Podcasts about Victorian

What does feel like to live helplessly in a world that is coming undone? If you're alive in 2025, you are probably very familiar with this feeling - and if you'd been alive in the age of Victorian literature, you might have felt that way too. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Nathan K. Hensley about his book Action without Hope: Victorian Literature after Climate Collapse, which studies how authors like George Eliot, Emily Brontë, H.G. Wells, Lewis Carroll, and Christina Rossetti used aesthetic strategies to deal with the anxiety and despair of ongoing climate disaster. What did they face? How did they cope? And can we learn from their examples? PLUS Jacke dives into some news from Italian museums, where people have been "losing their brains." What's going on with them? AND two Dickens experts, Stephen Browning and Simon Thomas, co-authors of The Real Charles Dickens, stop by to discuss their choice for the last book will they ever read. Will they choose something by Dickens? Note: The "My Last Book" conversation in this episode was recorded before the untimely passing of Stephen Browning. He was a wonderful guest, and we at the History of Literature Podcast are very grateful to have had the chance to speak with him. Our deepest sympathies are with his friends, family, and loved ones. May he rest in peace. Special Announcement: The History of Literature Podcast Tour is happening in May 2026! Act now to join Jacke and fellow literature fans on an eight-day journey through literary England in partnership with ⁠John Shors Travel⁠. Find out more by emailing jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or masahiko@johnshorstravel.com, or by contacting us through our website ⁠historyofliterature.com⁠. Or visit the ⁠History of Literature Podcast Tour itinerary⁠ at ⁠John Shors Travel⁠. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠gabrielruizbernal.com ⁠. Help support the show at ⁠patreon.com/literature ⁠or ⁠historyofliterature.com/donate ⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature ⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when a historic home doesn't want to let go of its past? In this episode, a listener recounts a chilling series of events that occurred after she and her mother moved into a massive Victorian home in Northeast Ohio. From disappearing keys and terrified contractors to the ghostly image of a stern woman in period clothing, the haunting escalates, culminating in disembodied voices, a missing dog found leashed in a basement, and a dark growl echoing from the shadows. With a history of tragedy and a spirit that clearly didn't like dogs, this house didn't just feel haunted—it felt hostile. If you have a real ghost story or supernatural event to report, please write into our show or call 1-855-853-4802! If you like the show, please help keep us on the air and support the show by becoming a Premium Subscriber. Subscribe here: http://www.ghostpodcast.com/?page_id=118 or at or at http://www.patreon.com/realghoststories

The latest episode of Talking Tigers pays special tribute to triple Richmond premiership star defender Nick Vlastuin in the lead-up to his 250-game milestone against Essendon at the MCG on Saturday night. Richmond great Matthew Richardson provides an insight into what has made Vlastuin one of the competition’s elite backmen and such a pivotal member of the Tigers’ line-up. Also, on a huge show this week, the TT team commemorate the Tigerland life and times of highly-successful former club president Ian Wilson. Exciting Tiger teenager Taj Hotton is put under the microscope by Nathan Broad in “Broady’s Zingers”. “Going up the Country” focuses on a Victorian town in the Yarra Ranges that produced a rugged Richmond cult figure. And, in “60 Years of MCG Memories”, the Tigers’ fantastic, fighting win in the 1995 semi-final against Essendon takes centre stage. For all things Yellow and Black, make sure you tune in to Talking Tigers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legendary comic creator Phil Hester joins Jimmy on the Cryptid Creator Corner to talk about his career in comics. Jimmy and Phil discuss some of his more recent work, like the excellent Gotham City: Year One with Tom King and the astounding Family Tree with Jeff Lemire. This is your chance to listen to a true master of his comic-making craft. It was also recently announced that Phil has teamed up with James Robinson for The Adventures of Lumen N. from Dark Horse Comics.  Dark Horse website⁠ ⁠Follow Phil Hester on Bluesky The Adventures of Lumen N. From Dark Horse The year is 1901 and our heroine Lumen is a precocious 13-year-old with many questions about her life. Why has her father been gone for years? Why must she learn so many languages and fighting techniques and what's with all the lessons in seafaring? Then an attack on her home by a horde of steam-punk assassins delivers the first glimmer of an answer, when Lumen's savior reveals himself as her grandfather, the legendary Captain Nemo, one of the greatest characters in Victorian science fiction literature. A brand-new world of steam-punk adventure and thrills is about to open up for Lumen as she connects with the grandfather she never knew while together they take on a cabal of evil masterminds, intent on world domination . . . a world full of heroes and villains from Victorian adventure and fantasy fiction. Out September 3rd from Dark Horse Comics Gotham City: Year One From the publisher There once was a shining city on the water, a home for families, hope, and prosperity. It was Gotham and it was glorious. The story of its fall from grace, the legend that would birth the Bat, has remained untold for 80 years. That's about to change. Superstar creators Tom King and Phil Hester team up for the first time to tell the definitive origin of Gotham City: how it became the cesspool of violence and corruption it is today, and how it harbored and then unleashed the sin that led to the rise of the Dark Knight. Two generations before Batman, private investigator Slam Bradley gets tangled in the “kidnapping of the century” as the infant Wayne heir disappears in the night…and so begins a brutal, hard-boiled, epic tale of a man living on the edge and a city about to burn. PATREON We have a new Patreon, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CryptidCreatorCornerpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you like what we do, please consider supporting us. We got two simple tiers, $1 and $3. Want to know more, you know what to do. THE ORDER OF THE NUN-YA STARBURST: VIOLA Make sure to check out our friend's new crowdfunding campaign ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Order of the Nun-Ya Starburst: Viola⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ that I mentioned in the episode. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(LINK)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ARKENFORGE Play TTRPG games? Make sure to check out our partner ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Arkenforge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Use the discount code YETI5 to get $5 off your order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between the golden dunes and the forest of Hardelot stand the ruins of a castle unlike any other... A 13th-century medieval fortress, a Victorian manor house embedded in its ruins, and an Elizabethan theater renowned for its ecological audacity: Hardelot is an architectural palimpsest where centuries dialogue with one another. Philippe Hurepel designed an innovative octagonal enclosure, the English added a Gothic revival in the 19th century, and the 21st century grafted on a theater made of wood and bamboo, subtly blending into the landscape. From the clatter of war to the precision of contemporary renovations, this place tells the story of both the building and the people. In this episode, we explore Hardelot as a living architecture laboratory, between memory, uses, and reinvention. Welcome to Hardelot. Episode written by Esther Teaser image DR © clemMTravel Sound: Com d'Archi podcast___If you like the podcast do not hesitate:. to subscribe so you don't miss the next episodes,. to leave us stars and a comment :-),. to follow us on Instagram @comdarchipodcast to find beautiful images, always chosen with care, so as to enrich your view on the subject.Nice week to all of you ! Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

RBA set to slash rates for the third time this year to spark household spending, Sussan Ley says the Liberals missed the mark with Chinese Australians during the election. Plus, Albanese kicks off his Victorian campaign with no sign of Jacinta Allan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a weekend of allegedly anti-Semitic attacks in Melbourne, the Victorian government is launching a new anti-hate taskforce... but what will it actually achieve? Plus, we explain Alligator Alcatraz, Trump's latest migrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades that's surrounded by swampland, alligators and controversy. And in headlines today Erin Patterson has spent her first night in prison as a convicted murderer, now potentially facing spending the rest of her life behind bars; The findings of the inquest into the death of Aboriginal man Kumajayi Walker has been handed down, the coroner finding the officer who shot him was racist and that couldn't be ruled out as contributing to his death; The search continues for ten girls and a camp councillor after their camp site was hit by flash flooding in Texas; Qantas says they have been contacted by a hacker claiming they are behind the theft of millions of customers personal details THE END BITSSupport independent women's media Check out The Quicky Instagram here Hear more about the origins of anti-semitism here GET IN TOUCHShare your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice note or email us at thequicky@mamamia.com.au CREDITS Hosts: Taylah Strano & Claire Murphy Guests: Dennis Altman, Vice Chancellor's Fellow and Professorial Fellow for the Institute for Human Security and Social Change at La Trobe University.Audio Producer: Lu Hill Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Lauren, Ashlyn, Laura, and Gem discuss some common misconceptions, focusing on cast iron cookware, Victorian corsetry, sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, and the Canadian political system. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Corsets: Victorian … Continue reading Episode 213: Cast Iron, Corsets, Crotches, and Canada →

The federal government says it will be seeking new powers to strip childcare centres of funding if they don't meet safety standards. It follows revelations Victorian police have arrested a childcare worker and laid 70 charges relating to alleged sex offences. Victoria is also bringing in a number of its own reforms, and fast-tracking the already planned federal ban on mobile phones in centres. - รัฐบาลกลางออสเตรเลียเตรียมเสนอให้มีอำนาจตัดเงินสนับสนุนจากศูนย์รับเลี้ยงเด็ก หากไม่สามารถปฏิบัติตามมาตรฐานความปลอดภัย หลังเกิดเหตุการณ์ที่ตำรวจรัฐวิกตอเรียจับกุมเจ้าหน้าที่ศูนย์เด็กด้วยข้อกล่าวหากว่า 70 ข้อหาที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการล่วงละเมิดทางเพศเด็ก โดยทางรัฐวิกตอเรียยังประกาศชุดปฏิรูปของตัวเอง รวมถึงการเร่งออกกฎห้ามใช้โทรศัพท์มือถือในศูนย์เด็กซึ่งเป็นแผนเดิมของรัฐบาลกลาง

We hope you enjoyed the first episodes of Tyler Wilcox's All One Song series, but we're back with, well, something different: it's a bonus Transmissions conversation between Transmissions host Jason P. Woodbury and musician, writer, and podcaster Stephen Coates, host of the Bureau of Lost Culture. This episode also appears today in the Bureau of Lost Culture feed and I can't recommend checking that show out enough if you haven't already. Dedicated to counter cultural explorations, the show has covered everything: Stonehenge, club culture, Victorian freak shows, mushrooms, ska, the Beats, teddy boys (and teddy girls) and much more. One of my favorite episodes—and one that spurred this conversation—features esoteric author Gary Lachman in conversation with the great writer and magician Alan Moore—though usually, it's Stephen who steers the conversations along, quite masterfully, as he does here.  We recorded this a few months back, and we're excited to share it with you to tide you over ahead of next week's brand new installment of All One Song, so without delay, let's get it into it. All music in this episode by Prairiewolf. Looking for a digital music platform that feels more like a record shop? ⁠Qobuz⁠ is the high quality music streaming & download platform for music enthusiasts and audiophiles, offering unique editorial, exclusive artist interviews, expertly curated playlists, liner notes, and more. With Qobuz Club, subscribers can connect and share music discoveries with a community of fellow music lovers. And for those who like to own their music, the Qobuz Download Store lets you browse and download albums in Hi-Res and CD quality. Give ⁠Qobuz⁠ a try now with an extended 30-day free trial.

A philosophical deep-dive into reincarnation, dimensional theory, and the possibility that we're all serving time in a cosmic prison. Joli (@Joli.artist) and @Staysch explore whether Earth is actually a 3D penitentiary for higher-dimensional beings.From unexplained Victorian art obsessions to unconscious reality manipulation, Joli shares personal evidence of consciousness bleeding between lifetimes and dimensions. The conversation explores the theory that our reality might exist as a dystopian counterbalance to a 4D utopia, where advanced beings could periodically descend to "serve time" as humans.Key themes include:• Nietzsche's eternal return and why memory gets wiped between lives• Personal evidence of past-life bleeding through art and preferences • The prison planet hypothesis vs. collective coping mechanism theory• Why we might switch roles between incarnations (general to woman, etc.)• Unconscious reality manipulation and multidimensional abilities• Human evolution, anxiety, and our predator nature trapped in modern life This mind-bending exploration challenges assumptions about free will, consciousness, and what it means to be human.youroneblackfriend.comInSanity Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@Staysch •••

We are delighted to welcome Cecilia Neil-Smith to the podcast to talk about her fantastic work on depictions of mermaids and sirens within Pre-Raphaelite art. Cecilia plunges the aquatic depths of Burne-Jones, de Morgan and Waterhouse, showing how the mermaid has transformed from an ancient and medieval symbol to a challenge for Victorian conceptions of gender, sexuality, conformity and biology.    For more information and to subscribe to the Pre-Raphaelite Society, please visit www.pre-raphaelitesociety.org    All donations towards the maintenance of this podcast are gratefully received: https://gofund.me/60a58f68 

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! The Graestone Manor Bed and Breakfast is a beautifully preserved Victorian mansion along the Erie Canal in Royalton, New York. Nestled in the quiet town of Gasport, this manor is a gem on the Niagara Wine Trail. Silas Newcomb, settled the property in 1833, planting apple and pear trees that still bear fruit today. Over the decades, the estate changed hands—from Silas's son Albert to neighbors Horace and Harriet Chapin and then to Curtis Root in 1865. Root, a racehorse enthusiast, left a lasting legacy with his racetrack and the famed racehorse Hamiltonian. But beneath its historical facade, Graestone Manor harbors a world of the supernatural. Visitors have reported the sound of heated arguments, the echo of ghostly horse hooves, and the chilling sight of a woman's apparition at the window. Whispers of a mysterious vortex in the basement and shadowy figures wandering the halls add to the eerie atmosphere. And what is it like to be a psychic medium living in this historic manor? And why are the former owners' spirits excited about Heather and her husband living in the home? This is Part Two of our conversation. Today on The Grave Talks, the Haunted History of Graestone Manor with owner and psychic medium Heather Rease Mattison.   For more information, go to graestonemanor.com. Become a GRAVE KEEPER and get access to ALL of our EPISODES - AD FREE, BONUS EPISODES & ADVANCE EPISODES!!! Sign up through Apple Podcast Channel or Patreon. Sign up through Apple Podcasts or Patreon http://www.patreon.com/thegravetalks 

