Podcasts about Watling Street

In this riveting episode of Echoes of War, Craig and Gaurav delve into the captivating and tumultuous events surrounding the Battle of Watling Street. They explore the infamous revolt led by Boudicca, a formidable queen avenging her people against Roman exploitation and brutality. As the Roman legions under Gaius Suetonius Paulinus confront the colossal Britannic forces in a decisive clash, listeners are taken on a journey through history, uncovering the strategic genius of Roman military tactics juxtaposed against the raw courage and resilience of Boudicca's tribal warriors. Listeners will also gain insights into the socio-political landscape of Roman Britain, the motives behind the rebellion, and the consequential aftermath of this legendary battle that nearly changed the course of history. Join us as we unravel the mysteries of the ancient battlefield, bringing to life the heroes, the tactics, and the dramatic struggles that reverberated through the annals of time.

Our Special Guest this week is Pooja Agrawal is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Public Practice. Public Practice is a not-for-profit organisation that builds the skills and capability of the public sector to improve the quality, equality and sustainability of places. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of the High Court dated 13th November 2024 in White v Plymouth City Council [2024] EWHC 2854 (Admin), dismissing an application for contempt of court -made after a delay of 8 months - for allegedly interfering with the administration of justice relating to a decision to implement a redevelopment scheme comprising the felling of trees on Armada Way in March 2023. Decision of an inspector dated 11th November 2024 allowing an appeal a by Gladman Developments Ltd against the decision of the Central Bedfordshire Council to refuse an outline application for the erection of up to 170 dwellings including affordable housing with POS, landscaping, SUDs and access on an unallocated undeveloped site immediately adjoining the settlement of Langford. Issues around HLS, loss of BMV, heritage impacts and landscape impacts. Decision of an inspector dated 7th November 2024 allowing an appeal by M Scott Properties Ltd against the decision of the St Albans City & District Council to refuse an outline application for up to 95 dwellings on green belt land between Caravan Site and Watling Street, Park Street, St Albans, in the context of a 1.7 yr HLS on a site proposed to be allocated in the approved ELP, at the Reg 19 stage, VSC found. Visit our Website: hwgpnfy.com #HWGPNFY

Intro - We announce our 2025 book club plans for patron read-alongs. Content (5:13) - Discussion of part 2 of The Dragon Masters by Jack Vance This Week's Play - The Puritan, or the Widow of Watling Street, by Anonymous Check out more at alzabosoup.com.

Do all roads lead to Rome? We find out in today's episode all about one of the Roman Empire's greatest legacies - it's web-like network of roads and route-ways. From the famous Via Appia, the longest road in mainland Italy, to Watling Street, the road on which Boudica was defeated, Rome's roads left an indelible mark on the territories their centurions conquered.But what do we actually know about these ancient streets and pathways? What was road travel like back in Roman times? And most importantly, what was their equivalent of a service station?To explain all this and much more Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Catherine Fletcher, author of a new book called The Roads to Rome. Presented by Tristan Hughes. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS'. https://historyhit.com/subscriptionVote for The Ancients in the Listeners Choice category of British Podcast Awards here.You can take part in our listener survey here.

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! ¡Bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de "Antena Historia"! En esta entrega, nos sumergiremos en el apasionante relato de Boudica, la valiente reina celta que desafió el dominio romano en Britania en el siglo I d.C. Descubriremos los eventos que llevaron al levantamiento de Boudica, exploraremos la batalla épica en Watling Street y analizaremos el impacto duradero de esta figura en la historia y la cultura británica. Acompáñennos en este viaje a través del tiempo para desentrañar la vida, el coraje y el legado de una líder que se convirtió en símbolo de resistencia. ¡Prepárense para sumergirse en la fascinante historia de Boudica! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIAJE 2024* https://antenahistoria.com/normandia-memorable/ Antena Historia te regala 30 días PREMIUM, para que lo disfrutes https://www.ivoox.com/premium?affiliate-code=b4688a50868967db9ca413741a54cea5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Produce Antonio Cruz Edita ANTENA HISTORIA Antena Historia (podcast) forma parte del sello iVoox Originals ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- web……….https://antenahistoria.com/ correo..... mailto:info@antenahistoria.com Facebook…..Antena Historia Podcast | Facebook Twitter…...https://twitter.com/AntenaHistoria Telegram…...https://t.me/foroantenahistoria DONACIONES PAYPAL...... https://paypal.me/ancrume ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¿QUIERES ANUNCIARTE en ANTENA HISTORIA?, menciones, cuñas publicitarias, programas personalizados, etc. Dirígete a Antena Historia - AdVoices https://advoices.com/antena-historia Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

¡Bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de "Antena Historia"! En esta entrega, nos sumergiremos en el apasionante relato de Boudica, la valiente reina celta que desafió el dominio romano en Britania en el siglo I d.C. Descubriremos los eventos que llevaron al levantamiento de Boudica, exploraremos la batalla épica en Watling Street y analizaremos el impacto duradero de esta figura en la historia y la cultura británica. Acompáñennos en este viaje a través del tiempo para desentrañar la vida, el coraje y el legado de una líder que se convirtió en símbolo de resistencia. ¡Prepárense para sumergirse en la fascinante historia de Boudica! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIAJE 2024* https://antenahistoria.com/normandia-memorable/ Antena Historia te regala 30 días PREMIUM, para que lo disfrutes https://www.ivoox.com/premium?affiliate-code=b4688a50868967db9ca413741a54cea5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Produce Antonio Cruz Edita ANTENA HISTORIA Antena Historia (podcast) forma parte del sello iVoox Originals ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- web……….https://antenahistoria.com/ correo..... mailto:info@antenahistoria.com Facebook…..Antena Historia Podcast | Facebook Twitter…...https://twitter.com/AntenaHistoria Telegram…...https://t.me/foroantenahistoria DONACIONES PAYPAL...... https://paypal.me/ancrume ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¿QUIERES ANUNCIARTE en ANTENA HISTORIA?, menciones, cuñas publicitarias, programas personalizados, etc. Dirígete a Antena Historia - AdVoices https://advoices.com/antena-historia Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

