article Newark Park National Trust Cider With Rosie Slad Article Takeaways Book Sunday roast at country pubs in advance as they fill up quickly Visit National Trust properties when they first open to avoid crowds Consider avoiding half-term holidays if you prefer quieter experiences at attractions October visits require careful planning due to limited daylight hours (10am-4pm) Gloucester Services offers an unexpectedly excellent stop for local food and products Edward Jenner's house in Berkeley is a hidden gem of scientific history Newark Park has a fascinating American connection worth exploring Heathrow now charges a £5 drop-off fee that must be paid promptly to avoid larger charges Fortnum & Mason offers travel hampers that make excellent alternatives to airline food Sound Bites "When we parked the car, you get out of the car and you can smell the wood burning from the fireplaces." "The bath was gigantic… claw foot slipper tub could just take a bath or take a swim in this thing." "Standing in this house in a village in the middle of the British countryside where one of the biggest revolutions in science took place… it was very moving." "She apologized to us. It's the most British thing. She apologized to us. She's like, I'm sorry, it's still decorated for Halloween." "What better way to end our wonderful trip than to have a nice, wonderful gourmet meal in a great hall in a castle. Just as you do." "I wanted a nice Sunday roast in a country pub and to go to a National Trust stately home." "The colors in the countryside were absolutely spectacular." "Pro tip if you are wanting to make a car picnic… you could make the best picnic out of their gourmet gift shop." "These are the most extra motorway services." "If you have heritage and history in mind, avoid when there's a big holiday that can be decorated for." "I'm not saying I hate people. It's just nice to explore a place at your own pace when it's quiet." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Updates 03:22 The Perfect English Sunday: Highwaymen Pub and Basildon Park 14:37 Thornberry Castle: Our Base in the Cotswolds 17:51 Exploring Gloucester Services and Gloucester Cathedral 25:42 Berkeley Castle and Edward Jenner's House 38:02 Newark Park and Its American Connection 44:58 Literary Pilgrimage to Slad and Laurie Lee 48:46 Travel Tips and Heathrow Experiences 52:14 Fortnum & Mason Travel Hampers 54:31 Meeting the Pets and Conclusion Video Version

This week: Starmerism's moral vacuum ‘Governments need a mission, or they descend into reactive incoherence' writes Michael Gove in this week's cover piece. A Labour government, he argues, ‘cannot survive' without a sense of purpose. The ‘failure of this government to make social justice its mission' has led to a Spring Statement ‘that was at once hurried, incoherent and cruel – a fiscal drive-by shooting'.  Michael writes that Starmer wishes to emulate his hero – the post-war Prime Minister Clement Atlee, who founded the NHS and supported a fledgling NATO alliance. Yet, with policy driven by Treasury mandarins, the Labour project is in danger of drifting, as John Major's premiership did. Starmerism's policy vacuum is being filled so rapidly by HMT that we are embarking on an era of ‘cruel Labour'.  Michael joined the podcast to discuss further, alongside John McTernan, former private secretary to Tony Blair. (1:37) Next: have the Church's sacred spaces become community clubs? From yoga classes to drag shows, and even a helter-skelter, the Revd Dr Jamie Franklin, host of the podcast Irreverentand author of The Great Return, writes in the magazine this week about what he argues is the ‘tragic misuse of its sacred spaces' by the Church of England. This new reality may be symptomatic of a wider issue with the leadership of the Church, currently pondering its future. The journalist Quentin Letts provides his own manifesto for the next Archbishop of Canterbury in this week's diary.  So do diverse uses of space broaden the Church's appeal or does it run the risk of diluting its holiness? Quentin, whose new book NUNC! Is out now, joined the podcast alongside Jamie to discuss. (20:52) And finally: is Clandon Park a visionary restoration or a catastrophic precedent? Calvin Po addresses the ‘conundrum of conservation' in the Arts lead for the magazine this week: how much of a building can be restored before it becomes a different building entirely?  Plans have moved forward for the 18th century Palladian mansion Clandon Park, managed by the National Trust, to be preserved in a half-charred form, following its gutting by fire in 2015. The Trust says this ‘approach combines careful conservation, scholarly restoration and sensitive contemporary design'. And The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), founded by William Morris, has hailed the plans, arguing that a full restoration would amount to a ‘feeble and lifeless forgery' and the ‘Clandon of the future will offer a markedly different visitor experience to that of the past, but one that will have its own interest'. Calvin, however, worries that this sets a ‘catastrophic precedent' for restorations of the future, and The Georgian Group actively opposed the Trust's proposal, arguing that the building's merit comes in its original design ‘not in burnt bricks'.  To discuss further we were joined by The Georgian Group's director Dr Anya Lucas, and the architectural historian – and former Chair of SPAB – Gillian Darley. (35:17) Presented by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.