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! The Graestone Manor Bed and Breakfast is a beautifully preserved Victorian mansion along the Erie Canal in Royalton, New York. Nestled in the quiet town of Gasport, this manor is a gem on the Niagara Wine Trail. Silas Newcomb, settled the property in 1833, planting apple and pear trees that still bear fruit today. Over the decades, the estate changed hands—from Silas's son Albert to neighbors Horace and Harriet Chapin and then to Curtis Root in 1865. Root, a racehorse enthusiast, left a lasting legacy with his racetrack and the famed racehorse Hamiltonian. But beneath its historical facade, Graestone Manor harbors a world of the supernatural. Visitors have reported the sound of heated arguments, the echo of ghostly horse hooves, and the chilling sight of a woman's apparition at the window. Whispers of a mysterious vortex in the basement and shadowy figures wandering the halls add to the eerie atmosphere. And what is it like to be a psychic medium living in this historic manor? And why are the former owners' spirits excited about Heather and her husband living in the home? Today on The Grave Talks, the Haunted History of Graestone Manor with owner and psychic medium Heather Rease Mattison.   For more information, go to graestonemanor.com. Become a GRAVE KEEPER and get access to ALL of our EPISODES - AD FREE, BONUS EPISODES & ADVANCE EPISODES!!! Sign up through Apple Podcast Channel or Patreon. Sign up through Apple Podcasts or Patreon http://www.patreon.com/thegravetalks 

This week on Women InSession, we discuss our favorite Victorian costume movies and why we're obsessed with the elegant costumes they depict! Panel: Kristin Battestella, Jaylan Salah, Megan Kearns Shop merch here: https://insessionfilm.com/store/ Thanks for listening and be sure to subscribe on your podcast app of choice! https://insessionfilm.com/subscribe

The Time Machine, by H. G. Wells chapter 8, narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :Dhttps://ko-fi.com/theessentialreadshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/joinSUMMARY: Weena and the Time Traveler arrive at the Palace of Green Porcelain and enter. It appears to have been a museum of some sort before society lost interest in anything intellectual. He and Weena explore the exhibits and in a chemistry section find some camphor, which the Time Traveler takes to use as a candle. He is also thrilled to find some matches, which by luck were well preserved. Exploring a hall full of machinery, he notices that Weena is scared, and in the ill lit room the Time Traveler starts to hear some unwelcome noises. He breaks an iron bar from one of the machines and determines to use it as a weapon as he hasn't found any usable arms. Following this, he and Weena make their way out, the Time Traveler hoping to make it back to the sphynx before nightfall.SEO Stuff that I don't want to do lol...One of the most influential pieces of fiction of all time, The Time Machine by H. G. Wells, sees a Victorian scientist send himself forward to the year 802,701 AD. He is delighted to find that suffering has been replaces by beauty and happiness, and a "new man", the Eloi, has descended from man. Science Fiction book, Sci-fi, Classic Literature

The federal government says it will be seeking new powers to strip childcare centres of funding if they don't meet safety standards. It follows revelations Victorian police have arrested a childcare worker and laid 70 charges relating to alleged sex offences. Victoria is also bringing in a number of its own reforms, and fast-tracking the already planned federal ban on mobile phones in centres. - मेलबर्नका केही ‘डे केयर' सेन्टरहरूमा काम गर्ने एक २६ वर्षीय पुरुषले, शहरको पश्चिममा पर्ने पोइन्ट कुकस्थित एक बाल स्याहार केन्द्रमा भर्ती भएका बालबालिका माथि यौन दुर्व्यवहार गरेको भन्दै पक्राउ परेपछि, सुरक्षा मापदण्ड पुरा नगर्ने ‘चाइल्ड केयर‘ सेन्टरहरूले पाउने आर्थिक अनुदान कटौती गर्ने सङ्घीय सरकारले चेतावनी दिएको छ भने, भिक्टोरियाको सरकारले तत्काल सुधारका कदमहरू चालेको बताएको छ।

The year is 1897 and Annie Maunder, an amateur astronomer, is boarding a steamship bound for India from England. Her goal: to photograph a total solar eclipse. Maunder was fascinated by the secrets of the sun and was determined to travel the globe and unlock them. She understood that the few minutes of darkness during a solar eclipse presented a special opportunity to explore the nature of the sun. Her observations led to our greater understanding of how the sun affects the earth, but like so many early female scientists, her contributions and achievements have been forgotten. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. Get ready to stop and smell the roses...in the cemetery! This week Jennie and Dianne explore the practical, symbolic, and cultural significance of flowers in death. From ancient Egypt and Greece to Victorian-era cemeteries, flowers have played a significant role in mourning and remembrance around the globe. Sow the seeds of curiosity and tune in to this week's episode of The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast as we dig up the dirt on floral death traditions. View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/e7tFcdAnPV4Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.comResources used to research this episode include:Staff, B. & W. (n.d.). Bloom & Wild Flower Delivery: Flowers & Gifts. https://www.bloomandwild.com/the-blog/floriography-language-of-flowers-meaning Wessel, F. (n.d.). Flower symbols and meanings on gravestones. Stoneletters. https://stoneletters.com/blog/flower-symbols-and-meanings-on-gravestones O'Brien, M. (2022, October 27). The Significance of Funeral Flowers. Www.Kelleyhousemuseum.org. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://www.kelleyhousemuseum.org/the-significance-of-funeral-flowers-by-marguerite-obrien/(n.d.). Memorial Flowers: The Oldest Form of Tribute. Journalofantiques.com. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://journalofantiques.com/features/flowers-the-oldest-form-of-tribute/Woodyard, C. (2024, February 21). Funeral Flowers. Thevictorianbookofthedead.Wordpress.com. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://thevictorianbookofthedead.wordpress.com/tag/funeral-flowers/(n.d.). Crown of justification. En.Wikipedia.org. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_of_justification(2023, September 11). What is the meaning of the wreath at a funeral? Funeralflorist.Wordpress.com. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://funeralflorist.wordpress.com/2023/09/11/what-is-the-meaning-of-the-wreath-at-a-funeral/Staff, S. &. V. (2018, August 9). The Fascinating History of Funeral Wreaths. Www.Scentandviolet.com. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://www.scentandviolet.com/info/blog/fascinating-history-funeral-wreaths/?srsltid=AfmBOooLmeLyV-Tcs-gMhrZaNMd8-PkH5CdrSgIUr5ttKEZY6AfMxmBM(n.d.). Thistle - national flower of Scotland. Www.Visitscotland.com. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://www.visitscotland.com/things-to-do/attractions/arts-culture/thistle

Parents send their young children to childcare trusting they'll return home each day safely. But families are in shock after a Victorian childcare worker was charged with 70 offences, including sexual assault and producing child abuse material. The alleged victims were as young as 5 months old. The staff member had worked at 20 different centres and held a valid Working with Children Check. Today, Caroline Croser-Barlow from The Front Project, which works to improve early childhood education, on whether the system is safe and how governments can fix it. Featured: Caroline Croser-Barlow, CEO of The Front Project

The childcare sector has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of a Victorian worker being charged with dozens of child sexual abuse offences. While the allegations are yet to be tested by the courts, the fallout from the unfolding case has been profound as both state and federal governments consider the next steps. Reged Ahmad speaks to Victorian state correspondent Benita Kolovos on what this case means for the future of an industry relied on by so many Australian families

The fallout from horrific sexual abuse allegations involving a Melbourne child care worker continues, with the Victorian government launching a wide-ranging review of child care safety.

The federal government says it will be seeking new powers to strip childcare centres of funding if they don't meet safety standards. It follows revelations Victorian police have arrested a childcare worker and laid 70 charges relating to alleged sex offences. Victoria is also bringing in a number of its own reforms, and fast-tracking the already planned federal ban on mobile phones in centres.

This week, we revisit our 2022 conversation with Peter Ward OAM, one of Victoria's leading criminal law practitioners for over 40 years. Peter spent his entire career at the firm of Galbally & O'Bryan and worked on some of the most high-profile cases in Victorian history, including the Walsh Street police killings in 1988. Like most practitioners, Peter had to work incredibly hard to prove himself at the start of his career. He knew no one in the law and had no real connections, but Peter faced an additional challenge: being legally blind. It was a privilege and a pleasure to hear about Peter's Life in the Law. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast

Tucked in the heart of Norman, Oklahoma, the Moore-Lindsay House stands as a proud monument to Victorian beauty—and possibly something far more chilling. Built in 1899 by William and Agnes Moore, this ornate Queen Anne-style home has witnessed over a century of life, death, and transformation. But have all its residents truly left? Today, as the house operates as a museum, strange occurrences continue to spark one common question from visitors: Is the Moore-Lindsay House haunted? Join us as we explore the eerie energy and untold stories still echoing through the halls of this historic—and possibly haunted—Oklahoma landmark. This is Part Two of our conversation. On this episode, a conversation about the Moore-Lindsay Historical House Museum with Museum Manager Amy Pence. For more information, follow them on Facebook or visit their website at normanmuseum.org. Become a Premium Supporter of The Grave Talks Through Apple Podcasts or Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/thegravetalks) There, you will get: Access to every episode of our show, AD-FREE! Access to every episode of our show before everyone else! Other EXCLUSIVE supporter perks and more!

Tired of the frustration that comes with masking canopies? You're not alone. This episode kicks off with an introduction to Kit Masx, a company born from the simple truth that "manually masking canopies sucks." Founded by Kevin and Janelle, this modeling business now offers over 400 precision-cut mask sets, with Kevin personally testing each one multiple times to ensure perfect fits. The best part? If you reach out, you're talking directly to the owners—real modelers who understand your challenges and will replace or refund your purchase if you're not completely satisfied.We then dive into recent modeling events, particularly Wonderfest held at the end of May. The quality of models continues to amaze, with expanded Gundam displays and increasingly sophisticated builds featuring lighting and motorization. A standout piece was a gorgeously lit recreation of the Victorian-style spacecraft from "The Black Hole." For those looking ahead, IPMS Nationals is just five weeks away, with pre-registration now closed and excitement building among the community.The modeling community continues to thrive online as well. Our Facebook "dojo" is approaching 5,400 members with over 20 posts daily showcasing works-in-progress and completed builds. We've managed to squash Facebook's intrusive AI-generated content in our group, keeping the focus on real modelers sharing their genuine work. Looking forward, we tease upcoming episodes featuring interviews with Harvey Low and Bob Bair, plus additional vendor spotlights. Whether you're a seasoned modeler or just starting out, join our growing community...  and don't forget to take advantage of Kit Masx MOJO15 discount code for 15% off your first order—your canopies will thank you!Model Paint SolutionsYour source for Harder & Steenbeck Airbrushes and David Union Power ToolsSQUADRON Adding to the stash since 1968Model PodcastsPlease check out the other pods in the modelsphere!PMM Merchandise StoreSupport the show with PMM Merchandise!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Give us your Feedback!Rate the Show!Support the Show!PatreonBuy Me a BeerPaypalBump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed BarothAd Reads Generously Provided by Bob "The Voice of Bob" BairMike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.

With special guest Longinus, the boys review a shandy from Founders, then continue their "shortcut to the classics" series with a review of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" -- a haunting 1886 novella that ripped the mask off Victorian respectability and exposed the brutal split within human nature.Set in the same foggy, gaslit London as Sherlock Holmes, this story of duality, repression, and moral despair hit like a thunderclap on both sides of the Atlantic. But it's more than just a gothic thriller — it's a mirror held up to human nature and society itself.We explore:* The origins of the story and why Stevenson rewrote it from scratch after his wife's critique* The moral message: man is not one but two — and there may be no salvation for either* The symbolism of Jekyll's divided house, the hidden back door, and the cultured facade over inner rot* The novella's critique of Victorian England, where public virtue masks private vice* Interpretive lenses: from Romans 7 and Christian theology to Jung's shadow, Freud's psychoanalysis, and even Star Trek* Why Hyde isn't some external monster, but a part of you — and why that makes the story more disturbing* The tragedy of Jekyll: not that he loses control, but that he wants toWe also ask whether Stevenson's bleak vision of human nature holds up — and contrast it with the biblical vision of a unified, redeemable self.If you've ever wrestled with the dark side of human nature — or just want to understand why this little book still packs a punch — this episode is for you.