In this episode, which is the 2nd in Danny´s Monopoly Game series. Danny reveals the secrets and incredibly long and varied history of the joint cheapest property on the board – the Old Kent Road.  He explains where the army tank that was located on the street disappeared to, why the nearby roundabout is still known as the Bricklayer´s Arms and the real reason black cab drivers won´t go south of the river after midnight, as well as revealing an unlikely spot on the Old Kent Road, which gives you fantastic views of the city. KEY TAKEAWAYS In 1415, King Henry V of England, partied with his troops in what is now Curry's. The Old Kent Road was built by the Romans and was called Watling Street by the Anglo-Saxons. The street was once home to what was once the biggest gas holder. There is a weird connection between Old Kent Rd, the cheapest property, and Mayfair, the most expensive on the board. Listen to find out what it is. There is a great cheap market just off Old Kent Road. Danny tells you where. BEST MOMENTS ‘(My sister and I) would snigger at the idea of either of us winning a beauty contest. ´ ‘ (The Old Kent Road) was the very path that Chaucer´s pilgrims took.' ‘The car park of Curry´s affords some of the most spectacular views of the city.' EPISODE RESOURCES Bank of England Inflation Calculator - https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator Shop for all official versions of Monopoly here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/page/785DC233-0A69-4DF8-98E9-4F50CC50A59E HOST BIO Historian, performer, and mentor Danny Hurst has been engaging audiences for many years, whether as a lecturer, stand-up comic or intervention teacher with young offenders and excluded secondary students. Having worked with some of the most difficult people in the UK, he is a natural storyteller and entertainer, whilst purveying the most fascinating information that you didn't know you didn't know. A writer and host of pub quizzes across London, he has travelled extensively and speaks several languages. He has been a consultant for exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum and Natural History Museum in London as well as presenting accelerated learning seminars across the UK. With a wide range of knowledge ranging from motor mechanics to opera to breeding carnivorous plants, he believes learning is the most effective when it's fun. Uniquely delivered, this is history without the boring bits, told the way only Danny Hurst can. CONTACT AND SOCIALS https://instagram.com/dannyjhurstfacebook.com/danny.hurst.9638 https://twitter.com/dannyhurst  https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-hurst-19574720 Podcast Description "History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake." James Joyce. That was me at school as well. Ironically, I ended up becoming a historian. The Unusual Histories podcast is all about the history you don't learn at school, nor indeed anywhere else. Discover things that you didn't know that you didn't know; fascinating historical luminaries and their vices and addictions, the other numerous sides of every story. We start with the Monopoly Series, in which we explore how the game came to be, the real-life connection between the cheapest and most expensive properties, the history of each location, how proportionate the values were then and are today, what the hell a "community chest" is and whether free parking really does exist anywhere in London.  If you love history; or indeed if you hate history, this is the podcast for you…

rWotD Episode 2385: Two Mile Ash.Welcome to random Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a random Wikipedia page every day.The random article for Tuesday, 14 November 2023 is Two Mile Ash.Two Mile Ash is a district of north-west Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England, two miles south of Stony Stratford, just off Watling Street. The district was named after the Two Mile Ash toll gate on Watling Street. It is one of the larger districts, but a large part of its area is taken up by Abbey Hill, an 18-hole golf course. Consequently, many of the streets here are named after famous golf courses. The district was one of the first to be built in the (mainly) private housing period of the development of Milton Keynes. It is in Abbey Hill civil parish.The main spine of the area is The High Street with facilities running off it. Three other main roads are named Church Hill, Clay Hill and Corn Hill, all of which provide exits from the district. Fairways is another exit road, which lies near the Abbey Hill Golf Course. Two Mile Ash provides space for one half of this course, the other half is in neighbouring Kiln Farm, accessed by a foot bridge.There is a lot of variety in the housing. There is a scheme of Findlandia super-insulated houses in Calewen and some very distinctive shared ownership homes in the High Street. It has two schools (Two Mile Ash Middle School and Ashbrook First School), two pre-schools (Two Mile Ash Pre-school and Helping Hands) and it also has three churches.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:06 UTC on Tuesday, 14 November 2023.For the full current version of the article, see Two Mile Ash on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm Kimberly Standard.

The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds by John Higgs was first published ten years ago, self-published in fact, and quickly became a phenomenon. Ostensibly about the reasons why, in August 1994, the remnants one of the most successful, if esoteric, pop bands on the planet would torch 20 thousand 50 pound notes on the Scottish island of Jura, John Higgs quickly finds himself obliged to veer off piste — into the worlds of punk, rave, Dada, magic, Discordianism, alchemy, numerology and the very fabric of reality itself. Republished now with added reflective footnotes The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds is as wild a ride as you would want from a book about the playful, chaotic, duo at the heart of the band. Not only that, but it might also reveal what Higgs calls “one of the most important philosophical leaps of the twentieth century”…Buy The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds https://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/books/the-klfJohn Higgs is the author I HAVE AMERICA SURROUNDED, THE KLF, STRANGER THAN WE CAN IMAGINE, WATLING STREET, THE FUTURE STARTS HERE, WILLIAM BLAKE NOW, WILLIAM BLAKE VS THE WORLD and LOVE AND LET DIE. He lives in Brighton with his wife and their two children. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Medway mum claims to have been held hostage at a petrol station because she was unable to pay for her fuel. Odette Browning says she called police after a shop worker at the Esso garage on Watling Street in Gillingham refused to let her go. Our reporter who wrote the story for KentOnline explains the full details. It could be a busy weekend at the Port of Dover as strikes by border force officers are expected to cause delays. They're walking out for the next four days over pay, just as thousands of families return home from half-term trips abroad. Hear from Kent-based company Holiday Extras about how people can manage the potential disruption. A woman from Kent features as an extra in a new music video, starring a Game of Thrones actor, aiming to raise awareness of MS.  The life-long condition can cause fatigue, problems with balance and vision, and sometimes serious disability. Amy Hinds from Dartford has been campaigning to highlight what it's like to live with, since being diagnosed seven years ago. And in sport, it's another big game for Gillingham this weekend as they try to avoid falling back into the League Two relegation zone. The Gills are away to bottom-of-the-table Rochdale - hear from the manager.

We're visiting Stony Stratford this month – historic coaching town on Watling Street full of pubs, narrow passageways and lots of history! Catherine reveals the impact of the new city on the town and Tabatha explores a nationally significant Roman religious hoard found nearby. Transcript available at https://miltonkeynesmuseum.org.uk/under-the-grid-podcast/ Twitter: @mkmuseum Facebook: MKMuseum Instagram: @miltonkeynesmuseum Web: miltonkeynesmuseum.org.uk

