Sibyl Service

WAFFLE takes on Belgian and all its bounty.  3 girls, two cities, one mission. In the first half, we visit the the fine Art Museum of Ghent and hear an expert Art Historians discuss cutting edge Flemish and Dutch art,  they will discuss Bruegel, Frans Hals to they will passionately defend Still Life. All warming up to the one of greatest masterpieces in Western art: the Ghent Altarpiece.  The seco...

"And that's why they called me the Incorruptible…..” Robespierre speaks proudly about his days in the public office during the French Revolution. No regrets, just major concerns about the feeble and weak minded men surrounding him.  Reincarnated from the 1780’s, things are looking a bit different for Robespierre. But he can certainly relate to the contradictory Tweets and irrational politics.  Rob...

SHE HAS RISEN. MARIE ANTOINETTE HAS RISEN AGAIN. She's hot, she's cross and she's a bun. On this glorious Easter Sunday, we celebrate the eating of chocolate cake as well as contradicting and confirming famous Versailles myths and legends. Was Marie the reckless queen who let France starve while she indulged in shoes and strange theatrical performances? Or was she the victim of extreme...

Alexander the Great graced us with his dishevelled but delightful presence in the Sibyl Service studio. Hands shaking for the bottle and wounds reeking of sepsis, he let it all out. Loud and proud. His father’s assassination (or patricide!?) his obsession with Persia, his belief that Zeus was his own father, his teachings from Aristotle and his vast empire. Giving therapy to 'One of the Greats...

A British person, especially a man, who treats other people very badly and has no moral principles. This is Jeremy Thorpe. But this witty, flamboyant man from the 1970's liberal politics movement did not plan on being the first British MP to stand trial for murder, he planned on stopping the Apartheid in South Africa and creating positive social reform. So how did it all go wrong? And will Jer...

Welcome to an episode of Sappho, sex, rock and roll. Discover the first female voice of Western literature.  This singer-songwriter from Lesbos pioneered female poetry and music. Only 1 percent of her work is left so this exclusive interview is seriously exclusive. It is a common misconception that Sappho wrote about desire, childbirth, the beauties of the natural world, and just girly things...

This is the ultimate guide to Istanbul. Meet lovely men from Istanbul selling us garments. Listen to three Syrian brothers debate the modification of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and their Holy scriptures. Be enlightened by Refik Anadol’s digital art world.

Louise Walsh tells the fascinating story behind her 'Monument to the Unknown Woman Worker.' This sculpture sparked the longest ever debate in the Belfast city council.  The controversy was all about sex work, the commemoration of women, and sectarian politics.  This expression is thrown around a lot, but Walsh does truly talk for Ireland. Enjoy. 

Spinoza is back to make everyone wake up and smell the coffee - you are never free until you recognise that you are not free.  He questioned the Torah's sacredness and was excommunicated from his Jewish community at only 23 years old.  Fear not; his relationship with God and spider-fighting is explored and analysed.  This man is gentle, fascinating, and pretty controversial.  T...

Diogenes the dog is an exclusive interview with the 5th-century cynic who lived in a barrel (sorry, wine casket.) I ask him a plethora of questions, such as "why did you remain single by choice?" and "what's up with you masturbating and defecating in public?" Adored by Alexander the Great and hated by Plato, this man will shock and baffle you.  Contribute to my Patreon if you like.... <a h...

How does the etymology of avocado relate to the word protestant? What do the words genetics, genesis, and genuine all share in common? Does crocodile mean a pebble worm, and squirrel the 'shadow-tailed' and why? Plenty more of this available right here, right now. Contribute to my Patreon if you like.... <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=67421634" data-patreon-widget-type="become-patr...

This episode is fact and fun-fueled.  Pt 1 - The rip-roaring Romans popping off after winning the euros, followed by a quick sidetrack of a history of parks from Ancient Rome to Mussolini’s fascist regime. Pt 2 - The Circus Maximus - what raucous activities went down here then? Pt 3 - An interview with Aldo Giannotti - the curator of the exhibition “Safe and sound” in the Mambo Art museum. Th...

