The MrT Podcast Studio

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 19 – The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles In The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles David Simpson tells us about the delegates and the decisions taken. This talk follows on from David’s talk  on the end of the First World War which you can listen to here . Please Click Here The gallery opens in a new tab . If you wish...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 18 – The End of World War 1 In The End of World War 1 David Simpson introduces us to the key people and events of 1918. To view the pictures accompanying this talk: Please Click Here The gallery opens in a new tab . If you wish to enlarge an picture please  click on the at the top right hand corner of the image. The Road to Peace The war continued until 11 a.m...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 17 – The perplexing history of colour In The perplexing history of colour as prompted by Gladstone’s analysis of Homer, to give the talk its full title, Alan Freeland tells us about how colours have been described through the ages. To view the pictures accompanying this talk: Please Click Here The gallery opens in a new tab . If you wish to enlarge an im...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 16 – Britain post 1945 In Britain post 1945 Michael A’Bear tells us about the how Britain evolved in the period between 1945 and the late 1960s. The talk focuses on the changing political landscape and its results. To view the photographs accompanying this talk: Please Click Here The gallery opens in a new tab . If you wish to enlarge an image please cli...

The Pacific Surfliner (2) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 26 To view the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click on this link to open the gallery that accompanies The Pacific Surfliner (2) : Note : to expand a picture please click on the  at the top right corner of the image. Arriving at the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego: The Pacific Surfliner (2) opens as the train reaches S...

Episode 10 – Surrey’s Wildflowering Project Welcome to Surrey’s Wildflowering Project , a podcast made as part of the Surrey’s Greener Future initiative. Surrey County Council asked people to submit ideas to help combat the climate crisis in September 2019 . They selected ten ideas from the submissions. Surrey’s Widflowering project I last met Nigel Collin in January...

The Pacific Surfliner (1) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 25 Leaving Los Angeles Union Station: The Pacific Surfliner (1) opens as I board the train. My morning has been bit fraught as I didn’t realise that you needed ID in order to buy a railway ticket! I had to go back to my hotel, grab my passport and get back to the station to get my ticket and board the train. At least I make...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 15 – Remedies of Days Past In Remedies of Days Past Lorna Thomas tells us about the remedies and supplements that her mother used. This is a talk full of the traditional cures that many of us will remember! The talk starts with hand washing, something that came back into vogue in 2020. Virol Lorna continues by telling us of a rather delightful food supplement...

The Coast Starlight (4) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 24 Santa Barbara: The Coast Starlight (4) starts as we approach Santa Barbara. We are running beside the road and I see a sign that tells me that the next nine exits are for the city. Quite a few passengers leave the train at Santa Barbara. We leave the station 53 minutes late. The conductor (guard for UK listeners) is confident tha...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 30 – Tales of Christmas Past In Tales of Christmas Past Lorna Thomas tells us how the Christmas that people celebrate today has come about. This is a talk full of the traditions of Christmas! What does Christmas mean to you? Lorna starts by asking what Christmas means to us, is it a tree with presents underneath it or does it mean the Nativity? She also explai...

The Coast Starlight (3) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 23 Descending the Cuesta Grade: The Coast Starlight (3) starts as we pass through some of the tunnels at the summit of the Cuesta Grade. We descend at a rate of 2 feet for every 100 feet forwards. Because of the incline passenger trains are limited to 30 mph and freight trains 25 mph. There are horseshoe turns where I can see both e...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 14 – Guildford in 1914 In Guildford in 1914 Michael A’Bear takes us back to the events in the town at the start of World War One. He tells us that, until close to the outbreak, most people did not expect war. How we were entertained He introduces us to some of the people who were keeping us entertained. Charlie Chaplin who had joined the Keystone Studio...