In Part 2, Luke and I discuss the esoteric connections and intersections with the figures of Blake and Ginsberg. We talk about in the influence of Emmanuel Swedenborg and Gnosticism on the worldviews of both Blake and Ginsberg, how Ginsberg saw Buddhism and Gnosticism as being connected in a syncretic way, and what contemporary artists could be viewed as ‘carrying on the Blakean torch' in our own popular culture. Dr Luke Walker has published widely on the intersections between British Romantic poetry, American counterculture, and esotericism.His publications include "‘One physical-mental inspiration of thought': Allen Ginsberg and Black Mountain poetics", in The Beats, Black Mountain, and New Modes in American Poetry, ed. Matt Theado (2021), “Beat Britain: poetic vision and division in Albion's ‘underground'”, in The Routledge Handbook of International Beat Literature, ed. A. Robert Lee (2018), “Tangled up in Blake: the triangular relationship among Dylan, Blake, and the Beats”, in Rock and Romanticism: Blake, Wordsworth, and Rock from Dylan to U2, ed. James Rovira (2018), “Allen Ginsberg's ‘Wales Visitation' as a neo-Romantic response to Wordsworth's ‘Tintern Abbey'”, in Romanticism journal (2013), and “Allen Ginsberg's Blakean Albion,” in Comparative American Studies journal (2013). Most recently, Luke co-edited a special issue of the Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, on “The Artist of the Future Age: William Blake, Neo-Romanticism, Counterculture and Now” (2022). He is now writing a book entitled William Blake and Allen Ginsberg: Romanticism, Counterculture and Radical Reception.PROGRAM NOTESDr. Luke Walker:academia.edu page: (99+) Luke Walker | Home - Academia.eduTwitter: Luke Walker (@DrLukeWalker) / TwitterSelected Articles:(99+) Tangled Up in Blake: the Triangular Relationship among Dylan, Blake, and the Beats | Luke Walker - Academia.edu(99+) Allen Ginsberg's Blakean Albion | Luke Walker - Academia.edu(99+) Beat Britain: poetic vision and division in Albion's 'underground' | Luke Walker - Academia.edu(99+) Psychedelic Romanticism: Ginsberg, Blake and Wordsworth | Luke Walker - Academia.edu(99+) 'One physical-mental inspiration of thought': Allen Ginsberg and Black Mountain Poetics | Luke Walker - Academia.eduWilliam Blake Archive: The William Blake ArchiveAllen Ginsberg sings William Blake's 'The Nurse's Song': Allen Ginsberg sings William Blake's "The Nurse's Song" - YouTubeMike Goode, 'Blakespotting': (99+) Blakespotting | Mike Goode - Academia.eduAllen Ginsberg: The Allen Ginsberg Project - AllenGinsberg.org'Wichita Vortex Sutra': Allen Ginsberg: Wichita Vortex Sutra (chriscander.com)Bob Dylan 'Tempest': Bob Dylan - Tempest (Official Audio) - YouTube'Rough and Rowdy Ways': I Contain Multitudes - YouTube'Subterranean Homesick Blues': Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues (Official HD Video) - YouTubeOTHER RESOURCES:patti smith: official siteHome - Kae TempestJohn Higgs – Author of Love And Let Die, William Blake Vs The World, Watling Street and The KLFTheme Music: Daniel P. SheaOther music: Stephanie Shea

In Part One, Luke discusses the great influence of the poet and artist William Blake on Allen Ginsberg, one of the most influential people from the Beat Generation and the ‘counterculture' movement of 1960s United States. He also talks in detail about Ginsberg's “Blake Vision,” the name Ginsberg gave to a series of extraordinary events in his life in 1948. We then discuss Luke's article “Tangled Up in Blake” that focuses on Ginsberg's views about Bob Dylan and their complex relationship. Lastly, we talk about the influence of Buddhism on Ginsberg and how this affected his views about Blake and his worldview in general.Dr Luke Walker has published widely on the intersections between British Romantic poetry, American counterculture, and esotericism.His publications include "‘One physical-mental inspiration of thought': Allen Ginsberg and Black Mountain poetics", in The Beats, Black Mountain, and New Modes in American Poetry, ed. Matt Theado (2021), “Beat Britain: poetic vision and division in Albion's ‘underground'”, in The Routledge Handbook of International Beat Literature, ed. A. Robert Lee (2018), “Tangled up in Blake: the triangular relationship among Dylan, Blake, and the Beats”, in Rock and Romanticism: Blake, Wordsworth, and Rock from Dylan to U2, ed. James Rovira (2018), “Allen Ginsberg's ‘Wales Visitation' as a neo-Romantic response to Wordsworth's ‘Tintern Abbey'”, in Romanticism journal (2013), and “Allen Ginsberg's Blakean Albion,” in Comparative American Studies journal (2013). Most recently, Luke co-edited a special issue of the Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, on “The Artist of the Future Age: William Blake, Neo-Romanticism, Counterculture and Now” (2022). He is now writing a book entitled William Blake and Allen Ginsberg: Romanticism, Counterculture and Radical Reception.PROGRAM NOTESDr. Luke Walker:academia.edu page: (99+) Luke Walker | Home - Academia.eduTwitter: Luke Walker (@DrLukeWalker) / TwitterSelected Articles:(99+) Tangled Up in Blake: the Triangular Relationship among Dylan, Blake, and the Beats | Luke Walker - Academia.edu(99+) Allen Ginsberg's Blakean Albion | Luke Walker - Academia.edu(99+) Beat Britain: poetic vision and division in Albion's 'underground' | Luke Walker - Academia.edu(99+) Psychedelic Romanticism: Ginsberg, Blake and Wordsworth | Luke Walker - Academia.edu(99+) 'One physical-mental inspiration of thought': Allen Ginsberg and Black Mountain Poetics | Luke Walker - Academia.eduWilliam Blake Archive: The William Blake ArchiveAllen Ginsberg sings William Blake's 'The Nurse's Song': Allen Ginsberg sings William Blake's "The Nurse's Song" - YouTubeMike Goode, 'Blakespotting': (99+) Blakespotting | Mike Goode - Academia.eduAllen Ginsberg: The Allen Ginsberg Project - AllenGinsberg.org'Wichita Vortex Sutra': Allen Ginsberg: Wichita Vortex Sutra (chriscander.com)Bob Dylan 'Tempest': Bob Dylan - Tempest (Official Audio) - YouTube'Rough and Rowdy Ways': I Contain Multitudes - YouTube'Subterranean Homesick Blues': Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues (Official HD Video) - YouTubeOTHER RESOURCES:patti smith: official siteHome - Kae TempestJohn Higgs – Author of Love And Let Die, William Blake Vs The World, Watling Street and The KLFTheme Music: Daniel P. SheaOther music: Stephanie Shea

John Higgs is a writer who specialises in finding previously unsuspected narratives, hidden in obscure corners of our history and culture, which can change the way we see the world. His work has been described as “Absolutely wonderful” by Terry Gilliam and “breathtakingly lucid” by Alan Moore. According to The Times, “Higgs’s prose has a diamond-hard quality. He knows how to make us relate.” His books include The KLF, Stranger Than We Can Imagine, Watling Street and William Blake Vs The World. His next book, Love And Let Die: Bond, the Beatles and the British Psyche, will be published in September 2022. Support this show by becoming a patreon at http://patreon.com/youcallthatradio or donating at http://ko-fi.com/youcallthatradio for Moire info on John's work check out his website at http://johnhiggs.com You can watch this interview as a video on our youtube channel over at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atzV9LJxduw. Please remember to subscribe to our youtube channel and click the notification bell for updates when new shows land. You can also support the work we do there by using the Thanks and JOIN buttons on there to receive bonus content.