The latest episode of Talking Tigers focuses on the individual positives from Richmond’s Round 16 clash with Adelaide . . . Sam Banks going from strength to strength in his rebounding role off the half-back line. Jasper Alger showing plenty of promise up forward in his first full AFL game. Jack Ross thriving as an inside midfielder. Noah Balta’s return to form. Luke Trainor’s first goal in AFL football. Also on this week’s show, there is an extremely exciting announcement about a huge, upcoming Talking Tigers event. ‘Richo’ couldn’t resist, so ‘Chief Watch’ is back (just for one day). The “Going up the Country” segment features a Victorian town that produced a true Richmond great of the 1950s-60s. “60 Years of MCG Memories” looks at one of the biggest, and best, wins in Tigerland’s history. And, in “Hidden Tigerland”, club historian Rhett Bartlett reveals the real first names of several of Richmond’s finest players from yesteryear. For all things Yellow and Black, make sure you tune in to Talking Tigers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Severe storm conditions hit Australia's east coast. A childcare worker has been charged with dozens of child sex offences in Victoria. Victorian premier Jacinta Allan says the state's Voice to parliament won't be written into its constitution. - ニューサウルウェールズ州の広い地域では、急速に発達する沿岸の低気圧の影響で、今日から明日にかけて、強風や大雨、高波などが予想されており、警戒が呼びかけられています。 メルボルンの複数のチャイルドケアで勤務していた26歳の従業員が、70件を超える性的暴行の疑いで起訴されました。ビクトリア州で、先住民の声（Voice to Parliament）が州議会に恒久的設置されます。

In tonight's episode, the Night Owl team returns once more to Freddo ATX — the historic Victorian café where unexplained activity continues to raise questions. In their last visit, three psychic mediums were brought in separately, blind to the location, and kept apart throughout the investigation. What they uncovered — children's spirits, multiple women, and even the name Walter — pointed to a complex spiritual presence lingering in the home. But they're not done yet.Now, they return for a final night inside Freddo ATX, this time with all three psychics together. And with new tools and experimental methods in hand, they're pushing deeper — to see if the spirits of this place are ready to reveal more.Photo by Meg BlohmEPISODE SPONSORS:LUMI GUMMIESGo to LumiGummies.com  and use code NIGHTOWL for 30% off your order.SHADY RAYSThanks, Shady Rays. Get 35% off polarized glasses at shadyrays.com - code NIGHTOWLAG1New subscribers, go to drinkAG1.com/nightowl to get a FREE gift with your first order.

Tucked in the heart of Norman, Oklahoma, the Moore-Lindsay House stands as a proud monument to Victorian beauty—and possibly something far more chilling. Built in 1899 by William and Agnes Moore, this ornate Queen Anne-style home has witnessed over a century of life, death, and transformation. But have all its residents truly left? Today, as the house operates as a museum, strange occurrences continue to spark one common question from visitors: Is the Moore-Lindsay House haunted? Join us as we explore the eerie energy and untold stories still echoing through the halls of this historic—and possibly haunted—Oklahoma landmark. On this episode, a conversation about the Moore-Lindsay Historical House Museum with Museum Manager Amy Pence. For more information, follow them on Facebook or visit their website at normanmuseum.org. Become a Premium Supporter of The Grave Talks Through Apple Podcasts or Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/thegravetalks) There, you will get: Access to every episode of our show, AD-FREE! Access to every episode of our show before everyone else! Other EXCLUSIVE supporter perks and more!

Make sure you follow Maverick Broadcasting Network on the following platforms:Pickax: https://pickax.com/maverickbroadcastingRumble: https://rumble.com/c/maverickbroadcastingSubstack: https://maverickbroadcasting.substack.comX: https://x.com/mavbroadcastnetMaverick Broadcasting Network benefits when you shop with the following companies:MY GOLD GUY - https://mygoldguy.com/mbnAs inflation surges and global elites toy with our financial future, My Gold Guy empowers you to safeguard your wealth with physical gold and silver – a real asset for real Americans. Get your FREE Gold & Silver Guide today, and mention that you were referred by Maverick Broadcasting Network.PREPPER ALL-NATURALS (code MBN) - https://maverickbeef.comIn a world where global elites push lab-grown meat and insect-based diets, safeguard your family's health with Prepper All-Naturals' premium freeze-dried beef—100% American, mRNA-free, and boasting a 10-year shelf life. Use code MBN at checkout for a 15% discount and ensure your pantry is stocked with real, nutritious beef amid uncertain times.THE WELLNESS COMPANY (code MBN) - https://twc.health/mbnIn an era where government overreach threatens personal health choices, safeguard your autonomy with The Wellness Company's Medical Emergency Kit—featuring essential medications like Ivermectin and Amoxicillin. Use code MBN for 10% off and take control of your health today.SUPERMASSIVE BLACK COFFEE (code MBN) - https://supermassiveblackcoffee.comTired of the corporate sludge masquerading as coffee? Supermassive Black Coffee is your defiant alternative, roasting 100% organic beans with Victorian-era fire roasters to deliver a brew that's pure, bold, and breathtakingly smooth. Join the rebellion against mediocrity and savor the difference. Use promo code MBN for 20% off your order.

What is the relationship between medicine and commerce? In Selling Sexual Knowledge: Medical Publishing and Obscenity in Victorian Britain (Cambridge University Press, 2025), Sarah Bull, an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Toronto Metropolitan University, explores the relationships between doctors, sexual reform campaigners, publishers and pornography in the Victorian era. The book charts the struggle to differentiate and define medicine from ‘quackery', in the context of the rise of commercial forms of publishing and demands for access to contraception. The book uses richly detailed materials, including books and newspapers, court cases, and case studies of the key players who defined the era, and the years that would follow. Challenging myths of sex and Victorian society, and offering a compelling picture of conflicts over key issues such as free speech, contraception, and professional identity, the book will be of wide interest across the arts and humanities, as well as for medicine and science, and is available open access here Dave O'Brien is Professor of Cultural and Creative Industries, at the University of Manchester. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

What is the relationship between medicine and commerce? In Selling Sexual Knowledge: Medical Publishing and Obscenity in Victorian Britain (Cambridge University Press, 2025), Sarah Bull, an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Toronto Metropolitan University, explores the relationships between doctors, sexual reform campaigners, publishers and pornography in the Victorian era. The book charts the struggle to differentiate and define medicine from ‘quackery', in the context of the rise of commercial forms of publishing and demands for access to contraception. The book uses richly detailed materials, including books and newspapers, court cases, and case studies of the key players who defined the era, and the years that would follow. Challenging myths of sex and Victorian society, and offering a compelling picture of conflicts over key issues such as free speech, contraception, and professional identity, the book will be of wide interest across the arts and humanities, as well as for medicine and science, and is available open access here Dave O'Brien is Professor of Cultural and Creative Industries, at the University of Manchester. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/medicine

Hi! I'm Philippa, welcome to the British History Channel. Pop this on to keep you company for nearly 3 hours with Niall Devitt, in conversation with Philippa Lacey, as he talks about the London Underground, a product of Victorian engineering, has a rich history. Early experiences were marked by both fear and fascination, driven by the technological innovations that shaped its development. Despite facing significant challenges during its construction phases, the Underground's public perception evolved over time, reflecting societal changes. Financial struggles plagued it from its inception to the present day, but the integration of various transport systems was a key focus for improving efficiency. Influential figures like Brunel played a pivotal role in shaping London's transport future. The Underground's impact on urban development is still felt today, and understanding its history provides insights into modern public transport systems. It is intertwined with major historical events, such as World War I, which significantly increased its usage. Effective marketing and branding were crucial for its success, while Frank Pick's vision transformed its design and functionality. Leadership played a vital role in its development and success, and it served as a shelter during both World Wars. Post-war challenges led to innovations in its operations. The Underground's design reflects a blend of art and functionality, shaping London's suburbs and urban development. Its legacy continues to influence modern transportation systems.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene07:27 Education and Historical Interests11:37 The Birth of the Underground16:19 The Impact of Railways on London21:43 Challenges of Urban Development and Transportation27:10 Victorian Innovations in Public Health and Transport31:50 Challenges of Building the Underground37:13 The Birth of the Metropolitan Railway44:11 NIMBYism and the Struggles of Expansion51:34 The Shift to Electric Power in Transport58:10 The Launch of the City and South London Railway01:05:50 The Impact of American Technology on the Tube01:11:49 The Role of Key Figures in Underground Development01:20:01 Public Ownership and the Future of the Underground01:36:27 The Resilience of the Metropolitan Railway01:42:32 The Birth of London Passenger Transport Board01:48:24 Profitability and the Metropolitan Railway's Land Strategy02:03:10 The Underground as a Shelter: Historical Context02:10:41 Preparing for War: The Evacuation Scheme02:15:47 The Underground as a Shelter: Challenges and Solutions02:20:38 Cultural Resilience: Entertainment and Community in the Underground02:27:39 Tragedy and Mismanagement: The Bethnal Green Disaster02:32:54 The Evolution of the Underground: From Decline to Revival02:45:29 Farewell Thank you for listening, I hope you enjoyed it. There are many more here for you to browse through here, and on my Youtube channel where you can watch them as well - Youtube.com/@BritishHistoryIf you're not already, please subscribe and leave a review to help spread the word :-) Want more British History and more contact with me? Join at www.Patreon.com/BritishHistory to enjoy Historical Book Club, early access to content, exclusive blogs, discounts on British History Events and take part in Book Club! All for £5/month.London Underground, history, transport, Victorian era, engineering, technology, public transport, urban development, historical significance, cultural impact, London Underground, history, transportation, World War I, World War II, branding, design, Frank Pick, public transport, marketingI'd really appreciate your help in making this show the best it can be. I know time is precious but if you do have 10 minutes you can spare to fill out this anonymous listener survey, I'd be really grateful - http://bit.ly/britishhistorypodcast-surveyPhilippa founded award-winning Historic Tour Operator British History Tours in 2014. Find out about these luxury, fully-escorted, immersive historical experiences at BritishHistoryTours.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! When DeAnna Simpson signed the papers for a quaint Victorian on Maple Avenue in Hanover, Pennsylvania, she expected Pinterest projects and quiet evenings, not a priest sprinting out the front door with scorched shoes. Within days, her “dream home” became The Hanover Haunting: disembodied whispers drifting through baby monitors, doors slamming hard enough to crack frames, shadow figures pacing the hallway, and a biblical plague of locusts coating the porch. Desperate, DeAnna invited clergy, psychics, and paranormal TV crews, only to learn that some investigators stir the darkness more than they banish it. Burn marks on the floor, scratches on her arms, and a house that growled at night proved the entities weren't leaving without a fight. In this episode, DeAnna recounts the battles, the betrayals, and the high cost of living in a house the demons claim as their own. This is Part Two of our conversation. Become a Premium Supporter of The Grave Talks Through Apple Podcasts or Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/thegravetalks) There, you will get: Access to every episode of our show, AD-FREE! Access to every episode of our show before everyone else! Other EXCLUSIVE supporter perks and more!

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! When DeAnna Simpson signed the papers for a quaint Victorian on Maple Avenue in Hanover, Pennsylvania, she expected Pinterest projects and quiet evenings, not a priest sprinting out the front door with scorched shoes. Within days, her “dream home” became The Hanover Haunting: disembodied whispers drifting through baby monitors, doors slamming hard enough to crack frames, shadow figures pacing the hallway, and a biblical plague of locusts coating the porch. Desperate, DeAnna invited clergy, psychics, and paranormal TV crews, only to learn that some investigators stir the darkness more than they banish it. Burn marks on the floor, scratches on her arms, and a house that growled at night proved the entities weren't leaving without a fight. In this episode, DeAnna recounts the battles, the betrayals, and the high cost of living in a house the demons claim as their own. Become a Premium Supporter of The Grave Talks Through Apple Podcasts or Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/thegravetalks) There, you will get: Access to every episode of our show, AD-FREE! Access to every episode of our show before everyone else! Other EXCLUSIVE supporter perks and more!

