The MrT Podcast Studio

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 03 a – Robert Baden-Powell Michael A’Bear tells us about the life of Robert Baden-Powell. We learn that he was born in Paddington in 1857. His father taught geometry at Oxford. Robert was the fifth of the six children borne by his mother. His mother was the daughter of an Admiral and the niece of a General. Baden-Powell didn’t excel in lessons at s...

Episode 5 – Surrey’s Greener Future (5) Welcome to the Surrey’s Greener Future (5) podcast made as part of the Surrey’s Greener Future initiative. We start with the great news that the  ‘Green Lungs of Stoughton’ project has received a grant of over £12,500 from the Pocket Parks funding programme.  This will enable them to start planting trees. You can find out...

The Southwest Chief part 3 – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 4 From Albuquerque to Las Vegas, New Mexico The Southwest Chief part 3 starts as we leave Albuquerque. We stopped in Albuquerque for enough time for everyone to have a decent ‘air’ break. It is a beautiful day as we return to the desert. The total journey is advertised as taking 40+ hours – click  here for more...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 02 – The Scramble for Africa and the Winds of Change Richard Thomas tells us about the Scramble for Africa which took place over a short period at the end of the nineteenth century. He then goes on to tell us about the Winds of Change leading to African states gaining independence in the twentieth century. In 1880 the European powers controlled around 10% of t...

The Southwest Chief part 2 – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 3 From San Bernardino to Albuquerque The Southwest Chief part 2 starts as we leave San Bernardino. Night has fallen and I retire to my Roomette to sleep. The total journey is advertised as taking 40+ hours – click  here for more details.  There are frequent delays to long distance passenger trains as freight takes priority...

Episode 4 – Farnham Repair Cafe Welcome to the Farnham Repair Cafe podcast made as part of the Surrey’s Greener Future initiative. I visited the January session of the Farnham Repair Cafe . The project has been running in Farnham since 2015. People bring broken items along for repair. The repairers have a 65% success rate. The Repair Cafe concept started in the Netherlands. There are n...

The Southwest Chief part 1 – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 2 I spend some time investigating the history of Los Angeles Union Station in the Southwest Chief part 1 . This magnificent building was the last of the Union stations to be built. Find out more about Union station here. I then went to my platform to board the Southwest Chief for the 2,265 mile journey to Chicago. The journey is...

Episode 28 – Life on the Watercress Line – Watercress People (4) Welcome to Watercress People (4), where I interview three of the many people who make the Watercress Line the great experience that it is. Sandra Johnson Sandra tells me that she and her husband were at a loose end, saw an advertisement and, liking steam trains, volunteered 31 years ago. She has been manager of the very p...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 01 – The London Underground The talk by Tim Davies on the London Underground is the first talk of the 2019 / 2020 year. Tim tells us London before the Underground. Walkers ran the risk of unpleasantness from above and around their feet because people emptied chamber pots from above and horses and cattle on the streets also generated a great deal of compostable...

From London to LA – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 1 I travelled from Heathrow to Los Angeles in From London to LA . I flew with British Airways from their flagship Terminal 5 on a Boeing 787 ‘Dreamliner’. The flight to took nearly 11 1/2 hours. Find out more about flying with BA here. I took the FlyAway bus from the airport to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. This bus s...

Steam Dreams 20th Anniversary follows a special steam train journey from London to Yeovil Junction on 17th December 2019. 350 passengers joined the train for the journey. The LMS locomotive the Duchess of Sutherland hauled the train . The route ran from Victoria Station to Yeovil Junction, stopping at Woking, Salisbury and Sherborne on the way. The original train, on 16th December 1999, ran from W...

Season 2018 / 2019 – Talk 16 D – Aethelstan David Simpson’s talk on Aethelstan is the last in a series of four short talks given at the end of the Summer ‘Term’ to the Farnham U3A World History Group. David tells us that he is a forgotten King from the Dark Ages. Aethelstan was the first King of the English! As late as the Elizabethan age he was seen as a hero in stag...

Episode 27 – Life on the Watercress Line – Some Leave at Christmas (2)? Listen to Some Leave at Christmas (2) to find out about a great way of spending  Boxing Day and the 27th December . If you’d like a break from the relatives, or just need some exercise and air, then  go along to the Watercress Line and join in the fun. Christmas Leave is where you have the opportunity to trav...