This week: Starmerism's moral vacuum ‘Governments need a mission, or they descend into reactive incoherence' writes Michael Gove in this week's cover piece. A Labour government, he argues, ‘cannot survive' without a sense of purpose. The ‘failure of this government to make social justice its mission' has led to a Spring Statement ‘that was at once hurried, incoherent and cruel – a fiscal drive-by shooting'.  Michael writes that Starmer wishes to emulate his hero – the post-war Prime Minister Clement Atlee, who founded the NHS and supported a fledgling NATO alliance. Yet, with policy driven by Treasury mandarins, the Labour project is in danger of drifting, as John Major's premiership did. Starmerism's policy vacuum is being filled so rapidly by HMT that we are embarking on an era of ‘cruel Labour'.  Michael joined the podcast to discuss further, alongside John McTernan, former private secretary to Tony Blair. (1:37) Next: have the Church's sacred spaces become community clubs?  From yoga classes to drag shows, and even a helter-skelter, the Revd Dr Jamie Franklin, host of the podcast Irreverend and author of The Great Return, writes in the magazine this week about what he argues is the ‘tragic misuse of its sacred spaces' by the Church of England. This new reality may be symptomatic of a wider issue with the leadership of the Church, currently pondering its future. The journalist Quentin Letts provides his own manifesto for the next Archbishop of Canterbury in this week's diary.  So do diverse uses of space broaden the Church's appeal or does it run the risk of diluting its holiness? Quentin, whose new book NUNC! Is out now, joined the podcast alongside Jamie to discuss. (20:52) And finally: is Clandon Park a visionary restoration or a catastrophic precedent? Calvin Po addresses the ‘conundrum of conservation' in the Arts lead for the magazine this week: how much of a building can be restored before it becomes a different building entirely?  Plans have moved forward for the 18th century Palladian mansion Clandon Park, managed by the National Trust, to be preserved in a half-charred form, following its gutting by fire in 2015. The Trust says this ‘approach combines careful conservation, scholarly restoration and sensitive contemporary design'. And The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), founded by William Morris, has hailed the plans, arguing that a full restoration would amount to a ‘feeble and lifeless forgery' and the ‘Clandon of the future will offer a markedly different visitor experience to that of the past, but one that will have its own interest'. Calvin, however, worries that this sets a ‘catastrophic precedent' for restorations of the future, and The Georgian Group actively opposed the Trust's proposal, arguing that the building's merit comes in its original design ‘not in burnt bricks'.  To discuss further we were joined by The Georgian Group's director Dr Anya Lucas, and the architectural historian – and former Chair of SPAB – Gillian Darley. (35:17) Presented by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.

We're building a wall... of postcards! Keep em coming. Jane and Fi also chat MAFs, fruity ITV, black pudding and derelict buildings. Plus, Professor Alice Roberts, anatomist and biological anthropologist, discusses delivering the Octavia Hill Lecture in partnership with the National Trust and Times Radio. If you fancy sending us a postcard, the address is:Jane and FiTimes Radio, News UK1 London Bridge StreetLondonSE1 9GFPlease send your suggestions for the next book club pick!If you want to contact the show to ask a question and get involved in the conversation then please email us: janeandfi@times.radioFollow us on Instagram! @janeandfiPodcast Producer: Eve SalusburyExecutive Producer: Rosie Cutler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seagulls have a bad reputation. But is it deserved?   Join Ranger Rosie Holdsworth to meet the gulls in Poole Harbour known for their chip-stealing behaviour. Are these birds feathered thugs or smart survivors? We'll discover the myths and surprising truths about one of Britain's most controversial birds.                        From their behaviours to their vital role in coastal ecosystems, uncover just what makes these ‘Gangster Gulls' tick.  Plus, we take part in a citizen science survey that helps track how these much-maligned seabirds are surviving in a changing world. [Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure.  Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.  Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.  www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/  Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nationaltrustcharity/podcasts  Production Presenter: Rosie Holdsworth Producer and sound designer: Nikki Ruck Contributors Mya Bambrick Dr Viola Ross-Smith Paul Morton Emma Caulfield Katy Sophie Discover more Find out more about bird conservation in Poole harbourBirds of Poole Harbour Take part in citizen science survey in your area BTO – British Trust for Ornithology Follow us @wildtalesnt Instagram account  If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story idea, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