We begin with an unforgettable account involving a mysterious tombstone in a Victorian home's basement—and what may have followed the new tenants upstairs. But that's just the beginning. You'll hear chilling tales of a murder victim who haunted a hotel, a shadowy presence, an eerie warning from a nursing home resident, and a mysterious artifact tied to wartime tragedy. Real people. Real experiences. Get ready for a spine-tingling set of true paranormal stories that will leave you wondering what walks among us. BROOKLYN BEDDING I love my Brooklyn Bedding mattress and you will love yours too! Go to https://brooklynbedding.com and use my promo code CAMPFIRE at checkout to get 30% off sitewide. This offer is not available anywhere else – you have to use MY promo code on the very last page of checkout to get this discount. POLICYGENIUS Policygenius makes it easy to get life insurance done (and done right). Save time and money, and give your family a financial safety net with Policygenius. Head to https://policygenius.com to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save. JIM'S SPOOKY STUDIO PLUS CLUB Get access to the entire back catalog of Jim Harold's Campfire, The Paranormal Podcast & exclusive Plus ONLY shows. That's over 2,600 episodes. Join today here: https://jimharold.com/plus --For more information on our podcast data policy CLICK HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What secrets is the Keyhole House still holding on to? And what happens when a house decides it wants to be heard? Every old home has its tales. This one refuses to stop sharing them. In this special episode, we travel to Smiths Falls, Ontario, to explore the haunting of the Keyhole House—a striking 1892 Victorian home with a history that won't stay in the past. Since moving in, magicians Ted and Marion Outerbridge have experienced an ongoing series of eerie phenomena: discovering objects long hidden in the walls, coincidences that challenge belief, phantom footsteps, and a ghost who seems to have joined the family. But this haunting is more than flickering lights and sudden cold spots. It feels intimate, emotional. Like a relationship unfolding across time. And it shows no sign of ending. This is more than a tale of things that go bump in the night. It's a glimpse into how the past and present collide inside the places we call home. Think you've heard haunted house stories before? Think again. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 198 – Haunted Houses of Ontario – 1924 Episode 192 – America's Most Haunted House – The Whaley House

Liverpool's modern history is one of struggle, adversity and community and today we hear from David Swift, author of Scouse Republic: An alternative history of Liverpool. In the 1980s the city was in deep economic decline from its Victorian heyday as one of the world's busiest ports. Liverpool's radical identity was forged by the ideological battles of the decade and from the predations of Margaret Thatcher's Tory government and its supporters in the press, namely the Sun Newspaper. *****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here:Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever since Franz Anton Mesmer induced trance-like states in his Parisian subjects in the late eighteenth century, dressed in long purple robes, hypnosis has been associated with performance, power and the occult.  It has exerted a powerful hold over the cultural imagination, featuring in novels and films including Bram Stoker's Dracula and George du Maurier's Trilby - and it was even practiced by Charles Dickens himself.But despite some debate within the medical establishment about the scientific validity of hypnosis, it continues to be used today as a successful treatment for physical and psychological conditions. Scientists are also using hypnosis to learn more about the power of suggestion and belief. With: Catherine Wynne, Reader in Victorian and Early Twentieth-Century Literature and Visual Cultures at the University of HullDevin Terhune, Reader in Experimental Psychology at King's College LondonAndQuinton Deeley, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London, where he leads the Cultural and Social Neuroscience Research Group.Producer: Eliane GlaserReading list:Henri F. Ellenberger, The Discovery of the Unconscious: The History and Evolution of Dynamic Psychiatry (Vol. 1, Basic Books, 1970)William Hughes, That Devil's Trick: Hypnotism and the Victorian Popular Imagination (Manchester University Press, 2015)Asti Hustvedt, Medical Muses: Hysteria in Nineteenth-Century Paris (Bloomsbury, 2011)Fred Kaplan, Dickens and Mesmerism: The Hidden Springs of Fiction (first published 1975; Princeton University Press, 2017)Wendy Moore, The Mesmerist: The Society Doctor Who Held Victorian London Spellbound (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2017)Michael R. Nash and Amanda J. Barnier (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Hypnosis Theory, Research, and Practice (Oxford University Press, 2012)Judith Pintar and Steven Jay Lynn, Hypnosis: A Brief History (John Wiley & Sons, 2008)Amir Raz, The Suggestible Brain: The Science and Magic of How We Make Up Our Minds (Balance, 2024)Robin Waterfield, Hidden Depths: The Story of Hypnosis (Pan, 2004) Alison Winter, Mesmerized: Powers of Mind in Victorian Britain (Chicago University Press, 1998) Fiction: Thomas Mann, Mario and the Magician: & other stories (first published 1930; Vintage Classics, 1996)George du Maurier, Trilby (first published 1894; Penguin Classics, 1994)Bram Stoker, Dracula (first published 1897; Penguin Classics, 2003)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio production

Crusading hero, battlefield legend...absentee ruler? Dan explores the myth and reality behind England's Warrior King. From storming Sicily to conquering Cyprus and striking fear into the heart of Saladin on crusade, Richard's legend has loomed large for centuries, fuelled by Victorian storytellers and patriotic lore. But how much of it is true?Medieval historian Richard Huscroft joins Dan to separate fact from fiction. Was Richard I a noble warrior, a king who abandoned his realm, or is it more complicated than that?Produced by Mariana Des Forges, Dan Snow and edited by Dougal PatmoreYou can now find Dan Snow's History Hit on YouTube! Watch episodes every Friday here.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.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Most kids worry about the boogeyman in the closet—our caller's first house came with a fully accessorized boogey-gentleman in a top hat who liked to wander through the bathroom during bath time. From there things only got weirder: a glowing Victorian toddler who thought 3 a.m. was perfect for a slumber-party shoulder tap, locked doors that unlock themselves, and an invisible linebacker who can body-check you into drywall without even buying you dinner first. Add in a brick-walled creek, teleporting toys, and parents whose idea of comfort is “Sweetie, that's probably just your guardian angel,” and you've got the kind of childhood that preps you for either stand-up comedy or a lifetime of night-lights.  If you have a real ghost story or supernatural event to report, please write into our show or call 1-855-853-4802! If you like the show, please help keep us on the air and support the show by becoming a Premium Subscriber.  Subscribe here: http://www.ghostpodcast.com/?page_id=118 or at or at http://www.patreon.com/realghoststories Watch more at: http://www.realghoststoriesonline.com/ Follow Tony: Instagram: HTTP://www.instagram.com/tonybrueski TikToc: https://www.tiktok.com/@tonybrueski Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tony.brueski 

Brea and Mallory go through their most anticipated books for July and August. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!Reading Glasses MerchRecommendations StoreSponsor -GreenChefwww.greenchef.com/50GLASSESCODE: 50GLASSESLinks -Reading Glasses Facebook GroupReading Glasses Goodreads GroupAmazon Wish ListNewsletterLibro.fmTo join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!www.maximumfun.org/joinBooks Mentioned -It Rhymes with Takei by George Takei and Harmony BeckerThe Lilac People by Milo ToddJulyFinding Grace by Loretta RothschildLiterary fiction, family drama, dual timelines, moral dilemmaThe Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth WareSequel to The Woman in Cabin 10Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly JacksonThriller, mystery, woman trying to solve her own murder before she diesA Resistance of Witches by Morgan RyanHistorical fantasy, WWII, British witches, magic book, magical espionage, FranceVolatile Memory by Seth HaddonSci fi, queer love story, adventure, novella, tech, AIThe Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-GarciaHorror, witches, 19th century Mexico, 1990s Massachusetts, dual timelinesAngel Down by Daniel KrausHistorical horror/fantasy, WWI, angels, soldiersTotally and Completely Fine by Elissa SussmanRomance, dual timelines, widowed single mom, normal person/celebrity, small town MontanaRose in Chains by Julie SotoRomantasy, first in trilogy, princess imprisoned in castle auctioned off to rivalsThe Irresistible Urge to Fall in Love with Your Enemy by Brigette KnightleyRomantasy, Dramoine, sick assassin falling in love with enemy healer, first in duology, slow burn enemies to lovers, rival magician ordersA Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu MandannaRomantasy, cozy, witch and magical historian at an enchanted inn, talking foxTenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall ClipstoneYA, gothic, horromance, queer, folklore, love triangle, rituals, godsGlorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn BarnesYA, Inheritance Games saga, competition, puzzles, secretsImmortal Consequences by I.V. MarieYA, romantasy, dark academia, boarding school, competitionNo Sense in Wishing by Lawrence BurneyEssay collection, critical moments with art that transformed the author, Black diasporaA Marriage at Sea by Sophie ElmhirstNonfiction, married couple who sells everything to live on a sailboatI Want to Burn This Place Down by Maris KreizmanEssay collection, funny, living in AmericaKilling Stella by Marlen Haushofer, translated by Shaun WhitesideNovella, literary fiction, confession from housewife of crimeThe Age of Video Games: A Graphic History of Gaming from Pong to VR and Beyond by Jean Zeid, illustrated by Émilie Rouge, translated by Jen VaughnNonfiction, graphic historyThe Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne by Chris SweeneyNonfiction, forensic ornithologyNecessary Fiction by Eloghosa OsundeQueer literary fiction, multiple POV, Lagos, navigating identitiesBeasts of Carnaval: A Caribbean Historical Fantasy Tale of Mystery and Magic at El Carnaval De Bestias by Rosália RodrigoYA historical fantasy, Caribbean islands, Black diaspora, decadent carnivalHot Girls With Balls by Benedict NguyễnLiterary fiction, satire, queer, competitive volleyball, social media, trans volleyball players, romanceThe Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida translated by Bruno NavaskyMagical realism, Japanese convenience store, three interconnected storiesSimplicity by Mattie LubchanskySurreal graphic novel, near future sci fi, trans protagonist, isolated communityThe Dance and the Fire by Daniel Saldaña París, translated by Christina MacSweeneyCli fi, love triangle, dancing, three friends returning to hometown, Mexico, surrealArchive of Unknown Universes by Ruben Reyes Jr.Literary fiction, dual timelines, Salvadoran civil war, loveThe Payback by Kashana CauleyLiterary fiction, three co-workers turned friends launch a heist to wipe out student debtPan by Michael CluneLiterary fiction, teen having panic attacks and thinks the god Pan is trapped inside of himLonely Crowds by Stephanie WambuguLiterary fiction, 1990s New England college campus, coming of age, Catholic guilt, art worldThe Original by Nell StevensQueer historical fiction, 1899 English country house, aspiring art forger must figure out if her long-lost cousin is an impostorHuman Rites by Juno DawsonBook 3 in Her Majesty's Royal CovenCall Your Boyfriend by Olivia A. Cole and Ashley WoodfolkYA sapphic rom com, two teen girls want revenge on the popular girl they're in love withMoon Rising by Claire BarnerQueer near future romantisci, lunar colony, battling eco terroristsThe Gryphon King by Sara OmerQueer Southwest Asian inspired epic fantasy, monsters, dynastic politics, slow burn romanceTaste the love by Karelia and Fay Stetz-WatersSapphic romance with rival chefsNo Body No Crime by Tess SharpeQueer thriller, romance, secrets, two girls killing a shitty guyHouse of Beth by Kerry CullenQueer literary fiction, unhinged women, OCD, family secretsWayward Girls by Susan WiggsQueer historical fiction, 1960s Buffalo, six girls in a Catholic reform schoolThe Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J.R. DawsonQueer fantasy, waystation for the dead, ghostsThe Elysium Heist by Y. M. ResnikQueer sci fi, heist in a space casino with six women, intergalactic card tournamentThe Haunting of Bellington Cottage by Laura ParnumMiddle grade horror, two girls trying to see if they're still friends in a haunted vacation houseAnother by Paul TremblayPaul's middle grade horror debut!!!!!The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra KhawHorror, wicked dark academia, dark magic academy for the dangerously powerfulGirl in the Creek by Wendy M. WagnerHorror, Pacific Northwest, missing hiker, body horror, eco-horror, sporrorOddbody by Rose KeatingHorror short stories, “weird girl fiction”Never the Roses by Jennifer K. LambertRomantasy, epic fantasy, Circle meets The Witch's HeartThe Frozen People by Elly GriffithsSci fi thriller, time traveling cold case teamHow to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory ArnoldFantasy thriller, famous horror author dies & invites writers to his manor to play a game, locked room mysteryThe Secret Market of the Dead by Giovanni De FeoFantasy, Italian inspired, historical, gothic, magic competition, “young woman who finds her power in the nocturnal realm that lurks beneath her town.”The Art of Vanishing by Morgan PagerSci fi, love story between a museum employee and a man in a paintingThe Alchemy of Flowers by Laura ResauModern fantasy take on The Secret GardenArcana Academy by Elise KovaRomantasy, woman who wield magic tarot cards in a fake relationship with the headmaster of a mysterious academy, first in seriesHit Me with Your Best Charm by Lillie ValeYA fantasy, small magic town, autumn festival, secrets, magic forest, missing kidSoulgazer by Maggie RapierPirate romantasy, lost mystical isleAugustThe Hounding by Xenobe PurvisHistorical horror, mystery, small town, girls transforming into houndsThe Locked Ward by Sarah PekkanenPsychological thriller, psychiatric institution, solving a murder, shady rich familyToo Old for This by Samantha DowningFunny thriller, elderly female serial killer, small town OregonForget Me Not by Stacy WillinghamMystery, new series, journalist solving case, old diary, vineyard, SouthernHouse of the Beast by Michelle WongDark fantasy, fairy tales, pact with a magical entity, revenge on rich familyThe Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis SacharAdult cozy fantasy, princess escaping arranged marriage with quirky found familyThe Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth BrownFantasy, secret society protecting world from powerful magical objects, LondonHemlock and Silver by T. KingfisherFantasy, Snow White retelling, herbal healing, potions, magic mirrorsKatabasis by R.F. KuangFantasy, two PhD students go to hell to rescue their crappy advisorThese Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming MaSci fi, memory, thriller, memory-monitoring tech, memory capitalismBlack Flame by Gretchen Felker-MartinHorror, queer, sexual repression, film archives, exploitation films, lost filmLucky Day by Chuck TingleHorror, cosmic horror, Vegas casino, statistics, mysterious federal agentWhat Hunger by Catherine DangHorror, coming of age, teen angst, generational trauma, female rageThe End of the World as We Know It edited by Christopher Golden and Brian KeeneHorror anthology inspired by The StandThe Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel CañasHorror, historical, 1700s northern Mexico, demon, gothicWell, Actually by Mazey EddingsRomance, second chances with publicly documented datesLove Arranged by Lauren AsherRomance, Lakefront Billionaires series, fake relationshipMistress of Bones by Maria Z. MedinaYA debut fantasy, multiple POV, necromancer who wants to bring her sister back from the dead, romance, floating continents, rapier fightsBaldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas BoggsBiography of James Baldwin, queer history Vulture by Phoebe Greenwood Literary fiction, Gaza war correspondent protagonist, dark comedy A New New Me by Helen Oyeyemi Surreal literary sci fi, protagonist with multiple personalities Extinction Capital of the World by Mariah Rigg Short stories, cli fi, Hawaii, love and regret The Re-Write by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn Romance, rom-com, lovers to enemies to lovers, her ex goes on a reality dating show while she's hired to ghost write his memoir Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders Cozy fantasy in autumn in New England!!!, witch trying to reconnect with her mother, spellsThe Midnight Shift by Seon-Ran Cheon, translated by Gene PngQueer vampire murder mystery in KoreaToni and Addie Go Viral by Melissa MarrSapphic romance, fake relationship, Victorian historian and actress

