Garlic & Pearls

In which Suzanne explains another British obsession: the decision tree of how to get from A to B by way of A roads. A kinetic tale of Romans, speed, resourcefulness and British modernism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Muriel examines every facet of Marseille soap from the practical to the mythological, and takes Suzanne on a journey from the boiling vats of the soap factories to the havens of French pharmacies and the heady hinterland of Provence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In which Suzanne unfurls a panoramic history of Anglican church kneelers, showing the little embroidered cushions to be an extraordinarily expressive artistic flourishing of the Second Elizabethan Era. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In which Muriel tells Suzanne about a favourite children’s film involving dead donkeys, incest and psychedelia, and Suzanne wonders a little at the wisdom of French parents. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we transition from harvest to winter, Suzanne leads Muriel back into the mists of time and elicits the origins of Halloween: the mumming and guising of Celtic Samhain, a host of Catholic saints, queens and kings, and, of course, witches and witchfinders... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In which Suzanne gives Muriel carte blanche to reveal the French origins of the ‘jeu de cartes’, and Muriel lays all her cards on the table and wonders: were playing cards devised by a French knight as a tribute to his lady? How best to cheat at piquet? Why is it impossible for the ace of spades to look chic? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why does Britain have such a staggering amount of hedgerows? Suzanne leads Muriel through a hedge backwards and finds a dazzle of biodiversity and a tormented cast of barons, peasants, Diggers and sheep! Hedgerows: are they a Good Thing or a Bad Thing? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Time for lunch! Muriel takes Suzanne through the workings of French school canteens. What’s on the menu? How does the French Republic make  petits  gastronomes? And, most importantly, how old does your tumbler say you are?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What drives the British obsession with trains great and small? Suzanne takes Muriel on an epic journey, following the tracks of Sir Nigel Gresley, visionary engineer and duck breeder extraordinaire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The four-colour Bic pen was a revolutionary invention. It’s also an emblem of optimistic Frenchness. Find out why as Muriel unpacks the pen’s origin story and takes Suzanne back to school. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some might say that the pickled onion is a jewel in the crown of British gastronomy. But where does it come from? Suzanne explains all, including the use of a distinctive piece of British cutlery, and Muriel gets a baptism of fire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes the British so British and the French so French? Suzanne Raine and Muriel Zagha astonish and entertain each other with a wide array of examples - from everyday objects to eccentric oddities - all in pursuit of the essence of Britishness and Frenchness. ehlZIyB7nZIaFbyXqXqI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.