John Higgs is a writer who specialises in finding previously unsuspected narratives, hidden in obscure corners of our history and culture, which can change the way we see the world. His work has been described as “Absolutely wonderful” by Terry Gilliam and “breathtakingly lucid” by Alan Moore. According to The Times, “Higgs’s prose has a diamond-hard quality. He knows how to make us relate.” His books include The KLF, Stranger Than We Can Imagine, Watling Street and William Blake Vs The World. His next book, Love And Let Die: Bond, the Beatles and the British Psyche, will be published in September 2022. Support this show by becoming a patreon at http://patreon.com/youcallthatradio or donating at http://ko-fi.com/youcallthatradio for Moire info on John's work check out his website at http://johnhiggs.com You can watch this interview as a video on our youtube channel over at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atzV9LJxduw. Please remember to subscribe to our youtube channel and click the notification bell for updates when new shows land. You can also support the work we do there by using the Thanks and JOIN buttons on there to receive bonus content.

**Contains outrageous spoilers about the recent Bond film No Time to Die**There are few cultural phenomena that rival the impact, reach and longevity of either The Beatles or James Bond. That both made their first significant impact on the public consciousness on the same day 5 October 1962 — with the release of the Beatles' first record “Love Me Do' and Dr. No the first James Bond film — was a significant enough piece of synchronicity for John Higgs to begin an investigation into the decades-long dance between two very different visions of the world, of Britain, of masculinity of art, of love and — inevitably — of death.Buy Love and Let Die here: https://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/product/6267356/higgs-john-love-and-let-die*SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR BONUS EPISODESLooking for Friends of Shakespeare and Company read Ulysses? https://podfollow.com/sandcoulyssesIf you want to spend even more time at Shakespeare and Company, you can now subscribe for regular bonus episodes and early access to Friends of Shakespeare and Company read Ulysses.Subscribe on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/sandcoSubscribe on Apple Podcasts here: https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/shakespeare-and-company-writers-books-and-paris/id1040121937?l=enAll money raised goes to supporting “Friends of Shakespeare and Company” the bookshop's non-profit, created to fund our noncommercial activities—from the upstairs reading library, to the writers-in-residence program, to our charitable collaborations, and our free events.*John Higgs is a writer who specialises in finding previously unsuspected narratives, hidden in obscure corners of our history and culture, which can change the way we see the world. In the words of MOJO magazine, “Reading John Higgs is like being shot with a diamond. Suddenly everything becomes terrifyingly clear”. The Times agreed, saying that “Higgs's prose has a diamond-hard quality. He knows how to make us relate.” “A while ago I decided to read anything Higgs writes,” said Frank Cottrell Boyce, “He seems to be able to take any subject — pop music, Watling Street, conspiracy theories, robotics — and poke at it until it yields up its secrets.” Russell Brand described him succinctly as “a great writer […] who pulls shit together in an interesting way.”Adam Biles is Literary Director at Shakespeare and Company. Buy a signed copy of his novel FEEDING TIME here: https://shakespeareandcompany.com/S/9781910296684/feeding-timeListen to Alex Freiman's Play It Gentle here: https://open.spotify.com/album/4gfkDcG32HYlXnBqI0xgQX?si=mf0Vw-kuRS-ai15aL9kLNA&dl_branch=1 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