In the midst of a heatwave, James brings the temperature down with the chilling tale of a ghost named Bloody Bones. The loreboys visit the most notorious haunted house in London. It's the Victorian equivalent of the Cat Bin Lady (but with ghosts in a house rather than a cat in a... well, you know). Prepare yourself for tales of hubris and horror, plus a typewritten message from the beyond! Join... Us... at The Oxford Comedy Festival on the 10th July 2025 (2025). This episode was edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the LoreFolk at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/loremenpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com/loremen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check the sweet, sweet merch here... ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @loremenpod ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/loremenpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/loremenpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/loremenpod⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a divorce uproots their family, three brothers move with their overworked dad into a ramshackle Victorian in tiny Doylestown, Ohio—only to discover the same shadow-man that haunted their previous house waiting in the floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Disembodied whispers, phantom screams that save them from a house fire, and furniture that hurls itself at terrified guests turn everyday life into a gauntlet of dread. Violence spikes, moods darken, and even a trip to Mom's apartment reveals more apparitions. Decades later, one brother returns and feels an unmistakable command: leave. If you have a real ghost story or supernatural event to report, please write into our show or call 1-855-853-4802! If you like the show, please help keep us on the air and support the show by becoming a Premium Subscriber. Subscribe here: http://www.ghostpodcast.com/?page_id=118 or at or at http://www.patreon.com/realghoststories

The Great Exhibition of 1851 was something to behold for the 6 million Victorian patrons who travelled to London's Hyde Park to see it. It was a triumphant showcase of the most extraordinary achievements of the Victorian age from industry, culture and engineering - gathered from all four corners of the globe. As visitors walked the 8 miles of exhibitions, they would have seen everything from the sublime to the absurd: the world's largest diamond, a contraption to predict the weather using leeches, the world's first public flushing toilets and a two-person piano.The enormous glass and iron building that housed the exhibition was big enough to house four St Pauls Cathedrals and its construction involved some of the most famous engineers of the Victorian age - Brunel, Faraday, Stephenson and Paxton.To tell Dan the story of the Crystal Palace is historian and conservationist Steven Brindle.Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Tim Arstall.You can now find Dan Snow's History Hit on YouTube! Watch episodes every Friday here.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.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Victorian house? Check. Underground tunnels? Check. Ghosts with zero respect for bedtime? Definitely. One family shares what it's like living in an 1856 home where spirits kick beds, hide scissors in the tub, and accept invisible sippy cups like it's no big deal. From Lego-loving ghosts to toddlers chatting with "Nanny" who isn't there, this place proves some family members never truly leave—they just become “our friends” who haunt the halls… loudly. If you have a real ghost story or supernatural event to report, please write into our show or call 1-855-853-4802! If you like the show, please help keep us on the air and support the show by becoming a Premium Subscriber.  Subscribe here: http://www.ghostpodcast.com/?page_id=118 or at or at http://www.patreon.com/realghoststories Watch more at: http://www.realghoststoriesonline.com/ Follow Tony: Instagram: HTTP://www.instagram.com/tonybrueski TikToc: https://www.tiktok.com/@tonybrueski Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tony.brueski 

A lifelong empath phones in to reveal the secret that cost them friends: when they were six, an elderly woman who'd died in their bathroom began watching over their bed—just the first act in a haunting that still shadows them at 22. Family bloodlines of “second sight” soon drew darker forces: a towering entity they called “the Fireman,” bruises that appeared overnight, and glowing white orbs that battled for the child's soul. Victorian strangers materialized in doorways, cameras caught nothing, and a house blessing only muted the storm.  This is a daily EXTRA from The Grave Talks. Grave Confessions is an extra daily dose of true paranormal ghost stories told by the people who survived them! If you have a Grave Confession, Call it in 24/7 at 1-888-GHOST-13 (1-888-446-7813) Subscribe to get all of our true ghost stories EVERY DAY! Visit http://www.thegravetalks.com Please support us on Patreon and get access to our AD-FREE ARCHIVE, ADVANCE EPISODES & MORE at http://www.patreon.com/thegravetalks