"Part of restoring nature - a really important part - is making sure that everyone has equal access to it."The National Trust is now arguably one of Britain's most ambitious and important nature charities. It now has plans for restoring nature on an area larger than Greater London.In this episode Ben Goldsmith is joined by the Chair of the National Trust, Rene Olivieri, who has been huge voice for nature in the organisation. Ben Goldsmith is a British financier and rewilding enthusiast. Join him as he speaks to people from all over the world who champion nature and are helping to restore habitats and wildlife to some of the most nature depleted parts of our planet.This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.Text Rewilding the World here. Let us know what you think of the podcast and if there are any rewilding projects you would love Ben to feature in future episodes. The Conservation Collective support locally-led environmental Foundations around the world. Together we'll protect and restore the wild places we know and love.

Autumn planting is rewarded with Spring colour and at Castle Ward the formal bulb display of hyacinths and primroses is at its height. David meets gardeners Searcha Kelly and Judy Walsh who, with the help of volunteers, keep the gardens of this National Trust property looking good. Could heathers be coming back into fashion? Long lasting colour and a winter food source for bees mean they are high on the list for new plantings at The Savill Garden in Windsor. Keeper of the Gardens, John Anderson also shows David some other plants used as valuable ground cover including various types of Ophiopogon. Plantsman Jimi Blake reveals his latest interest is alpines – but will he get the new borders ready before his Huntingbrook garden opens for the season? Claire McNally joins David in studio to answer questions. gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Imagine being a fly on the wall throughout history. Historians Helen Antrobus and James Grasby take you inside the stories of the people, places and moments that made us. Experience the Great Stink of London. Make an entrance onto the Georgian dating scene. Find out if you'd survive a medieval battle. And unlock the secrets of Britain's space race.   Our past is all around us. Be transported behind the scenes at landmarks from castles to dance halls and WWII bunkers to workhouses. You'll meet people from all walks of life whose fascinating stories help us make sense of who we are now. Lean in for a tale from time: introducing Back When, a new history podcast from the National Trust, launching 2 April.    Follow Back When on your favourite podcast app and never miss an episode: podfollow.com/back-when

What is the difference - is there a difference - between a generic bout of bad breath and simply stinking of a single food item? How offensive can we get when discussing the elderly? Especially given it's a demographic far closer to either of us than, say, youth. All this and more thanks to a single visit to a National Trust property. Plus we talk about Jack Thorne & Stephen Graham's new show Adolescence, which is truly a masterpiece, and we are VERY SERIOUS about it because being flippant felt weird. See Sara NEXT WEEK at Soho Theatre: https://sohotheatre.com/events/sara-barron-anything-for-you/Write to us: fuckoff@firecrotchandnormcore.comSupport us financially, Sara needs to see this new podiatrist and SHE will tell her she needs new shoes: patreon.com/theyliketowatch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bake Off-winning bestseller Nancy Birtwhistle shares recipes from her new book, Nancy's Green and Easy Kitchen, out now!Filming manager at The National Trust for Scotland Anna Rathband tells us more about The National Lottery's Open Week!Join Chris, Vassos and the team every morning from 6.30am for laughs with the listeners and the greatest guests. Listen on your smart speaker, just say: "Play Virgin Radio." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ambulance service has apologised after a Canterbury man with a fractured eye socket had to get a taxi to hospital.Lee Newman had been out clubbing with friends at Club Chemistry and was attacked as he walked home.Also in today's podcast, a Canterbury woman who killed her husband then hid his body in their garden has been convicted of murder.A court heard Jeremy Rickards had suffered injuries from weeks of domestic abuse before he was killed last summer. Hear the moment his wife was arrested and from police who's spoken outside court.Two children's centres in Kent that were facing closure have been saved by a last minute U-turn from the county council.Seashells in Sheerness and Millmead in Margate were under threat as KCC looked to save money in order to balance their budget.As part of English Tourism Week, the KentOnline Podcast has been hearing how the sector in Kent is almost back to pre-pandemic levels.It's an industry that creates nearly 80,000 jobs and generates £4 billion for the local economy. We've been chatting to Jim Dawson from Visit Kent.Dog owners have made complaints to the National Trust after their pets were banned from a café in Dover.The policy at the White Cliffs of Dover visitor centre was introduced because customers reported having food stolen and being disrupted by barking.A Whitstable and Herne Bay version of Monopoly has launched today.The game features local landmarks including Whitstable Harbour and Herne Bay Pier, as well as Tankerton Slopes and the Oyster Bay Trail.And in sport,  it's a trip to Accrington Stanley for Gillingham in league two this weekend.Both sides have had a similar run of form this season with the Gills 19th and the home side two places below.