GB2RS News Sunday the 28th of August 2022 The news headlines: Get ready for the Transatlantic tests National Radio Centre contacts the ISS GB3HA is back on air in Northumberland The RSGB is hosting The Transatlantic Centenary Tests on the HF bands, for the entire month of December 2022. This is to commemorate the centenary of the achievement of amateur transatlantic communication, during the tests that were held between 1921 and 1923. Unlike the tests of the 1920s, which consisted of one-way communication, the 2022 tests will encourage worldwide two-way communication with UK & Crown Dependency-based stations. For those activating special stations, there will be a series of awards available. With the assistance of Ofcom, the RSGB has reactivated five callsigns that it held in the 1920s. These historic callsigns will be activated by RSGB Members and clubs. You can read more about the original transatlantic tests and how to participate in 2022 at rsgb.org/transatlantic-tests. RSGB National Radio Centre volunteer Steve, 2E0YBJ, was able to show the visiting public a live radio contact with the International Space Station using GB3RS. He was using the demonstration station at the NRC, running SatPC32. This is used to track Earth Low Orbit satellites and, more recently, the onboard ISS repeater. Steve put his success down to two factors; the excellent NRC station set-up and the fact that the ISS approaches the UK from the West. This enables UK stations to ‘see' the ISS before its communications footprint passes over mainland Europe. It was an unexpected treat for the Bletchley Park visitors, a super result for Steve and a first for GB3RS. The Northumberland 2m repeater, GB3HA, is operational again serving the northeast of England. To celebrate the switch on, a short check-in net will be held on Tuesday the 30th of August at 7.30 pm. Net control will be Roy, M0TKF, and all radio amateurs within the repeater coverage are welcome to call in for a quick hello. Please check the GB3HA page on QRZ.com for frequencies and access information. NASA is well known for communicating with astronauts on space missions, but radio amateurs may also contact NASA centres around the world. Until the end of this year, NASA will mark several past and present-day key milestones. NASA Amateur Radio Clubs at the agency's centres and support facilities across the United States plan to participate with ‘NASA on the air' special event stations. Look out for events to celebrate the Artemis launch over the next few days. The 22nd of September is National Astronomy Day and special event stations will be on the air for that too. To learn more about NASA on the Air events, go to nasaontheair.wordpress.com. The cross-band voice repeater and the APRS node aboard the International Space Station can now be used simultaneously. The FM repeater uplink is on 145.990MHz and a 67Hz PL tone is needed to activate the downlink transmitter on 437.800MHz. APRS and packet mode uses 145.825MHz for uplink and downlink. The Columbus module radio uses the callsign NA1SS and the new service module radio uses the callsign RS0ISS. Both radios are expected to be operational at all times, except during school contacts, spacewalks and docking manoeuvres. The operational state of the ISS ham-radio station can be found on the ARISS website at ariss.org. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, Sunday the 28th, the Milton Keynes ARS Rally will be held at The Irish Centre, Manor Fields, Watling Street, Bletchley, MK2 2HX. There is free onsite parking, catering and disabled facilities. Entry is £3 and the doors open at 9 am. See mkars.org.uk for more information. The Torbay Annual Communications Fair also takes place today, the 28th, at Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon TQ12 3AF. Doors open at 10 am with disabled visitors gaining access at 9.30 am. It is an indoor event with plenty of free parking on site. There will be a Bring & Buy as well as an RSGB bookstall. Catering will also be available on-site. Tomorrow, Monday, the 29th, the HARS Annual Rally will be held at Ernulf Academy, St Neots PE19 2SH. Gates open at 9 am. There is free car parking, a Bring & Buy as well as indoor and outdoor stalls. Catering is available on-site. Talk-in will be on 145.550MHz using GX0HSR. More at hunts-hams.co.uk. A date for your diary now. Churches and Chapels On The Air will take place on Saturday the 10th of September between 10 am and 4 pm. Stations will be operating mainly on the 20, 40 and 80m bands usually using SSB. If you would like to register your special event station, please email John, G3XYF at jhwresdell@gmail.com. The latest list of stations taking part can be found at wacral.org. Now the Special Event news GB1SAK will be active from the International Kite Festival at Lytham St Annes on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of September. Using SSB and CW, mostly the 40 and 20m bands, the station will use a variety of wire antennas, supported by kites. Further details are on QRZ.com Now the DX news IK5WWA will be operating from the island of La Maddalena, EU-041, between the 1st and the 13th of September. Using the 80 to 2m bands he will use the special callsign IM0M. This operation also qualifies for the Italian Island Award. QSL details are on qrz.com. Keith, GU6EFB will be active as GJ6EFB from Jersey, EU-013, from the 29th of August to the 1st of September. He will be using SSB via the QO-100 satellite in his spare time. QSL via Logbook of The World, direct or via the bureau to GU6EFB. Col, MM0NDX and Jonathan, MM0OKG will be active as OY/MM0NDX and OY/MM0OKG from the Faroe Islands, EU-018 between the 1st and the 5th of September. They will operate on various bands and modes using vertical antennas next to the sea. QSL via EB7DX. Now the contest news The CQ RTTY ops WW RTTY Contest has its second session of activity between 1200 and 2359UTC today, the 28th. Using RTTY only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and the 4-digit year of your first licence. The Worldwide Digi DX contest ends its 24-hour run at 1200UTC today, the 28th of August. Using FT4 and FT8 on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is your 4-character locator. Today, Sunday the 28th, the UK Microwave Group 5.7GHz and 10GHz contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next weekend is a busy one for contests. The RSGB HF SSB Field Day runs from 1300UTC on Saturday the 3rd to 1300UTC on Sunday the 4th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The IARU Region 1 Field Day runs for the same 24-hour period as the RSGB HF Field Day. Using SSB only on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The 144MHz Trophy Contest also runs for 24 hours next weekend from 1400UTC on the 3rd of September. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The All Asian DX contest runs for 48 hours starting at 0000UTC on the 3rd of September. It is SSB only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted. The exchange is signal report and your age, but ladies may opt for 00. On Saturday the 3rd of September, the CWops CW Open contest runs for 24 hours from 0000UTC. Using CW only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is the serial number and your name. There are three 4-hour sessions in this contest. Next Sunday, the 4th of September, the 5th 144MHz Backpackers contest runs from 1100 to 1500UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Worked All Britain 144MHz QRO contest takes place on Sunday the 4th of September from 1000 to 1400UTC. The exchange is a report, serial number and WAB square if applicable. For the full rules please see the WAB website. Entries to the contest manager by the 14th of September. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 26th of August 2022. There was a welcome upturn in ionospheric propagation this week, with much DX being worked. While the solar flux index remained mainly in the low 100s, quieter geomagnetic conditions, with the Kp index at one or two, helped a lot. We are also heading towards September and better propagation conditions as the ionosphere cools down, resulting in more monatomic elements and fewer diatomic ones. The monoatomic elements in the ionosphere are easier to ionise so MUFs go up accordingly. Along with daytime critical frequencies above 6MHz, we have seen 40m opening up to shorter distances too, sometimes down to 100km, but mainly in the range 100-500km. Over longer distances, there have been reports of some choice DX being workable, including KH6KB in Hawaii on 17m CW, 9V1YC in Singapore on 12m FT8 and A35JP in Tonga on 15m FT8. As long as the Kp index stays low we can expect a lot more like this over the coming months. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may climb a little, perhaps ending the week in the range of 110-116. Geomagnetic conditions are unlikely to be as good next week, with the 27th of August being the most disturbed with a predicted Kp index of four. A large coronal hole is moving to be Earth-centric on Friday, although it is largely at one of the Sun's poles. This means that any fast solar wind might be directed away from Earth, but we could get a glancing blow late on Sunday or early Monday. Watch for a rise in the Kp index and a general lowering of the MUF if it does. And now the VHF and up propagation news. The end of last week finally brought some heavy rain and thunderstorms to some eastern areas and weakening weather fronts to the northwest. This may have given some rain scatter opportunities, but only temporarily. As we head through this weekend high pressure starts to rebuild over the UK and will dominate the weather over the British Isles over the coming week. This will make Tropo a principal player for the next week. In early September it's still plenty warm enough that inland areas could see the temperature inversions breaking down during the daytime heating, so for best results make the most of the nighttime and early morning lifts. We may have a few days left when Sporadic-E could occur before the transition away from high summer weather patterns, but it is getting much harder to find now. Focus on 10m or perhaps 6m digital modes for best results and, of course, check the usual DX clusters. Don't forget aurora and meteor scatter modes, however this week, these modes will be overshadowed by the Tropo characteristics as the high builds. Moon declination goes negative again late Monday, so shortening Moon windows this week. Path losses continue to fall throughout the week and 144MHz sky noise is low until next weekend. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 21st of August 2022 The news headlines: Sponsoring young contesters 8-year-old speaks to the ISS British Inland Waterways on the Air The CDXC and the RSGB are pleased to announce their joint sponsorship of one of the Youth Teams at the World Radiosport Team Championship. The Championship is due to take place in Bologna, Italy in July 2023. In order to promote contest activity by young radio amateurs, the organising committee reserved six sites for young contesters. Jamie Williams, M0SDV and Philipp Springer, DK6SP will form Youth Team 2 and will be the team jointly sponsored by CDXC and RSGB. On Tuesday, the 16th of August, BBC TV spoke to 8-year-old Isabella about her contact with a NASA astronaut on the International Space Station. On the 2nd, Isabella used her dad's callsign M0LMK to make supervised contact with the ISS amateur station. Isabella, a member of the Hilderstone Radio Society, has been involved in several amateur radio events and is working towards her own amateur radio licence. BBC South East Today for the 16th of August is available on the iPlayer and this interview is about 15 minutes into the show. British Inland Waterways on the Air takes place between the 27th and 29th of August. It is open to all amateurs who are boaters, cyclists, walkers and other users of the canals, rivers, towpaths and riverbanks for work or recreation. Even lakes and reservoirs that are used for recreation classify as an inland waterway, so there are many places for activating. Many clubs and individual amateurs on or near the UK inland waterways obtain a Special Event Station callsign. Others operate mobile or portable using their own call signs. The primary bands will be 40m and 2m. If you would like to register or obtain more details about the event please visit, nharg.org.uk/biwota. Another popular event, Churches and Chapels On The Air, will take place on Saturday the 10th of September between 10 am and 4 pm. Stations will be operating mainly on the 20, 40 and 80m bands usually using SSB. If you would like to register your special event station, please email John, G3XYF at jhwresdell@gmail.com. The latest list of stations taking part can be found at wacral.org. There is still time to get involved with the Oscar 100 Award. It aims to promote and foster experimental activities and radio contacts by means of the geosynchronous satellite QO-100. Participants need to contact as many stations and DXCC countries as possible via QO-100 between 0001UTC on the 1st of June to 2359UTC on the 31st of December. The award is open to all radio amateurs operating from geographical locations under the coverage of the satellite. Further details and award rules are available at arifidenza.it. Advance notice now. The 6th Essex CW Boot Camp will take place on the 22nd of October. CW enthusiasts from around the country meet for a fun day of CW activities that include gaining confidence on the Morse key to improving your receiving skills. Early booking is essential as space is limited, so please email g0ibn1@yahoo.com. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, the 21st of August, the Rugby ATS Radio Rally will take place at Princethorpe College, Princethorpe, Rugby CV23 9PY. Doors open at 10 am and there will be a car boot sale area. More at rugbyats.co.uk. Also today, the 21st, the Red Rose Rally will be held at St Joseph's Hall, Leigh WN7 2PJ. Organised by West Manchester Radio Club, there will be free parking, a café as well as trade, individual and club stands. There will also be a Bring & Buy. More information at wmrc.co.uk. Next Sunday, the 28th, the Milton Keynes ARS Rally will be held at The Irish Centre, Manor Fields, Watling Street, Bletchley, MK2 2HX. There is free onsite parking, catering and disabled facilities. Entry is £3 and the doors open at 9 am. See mkars.org.uk for more information. The Torbay Annual Communications Fair takes place next Sunday, the 28th, at Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon TQ12 3AF. Doors open at 10 am with disabled visitors gaining access at 9.30 am. It is an indoor event with plenty of free parking on site. There will be a Bring & Buy as well as an RSGB bookstall. Catering will be also available on-site. On bank holiday Monday, the 29th, the HARS Annual Rally will be held at Ernulf Academy, St Neots PE19 2SH. Gates open at 9 am. There is free car parking, a Bring & Buy as well as indoor and outdoor stalls. Catering is available on-site. Talk-in will be on 145.550MHz using GX0HSR. More at hunts-hams.co.uk. Now the Special Event news Cwmbran & District Amateur Radio Society will be operating GB0FL at the Fourteen Locks Canal Centre in Newport on the 27th and 28th of August. It is part of the British Inland Waterways on the Air event. Visitors are welcome between 10 am and 4 pm. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago's independence, 9Y60TT will be on the air from the 26th of August to the 2nd of September. The event will be multi-mode, multi-band and multi-operator. QSL via Logbook of The World. TM3GGR will be active until the 4th of September for the Golden Globe Race, the single-handed, round-the-world sailing race that will start in France on the 4th of September. QSL via the bureau to F6KUF or direct to F5OEV. Now the DX news Masa, JA0RQV expects to be active again as A35JP from Tonga, OC-049, until the 24th of September. In his spare time, he will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on the 6 to 80m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World, Club Log's OQRS, or via the bureau to JA0RQV. Ed, ES2TT will be active as ES2TT/1 from Aegna Island, EU-149 on the 27th of August, and as ES2TT/0 from Hiiumaa Island, EU-034 on the 3rd and 4th of September. He will operate CW and SSB on the 40, 30 and 20m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or via his home callsign either direct or via the bureau. Marek will be active as FH4VVK in his spare time while stationed on Petite-Terre, Mayotte, AF-027, until the 1st of April 2024. QSL via eQSL or direct. See qrz.com for further information. Now the contest news On Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contest takes place between 1830 and 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3 to 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next weekend, the CQ RTTYops WW RTTY Contest has two sessions between the 26th and 28th of August. The first session is from 2200UTC on the 26th to 1200UTC on the 27th. The second session is from 1200 to 2359UTC on Sunday the 28th. Using RTTY only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is a signal report and the 4-digit year of your first licence. The World Wide Digi DX contest runs from 1200UTC on the 27th to 1200UTC on the 28th of August. Using FT4 and FT8 on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is your 4-character locator. Next Sunday, the 28th, the UK Microwave group 5.7 and 10GHz contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 19th of August 2022. It looks like the Sun continued to be unsettled with an enhanced solar wind from coronal holes making itself felt here on Earth. A geomagnetic storm pushed the Kp index to six for two consecutive six-hour slots on the evening of the 17th, although it was fairly quick to recover. However, it wasn't long before the Kp index was up to five again on Thursday afternoon. Meanwhile, the solar flux index climbed, peaking at 131, but then declining to 123 by Thursday. The first geomagnetic storm affected the ionosphere with critical frequencies dropping to just over 5MHz. This meant that DX was mainly closed to frequencies above 14MHz. The storm on Thursday the 18th saw an initial enhancement with MUFs over a 3,000km path hitting 21MHz. We have had a run of geomagnetic storms, which is par for the course as we ramp up with solar cycle 25. The bad news is that this is likely to continue. It does however mean that aurora watchers and auroral radio operators will get more opportunities as the year moves on. NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will decline to the high 90s after starting the week at around 100. It does predict relatively settled geomagnetic conditions, but as we have said before this is likely to change at short notice thanks to solar flares, and their associated coronal mass ejections, plus the effects of coronal holes. We may have seen the best of Sporadic-E this season, although there may be weak openings on 10 metres that are best captured via FT8 and other JT digital modes. And now the VHF and up propagation news. It's a change-over to rather unsettled weather with Atlantic systems bringing some occasional bands of rain or showers across the country and the possibility of some rain scatter on the GHz bands. Later in the coming week, there are hints that a new high will build in from the Atlantic to bring a return of some Tropo conditions. This may leave conditions a bit flat on VHF until after midweek or a bit beyond, so it could be worth seeking out any late-season Sporadic-E activity in the meantime. Although Es have been rare lately, you might still find some glimmers of hope into the first week of September. In such fleeting events, you will often find the digital modes can flag up a potential direction to explore, starting on 10m and then migrating up to 6m as an event develops. The solar activity has recently brought some auroral conditions, so remember to keep an eye on the Kp index in case further auroras materialise. As well as using the traditional 10m or 6m and occasionally 2m bands for this, you will often get a strong indication from even 80m signals sounding ‘hollow and watery' and that is a cue to check for VHF aurora. Meteor scatter is always a go-to mode if all else fails especially in the early mornings when random meteors are at a peak. With high Moon declination this week we have long Moon windows, but with apogee on Tuesday, path losses are at their highest for the lunar month. 144MHz sky noise is moderate and falling but be aware that the Sun and Moon are close to eclipsing next Saturday morning meaning high Sun noise for a while. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Tabatha takes us back 2,000 years to the Battle of Watling Street, Catherine treats us to her party trick and tells us why the grids roads aren't straight, and Sarah reveals the essential 1838 guide book for railway travel in the area. Transcript available at https://miltonkeynesmuseum.org.uk/under-the-grid-podcast/ Twitter: @mkmuseum Facebook: MKMuseum Instagram: @miltonkeynesmuseum Web: miltonkeynesmuseum.org.uk