Episode 26 – Life on the Watercress Line – Some Leave at Christmas (1)? Do you fancy some leave at Christmas? Would you like a break from the relatives? Need some air? Then visit the Watercress Line for Christmas Leave, where you’ll have the opportunity to travel with servicemen and their families. With Christmas just over, those who had leave for Christmas are travelling back to...

Season 2018 / 2019 – Talk 16 C – The Chinese Art of Dissent Alan Freeland’s talk on The Chinese Art of Dissent is the third in a series of four short talks given at the end of the Summer ‘Term’ to the Farnham U3A World History Group. The first part of the talk looks at the ‘scholar’ officials of the Ming Dynasty. Alan tells of the importance of scholarship...

Episode 3 – Surrey’s Greener Future – Workshop 2 Welcome to the Surrey’s Greener Future – Workshop 2 podcast. In September 2019 Surrey County Council invited individuals and local groups to submit ideas to help combat the climate crisis. Ten ideas were then selected from the submissions. The Surrey’s Greener Future – Workshop 2 podcast is about the second...

Episode 24 – Canadian Pacific update part 2 Welcome to the Canadian Pacific update part 2, where I talk to Becky Peacock about the progress made to the boiler and Bulleid coaches over the past year. The project is to restore the Merchant Navy class locomotive, number 35005, Canadian Pacific and two coaches. Oliver Bulleid  designed the Merchant Navy class locomotives for the Southern Railway...

Season 2018 / 2019 – Talk 16 B – Handel in London Ian Wallace’s talk Handel in London is the second in a series of four short talks given to the Farnham U3A World History Group. Ian’s talk charts the life of George Frederick Handel from his arrival in London until his death. As a young man Handel travelled to Italy. He had composed his first opera by the age of 24. He then...

Episode 2 – Farnham’s Pollution Challenge Welcome to the Farnham’s Pollution Challenge  podcast. In October 2019 Jeremy Hunt and the Farnham Herald newspaper co-hosted a Pollution Summit . Farnham is an historic market town at the far west of Surrey, on the border with Hampshire. The town is some 34 miles from London and is surrounded by rolling hills. The town suffers badly from...

Episode 1 – Surrey’s Greener Future – Pilot Welcome to the Surrey’s Greener Future – Pilot podcast. In September 2019 Surrey County Council invited both individuals to submit ideas to help combat the climate crisis. Ten ideas were then selected from the submissions. The Surrey’s Greener Future – Pilot podcast is about the workshop to kick-start these proje...

Episode 23 – Canadian Pacific update part 1 Welcome to the Canadian Pacific update part 1, where I talk to Becky Peacock about the progress made over the past year. The project is mainly about the restoration of the Merchant Navy class locomotive, number 35005, Canadian Pacific . Oliver Bulleid  designed the class  for the Southern Railway  early in the Second World War. These locomotives ha...

Season 2018 / 2019 – Talk 16 A – In the Blood Andrew Cole’s talk In the Blood is the first in a series of four short talks given to the Farnham U3A World History Group. Andrew’s talk is about the influence that parents have on the careers chosen by their children. He starts by asking the question ‘to what extent are eminent composers from professional musician familie...

Episode 22 – Spring Steam Gala 2019 Welcome to Spring Steam Gala 2019, where we look at the attractions for this special weekend. London Transport 0-6-0 Pannier Tank L92 This loco was originally a Great Western class 5700 tank engine. The GWR and BR built 863 of these locomotives between 1929 and 1950. The class was designated as light goods and shunting engines. They were also used for pass...

Episode 21 – Life on the Watercress Line – Watercress People (3) Welcome to Watercress People (3), where I have the opportunity to interview some of the many people who make the Watercress Line the experience it is. Jim Russell – The Early Years Jim joined the Watercress Line on 25th August 1973, soon after he left school. He travelled around on his first moped. Jim and the other...

Season 2018 / 2019 – Talk 14 A – Spending a Penny Spending a Penny (A) is the first part of the talk by Tim Davies. The organisers of the Great Exhibition appoint George Jennings to provide the ‘necessary convenience’ for the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park. He installed ‘monkey closets’ used by over 827,000 visitors. The charge? One penny! Visitors got a clean se...