Welcome back to The Girls in Marketing Podcast. In this episode, we're spotlighting powerful International Women's Day campaigns, including Tony's Chocolonely, “See What She Sees,” and Refuge's “Red Flag” initiative. We're also unpacking major updates, including Instagram's standalone Reels app, Google's AI-powered shopping, LinkedIn's new connections-only feed, and Meta's Community Notes.Plus, we're diving into YouTube's rising marketing influence, conversational ads, measuring campaign impact, PrettyLittleThing's bold rebrand, and National Trust's TikTok success.Chapters:Introduction 00:31 International Women's Day Campaigns: 01:16 Tony's Chocolonely Campaign: 04:00 See What She Sees Campaign: 10:04 Refuge Red Flag Campaign: 13:05 Latest Marketing News: 13:13 Instagram's Separate Reels App: 15:54 Google's AI Shopping Expansion: 21:21 LinkedIn's Connections Only Feed: 25:49 Meta's Community Notes: 29:18 Industry Research: Thrive in 2025: 30:37 The Importance of Multi-Channel Strategies: 31:37 YouTube's Growing Influence in Marketing: 34:40 Conversational Ads and DM Campaigns: 39:27 Measuring Campaign Impact: 44:16PLT Rebrand: A Controversial Move: 49:59 National Trust's TikTok Strategy: 53:13

With the temperatures edging up, it's time to get those Dahlia tubers planted up for the season ahead and that's what David Maxwell found Ann FitzSimons doing when he dropped into her country garden glasshouse near Killinchy. At the National Trust's Downhill Demesne, students from the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) are learning the art of making a dry stone wall from expert Paddy McKeegan. Head gardener, Una Quinn also tells David about her plans for a clover lawn alongside the Bog garden. In west Belfast, a visit to the Three Sisters Community Garden shows what gardening can achieve in a high density urban environment. A plot of waste ground once blighted by illegal dumping has been transformed into a place for social interaction and learning. Also on the programme, BBC Gardeners' World presenter Adam Frost reveals his favourite shrub for March and Rosie Maye joins David live in studio. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Dan and Ellen talk with Mike Beaudet, longtime investigative reporter for WCVB-TV and a multimedia professor at Northeastern's school of journalism. Mike has won many awards for his hard-hitting investigations and leads a project aimed at reinventing television news. On March 21 - 22, he'll lead a conference at Northeastern called "Reinvent: A Video Innovation Summit."  Mike's students are producing content for everything from Instagram, YouTube to TikTok. Dan has a Quick Take about the National Trust for Local News. Co-founder Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro exited the nonprofit suddenly last month. That came amid reports that the Portland Press Herald and other papers that the Trust owns in the state of Maine might soon announce budget cuts. Now comes more bad news. Colorado Community Media, a group of 24 weekly and monthly papers in the Denver suburbs, is closing two papers and is losing money. Those papers were the National Trust's first acquisition. The Trust's mission was to buy papers that were in danger of falling into the clutches of corporate chain ownership. It's a worthy goal, but the Trust has obviously hit some significant obstacles. Ellen has a Quick Take on the fact that Harvard University is shutting down Harvard Public Health, the digital home to stellar longform journalism about public health. At a time when the very facts of science are challenged on social media every day, this is disheartening news.  