London began its life as Old Londinium—an informal trading community that sprang up around the narrowest point in the Thames, and was burned to the ground by Boudicca's army just decades after its founding. This week, we asked bestselling urban fantasy author Ben Aaronovitch to take us on a tour of Old Londinium—say, the day before Boudicca's arrival. Join us as we explore the streets and rivers of this diverse and enterprising trading town, and then wander all the way up Watling Street to Hadrian's Wall.   Get ad-free episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/ancienthistoryfangirl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The people of Camulodunum had found out the hard way that Rome's promises of protection weren't enough to save them from Boudicca's rampaging army—and so did the people of London and Verulamium. Boudicca burned these cities to the ground, unleashing a cleansing fire that was seared into the British landscape. From there, Boudicca and her army set out on Watling Street, an ancient Iron-age road that led all the way to Wales—where the fires of rebellion still burned. If Boudicca could reach the Druids of Anglesey, perhaps together they could drive the Romans out of Britain for good. But first, she would have to get through the Roman general Suetonius Paulinus. Get ad-free episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/ancienthistoryfangirl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THAMES, COROMANDEL PENINSULA.  Swedish couple Heidi Paakkonen and Urban Hoglin were backpacking around New Zealand late 1988 and early 1989. They were last seen in Thames in the Coromandel on the 7th of April 1989. Their 1976 Subaru Wagon was found abandoned on the 14th of April on Watling Street in Mt Eden, Auckland where it had been motionless for six weeks. Heidi and Urban were reported missing. Visit www.truecrimenz.com for additional information on this case. Including a transcript of this episode, with supporting pictures, sources, and credits.