For those who haven't heard the announcement I posted, songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the second part of a two-episode look at the song “Who Knows Where The Time Goes?” by Fairport Convention, and the intertwining careers of Joe Boyd, Sandy Denny, and Richard Thompson. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a forty-one-minute bonus episode available, on Judy Collins’ version of this song. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by editing, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Erratum For about an hour this was uploaded with the wrong Elton John clip in place of “Saturday Sun”. This has now been fixed. Resources Because of the increasing problems with Mixcloud’s restrictions, I have decided to start sharing streaming playlists of the songs used in episodes instead of Mixcloud ones. This Tunemymusic link will let you listen to the playlist I created on your streaming platform of choice — however please note that not all the songs excerpted are currently available on streaming. The songs missing from the Tidal version are “Shanten Bells” by the Ian Campbell Folk Group, “Tom’s Gone to Hilo” by A.L. Lloyd, two by Paul McNeill and Linda Peters, three by Elton John & Linda Peters, “What Will I Do With Tomorrow” by Sandy Denny and “You Never Know” by Charlie Drake, but the other fifty-nine are there. Other songs may be missing from other services. The main books I used on Fairport Convention as a whole were Patrick Humphries' Meet On The Ledge, Clinton Heylin's What We Did Instead of Holidays, and Kevan Furbank's Fairport Convention on Track. Rob Young's Electric Eden is the most important book on the British folk-rock movement. Information on Richard Thompson comes from Patrick Humphries' Richard Thompson: Strange Affair and Thompson's own autobiography Beeswing.  Information on Sandy Denny comes from Clinton Heylin's No More Sad Refrains and Mick Houghton's I've Always Kept a Unicorn. I also used Joe Boyd's autobiography White Bicycles and Chris Blackwell's The Islander.  And this three-CD set is the best introduction to Fairport's music currently in print. Transcript Before we begin, this episode contains reference to alcohol and cocaine abuse and medical neglect leading to death. It also starts with some discussion of the fatal car accident that ended last episode. There’s also some mention of child neglect and spousal violence. If that’s likely to upset you, you might want to skip this episode or read the transcript. One of the inspirations for this podcast when I started it back in 2018 was a project by Richard Thompson, which appears (like many things in Thompson’s life) to have started out of sheer bloody-mindedness. In 1999 Playboy magazine asked various people to list their “songs of the Millennium”, and most of them, understanding the brief, chose a handful of songs from the latter half of the twentieth century. But Thompson determined that he was going to list his favourite songs *of the millennium*. He didn’t quite manage that, but he did cover seven hundred and forty years, and when Playboy chose not to publish it, he decided to turn it into a touring show, in which he covered all his favourite songs from “Sumer Is Icumen In” from 1260: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “Sumer is Icumen In”] Through numerous traditional folk songs, union songs like “Blackleg Miner”, pieces by early-modern composers, Victorian and Edwardian music hall songs, and songs by the Beatles, the Ink Spots, the Kinks, and the Who, all the way to “Oops! I Did It Again”: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “Oops! I Did it Again”] And to finish the show, and to show how all this music actually ties together, he would play what he described as a “medieval tune from Brittany”, “Marry, Ageyn Hic Hev Donne Yt”: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “Marry, Ageyn Hic Hev Donne Yt”] We have said many times in this podcast that there is no first anything, but there’s a reason that Liege and Lief, Fairport Convention’s third album of 1969, and the album other than Unhalfbricking on which their reputation largely rests, was advertised with the slogan “The first (literally) British folk rock album ever”. Folk-rock, as the term had come to be known, and as it is still usually used today, had very little to do with traditional folk music. Rather, the records of bands like The Byrds or Simon and Garfunkel were essentially taking the sounds of British beat groups of the early sixties, particularly the Searchers, and applying those sounds to material by contemporary singer-songwriters. People like Paul Simon and Bob Dylan had come up through folk clubs, and their songs were called folk music because of that, but they weren’t what folk music had meant up to that point — songs that had been collected after being handed down through the folk process, changed by each individual singer, with no single identifiable author. They were authored songs by very idiosyncratic writers. But over their last few albums, Fairport Convention had done one or two tracks per album that weren’t like that, that were instead recordings of traditional folk songs, but arranged with rock instrumentation. They were not necessarily the first band to try traditional folk music with electric instruments — around the same time that Fairport started experimenting with the idea, so did an Irish band named Sweeney’s Men, who brought in a young electric guitarist named Henry McCullough briefly. But they do seem to have been the first to have fully embraced the idea. They had done so to an extent with “A Sailor’s Life” on Unhalfbricking, but now they were going to go much further: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Matty Groves” (from about 4:30)] There had been some doubt as to whether Fairport Convention would even continue to exist — by the time Unhalfbricking, their second album of the year, was released, they had been through the terrible car accident that had killed Martin Lamble, the band’s drummer, and Jeannie Franklyn, Richard Thompson’s girlfriend. Most of the rest of the band had been seriously injured, and they had made a conscious decision not to discuss the future of the band until they were all out of hospital. Ashley Hutchings was hospitalised the longest, and Simon Nicol, Richard Thompson, and Sandy Denny, the other three surviving members of the band, flew over to LA with their producer and manager, Joe Boyd, to recuperate there and get to know the American music scene. When they came back, the group all met up in the flat belonging to Denny’s boyfriend Trevor Lucas, and decided that they were going to continue the band. They made a few decisions then — they needed a new drummer, and as well as a drummer they wanted to get in Dave Swarbrick. Swarbrick had played violin on several tracks on Unhalfbricking as a session player, and they had all been thrilled to work with him. Swarbrick was one of the most experienced musicians on the British folk circuit. He had started out in the fifties playing guitar with Beryl Marriott’s Ceilidh Band before switching to fiddle, and in 1963, long before Fairport had formed, he had already appeared on TV with the Ian Campbell Folk Group, led by Ian Campbell, the father of Ali and Robin Campbell, later of UB40: [Excerpt: The Ian Campbell Folk Group, “Shanten Bells (medley on Hullaballoo!)”] He’d sung with Ewan MacColl and A.L. Lloyd: [Excerpt: A.L. Lloyd, “Tom’s Gone to Hilo” ] And he’d formed his hugely successful duo with Martin Carthy, releasing records like “Byker Hill” which are often considered among the best British folk music of all time: [Excerpt: Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick, “Byker Hill”] By the time Fairport had invited him to play on Unhalfbricking, Swarbrick had already performed on twenty albums as a core band member, plus dozens more EPs, singles, and odd tracks on compilations. They had no reason to think they could actually get him to join their band. But they had three advantages. The first was that Swarbrick was sick of the traditional folk scene at the time, saying later “I didn’t like seven-eighths of the people involved in it, and it was extremely opportune to leave. I was suddenly presented with the possibilities of exploring the dramatic content of the songs to the full.” The second was that he was hugely excited to be playing with Richard Thompson, who was one of the most innovative guitarists of his generation, and Martin Carthy remembers him raving about Thompson after their initial sessions. (Carthy himself was and is no slouch on the guitar of course, and there was even talk of getting him to join the band at this point, though they decided against it — much to the relief of rhythm guitarist Simon Nicol, who is a perfectly fine player himself but didn’t want to be outclassed by *two* of the best guitarists in Britain at the same time). And the third was that Joe Boyd told him that Fairport were doing so well — they had a single just about to hit the charts with “Si Tu Dois Partir” — that he would only have to play a dozen gigs with Fairport in order to retire. As it turned out, Swarbrick would play with the group for a decade, and would never retire — I saw him on his last tour in 2015, only eight months before he died. The drummer the group picked was also a far more experienced musician than any of the rest, though in a very different genre. Dave Mattacks had no knowledge at all of the kind of music they played, having previously been a player in dance bands. When asked by Hutchings if he wanted to join the band, Mattacks’ response was “I don’t know anything about the music. I don’t understand it… I can’t tell one tune from another, they all sound the same… but if you want me to join the group, fine, because I really like it. I’m enjoying myself musically.” Mattacks brought a new level of professionalism to the band, thanks to his different background. Nicol said of him later “He was dilligent, clean, used to taking three white shirts to a gig… The application he could bring to his playing was amazing. With us, you only played well when you were feeling well.” This distinction applied to his playing as well. Nicol would later describe the difference between Mattacks’ drumming and Lamble’s by saying “Martin’s strength was as an imaginative drummer. DM came in with a strongly developed sense of rhythm, through keeping a big band of drunken saxophone players in order. A great time-keeper.” With this new line-up and a new sense of purpose, the group did as many of their contemporaries were doing and “got their heads together in the country”. Joe Boyd rented the group a mansion, Farley House, in Farley Chamberlayne, Hampshire, and they stayed there together for three months. At the start, the group seem to have thought that they were going to make another record like Unhalfbricking, with some originals, some songs by American songwriters, and a few traditional songs. Even after their stay in Farley Chamberlayne, in fact, they recorded a few of the American songs they’d rehearsed at the start of the process, Richard Farina’s “Quiet Joys of Brotherhood” and Bob Dylan and Roger McGuinn’s “Ballad of Easy Rider”: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Ballad of Easy Rider”] Indeed, the whole idea of “getting our heads together in the country” (as the cliche quickly became in the late sixties as half of the bands in Britain went through much the same kind of process as Fairport were doing — but usually for reasons more to do with drug burnout or trend following than recovering from serious life-changing trauma) seems to have been inspired by Bob Dylan and the Band getting together in Big Pink. But very quickly they decided to follow the lead of Ashley Hutchings, who had had something of a Damascene conversion to the cause of traditional English folk music. They were listening mostly to Music From Big Pink by the Band, and to the first album by Sweeney’s Men: [Excerpt: Sweeney’s Men, “The Handsome Cabin Boy”] And they decided that they were going to make something that was as English as those records were North American and Irish (though in the event there were also a few Scottish songs included on the record). Hutchings in particular was becoming something of a scholar of traditional music, regularly visiting Cecil Sharp House and having long conversations with A.L. Lloyd, discovering versions of different traditional songs he’d never encountered before. This was both amusing and bemusing Sandy Denny, who had joined a rock group in part to get away from traditional music; but she was comfortable singing the material, and knew a lot of it and could make a lot of suggestions herself. Swarbrick obviously knew the repertoire intimately, and Nicol was amenable, while Mattacks was utterly clueless about the folk tradition at this point but knew this was the music he wanted to make. Thompson knew very little about traditional music, and of all the band members except Denny he was the one who has shown the least interest in the genre in his subsequent career — but as we heard at the beginning, showing the least interest in the genre is a relative thing, and while Thompson was not hugely familiar with the genre, he *was* able to work with it, and was also more than capable of writing songs that fit in with the genre. Of the eleven songs on the album, which was titled Liege and Lief (which means, roughly, Lord and Loyalty), there were no cover versions of singer-songwriters. Eight were traditional songs, and three were originals, all written in the style of traditional songs. The album opened with “Come All Ye”, an introduction written by Denny and Hutchings (the only time the two would ever write together): [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Come All Ye”] The other two originals were songs where Thompson had written new lyrics to traditional melodies. On “Crazy Man Michael”, Swarbrick had said to Thompson that the tune to which he had set his new words was weaker than the lyrics, to which Thompson had replied that if Swarbrick felt that way he should feel free to write a new melody. He did, and it became the first of the small number of Thompson/Swarbrick collaborations: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Crazy Man Michael”] Thompson and Swarbrick would become a brief songwriting team, but as much as anything else it was down to proximity — the two respected each other as musicians, but never got on very well. In 1981 Swarbrick would say “Richard and I never got on in the early days of FC… we thought we did, but we never did. We composed some bloody good songs together, but it was purely on a basis of “you write that and I’ll write this, and we’ll put it together.” But we never sat down and had real good chats.” The third original on the album, and by far the most affecting, is another song where Thompson put lyrics to a traditional tune. In this case he thought he was putting the lyrics to the tune of “Willie O'Winsbury”, but he was basing it on a recording by Sweeney’s Men. The problem was that Sweeney’s Men had accidentally sung the lyrics of “Willie O'Winsbury'” to the tune of a totally different song, “Fause Foodrage”: [Excerpt: Sweeney’s Men, “Willie O’Winsbury”] Thompson took that melody, and set to it lyrics about loss and separation. Thompson has never been one to discuss the meanings of his lyrics in any great detail, and in the case of this one has said “I really don't know what it means. This song came out of a dream, and I pretty much wrote it as I dreamt it (it was the sixties), and didn't spend very long analyzing it. So interpret as you wish – or replace with your own lines.” But in the context of the traffic accident that had killed his tailor girlfriend and a bandmate, and injured most of his other bandmates, the lyrics about lonely travellers, the winding road, bruised and beaten sons, saying goodbye, and never cutting cloth, seem fairly self-explanatory: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Farewell, Farewell”] The rest of the album, though, was taken up by traditional tunes. There was a long medley of four different fiddle reels; a version of “Reynardine” (a song about a seductive man — or is he a fox? Or perhaps both — which had been recorded by Swarbrick and Carthy on their most recent album); a 19th century song about a deserter saved from the firing squad by Prince Albert; and a long take on “Tam Lin”, one of the most famous pieces in the Scottish folk music canon, a song that has been adapted in different ways by everyone from the experimental noise band Current 93 to the dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah to the comics writer Grant Morrison: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Tam Lin”] And “Matty Groves”, a song about a man killing his cheating wife and her lover, which actually has a surprisingly similar story to that of “1921” from another great concept album from that year, the Who’s Tommy. “Matty Groves” became an excuse for long solos and shows of instrumental virtuosity: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Matty Groves”] The album was recorded in September 1969, after their return from their break in the country and a triumphal performance at the Royal Festival Hall, headlining over fellow Witchseason artists John and Beverly Martyn and Nick Drake. It became a classic of the traditional folk genre — arguably *the* classic of the traditional folk genre. In 2007 BBC Radio 2’s Folk Music Awards gave it an award for most influential folk album of all time, and while such things are hard to measure, I doubt there’s anyone with even the most cursory knowledge of British folk and folk-rock music who would not at least consider that a reasonable claim. But once again, by the time the album came out in November, the band had changed lineups yet again. There was a fundamental split in the band – on one side were Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson, whose stance was, roughly, that Liege and Lief was a great experiment and a fun thing to do once, but really the band had two first-rate songwriters in themselves, and that they should be concentrating on their own new material, not doing these old songs, good as they were. They wanted to take the form of the traditional songs and use that form for new material — they wanted to make British folk-rock, but with the emphasis on the rock side of things. Hutchings, on the other hand, was equally sure that he wanted to make traditional music and go further down the rabbit hole of antiquity. With the zeal of the convert he had gone in a couple of years from being the leader of a band who were labelled “the British Jefferson Airplane” to becoming a serious scholar of traditional folk music. Denny was tired of touring, as well — she wanted to spend more time at home with Trevor Lucas, who was sleeping with other women when she was away and making her insecure. When the time came for the group to go on a tour of Denmark, Denny decided she couldn’t make it, and Hutchings was jubilant — he decided he was going to get A.L. Lloyd into the band in her place and become a *real* folk group. Then Denny reconsidered, and Hutchings was crushed. He realised that while he had always been the leader, he wasn’t going to be able to lead the band any further in the traditionalist direction, and quit the group — but not before he was delegated by the other band members to fire Denny. Until the publication of Richard Thompson’s autobiography in 2022, every book on the group or its members said that Denny quit the band again, which was presumably a polite fiction that the band agreed, but according to Thompson “Before we flew home, we decided to fire Sandy. I don't remember who asked her to leave – it was probably Ashley, who usually did the dirty work. She was reportedly shocked that we would take that step. She may have been fragile beneath the confident facade, but she still knew her worth.” Thompson goes on to explain that the reasons for kicking her out were that “I suppose we felt that in her mind she had already left” and that “We were probably suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, though there wasn't a name for it back then.” They had considered inviting Trevor Lucas to join the band to make Denny more comfortable, but came to the (probably correct) conclusion that while he was someone they got on well with personally, he would be another big ego in a band that already had several, and that being around Denny and Lucas’ volatile relationship would, in Thompson’s phrasing, “have not always given one a feeling of peace and stability.” Hutchings originally decided he was going to join Sweeney’s Men, but that group were falling apart, and their first rehearsal with Hutchings would also be their last as a group, with only Hutchings and guitarist