Happy flipping on this fine Shrove Tuesday! Today, Jane shares a memory of being left fully exposed on the loo at a National Trust property, while Fi recalls delivering a lesson on life at the Britannia swimming baths. Fi also speaks with actor Jared Harris about his role in the Royal Shakespeare Company's new production of Hamlet. The next book club pick has been announced! 'Eight Months on Ghazzah Street' is by Hilary Mantel. If you want to contact the show to ask a question and get involved in the conversation then please email us: janeandfi@times.radio Follow us on Instagram! @janeandfiAssistant Producer: Hannah QuinnPodcast Producer: Eve SalusburyExecutive Producer: Rosie Cutler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode SummaryIn this episode of OnBase, host Chris Moody sits down with Judit Szabo to discuss the complexities of aligning account-based strategies within diverse tech environments. With organizations facing challenges in tailoring ABX (Account-Based Experience) initiatives across different teams, tools, and processes, Judit shares her insights on how to execute ABX successfully.From understanding skill sets that drive alignment to navigating sales and marketing collaboration, she provides actionable insights on overcoming common obstacles, measuring success, and adapting methodologies for different organizations.Judit also explores the role of AI in account-based strategies, how technology enhances personalization, and why holistic, data-driven approaches are critical for long-term success.About the GuestJudit is a  B2B marketing leader with 15+ years at IT Software and Services companies, Judit has PR and Media experience prior to joining the Tech industry. She was the winner of the 2019 Forrester ROI Honours Award in Europe for sales & marketing alignment at TIBCO Software with the introduction of transformative, industry-led value based GTM strategies. She has a strong passion for building and leading global teams with a sweet spot for Demand Generation and Growth Marketing, leading the development and management of integrated marketing strategies and execution to deliver growth and revenue for the business. She has experience in campaign and content management, digital, field, partner, and account-based marketing as well as data and performance-led marketing operations, advocating cross-functional collaboration across Marketing, Sales, Product and Operations with special focus on finding ways to optimise and orchestrate business processes in support of strategic objectives. In her free time, she's an avid yoga practitioner, as well as a volunteer baker at her local National Trust estate in England.Connect with Judit SzaboKey Takeaways - Holistic Thinking Drives ABX Success – Account-based management isn't just a marketing function; sales and marketing must work together to grow and penetrate accounts.- Patience Is Essential – ABX is a long-term strategy, not a quick fix. Expect an 18+ month cycle for results, and celebrate small wins along the way.- Data is the Foundation – Strong account intelligence is key to avoiding misalignment and wasted efforts. The right tools and governance ensure that teams are acting on reliable data.- Aligning Sales & Marketing Requires Process, Not Just Intent – Establish shared KPIs, define roles, and create a feedback loop to ensure alignment throughout the account lifecycle.- One-to-One ABX is the Goal, But Requires Strong Foundations – Organizations should first build a solid demand generation engine before scaling to hyper-personalized, one-to-one outreach.- AI Can Help, But It's Not a Silver Bullet – While AI can assist with personalization, content generation, and automation, it can't replace the strategic thinking needed to execute ABX effectively.Quotes"The three most important skills for ABX success? A holistic approach, patience, and a data-driven mindset. Without these, execution will fall apart."Recommended ResourceBooks:⁠Coaching for Performance⁠ by Sir John Whitmore – A leadership guide on empowering teams and driving success through coaching.