The Coast Starlight (2) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 22 South to San Jose: The Coast Starlight (2) starts with the conductor announcing that we’ll shortly arrive in San Jose. We’ve just gone through Santa Clara. As we approach San Jose we pass a Caltrain depot. Caltrain runs commuter services between San Francisco and San Jose. There is a $1.9 billion project to electrify...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 13 – The Alhambra In The Alhambra Nigel Marriott tells us about the near 800 year rule by the Moors in Spain. Invasion and conquest Tariq Ibn Ziyad invaded in 711, leading 10,000 men. They swept Roderic, the Visigoth king, aside, taking eight years to bring most of the Iberian peninsula under Islamic rule. The remaining Visigoths and Hispano Romans held out in...

The Coast Starlight (1) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 21 Emeryville: The Coast Starlight (1) starts with my arrival at Emeryville Station, bright and early, on Monday morning. I spent the weekend at the Hilton Garden Inn on the waterfront by the Bay Bridge. I can see the station from my room in the hotel. We soon learn that our train is delayed. I could have had another hour in bed. Th...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 12 – The Great Depression In The Great Depression Andrew Cole tells us about the period between 1929 and 1939. Whilst much of his talk is about the US he also tells us about the global context. Please note : this talk is from early March 2020 and is therefore from before the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic fully hit economies. What was The Great Depression...

Episode 9 – Bare and Fair Welcome to Bare and Fair , a podcast made as part of the Surrey’s Greener Future initiative. February 2020 I meet Mel, a driving force behind Bare & Fair, on a cold, wet, February day in Woking, because of this we retreat to the Café at Christ Church in the town centre for a coffee and interview. Mel explains how she and her family started trying to be mor...

The San Joaquins – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 20 Thruway service from LA to Bakersfield: The San Joaquins starts with my arrival back in LA Union Station on Saturday morning. I go to the Thruway bus terminal at the side of the station for the journey to Bakersfield. There are two Thruway busses waiting for the Bakersfield passengers. We hear the announcement for the northbound Coast S...

Exhibition of Paintings (3) Welcome to the Exhibition of Paintings (3) brought to you by the Farnham u3a Painting 1 group. The group at the start of the project. This is the third online Exhibition by the members of the Farnham u3a Painting Groups. The exhibition is of project work by Painting 1 over the past year. Painting 1 is the only group in this exhibition because this project only involves...

The Sunset Limited (8) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 19 Ontario, CA, next stop: The Sunset Limited (8) starts with us running some hours late through southern California. Our next stop is Ontario. We are well into the outskirts of Los Angeles. On our approach we pass large marshalling yards with complicated track arrangements. We pass a lumber yard followed by an industrial gases site....

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 11 – Pax Britannica Pax Britannica describes the role of the Royal Navy in the century between 1815 and 1914, where Britain acted as ‘global policeman’ The talk is given by Elizabeth Anson. She has a great personal knowledge of the Royal Navy because she is the daughter of a Rear Admiral. Her father was Flag Officer, Malta when she was born. She wa...

The Sunset Limited (7) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 18 Nearing the border town of El Paso: The Sunset Limited (7) starts in the far west of Texas as we approach El Paso. El Paso is a ‘border town’ with Mexico. We pass oil refineries, sidings and rail cars waiting to be filled to transport the oil across the US. Our stop in El Paso: We are still running some hours late and...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 10 – The Amritsar Massacre and its aftermath John Hambly tells us about the Amritsar Massacre and its aftermath . Often referred to as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre because that was the area of Amritsar where it took place in. John starts by setting the scene and telling us about the key players on both sides. Background : During the First World War the Indian...

The Sunset Limited (6) – US Rail Journeys Series 2 Episode 17 Near the Southern Border of the United States: The Sunset Limited (6) continues our journey across Texas. We are near the southern border of the US and will later start to see the agriculture made possible by the Rio Grande. The land certainly isn’t as bare as it was earlier, we pass an orchard and some ploughed fields with...

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 09 – British Art  between the Wars Peter Duffy tells us about the key contributors to British Art between the Wars . Peter starts by introducing is to Britain before the First World War. He tells us about art at that time, Artists: We are introduced to the leading artistic talents of the time. Paul Nash a British surrealist painter and war artist. He was also...