Time to get the party re-started! Welcome to Season 2, Episode 1. Put your mind goggles on as we plunge straight back into the eccentric audio adventure with interviews, surreal spoken word short fiction and perilous poetry. It’s like the One Show – but weird. In this episode we have an interview with the author John Higgs. He’s written about Timothy Leary, The KLF, Watling Street and now turns his attention to the 21st Century. We chatted about his latest book, The Future Starts Here, which came out earlier this month. It’s an uplifting discussion about where we are and where we might be heading. You can find out more about John here: https://johnhiggs.com/ and here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Higgs/e/B0086FBMYE Further to the interview we also feature the work of two exciting poets. Aqeel Parvez is from Bradford and has recently had his debut collection, The Streetlights Are Beckoning Nirvana, published by Analogue Submissions Press. Find out more about him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aqeelparvez?lang=en and Instagram: @ap.writer Imogen Cassels is a poet living in Cambridge. You can buy her poetry pamphlet, Arcades, here: https://sadpresspoetry.com/our-books/ . Find out more about Imogen on Twitter here: https://sadpresspoetry.com/our-books/ We also have the return of Joe Hayden’s cupboard. More missives from the madcap. Find out what he’s been brewing whilst we’ve been away! Yes this is a real humdinger of a show. Make sure you are wearing something that can be wiped clean. Plastic Brain Press invite you to enjoy and subscribe to our podcast. Follow us on social media: Twitter: @brainplastic; Instagram: @plasticbrainpress. We are an independent small press for poetry, fiction and podcasts. Presented by Melody Clark & Richard Daniels Produced by Tom Wickstead

This week I have a segment on The Siege Of Malta, a segment on The Winter War, a segment on Alfred The Great, a segment on the Battle of Watling Street and finally a segment on Agincourt

John Higgs is the author of I HAVE AMERICA SURROUNDED: THE LIFE OF TIMOTHY LEARY; THE KLF: CHAOS, MAGIC AND THE BAND WHO BURNED A MILLION POUNDS; STRANGER THAN WE CAN IMAGINE: MAKING SENSE OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY; and the novels THE BRANDY OF THE DAMNED and THE FIRST CHURCH ON THE MOON. John's latest book is WATLING STREET. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Long ago a path was created by the passage of feet tramping through endless forests. Gradually that path became a track, and the track became a road. It connected the White Cliffs of Dover to the Druid groves of the Welsh island of Anglesey, across a land that was first called Albion then Britain, Mercia and eventually England and Wales. Armies from Rome arrived and straightened this 444 kilometres of meandering track, which in the Dark Ages gained the name Watling Street. Today, this ancient road goes by many different names: the A2, the A5 and the M6 Toll. It is a palimpsest that is always being rewritten. The myriad people who use this road every day might think it unremarkable, but, as John Higgs shows, it hides its secrets in plain sight. Watling Street is not just the story of a route across our island, but an acutely observed, unexpected exploration of Britain and who we are today, told with wit and flair, and an unerring eye for the curious and surprising. Watling Street is a road of witches and ghosts, of queens and highwaymen, of history and myth, of Chaucer, Dickens and James Bond. Along this route Boudicca met her end, the Battle of Bosworth changed royal history, Bletchley Park code breakers cracked Nazi transmissions and Capability Brown remodelled the English landscape. The event was hosted by Scott Wood & Conway Hall

David and John travel to Northampton to meet author Alan Moore and are surprised to discover his role in the building of Milton Keynes. David is even more surprised to discover the newtown was built as a sun temple and watches the midsummer sunrise there with John before Watling Street’s author takes him on a … Continue reading "Episode Three: In Search of the Omphalus"

David and John travel to Northampton to meet author Alan Moore and are surprised to discover his role in the building of Milton Keynes. David is even more surprised to discover the newtown was built as a sun temple and watches the midsummer sunrise there with John before Watling Street’s author takes him on a … Continue reading "Episode Three: In Search of the Omphalus"

Actor Simon Williams; singer Heather Small; writer John Higgs and angler Marina Gibson join Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles. The actor Simon Williams got his big break playing James Bellamy in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs. He is currently starring as Justin Elliott in the BBC Radio 4 series the Archers and a mysterious property developer - known as "the chairman" - in East Enders on BBC One. He is performing in Posting Letters to the Moon with his wife, the actress Lucy Fleming in which the couple read the wartime letters between Lucy's parents Celia Johnson and her husband Peter Fleming. Posting Letters to the Moon is at the Jermyn Street Theatre on November 19th. Heather Small is a singer and songwriter, best known for her work with the soul band M People who came to attention with hits including Moving on Up, One Night in Heaven and Search for the Hero. Now a solo performer, Heather is a former contestant on the BBC One series Strictly Come Dancing. Heather Small is on tour in 2018. Marina Gibson is a passionate angler and fishing instructor who started trout fishing at the age of 5. Her fishing trips have taken her around the world - she has cast her line for trout in Norway and for milkfish, bonefish and triggerfish on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. John Higgs is a writer. In his new book Watling Street he takes a journey along Watling Street, from Dover to Anglesey - a road of witches and ghosts, of queens and highwaymen, of history and myth and Chaucer and Dickens. Watling Street - Travels through Britain and its Ever-Present Past is published by Weidenfeld & Nicholson. Also on the programme DJ and filmmaker Don Letts reveals his Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Paula McGinley Editor: Eleanor Garland.

Phil sits down with John Higgs to talk about The Doctor Falls, then stays sat down to interview him about his new book Watling Street.