*The National Trust Podcast is changing.* From March 2025 the National Trust Podcast will look different so we can bring you more immersive stories in Nature, History and Adventure. Stay on this stream for our new nature podcast, Wild Tales, and look out for our new history podcast, Back When. Remember to follow your favourite shows from National Trust Podcasts to be the first to hear new episodes as they arrive.  We'd love to hear from you: please get in touch with feedback, thoughts or your ideas for stories at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk Journey to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Mottisfont garden in Hampshire, to discover a story of heritage and horticulture through two of the world's most prestigious rose collections. We meet Princess Esther Selassie Antohin, founder of Heritage Watch Ethiopia, to explore the Tsegereda Rose Garden Project, an initiative that restores a link to Ethiopia's imperial legacy and also tackles climate conservation challenges. The International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) has twinned the Tsegereda rose garden with one of the most important rose gardens in the world, the National Trust's Mottisfont. Uncover surprising connections between Ethiopia and the UK – from Emperor Haile Selassie's wartime exile in Bath, to Sylvia Pankhurst, an English activist who championed Ethiopia's independence.  Follow the fight to keep this heritage alive through extraordinary roses.    Discover a story of gardens that have transcended borders to become symbols of heritage, resilience, and international collaboration. [Ad] Open the door to more with a National Trust membership. As well as free entry and parking at over 500 places we care for, you'll receive: • Access to our online Members' Area, full of exclusive member-only content, • A yearly handbook packed with visit inspiration, • And our award-winning member magazine 3 times a year. Now also available digitally. Become a National Trust member:  nationaltrust.org.uk/become-a-member. For a taste of the digital magazine, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/historic-recipes, or if you're a member and you'd like to switch, look for My Account on the website. Production Producer and host: Jesse Edbrooke Sound Design: Jesus Gomez Discover more We protect and care for places so people and nature can thrive. Everyone can get involved, everyone can make a difference. Nature, beauty, history. For everyone, for ever. You can donate to us at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/donate   Read more about International National Trust Organisation Twinning (INTO) project www.into.org/withstanding-change-twinning/ Visit Heritage Watch Ethiopia website www.hwethiopia.org Find out more about Mottisfont's Rose Garden, Hampshire, England www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/hampshire/mottisfont/the-rose-garden-at-mottisfont If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk  

*The National Trust Podcast is changing.* From March 2025 the National Trust Podcast will look different so we can bring you more immersive stories in Nature, History and Adventure. Stay on this stream for our new nature podcast, Wild Tales… and look out for our new history podcast, Back When. Remember to follow your favourite shows from National Trust Podcasts to be the first to hear new episodes as they arrive.  We'd love to hear from you: please get in touch with feedback, thoughts or your ideas for stories at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk Click here to read these episode notes in Welsh One of the simple pleasures in life is getting outdoors for a walk, taking in the world around you with some fresh air and then nipping into a cosy pub for a well earned treat. Claire Hickinbotham takes you on some of our favourite walks from our book ‘100 Great Pub Walks' and finds out why caring for our planet, is necessary for the good of the humble pint.  From floodplains to fens, from peatlands to pubs, discover the work that goes on to look after our planet. [Ad] This podcast is sponsored by Starling Bank. Peatlands are essential for people and the planet in lots of incredible ways - they act like natural sponges, storing more carbon than all of the world's rainforests put together.  And they're a habitat for a whole host of wildlife. And they act as flood defences in the face of climate change.   Starling Bank have been funding the National Trust's work towards saving our peatlands since 2023, supporting projects that'll restore and protect over 400 hectares of the UK's precious peatland  – that's 372 football pitches.  Find out more about Starling and the National Trust's conservation work: https://www.starlingbank.com/about/partnerships/starling-and-the-national-trust/ Production Host: Claire Hickinbotham Producer: Jack Glover Higgins Sound editor: Jesus Gomez   Discover more 2025 marks our 130th birthday. In each chapter of our history, we've adapted to the needs of the day. Now, it's time for a vision that takes us into the future. Our new strategy sets out our aims and ambitions for the next decade and beyond. Find out how we are restoring nature, ending unequal access to nature and taking action here. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/our-strategy  Learn about our peatland habitats and the work we're doing to protect them here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/our-cause/nature-climate/climate-change-sustainability/preserving-our-peatland  Pick up a copy of 100 Great Pub Walks by visiting https://shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/national-trust-100-great-pub-walks.html or by popping into your local bookshop.  For more on wetlands, including Peat bogs, floodplains and fens, check out our friends at the Wetland Wildlife Trust https://www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/wetlands  Find out how the climate is affecting the taste and cost of our beer. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67078674 Find your local People, Planet, Pint here; https://small99.co.uk/people-planet-pint-meetup/  Follow the National Trust Podcast on your favourite podcast app. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk 