and mandolin player Terry Woods left in the band. They added Woods’ wife Gay, and another couple, Tim Hart and Maddy Prior, and formed a group called Steeleye Span, a name given them by Martin Carthy. That group, like Fairport, went to “get their heads together in the country” for three months and recorded an album of electric versions of traditional songs, Hark the Village Wait, on which Mattacks and another drummer, Gerry Conway, guested as Steeleye Span didn’t at the time have their own drummer: [Excerpt: Steeleye Span, “Blackleg Miner”] Steeleye Span would go on to have a moderately successful chart career in the seventies, but by that time most of the original lineup, including Hutchings, had left — Hutchings stayed with them for a few albums, then went on to form the first of a series of bands, all called the Albion Band or variations on that name, which continue to this day. And this is something that needs to be pointed out at this point — it is impossible to follow every single individual in this narrative as they move between bands. There is enough material in the history of the British folk-rock scene that someone could do a 500 Songs-style podcast just on that, and every time someone left Fairport, or Steeleye Span, or the Albion Band, or Matthews’ Southern Comfort, or any of the other bands we have mentioned or will mention, they would go off and form another band which would then fission, and some of its members would often join one of those other bands. There was a point in the mid-1970s where the Albion Band had two original members of Fairport Convention while Fairport Convention had none. So just in order to keep the narrative anything like wieldy, I’m going to keep the narrative concentrated on the two figures from Fairport — Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson — whose work outside the group has had the most influence on the wider world of rock music more broadly, and only deal with the other members when, as they often did, their careers intersected with those two. That doesn’t mean the other members are not themselves hugely important musicians, just that their importance has been primarily to the folk side of the folk-rock genre, and so somewhat outside the scope of this podcast. While Hutchings decided to form a band that would allow him to go deeper and deeper into traditional folk music, Sandy Denny’s next venture was rather different. For a long time she had been writing far more songs than she had ever played for her bandmates, like “Nothing More”, a song that many have suggested is about Thompson: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “Nothing More”] When Joe Boyd heard that Denny was leaving Fairport Convention, he was at first elated. Fairport’s records were being distributed by A&M in the US at that point, but Island Records was in the process of opening up a new US subsidiary which would then release all future Fairport product — *but*, as far as A&M were concerned, Sandy Denny *was* Fairport Convention. They were only interested in her. Boyd, on the other hand, loved Denny’s work intensely, but from his point of view *Richard Thompson* was Fairport Convention. If he could get Denny signed directly to A&M as a solo artist before Island started its US operations, Witchseason could get a huge advance on her first solo record, while Fairport could continue making records for Island — he’d have two lucrative acts, on different labels. Boyd went over and spoke to A&M and got an agreement in principle that they would give Denny a forty-thousand-dollar advance on her first solo album — twice what they were paying for Fairport albums. The problem was that Denny didn’t want to be a solo act. She wanted to be the lead singer of a band. She gave many reasons for this — the one she gave to many journalists was that she had seen a Judy Collins show and been impressed, but noticed that Collins’ band were definitely a “backing group”, and as she put it “But that's all they were – a backing group. I suddenly thought, If you're playing together on a stage you might as well be TOGETHER.” Most other people in her life, though, say that the main reason for her wanting to be in a band was her desire to be with her boyfriend, Trevor Lucas. Partly this was due to a genuine desire to spend more time with someone with whom she was very much in love, partly it was a fear that he would cheat on her if she was away from him for long periods of time, and part of it seems to have been Lucas’ dislike of being *too* overshadowed by his talented girlfriend — he didn’t mind acknowledging that she was a major talent, but he wanted to be thought of as at least a minor one. So instead of going solo, Denny formed Fotheringay, named after the song she had written for Fairport. This new band consisted at first of Denny on vocals and occasional piano, Lucas on vocals and rhythm guitar, and Lucas’ old Eclection bandmate Gerry Conway on drums. For a lead guitarist, they asked Richard Thompson who the best guitarist in Britain was, and he told them Albert Lee. Lee in turn brought in bass player Pat Donaldson, but this lineup of the band barely survived a fortnight. Lee *was* arguably the best guitarist in Britain, certainly a reasonable candidate if you could ever have a singular best (as indeed was Thompson himself), but he was the best *country* guitarist in Britain, and his style simply didn’t fit with Fotheringay’s folk-influenced songs. He was replaced by American guitarist Jerry Donahue, who was not anything like as proficient as Lee, but who was still very good, and fit the band’s style much better. The new group rehearsed together for a few weeks, did a quick tour, and then went into the recording studio to record their debut, self-titled, album. Joe Boyd produced the album, but admitted himself that he only paid attention to those songs he considered worthwhile — the album contained one song by Lucas, “The Ballad of Ned Kelly”, and two cover versions of American singer-songwriter material with Lucas singing lead. But everyone knew that the songs that actually *mattered* were Sandy Denny’s, and Boyd was far more interested in them, particularly the songs “The Sea” and “The Pond and the Stream”: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “The Pond and the Stream”] Fotheringay almost immediately hit financial problems, though. While other Witchseason acts were used to touring on the cheap, all packed together in the back of a Transit van with inexpensive equipment, Trevor Lucas had ambitions of being a rock star and wanted to put together a touring production to match, with expensive transport and equipment, including a speaker system that got nicknamed “Stonehenge” — but at the same time, Denny was unhappy being on the road, and didn’t play many gigs. As well as the band itself, the Fotheringay album also featured backing vocals from a couple of other people, including Denny’s friend Linda Peters. Peters was another singer from the folk clubs, and a good one, though less well-known than Denny — at this point she had only released a couple of singles, and those singles seemed to have been as much as anything else released as a novelty. The first of those, a version of Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” had been released as by “Paul McNeill and Linda Peters”: [Excerpt: Paul McNeill and Linda Peters, “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”] But their second single, a version of John D. Loudermilk’s “You’re Taking My Bag”, was released on the tiny Page One label, owned by Larry Page, and was released under the name “Paul and Linda”, clearly with the intent of confusing particularly gullible members of the record-buying public into thinking this was the McCartneys: [Excerpt: Paul and Linda, “You’re Taking My Bag”] Peters was though more financially successful than almost anyone else in this story, as she was making a great deal of money as a session singer. She actually did another session involving most of Fotheringay around this time. Witchseason had a number of excellent songwriters on its roster, and had had some success getting covers by people like Judy Collins, but Joe Boyd thought that they might possibly do better at getting cover versions if they were performed in less idiosyncratic arrangements. Donahue, Donaldson, and Conway went into the studio to record backing tracks, and vocals were added by Peters and another session singer, who according to some sources also provided piano. They cut songs by Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band: [Excerpt: Linda Peters, “You Get Brighter”] Ed Carter, formerly of The New Nadir but by this time firmly ensconced in the Beach Boys’ touring band where he would remain for the next quarter-century: [Excerpt: Linda Peters, “I Don’t Mind”] John and Beverly Martyn, and Nick Drake: [Excerpt: Elton John, “Saturday Sun”] There are different lineups of musicians credited for those sessions in different sources, but I tend to believe that it’s mostly Fotheringay for the simple reason that Donahue says it was him, Donaldson and Conway who talked Lucas and Denny into the mistake that destroyed Fotheringay because of these sessions. Fotheringay were in financial trouble already, spending far more money than they were bringing in, but their album made the top twenty and they were getting respect both from critics and from the public — in September, Sandy Denny was voted best British female singer by the readers of Melody Maker in their annual poll, which led to shocked headlines in the tabloids about how this “unknown” could have beaten such big names as Dusty Springfield and Cilla Black. Only a couple of weeks after that, they were due to headline at the Albert Hall. It should have been a triumph. But Donahue, Donaldson, and Conway had asked that singing pianist to be their support act. As Donahue said later “That was a terrible miscast. It was our fault. He asked if [he] could do it. Actually Pat, Gerry and I had to talk Sandy and Trevor into [it]… We'd done these demos and the way he was playing – he was a wonderful piano player – he was sensitive enough. We knew very little about his stage-show. We thought he'd be a really good opener for us.” Unfortunately, Elton John was rather *too* good. As Donahue continued “we had no idea what he had in mind, that he was going to do the most incredible rock & roll show ever. He pretty much blew us off the stage before we even got on the stage.” To make matters worse, Fotheringay’s set, which was mostly comprised of new material, was underrehearsed and sloppy, and from that point on no matter what they did people were counting the hours until the band split up. They struggled along for a while though, and started working on a second record, with Boyd again producing, though as Boyd later said “I probably shouldn't have been producing the record. My lack of respect for the group was clear, and couldn't have helped the atmosphere. We'd put out a record that had sold disappointingly, A&M was unhappy. Sandy's tracks on the first record are among the best things she ever did – the rest of it, who cares? And the artwork, Trevor's sister, was terrible. It would have been one thing if I'd been unhappy with it and it sold, and the group was working all the time, making money, but that wasn't the case … I knew what Sandy was capable of, and it was very upsetting to me.” The record would not be released for thirty-eight years: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “Wild Mountain Thyme”] Witchseason was going badly into debt. Given all the fissioning of bands that we’ve already been talking about, Boyd had been stretched thin — he produced sixteen albums in 1970, and almost all of them lost money for the company. And he was getting more and more disillusioned with the people he was producing. He loved Beverly Martyn’s work, but had little time for her abusive husband John, who was dominating her recording and life more and more and would soon become a solo artist while making her stay at home (and stealing her ideas without giving her songwriting credit). The Incredible String Band were great, but they had recently converted to Scientology, which Boyd found annoying, and while he was working with all sorts of exciting artists like Vashti Bunyan and Nico, he was finding himself less and less important to the artists he mentored. Fairport Convention were a good example of this. After Denny and Hutchings had left the group, they’d decided to carry on as an electric folk group, performing an equal mix of originals by the Swarbrick and Thompson songwriting team and arrangements of traditional songs. The group were now far enough away from the “British Jefferson Airplane” label that they decided they didn’t need a female vocalist — and more realistically, while they’d been able to replace Judy Dyble, nobody was going to replace Sandy Denny. Though it’s rather surprising when one considers Thompson’s subsequent career that nobody seems to have thought of bringing in Denny’s friend Linda Peters, who was dating Joe Boyd at the time (as Denny had been before she met Lucas) as Denny’s replacement. Instead, they decided that Swarbrick and Thompson were going to share the vocals between them. They did, though, need a bass player to replace Hutchings. Swarbrick wanted to bring in Dave Pegg, with whom he had played in the Ian Campbell Folk Group, but the other band members initially thought the idea was a bad one. At the time, while they respected Swarbrick as a musician, they didn’t think he fully understood rock and roll yet, and they thought the idea of getting in a folkie who had played double bass rather than an electric rock bassist ridiculous. But they auditioned him to mollify Swarbrick, and found that he was exactly what they needed. As Joe Boyd later said “All those bass lines were great, Ashley invented them all, but he never could play them that well. He thought of them, but he was technically not a terrific bass player. He was a very inventive, melodic, bass player, but not a very powerful one technically. But having had the part explained to him once, Pegg was playing it better than Ashley had ever played it… In some rock bands, I think, ultimately, the bands that sound great, you can generally trace it to the bass player… it was at that point they became a great band, when they had Pegg.” The new lineup of Fairport decided to move in together, and found a former pub called the Angel, into which all the band members moved, along with their partners and children (Thompson was the only one who was single at this point) and their roadies. The group lived together quite happily, and one gets the impression that this was the period when they were most comfortable with each other, even though by this point they were a disparate group with disparate tastes, in music as in everything else. Several people have said that the only music all the band members could agree they liked at this point was the first two albums by The Band. With the departure of Hutchings from the band, Swarbrick and Thompson, as the strongest personalities and soloists, became in effect the joint leaders of the group, and they became collaborators as songwriters, trying to write new songs that were inspired by traditional music. Thompson described the process as “let’s take one line of this reel and slow it down and move it up a minor third and see what that does to it; let’s take one line of this ballad and make a whole song out of it. Chopping up the tradition to find new things to do… like a collage.” Generally speaking, Swarbrick and Thompson would sit by the fire and Swarbrick would play a melody he’d been working on, the two would work on it for a while, and Thompson would then go away and write the lyrics. This is how the two came up with songs like the nine-minute “Sloth”, a highlight of the next album, Full House, and one that would remain in Fairport’s live set for much of their career: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Sloth”] “Sloth” was titled that way because Thompson and Swarbrick were working on two tunes, a slow one and a fast one, and they jokingly named them “Sloth” and “Fasth”, but the latter got renamed to “Walk Awhile”, while “Sloth” kept its working title. But by this point, Boyd and Thompson were having a lot of conflict in the studio. Boyd was never the most technical of producers — he was one of those producers whose job is to gently guide the artists in the studio and create a space for the music to flourish, rather than the Joe Meek type with an intimate technical knowledge of the studio — and as the artists he was working with gained confidence in their own work they felt they had less and less need of him. During the making of the Full House album, Thompson and Boyd, according to Boyd, clashed on everything — every time Boyd thought Thompson had done a good solo, Thompson would say to erase it and let him have another go, while every time Boyd thought Thompson could do better, Thompson would say that was the take to keep. One of their biggest clashes was over Thompson’s song “Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman”, which was originally intended for release on the album, and is included in current reissues of it: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman”] Thompson had written that song inspired by what he thought was the unjust treatment of Alex Bramham, the driver in Fairport’s fatal car crash, by the courts — Bramham had been given a prison sentence of a few months for dangerous driving, while the group members thought he had not been at fault. Boyd thought it was one of the best things recorded for the album, but Thompson wasn’t happy with his vocal — there was one note at the top of the melody that he couldn’t quite hit — and insisted it be kept off the record, even though that meant it would be a shorter album than normal. He did this at such a late stage that early copies of the album actually had the title printed on the sleeve, but then blacked out. He now says in his autobiography “I could have persevered, double-tracked the voice, warmed up for longer – anything. It was a good track, and the record was lacking without it. When the album was re-released, the track was restored with a more confident vocal, and it has stayed there ever since.” During the sessions for Full House the group also recorded one non-album single, Thompson and Swarbrick’s “Now Be Thankful”: [Excerpt, Fairport Convention, “Now Be Thankful”] The B-side to that was a medley of two traditional tunes plus a Swarbrick original, but was given the deliberately ridiculous title “Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughter’s Lament For The 77th Mounted Lancers Retreat From The Straits Of Loch Knombe, In The Year Of Our Lord 1727, On The Occasion Of The Announcement Of Her Marriage To The Laird Of Kinleakie”: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughter’s Lament For The 77th Mounted Lancers Retreat From The Straits Of Loch Knombe, In The Year Of Our Lord 1727, On The Occasion Of The Announcement Of Her Marriage To The Laird Of Kinleakie”] The B. McKenzie in the title was a reference to the comic-strip character Barry McKenzie, a stereotype drunk Australian created for Private Eye magazine by the comedian Barry Humphries (later to become better known for his Dame Edna Everage character) but the title was chosen for one reason only — to get into the Guinness Book of Records for the song with the longest title. Which they did, though they were later displaced by the industrial band Test Dept, and their song “Long Live British Democracy Which Flourishes and Is Constantly Perfected Under the Immaculate Guidance of the Great, Honourable, Generous and Correct Margaret Hilda Thatcher. She Is the Blue Sky in the Hearts of All Nations. Our People Pay Homage and Bow in Deep Respect and Gratitude to Her. The Milk of Human Kindness”. Full House got excellent reviews in the music press, with Rolling Stone saying “The music shows that England has finally gotten her own equivalent to The Band… By calling Fairport an English equivalent of the Band, I meant that they have soaked up enough of the tradition of their countryfolk that it begins to show all over, while they maintain their roots in rock.” Off the back of this, the group went on their first US tour, culminating in a series of shows at the Troubadour in LA, on the same bill as Rick Nelson, which were recorded and later released as a live album: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Sloth (live)”] The Troubadour was one of the hippest venues at the time, and over their residency there the group got seen by many celebrities, some of whom joined them on stage. The first was Linda Ronstadt, who initially demurred, saying she didn’t know any of their songs. On being told they knew all of hers, she joined in with a rendition of “Silver Threads and Golden Needles”. Thompson was later asked to join Ronstadt’s backing band, who would go on to become the Eagles, but he said later of this offer “I would have hated it. I’d have hated being on the road with four or five miserable Americans — they always seem miserable. And if you see them now, they still look miserable on stage — like they don’t want to be there and they don’t like each other.” The group were also joined on stage at the Troubadour on one memorable night by some former bandmates of Pegg’s. Before joining the Ian Campbell Folk Group, Pegg had played around the Birmingham beat scene, and had been in bands with John Bonham and Robert Plant, who turned up to the Troubadour with their Led Zeppelin bandmate Jimmy Page (reports differ on whether the fourth member of Zeppelin, John Paul Jones, also came along). They all got up on stage together and jammed on songs like “Hey Joe”, “Louie Louie”, and various old Elvis tunes. The show was recorded, and the tapes are apparently still in the possession of Joe Boyd, who has said he refuses to release them in case he is murdered by the ghost of Peter Grant. According to Thompson, that night ended in a three-way drinking contest between Pegg, Bonham, and Janis Joplin, and it’s testament to how strong the drinking culture is around Fairport and the British folk scene in general that Pegg outdrank both of them. According to Thompson, Bonham was found naked by a swimming pool two days later, having missed two gigs. For all their hard rock image, Led Zeppelin were admirers of a lot of the British folk and folk-rock scene, and a few months later Sandy Denny would become the only outside vocalist ever to appear on a Led Zeppelin record when she duetted with Plant on “The Battle of Evermore” on the group’s fourth album: [Excerpt: Led Zeppelin, “The Battle of Evermore”] Denny would never actually get paid for her appearance on one of the best-selling albums of all time. That was, incidentally, not the only session that Denny was involved in around this time — she also sang on the soundtrack to a soft porn film titled Swedish Fly Girls, whose soundtrack was produced by Manfred Mann: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “What Will I Do With Tomorrow?”] Shortly after Fairport’s trip to America, Joe Boyd decided he was giving up on Witchseason. The company was now losing money, and he was finding himself having to produce work for more and more acts as the various bands fissioned. The only ones he really cared about were Richard Thompson, who he was finding it more and more difficult to work with, Nick Drake, who wanted to do his next album with just an acoustic guitar anyway, Sandy Denny, who he felt was wasting her talents in Fotheringay, and Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band, who was more distant since his conversion to Scientology. Boyd did make some attempts to keep the company going. On a trip to Sweden, he negotiated an agreement with the manager and publisher of a Swedish band whose songs he’d found intriguing, the Hep Stars. Boyd was going to publish their songs in the UK, and in return that publisher, Stig Anderson, would get the rights to Witchseason’s catalogue in Scandinavia — a straight swap, with no money changing hands. But before Boyd could get round to signing the paperwork, he got a better offer from Mo Ostin of Warners — Ostin wanted Boyd to come over to LA and head up Warners’ new film music department. Boyd sold Witchseason to Island Records and moved to LA with his fiancee Linda Peters, spending the next few years working on music for films like Deliverance and A Clockwork Orange, as well as making his own documentary about Jimi Hendrix, and thus missed out on getting the UK publishing rights for ABBA, and all the income that would have brought him, for no money. And it was that decision that led to the breakup of Fotheringay. Just before Christmas 1970, Fotheringay were having a difficult session, recording the track “John the Gun”: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “John the Gun”] Boyd got frustrated and kicked everyone out of the session, and went for a meal and several drinks with Denny. He kept insisting that she should dump the band and just go solo, and then something happened that the two of them would always describe differently. She asked him if he would continue to produce her records if she went solo, and he said he would. According to Boyd’s recollection of the events, he meant that he would fly back from California at some point to produce her records. According to Denny, he told her that if she went solo he would stay in Britain and not take the job in LA. This miscommunication was only discovered after Denny told the rest of Fotheringay after the Christmas break that she was splitting the band. Jerry Donahue has described that as the worst moment of his life, and Denny felt very guilty about breaking up a band with some of her closest friends in — and then when Boyd went over to the US anyway she felt a profound betrayal. Two days before Fotheringay’s final concert, in January 1971, Sandy Denny signed a solo deal with Island records, but her first solo album would not end up produced by Joe Boyd. Instead, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens was co-produced by Denny, John Wood — the engineer who had worked with Boyd on pretty much everything he’d produced, and Richard Thompson, who had just quit Fairport Convention, though he continued living with them at the Angel, at least until a truck crashed into the building in February 1971, destroying its entire front wall and forcing them to relocate. The songs chosen for The North Star Grassman and the Ravens reflected the kind of choices Denny would make on her future albums, and her eclectic taste in music. There was, of course, the obligatory Dylan cover, and the traditional folk ballad “Blackwaterside”, but there was also a cover version of Brenda Lee’s “Let’s Jump the Broomstick”: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Let’s Jump the Broomstick”] Most of the album, though, was made up of originals about various people in Denny’s life, like “Next Time Around”, about her ex-boyfriend Jackson C Frank: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Next Time Around”] The album made the top forty in the UK — Denny’s only solo album to do so — and led to her once again winning the “best female singer” award in Melody Maker’s readers’ poll that year — the male singer award was won by Rod Stewart. Both Stewart and Denny appeared the next year on the London Symphony Orchestra’s all-star version of The Who’s Tommy, which had originally been intended as a vehicle for Stewart before Roger Daltrey got involved. Stewart’s role was reduced to a single song, “Pinball Wizard”, while Denny sang on “It’s a Boy”: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “It’s a Boy”] While Fotheringay had split up, all the band members play on The North Star Grassman and the Ravens. Guitarists Donahue and Lucas only play on a couple of the tracks, with Richard Thompson playing most of the guitar on the record. But Fotheringay’s rhythm section of Pat Donaldson and Gerry Conway play on almost every track. Another musician on the album, Ian Whiteman, would possibly have a profound effect on the future direction of Richard Thompson’s career and life. Whiteman was the former keyboard player for the mod band The Action, having joined them just before they became the blues-rock band Mighty Baby. But Mighty Baby had split up when all of the band except the lead singer had converted to Islam. Richard Thompson was on his own spiritual journey at this point, and became a Sufi – the same branch of Islam as Whiteman – soon after the session, though Thompson has said that his conversion was independent of Whiteman’s. The two did become very close and work together a lot in the mid-seventies though. Thompson had supposedly left Fairport because he was writing material that wasn’t suited to the band, but he spent more than a year after quitting the group working on sessions rather than doing anything with his own material, and these sessions tended to involve the same core group of musicians. One of the more unusual was a folk-rock supergroup called The Bunch, put together by Trevor Lucas. Richard Branson had recently bought a recording studio, and wanted a band to test it out before opening it up for commercial customers, so with this free studio time Lucas decided to record a set of fifties rock and roll covers. He gathered together Thompson, Denny, Whiteman, Ashley Hutchings, Dave Mattacks, Pat Donaldson, Gerry Conway, pianist Tony Cox, the horn section that would later form the core of the Average White Band, and Linda Peters, who had now split up with Joe Boyd and returned to the UK, and who had started dating Thompson. They recorded an album of covers of songs by Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers, Johnny Otis and others: [Excerpt: The Bunch, “Willie and the Hand Jive”] The early seventies was a hugely productive time for this group of musicians, as they all continued playing on each other’s projects. One notable album was No Roses by Shirley Collins, which featured Thompson, Mattacks, Whiteman, Simon Nicol, Lal and Mike Waterson, and Ashley Hutchings, who was at that point married to Collins, as well as some more unusual musicians like the free jazz saxophonist Lol Coxhill: [Excerpt: Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band, “Claudy Banks”] Collins was at the time the most respected female singer in British traditional music, and already had a substantial career including a series of important records made with her sister Dolly, work with guitarists like Davey Graham, and time spent in the 1950s collecting folk songs in the Southern US with her then partner Alan Lomax – according to Collins she did much of the actual work, but Lomax only mentioned her in a single sentence in his book on this work. Some of the same group of musicians went on to work on an album of traditional Morris dancing tunes, titled Morris On, credited to “Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, John Kirkpatrick and Barry Dransfield”, with Collins singing lead on two tracks: [Excerpt: Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, John Kirkpatrick and Barry Dransfield with Shirley Collins, “The Willow Tree”] Thompson thought that that album was the best of the various side projects he was involved in at the time, comparing it favourably to Rock On, which he thought was rather slight, saying later “Conceptually, Fairport, Ashley and myself and Sandy were developing a more fragile style of music that nobody else was particularly interested in, a British Folk Rock idea that had a logical development to it, although we all presented it our own way. Morris On was rather more true to what we were doing. Rock On was rather a retro step. I'm not sure it was lasting enough as a record but Sandy did sing really well on the Buddy Holly songs.” Hutchings used the musicians on No Roses and Morris On as the basis for his band the Albion Band, which continues to this day. Simon Nicol and Dave Mattacks both quit Fairport to join the Albion Band, though Mattacks soon returned. Nicol would not return to Fairport for several years, though, and for a long period in the mid-seventies Fairport Convention had no original members. Unfortunately, while Collins was involved in the Albion Band early on, she and Hutchings ended up divorcing, and the stress from the divorce led to Collins developing spasmodic dysphonia, a stress-related illness which makes it impossible for the sufferer to sing. She did eventually regain her vocal ability, but between 1978 and 2016 she was unable to perform at all, and lost decades of her career. Richard Thompson occasionally performed with the Albion Band early on, but he was getting stretched a little thin with all these sessions. Linda Peters said later of him “When I came back from America, he was working in Sandy’s band, and doing sessions by the score. Always with Pat Donaldson and Dave Mattacks. Richard would turn up with his guitar, one day he went along to do a session with one of those folkie lady singers — and there were Pat and DM. They all cracked. Richard smashed his amp and said “Right! No more sessions!” In 1972 he got round to releasing his first solo album, Henry the Human Fly, which featured guest appearances by Linda Peters and Sandy Denny among others: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “The Angels Took My Racehorse Away”] Unfortunately, while that album has later become regarded as one of the classics of its genre, at the time it was absolutely slated by the music press. The review in Melody Maker, for example, read in part “Some of Richard Thompson’s ideas sound great – which is really the saving grace of this album, because most of the music doesn’t. The tragedy is that Thompson’s “British rock music” is such an unconvincing concoction… Even the songs that do integrate rock and traditional styles of electric guitar rhythms and accordion and fiddle decoration – and also include explicit, meaningful lyrics are marred by bottle-up vocals, uninspiring guitar phrases and a general lack of conviction in performance.” Henry the Human Fly was released in the US by Warners, who had a reciprocal licensing deal with Island (and for whom Joe Boyd was working at the time, which may have had something to do with that) but according to Thompson it became the lowest-selling record that Warners ever put out (though I’ve also seen that claim made about Van Dyke Parks’ Song Cycle, another album that has later been rediscovered). Thompson was hugely depressed by this reaction, and blamed his own singing. Happily, though, by this point he and Linda had become a couple — they would marry in 1972 — and they started playing folk clubs as a duo, or sometimes in a trio with Simon Nicol. Thompson was also playing with Sandy Denny’s backing band at this point, and played on every track on her second solo album, Sandy. This album was meant to be her big commercial breakthrough, with a glamorous cover photo by David Bailey, and with a more American sound, including steel guitar by Sneaky Pete Kleinow of the Flying Burrito Brothers (whose overdubs were supervised in LA by Joe Boyd): [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Tomorrow is a Long Time”] The album was given a big marketing push by Island, and “Listen, Listen” was made single of the week on the Radio 1 Breakfast show: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Listen, Listen”] But it did even worse than the previous album, sending her into something of a depression. Linda Thompson (as the former Linda Peters now was) said of this period “After the Sandy album, it got her down that her popularity didn't suddenly increase in leaps and bounds, and that was the start of her really fretting about the way her career was going. Things only escalated after that. People like me or Martin Carthy or Norma Waterson would think, ‘What are you on about? This is folk music.'” After Sandy’s release, Denny realised she could no longer afford to tour with a band, and so went back to performing just acoustically or on piano. The only new music to be released by either of these ex-members of Fairport Convention in 1973 was, oddly, on an album by the band they were no longer members of. After Thompson had left Fairport, the group had managed to release two whole albums with the same lineup — Swarbrick, Nicol, Pegg, and Mattacks. But then Nicol and Mattacks had both quit the band to join the Albion Band with their former bandmate Ashley Hutchings, leading to a situation where the Albion Band had two original members of Fairport plus their longtime drummer while Fairport Convention itself had no original members and was down to just Swarbrick and Pegg. Needing to fulfil their contracts, they then recruited three former members of Fotheringay — Lucas on vocals and rhythm guitar, Donahue on lead guitar, and Conway on drums. Conway was only a session player at the time, and Mattacks soon returned to the band, but Lucas and Donahue became full-time members. This new lineup of Fairport Convention released two albums in 1973, widely regarded as the group’s most inconsistent records, and on the title track of the first, “Rosie”, Richard Thompson guested on guitar, with Sandy Denny and Linda Thompson on backing vocals: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Rosie”] Neither Sandy Denny nor Richard Thompson released a record themselves in 1973, but in neither case was this through the artists’ choice. The record industry was changing in the early 1970s, as we’ll see in later episodes, and was less inclined to throw good money after bad in the pursuit of art. Island Records prided itself on being a home for great artists, but it was still a business, and needed to make money. We’ll talk about the OPEC oil crisis and its effect on the music industry much more when the podcast gets to 1973, but in brief, the production of oil by the US peaked in 1970 and started to decrease, leading to them importing more and more oil from the Middle East. As a result of this, oil prices rose slowly between 1971 and 1973, then very quickly towards the end of 1973 as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflict that year. As vinyl is made of oil, suddenly producing records became much more expensive, and in this period a lot of labels decided not to release already-completed albums, until what they hoped would be a brief period of shortages passed. Both Denny and Thompson recorded albums at this point that got put to one side by Island. In the case of Thompson, it was the first album by Richard and Linda as a duo, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight: [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight”] Today, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, and as one of the two masterpieces that bookended Richard and Linda’s career as a duo and their marriage. But when they recorded the album, full of Richard’s dark songs, it was the opposite of commercial. Even a song that’s more or less a boy-girl song, like “Has He Got a Friend for Me?” has lyrics like “He wouldn’t notice me passing by/I could be in the gutter, or dangling down from a tree” [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “Has He got a Friend For Me?”] While something like “The Calvary Cross” is oblique and haunted, and seems to cast a pall over the entire album: [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “The Calvary Cross”] The album itself had been cheap to make — it had been recorded in only a week, with Thompson bringing in musicians he knew well and had worked with a lot previously to cut the tracks as-live in only a handful of takes — but Island didn’t think it was worth releasing. The record stayed on the shelf for nearly a year after recording, until Island got a new head of A&R, Richard Williams. Williams said of the album’s release “Muff Winwood had been doing A&R, but he was more interested in production… I had a conversation with Muff as soon as I got there, and he said there are a few hangovers, some outstanding problems. And one of them was Richard Thompson. He said there’s this album we gave him the money to make — which was I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight — and nobody’s very interested in it. Henry the Human Fly had been a bit of a commercial disappointment, and although Island was altruistic and independent and known for only recording good stuff, success was important… Either a record had to do well or somebody had to believe in it a lot. And it seemed as if neither of those things were true at that point of Richard.” Williams, though, was hugely impressed when he listened to the album. He compared Richard Thompson’s guitar playing to John Coltrane’s sax, and called Thompson “the folk poet of the rainy streets”, but also said “Linda brightened it, made it more commercial. and I thought that “Bright Lights” itself seemed a really commercial song.” The rest of the management at Island got caught up in Williams’ enthusiasm, and even decided to release the title track as a single: [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight”] Neither single nor album charted — indeed it would not be until 1991 that Richard Thompson would make a record that made the top forty in the UK — but the album got enough critical respect that Richard and Linda released two albums the year after. The first of these, Hokey Pokey, is a much more upbeat record than their previous one — Richard Thompson has called it “quite a music-hall influenced record” and cited the influence of George Formby and Harry Lauder. For once, the claim of music hall influence is audible in the music. Usually when a British musician is claimed to have a music ha