The MrT Podcast Studio

Season 2023 – Talk 05 – Wellington In Wellington Derek Sibley tells us about a few things that we might not know about the 1st Duke of Wellington. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Early life: Arthur Wesley (at this time this is the correct spelling) is the sixth of nine children born to Anne Wellesley, Countess of Mornington and Garret Wesley...

Overnight from Los Angeles to Tucson – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 20 In ‘Overnight from Los Angeles to Tucson ‘ I travel through the night on the first leg of my journey to Chicago. We depart on time from Union Station in LA and arrive in Tucson the next morning, 30 minutes early, whilst I’m having breakfast. To view the photographs for this podcast: Please click on...

Season 2023 – Talk 04 – Secrets of the Farnham Workhouse In Secrets of the Farnham Workhouse Ian Wallace tells us a story that is not for the faint hearted. He reveals the workings of the Farnham Workhouse in the nineteenth century. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Good Intentions: In the mid-19th Century Farnham is a prosperous town. Histori...

Los Angeles – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 19 Los Angeles is an amazing city that I am visiting for the second time. To view the photographs for this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: New Orleans to Los Angeles: Another day, another Uber! This time I’m travelling to the New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport for my journey to Los Angeles. I am fl...

Season 2023 – Talk 03 – Pets in History In Pets in History Alan Freeland tells us a story that starts with the ‘ hunter gatherers ‘ and ends in the 20th Century. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Domestication: Alan considers the effects of domestication on the previously wild animals. Dogs are good when hunting and guarding whilst...

Longue Vue Garden in New Orleans – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 18 In Longue Vue Garden in New Orleans I visit the amazing garden created by Edith and Edgar Stern. To view the photographs for this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Getting to Longue Vue: I take an Uber from my hotel, the French Market Inn , in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The driver has to f...

Season 2023 – Talk 02.4 – Mail Rail In Mail Rail Tim Davies tells us about a railway that had no passengers until after it closed. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. A railway with no passengers: Deep beneath London’s choked streets there’s a six and a half mile railway. Operating for 19 hours a day from 1927 to 2003 with no drivers...

We reach New Orleans on The Crescent – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 17 In We reach New Orleans on The Crescent this section of my journey comes to an end as we reach New Orleans after midnight. To view the photographs for this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: South of Meridian: This episode begins after we leave the station at Meridian. We are running over an ho...

Season 2023 – Talk 02.3 – The Camel In The Camel Richard Thomas tells us about the importance of the ‘Ship of the Desert’ throughout history. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. The Ship of the Desert : The camel has shipped slaves, salt and gold across the Sahara desert and shipped spices from Asia for many centuries. The Silk Roads...

From east of Leeds to Meridian on The Crescent – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 16 From east of Leeds to Meridian on The Crescent continues my journey as we  travel, with many unscheduled stops, towards New Orleans on  The Crescent . To view the photographs for this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Leeds: This is not the Leeds of my University days! Instead this i...

Season 2023 – Talk 02.2 – The Railways In The Railways Roger Hobbs tells two stories. First he talks about the development of the railways of Britain and then he tells us about the Great Western Railway. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. The birth of the railways : Many take 1825 as the birth date of Britain’s railways because the Stockt...

Atlanta to beyond Pell City on The Crescent – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 15 Atlanta to beyond Pell City on The Crescent continues my journey as we slowly travel towards Birmingham on  The Crescent enroute to New Orleans. To view the photographs for this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Leaving Atlanta: We are 49 minutes late as we pull out of the station. Our...

Season 2023 – Talk 02.1 – The Orient Express In The Orient Express Margaret Denyer tells the story of this luxury train over the last 150 years. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Georges Nagelmackers : Margaret starts by telling us about this Belgian civil engineer and businessman who travels to the United States where he experiences Pullman c...

We reach Atlanta on The Crescent – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 14 We reach Atlanta on The Crescent continues my journey both through the night and into the morning, as we travel towards Atlanta on  The Crescent on my journey towards New Orleans. To view the photographs for this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Greensboro: We are late and so it is very dark as w...

Season 2023 – Talk 01 – The Portuguese Empire In The Portuguese Empire Richard Thomas tells the story of Europe’s first, longest and also last Empire. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Voyages of Discovery: Henry the Navigator is the key. He finances and sends explorers into the unknown. This is a time when perceived wisdom, or religion,...

Washington to Danville on The Crescent – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 13 Washington to Danville on The Crescent continues my journey into the evening on  The Crescent as we travel towards New Orleans. To view the photographs for this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Washington: We change locomotives in Washington and say goodbye to the Amtrak Cities Sprinter ( S...

Season 2022 – Talk 20 – Robin Hood In  Robin Hood David Simpson tries to answer the question as to whether he is fact or fiction. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Who? David tells us of a number of people who could have been the model of the legendary leader who robs the rich to give to the poor. These, either individually or as a group,...

Philadelphia to Washington on The Crescent – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 12 In ‘ Philadelphia to Washington on The Crescent’ I continue my journey 0n  The Crescent as we travel towards New Orleans. To view the photographs for this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Philadelphia: The Dining Car staff are making up boxes whilst we wait in Philadelphia f...

Season 2022 – Talk 19 – 19th Century Colonialism – did the National Trust get it right? In  19th Century Colonialism – did the National Trust get it right? Peter Duffy discusses how the spread of the ‘Anglo’ communities was different to previous centuries. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. His own experience: He tells u...

Moynihan Train Hall and I join The Crescent – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 11 In ‘ Moynihan Train Hall and I join The Crescent’ I take a good look at the wonderful new facility at New York’s Penn Station. I then board The Crescent for the journey to New Orleans. To view the photographs for this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Moynihan Train Ha...

Season 2022 – Talk 18 – Tea in Literature In Tea in Literature Sue Willson talks about the use of tea in novels over the past couple of centuries. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Morse: Sue’s first story isn’t from a book, instead she looks at the Morse episode ‘Twilight of the Gods’. She isn’t sure whether the...

We arrive into Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 10 In ‘ We arrive into Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station’ the Silver Star completes our journey from Miami to New York. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Leaving Wilmington: We travel through an industrial area after leaving Wil...

17th to 30th April – MrT’s Gardening Year – Episode 2023 05 In ‘ 17th to 30th April’ MrT reports on two weeks of activity in the garden. To view the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: It’s a late spring: One of the joys in MrT’s year is when the beech hedge starts to come into leaf. The pale green leav...

From Washington to Wilmington – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 9 In ‘ From Washington to Wilmington’ the Silver Star travels through the Federal centre of the United States and into Delaware. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Across the Potomac: As we cross the Potomac River, we can see the Pentagon and Arlington...

10th to 16th April – MrT’s Gardening Year – Episode 2023 04 In ‘ 10th to 16th April’ there is changeable weather in the garden with very heavy rain early in the week. To view the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Tuesday, April 11th: MrT puts his Sweet Pea seedlings in the cold frame to harden off. Once he feels...