Are you ready to question everything? Heather Wright explores character goals, critical thinking and the balance between core values and strategic action—how who you are shapes what you do. Through engaging anecdotes, she shares how neuropsychology helped her rewire her brain, overcome overthinking and embrace critical thinking. To live with purpose and impact, Heather encourages you to cultivate curiosity, confront tough questions and rethink your approach to identity and personal growth. To align your values with action and create meaningful change, Heather key message is focus on your core and strategy.    KEY TAKEAWAY ‘Whenever somebody asks you a question, I think often the answer has to start with, ‘Well, that depends' but people aren't ready for that.'   ABOUT HEATHER Heather Wright has dedicated over 25 years to empowering individuals, teams and organisations to transform their lives and businesses for the better. With a deep understanding of the neuropsychology of behaviour and influence, Heather combines her expertise with her engaging style to inspire and drive results. Her comprehensive knowledge is distilled into practical, teachable tools that help others break free from limiting habits and behaviours.   As a skilled facilitator, expert in performance, and results-driven professional, Heather uses humour to put people at ease and unlocks innovation and resourcefulness within individuals. Her arsenal of tools and techniques enables her to adapt to diverse contexts and stimulate breakthroughs.   As a captivating speaker, Heather has delivered masterclasses, training sessions, keynote speeches and workshops globally. Her reputation for professionalism, accessibility and infectious energy has earned her the trust of clients worldwide. Her impressive client list includes prominent organizations such as Boots, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar Land Rover, The National Trust, and Pepsi Lipton International.   Married with 2 children, Heather is a published author, has attained black belts in 4 martial arts and also keeps bees.   BOOK RECOMMENDATION* Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss - https://amzn.eu/d/4sF2ovz   CONNECT WITH HEATHER https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLeOsJvsH47RdD380_gRBxA https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathervwright/ https://www.advance-performance.co.uk/     ABOUT AMY Amy is a life purpose coach, author, podcast strategist, global podcaster, professional speaker, trainer and mastermind host. Helping you to improve productivity, engagement and fulfilment in your everyday life and work. Prepare to banish overwhelm, underwhelm and frustration to have clarity of purpose and create a more purposeful, sustainable and fulfilling way of life.   WORK WITH AMY If you're interested in how purpose can help you personally and professionally, please book a free 30 min call via https://calendly.com/amyrowlinson/call   BOOK RECOMMENDATION* Focus on Why by Amy Rowlinson with George F. Kerr – https://amzn.eu/d/6W02HWu   KEEP IN TOUCH WITH AMY Sign up for the weekly Friday Focus - https://www.amyrowlinson.com/subscribe-to-weekly-newsletter   CONNECT WITH AMY https://linktr.ee/AmyRowlinson   HOSTED BY: Amy Rowlinson   DISCLAIMER The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guest speakers. Please conduct your own due diligence. *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Storm Éowyn has changed the face of some treasured public gardens. This week David visits the National Trust's Mount Stewart which was one of the worst affected. Rob Wilson tells David that with thousands of trees down, the garden on the Ards Peninsula has completely lost some of its shelter belts. Despite the destruction, Gardeners' Corner finds hope in the simple snowdrop at Ballyrobert Cottage Garden. Maurice Parkinson has over 250 varieties including favourites such as Galanthus ‘The Pearl', ‘Primrose Warburg' and ‘Fly Fishing' which all perform well in the garden's heavy clay. As Ireland kick off their Six Nations campaign, former rugby international Andy Ward tells David how he transitioned from flanker to gardener. In studio, David is joined by Brendan Little to answer questions and provide some seasonal inspiration. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

This episode features a conversation with Melissa Jest from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. We discuss her extensive experience in preservation and advocacy for underrepresented communities. Links:African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund National Trust for Historic PreservationTangible Remnants on InstagramTangible Remnants WebsiteLinkedTr.ee for resourcesEarn CEUs for listening to this podcastSignup for Ask Me Anything w/ Nakita ReedGabl Media NetworkSarah Gilberg's MusicMelissa Jest is Senior Manager of Preservation Projects for the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (AACHAF). Miss Jest brings more than 20 years of preservation project and education experience, having worked in Savannah, GA, Philadelphia, PA and on staff at the Georgia Historic Preservation office headquartered in Atlanta GA.In her work, Miss Jest has assisted individuals and communities in identifying and preserving historic tangible and intangible resources significant to our shared heritage. Also, she has served on civic and private foundation boards over her career of advocating for underrepresented communities, and for historic preservation as both a tool and a movements Miss Jest is a native of Savannah, GA and holds a bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Florida and a Master's degree in Urban Studies from Savannah State University. **Some of the links above maybe Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.** **This episode is sponsored by www.Smartsheet4architects.com, a better way to manage architecture projects.**

