The MrT Podcast Studio

Season 2022 – Talk 17 – Being Left Handed in History In Being Left Handed in History Margaret Denyer tells us about the trials and tribulations of left handed people throughout history. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Introduction: Margaret is a ‘leftie’ herself and that drives her interest in this topic. She tells us that it isn...

Through Virginia to Alexandria – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 8 In ‘ Through Virginia to Alexandria’ the Silver Star travels through 220 miles of Virginia. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Into Virginia: Soon after leaving Rocky Mount we enter Virginia. The first town that we pass through is Emporia which has...

April 3rd to Easter – MrT’s Gardening Year – Episode 2023 03 In ‘ April 3rd to Easter’ MrT’s week in his garden is punctuated by rain. To view the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Tuesday, April 4th: A cold night with a frost first thing. The sun comes out and there are bees and butterflies gathering necta...

Through North Carolina from Cary to Rocky Mount – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 7 In ‘ Through North Carolina from Cary to Rocky Mount’ the Silver Star travels through 79 miles of North Carolina. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Cary: Today Cary is served by the Silver Star ,  Carolinian  and  Piedmont services...

March 27th to April 2nd – MrT’s Gardening Year – Episode 2023 02 In ‘ March 27th to April 2nd’ we join MrT  in his garden as Spring marches forward rapidly. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Monday, March 27th: MrT starts his day by going into the greenhouse because he wants to see how things are progres...

Season 2022 – Talk 15 – Thomas Lipton In Thomas Lipton we hear the second of Jo Watson’s talks with the theme ‘some inherit wealth, others create their own fortunes’ . Thomas Lipton is a classic story of a ‘self made man’. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Family and early years: The Liptons were longstanding smal...

March 20th to 26th – MrT’s Gardening Year – Episode 2023 01 In ‘ March 20th to 26th’ we follow MrT as he prepares his garden for the Spring. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Monday, March 20th: This series starts on the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. For many this is the first day of spring....

Through the Night from Palatka to Southern Pines – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 6 As ‘ Through the Night from Palatka to Southern Pines’ begins I’m sat with other passengers in the dining car where the crew are working hard to keep people fed. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Palatka: Palatka station dat...

Season 2022 – Talk 14 – Waldorf Astor In Waldorf Astor we hear the first of Jo Watson’s talks with the theme ‘some inherit wealth, others create their own fortunes’ . Waldorf Astor is from one of the wealthiest families in the world. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Family: John Jacob Astor moves from Germany to America. He...

From Tampa to DeLand via Lakeland- US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 5 As ‘ From Tampa to DeLand via Lakeland’ begins we are starting on our return journey to Lakeland from Tampa. We are just about on schedule! View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Lakeland: Our return to the station, on the northern shore of Lake Mirror , co...

Season 2022 – Talk 13 – The East India Company In The East India Company Alan Freeland explains why he believes that the company was so important for Britain. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Foundation: The company is founded in 1600, under a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth 1, to trade in the Indian Ocean area. They take this to be anywhe...

From Sebring to Tampa – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 4 As ‘ From Sebring to Tampa’ begins we hear that we are 40 minutes from our next stop. At least the scenery has started to improve! Our route takes us past fields….. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Sebring: We stop at Sebring Station which was constr...

Season 2022 – Talk 12 – 5 Villains from History In 5 Villains from History our five speakers explain the villany of these characters who are responsible for many deaths, often in unpleasant ways. Warning : the details may be upsetting to some. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Vlad III: In the first part of this talk Jenny Staple tells us abou...

The journey begins….. – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 3 As ‘ The journey begins…..’ we pull out of Amtrak’s Miami station. Our train is longer than usual because it includes carriages for the suspended Silver Meteor service. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: My first breaker’s yard: As we...

Season 2022 – Talk 11 – John Churchill – the First Duke of Marlborough In John Churchill – the First Duke of Marlborough David Simpson explains why many believe that he was Britain’s greatest general. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Childhood: He is the second, and surviving, son of the first Sir Winston Churchill. His fath...

Miami – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 2 In Miami I stay at the DoubleTree Grand, Biscayne Bay, visit the Miami Beach Botanical Garden and travel to Amtrak’s Miami station to join the Silver Star. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: Getting to the Miami Beach Botanical Garden: I have a good night’s sleep at the Dou...

Season 2022 – Talk 10 – The Hanseatic League In The Hanseatic League Richard Thomas tells us the amazing story of this operation which controlled much of the trade between northern European countries from the late 13th to the late 17th Century. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Introduction: The Northern Crusades lead to the Germans settling i...

From London to Miami – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 1 From London to Miami charts my journey from the Premier Inn near Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport to the DoubleTree Grand, Biscayne Bay in Miami. View the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: To Terminal 5: Because of a rail strike on the 23rd June I decide to stay overnight at the P...

Season 2022 – Talk 09 – Inclosure Inclosure – or in today’s spelling Enclosure – is a talk where Gillian Devine tells us about the effects of Inclosure on society. She takes the example of the Inclosure of parts of the Manor of Farnham. What does ‘Inclosure’ mean? Inclosure is the process where land that had previously been open to anyone became private pr...

Season 2022 – Talk 08 – Farnham in the Civil War In Farnham in the Civil War Pam Taylor tells why Farnham was of significant importance during the first English Civil War. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. At the crossing of two major roads: The first of the roads is the North / South route running from Southampton to London via Bagshot and cr...

The Isle of Wight with the LTM Friends In the Isle of Wight with the LTM Friends I take a trip organised by the London Transport Museum Friends to the Isle of Wight. The trip is in late February 2022 on a beautiful, sunny, day. Click on a ‘thumbnail’ to view the photographs for this podcast: Waterloo to Portsmouth and Southsea: I have an early start to get to Waterloo where I collect m...

Season 2022 – Talk 07 – The Real American Indians In The Real American Indians Alan Bridgman tells us how the Native Americans were persecuted and driven from their lands because of the greed of the white settlers in the 19th century. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Black Kettle of the Cheyenne: A prominent leader of the southern Cheyenne du...

Season 2022 – Talk 04 – Six Inventors In Six Inventors , six members of the Farnham u3a World History Group tell us the stories of six amazing people. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Jethro Tull: Lorna Thomas tells us the fascinating story of Jethro Tull, an English agriculturist. He is born in 1674 in Berkshire. Jethro trains as a lawyer al...

Season 2022 – Talk 03 – No one expects… In the talk  No one expects… the story of three Bishops , Peter Duffy tells us about how the English Protestant Reformation affected the lives of three Bishops. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Henry VIII: Henry grows tired of Catherine of Aragon who, after nearly 24 years of marriage, has o...

Season 2022 – Talk 02 – Samuel Pepys In the talk  Samuel Pepys Judith Edge tells about one of her heroes, a man who lived through many perils in his 70 years. Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk. Perilous times: Judith tells us about the perils that stood waiting for people in the 17th Century. In the case of Samuel Pepys there are more perils th...