They say curiosity killed the cat, and that’s why Advice from Aristotle Pt.2 is back. Aristotle gets a bad rep, but maybe his 'reason conquering all' is a useful logic to bring to the table? Why did Aristotle the investigator say “You can find beauty in the tiniest, ugliest thing?” So what’s up with moths the size of birds? What animals do you intuitively dislike? Who would you rather sit down for...

What’s the difference between Plebeians and Patricians? Was emperor Claudius the first pro-immigration leader? Did dolphins disrupt fishing? Who are those fellas, Romulus and Remus then? Was Cicero such the cream of the crop? All these questions are answered and discussed walking around the ancient site of Ostia Antica. Contribute to my Patreon if you like.... <a href="https://www.patreon.com/b...

Did Aristotle think women need to have orgasms to get pregnant? Or that masters can be more 'slavish' than their own slave? Does Aristotle like 'ugly' animals? There is no ancient thinker who can speak more directly to the concerns and anxieties of contemporary life than can Aristotle. Olivia Fane and I deliberate Aristotle’s approach to slavery, women, and animals. We chat about how his advice te...

Paris the Pacifist? Paris just stressed, depressed and Helen obsessed? Paris the love warrior? This interview with Paris of Troy really changed my perspective on the man. He is more than the cowardly home wrecker that meets the eye. Ipso facto, Paris has some inspiring insights on women in the Homeric Age of Greece, on the gods' intervention in war, imperialism, and the greed of men. You can liste...

Apart from sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a freshwater system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us? Victor Principe and I compare and contrast religion and plagues in Ancient and Modern Rome. Ever wondered about the transition from Paganism to Christianity in the Roman Empire? Ever wondered how the Ancient Romans dealt with their equiva...

'Therapy with Frida' delves under the skin of the iconic painter. The Daughter of the Mexican revolution. We discuss her self-portraits, her relationships with Diego Rivera and Trotsky, her communism, and the fatal moments that led to her famous quote “Doctor, if you let me drink this tequila, I promise I won’t drink at my funeral.” She is entering the studio, I repeat, she is entering the studio…...

Most people know her as the wife of Oscar Wilde, but Constance was a phenomenon in her own right. She wrote many of Oscar's plays (classic,) campaigned for women's rights, and pioneered fashion designs, even inventing the divided skirt. This episode explores Constance, as an individual, and investigates why she stayed so loyal to Oscar despite his public affairs and exile from society. She is ente...

The tantalising thing about Cleopatra is that little evidence survives from century Egypt itself. So “The Cleoportrait” conquers Roman propaganda painting her as a debauched temptress using sex appeal as a political weapon. We ask her about her marriage to her brother and her relationships with Caesar and Mark Anthony right up until the Battle of Actium. She is entering the studio, I repeat, she i...

'Go hard or Go Homer' explores homosexuality in Ancient Greece;  a homosexual Utopia or Peadophile Utopia? I also get Xenophon from 430BC, an aristocratic elite, and Socrates’s best mate into the studio to ask him about this love life.

So why do Philosophers get murdered? Socrates was minding his own beeswax (kind of) before he got poisoned with Hemlock. Today we talk to Hypatia, Alexandria's preeminent philosopher, and arguably the leading mathematician in the world up to this date. 335AD Alexandria witnessed dramatic division between Christians, Jews, and Pagans and Hypatia’s story shows the dangers of religious strife that en...

Grove is in the heart explores the English language; steeped in history and bursting in character.  Do you ever hear expressions such as "Bee's Knees" and "Taste of your own medicine," and wonder what it all means? Ever been a curious George hearing words like "Gang" "Protein," and "Bungalow"?  And why do hurricanes have female names?  This episode is not appropriate for Grannies an...

And we are back with the ancient marble sculpture of Laocoön and his sons , spotted at the Swiss National Museum in an exhibition, named “The Exhausted man.” This statue is placed in comparison to Zinedine Zidane, who Cosimo Amati chats about. This sculpture depicting a man strangled by serpents has provoked rampant speculation about masculinity from Ancient to modern times. Another thrilling piec...

‘Sandals and Scandals’ is the mantra of Nefertiti from 14th century Egypt. Supposedly, this queen, priestess, wife, mother, political revolutionary, beauty icon, and maybe even pharaoh, has been shrouded in mystery and intrigue, but no longer. The Sass pot is entering the studio, I repeat, she is entering the studio…