*The National Trust Podcast is changing.* From March 2025 the National Trust Podcast will look different so we can bring you more immersive stories in Nature, History and Adventure. Stay on this stream for our new nature podcast, Wild World Of… and look out for our new history podcast, Back When. Remember to follow your favourite shows from National Trust Podcasts to be the first to hear new episodes as they arrive. Just beneath our feet lies a hidden world of centuries-old curiosities and undiscovered treasures. But laying your hands on these forgotten items and figuring out exactly what they are requires some special underfloor sleuthing, to sort the rubbish from the rarities. An archaeological adventure awaits in the story of the Dust Detectives, as the team uncover early medieval music and learn about the lives of ordinary people who played an important but unwritten part of Oxburgh Hall's history. [Ad] Open the door to more with a National Trust membership. As well as free entry and parking at over 500 places we care for, you'll receive: • Access to our online Members' Area, full of exclusive member-only content, • A yearly handbook packed with visit inspiration, • And our award-winning member magazine 3 times a year. Now also available digitally. Become a National Trust member: nationaltrust.org.uk/become-a-member. For a taste of the digital magazine, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/historic-recipes, or if you're a member and you'd like to switch, look for My Account on the website. Production Host: James Grasby Producer: Jack Glover Higgins Sound editor: Jesus Gomez Discover more Thank you to Anna Forrest, Matthew Champion, and Dr David Skinner DPhil (Oxon) for contributions to this episode. Among the music featured is a performance of early Tudor Choral song by Dr Skinner's Choir ‘Alamire'. For more episodes and information please visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/podcasts  To find out about Oxburgh Hall please visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/oxburgh-hall Follow the National Trust Podcast on your favourite podcast app. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

In the early hours of September 2, 1666, a small fire broke out on the ground floor of a baker's house in Pudding Lane. In five days that small fire would devastate the third largest city in the Western world.Adrian Tinniswood is a historian, teacher and writer, as well as a consultant to the National Trust. Adrian joins Dan to explore the cataclysm and consequences of the Great Fire of London. Together, they piece together the story of the Fire and its aftermath - the panic, the search for scapegoats, and the rebirth of a city.This episode was produced by Hannah Ward, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

This month, we head to the tropics and meet the Blue Iguana of the Cayman Islands! This endangered lizard is found nowhere else on the globe save for the island of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean, and just two decades ago, it's likely there were fewer than 25 animals remaining in the wild. This was a species that was functionally extinct, but thanks to the herculean efforts of a dedicated group of people, the Blue Iguana (Cyclura lewisi) has been brought back from the brink, with over 1000 iguanas now roaming the dry, rocky forests of Grand Cayman. In July of 2024 Bill traveled there to interview Fred Burton, the man many people credit as the main driver behind the effort to save this endemic species.This episode was recorded on July 25, 2024 at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, North Side, Grand CaymanEpisode Notes and LinksFind ourt more about conservation of the Blue Iguana by visiting the National Trust for the Cayman Islands.If you want to support efforts to help the Blue Iguana, you can donate here.Check out Fred's book, The Little Blue Book: A Short History of the Grand Cayman Blue IguanaIf you ever find yourself in Grand Cayman, we can't recommend enough that you visit the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, home to the Blue Iguana captive breeding program.Sponsors and Ways to Support UsGumleaf Boots, USA (free shipping for patrons)Thank you to Always Wandering Art (Website and Etsy Shop) for providing the artwork for this episode.Support us on Patreon.Check out the Field Guides merch at our Teespring store. It's really a great deal: you get to pay us to turn your body into a billboard for the podcast!Works CitedBurton, F.J., 2004. Battling extinction: A view forward for the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana (Cyclura lewisi). Iguana, 11(4), pp.232-237.Burton, F.J., 2005. Restoring a new wild population of Blue Iguanas (Cyclura lewisi) in the Salina Reserve, Grand Cayman. Iguana, 12(3), pp.166-174.Burton, F.J., 2011. Population restoration for a critically endangered reptile—the Grand Cayman blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi). Reptiles Australasia, 1, pp.35-44.Chan, N., Shen, Z., Mannion, A., Kurnick, S., Popescu, I.S., Burton, F.J., Calle, P.P. and Fox, J.G., 2021. Helicobacter cyclurae sp. nov., isolated from endangered blue iguanas (Cyclura lewisi). Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 9, p.676682.