After a party of Roman soldiers devastated her family the Iceni Queen Boudica staged the largest rebellion in the history of the empire. With vengeance in her heart and a nation at her back Boudica ransacked, pillaged, and plundered her way to victory in Roman Britain. Although there were four Roman Legions nearby, Boudica and her British warriors reduced Caesar’s occupation of Britain to ashes. Just as suddenly as it began however Boudica’s rebellion collapsed when the Roman General Paulinus defeated her army of over 200,000 warriors at the Battle of Watling Street. On this episode we discuss Boudica, Warrior Queen of Britain.

Joan of Arc   Born 6 January, c. 1412[1]Domrémy,      Joan of Arc        nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" (French: La Pucelle d'Orléans), is considered a heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint.    Joan was the daughter of Jacques d'Arc and Isabelle Romée[23] in Domrémy, a village which was then in the French part of the duchy of Bar.[24] Joan's parents owned about 50 acres (20 hectares) of land and her father supplemented his farming work with a minor position as a village official,    She later testified that she experienced her first vision in 1425 at the age of 13, when she was in her "father's garden"[26] and saw visions of figures she identified as Saint Michael, Saint Catherine, and Saint Margaret, who told her to drive out the English and bring the Dauphin to Reims for his coronation       In 1418, Paris was taken by the Burgundians, who massacred the Count of Armagnac and about 2,500 of his followers.[16] The future French king,Charles VII, assumed the title of Dauphin – the heir to the throne – at the age of fourteen, after all four of his older brothers had died in succession.[1           "... the Maiden lets you know that here, in eight days, she has chased the English out of all the places they held on the river Loire by attack or other means: they are dead or prisoners or discouraged in battle.    The sudden victory at Orléans also led to many proposals for further offensive action. Joan persuaded Charles VII to allow her to accompany the army with Duke John II of Alençon, and she gained royal permission for her plan to recapture nearby bridges along the Loire as a prelude to an advance on Reims and the coronation of Charles VII.      Joan Arc song CBBC: Horrible Histories - Joan of Arc Song - YouTube         Boudica Died circa AD 60 or 61, Britannia   Boudica was a striking looking woman. - "She was very tall, the glance of her eye most fierce; her voice harsh. A great mass of the reddest hair fell down to her hips. Her appearance was terrifying     Boudica's husband Prasutagus was ruler of the Iceni tribe. He ruled as a nominally independent ally of Rome and left his kingdom       when he died  Boudica was flogged, her daughters were raped, and Roman financiers called in their loans.           In 60 or 61 AD, while the Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paullinus was leading a campaign in North Wales, the Iceni rebelled. Members of other tribes joined them   The Iceni warriors managed to destroy Camulodunum (Colchester) they also defeated the Roman IX Legion. Hearing the news, Paullinus rushed back from Wales and set about evacuating Londinium (London). He guessed (correctly) that it would be the Britons next target. Boudicca and her army destroyed Londinium and then attacked Verulamium (St Albans), destroying that city too. Some people believe that more than 70,000 people were killed in the attacks on Camulodunum,    The Roman army in Britain regrouped in the Midlands and finally defeated the Britons in the Battle of Watling Street.     Roman cavalry was released which promptly encircled the enemy and began their slaughter from the rear. Seemingly mad with blood lust, Tacitus records that 80,000 Britons; men, women and children, were killed. The Roman losses amounted to 400 dead with a slightly larger number wounded.   Boudica was not killed in the battle but took poison rather than be taken alive by the Romans.   Alfred Lord Tennyson, the Victorian poet, wrote a poem called Boadicea, and Prince Albert commissioned Thomas Thornycroft to create a statue of Boudicca and her daughters riding a war chariot. The sculpture was finished in 1905 and it is situated close to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Bridge. Boud Horrible Histories - Boudicca - YouTube     Eva Perón   Born out of wedlock, Eva, commonly known as Evita, left school when she was 16 and went to Buenos Aires to pursue her dream of becoming a star.     Juan Duarte, a wealthy rancher from nearbyChivilcoy, already had a wife and family there. During this time period in rural Argentina, it was not uncommon to see a wealthy male with multiple families.[13] However, the lack of legitimacy for Juana and her children would still leave them stigmatized and rejected. Referred to as "bastards", the family was somewhat isolated     Soon after, Juana moved her children to a one-room apartment in Junín. To pay the rent on their single-roomed home, mother and daughters took up jobs as cooks in the houses of the localestancias.    In 1934, at the age of 15, Eva escaped her poverty-stricken village when, according to popular myth, she ran off with a young musician to the nation's capital of Buenos Aires.     She found a job on one of the radio stations and remained there until, in 1943, she met Juan Peron, the Secretary of Labour and Social Welfare, who had ambitions to be president, and was working with the Argentine workers to support this bid       Peron stood in the presidential elections in 1946 and Evita was an active campaigner by his side, an unprecedented occurrence in Argentine politics.       On 21 October 1945, Evita and Juan were married.   Peron was duly elected and Evita CONTINUED to play an active role. She kept her promise to the working classes and took such an interest that, in everything but name, she became the Secretary of Labour, supporting higher wages and greater social welfare benefits.     Cleopatra   (presumably) Born 69 BCAlexandria, Egypt Died 12 August 30 BC (aged 39)Alexandria, Egypt Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Macedonian Greek[2] origin that ruled Egypt afterAlexander the Great's death    Ptolemy XII died in March 51 BC, thus by his will making the 18-year-old Cleopatra and her brother, the 10-year-old Ptolemy XIII joint monarchs. The first three years of their reign were difficult, due to economic failures, famine, deficient floods of the Nile, and political conflicts. Although Cleopatra was married to her young brother, she quickly made it clear that she had no intention of SHARING power with him     Cleopatra dropped Ptolemy's name from official documents and her face appeared alone on coins, which went against Ptolemaic tradition of female rulers being subordinate to male co-rulers. In 50 BC Cleopatra came into a serious conflict with the Gabiniani, p        Cleopatra's younger brother Ptolemy XIII became sole ruler.[11] She tried to raise a rebellion around Pelusium, but was soon forced to flee with her only remaining sister,Arsinoë.[12]     Eager to take advantage of Julius Caesar's anger toward Ptolemy, Cleopatra had herself smuggled secretly into the palace to meet with Caesar.   Caesar restored Cleopatra to her throne, with another younger brother Ptolemy XIV as her new co-ruler.[17][18 She became Caesar’s mistress, and nine months after their first meeting, in 47 BC, Cleopatra gave birth to their son, Ptolemy Caesar, nicknamed Caesarion, which means "little Caesar."         Horrible Histories Awful Egyptians: Cleopatra's beauty regime. "Historical Hospital": Dr Isis - YouTube   Caesar Special_News of the Roman Empire World - YouTube Horrible Histories Julius Caesar' Romeover, Bob Hale's Roman Britain Report - YouTube