March 2022 - The MrT Podcast Studio

Wellington’s Campaign in Portugal TH2021 10

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:55 — 33.8MB)

Season 2021 – Talk 10 – Wellington’s Campaign in Portugal and the Lines at Torres Vedras

In Wellington’s Campaign in Portugal and the Lines at Torres Vedras Peter Duffy takes us back to the Peninsular War.

Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk.

The start of the war:

The Peninsular War begins when France and Spain invade Portugal in 1807. In 1808 the French occupy Spain – their previous ally! Napoleon deposes the Spanish King and replaces him with his brother, Joseph Bonaparte.

The Convention of Cintra:

The British win a victory but the senior British Generals allow the French to return to France and re-join their army. The senior British Generals are never used again. Sir Arthur Wellesley, at that time a junior General, returns to Portugal.

Moore at Corunna:

At the time the British army is not nearly as successful as it becomes in later years. Lieutenant General John Moore becomes the senior British General in the Peninsular campaign. He repulses the French army of Marshal Soult at Corunna. The British army evacuates without Moore because he dies in the battle.

The Lines at Torres Vedras:

Wellington orders that defensive lines are built at Torres Vedras. His plan is to defeat the French here although if that does not work they can cover an evacuation.

Listen to the podcast to hear Peter tell the full story!

Please note:

This podcast is a recording of a talk on Zoom and, in places, there are a few extraneous noises and sound glitches.

For Copyright reasons it is not possible to publish illustrations from the original talk. I use alternatives where they exist.

About this podcast:

This podcast is an edited recording of a talk first given to the Farnham u3a World History Group.

The Farnham u3a site is found here.

This podcast is also available through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

AKM Music licenses Media Magazine for use as the theme music.

In and around Gloucester – UKRJ S1 Ep 06

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:55 — 14.6MB)

In and around Gloucester – UK Rail Journeys Series 1 – Episode 6

In this episode our journey continues as we travel along the Golden Valley line through Stonehouse station and on to Gloucester. We have a few hours in Gloucester whilst the crew services our train. We then take the Gloucester to Newport line for the next part of our journey.

Click on a ‘thumbnail’ to view the photographs that accompany this podcast:

More closed stations:

Dr Beeching has a lot to answer for! On our way to Stonehouse we pass through the sites of Downfield Crossing Halt, Cashes Green Halt and Ebley Crossing Halt. The three stations saw their last passengers in November 1964.

Stonehouse to Gloucester:

Stonehouse has two platforms and a ticket office. The platforms at the station could only accommodate two carriages until 2019 when they were extended.

Two miles on from Stonehouse and we cross the Cross Country route that runs from Bristol Temple Meads to York.

We next pass through the site of Haresfield Station which saw its last passengers in January 1965. As we approach Gloucester we cross the Gloucester to Newport line. We shall be taking this later.

Gloucester:

It is a beautiful afternoon. Our passengers leave the train because they have three hours to explore the city. There is a great deal to see and do in Gloucester. Whilst some head for the pubs and restaurants others visit the Cathedral and the docks. Everybody enjoys the chance to stretch their legs!

The Gloucester to Newport line:

Our passengers return in good time to rejoin our freshly serviced train. The tanks are full of water and fresh tablecloths are on the tables. In the kitchen the chefs have started to prepare the evening meal.

A toot on the whistle, a hiss of steam and we pull out of Gloucester on the first leg of our journey to Shrewsbury via Newport using the Gloucester to Newport line.

Lydney:

As we pass through the Forest of Dean we pass through Lydney station which connects with the Dean Forest Railway. You can find out more about this heritage line by listening to the podcast here.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this podcast. If so, please join me in a couple of weeks time when we continue our journey, travelling along the side of the River Severn on the Welsh Dragon.

Links:

To visit the Steam Dreams website please follow this link.

This podcast is also available through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

Music:

AKM Music has licensed Steam Railway and Festival of Dreams for use in this podcast.

From Challow to Stroud – UKRJ S1 Ep 05

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:29 — 17.8MB)

From Challow to Stroud – UK Rail Journeys Series 1 – Episode 5

In this episode we continue our journey and travel from our water stop at Challow to Stroud. Our journey takes us along the Golden Valley line.

Click on a ‘thumbnail’ to view the photographs that accompany this podcast:

Our water stop:

A steam engine needs water, lots of water. Mayflower holds over 4,000 gallons. Water comes to the engine by road tanker because there is no infrastructure to water steam locomotives on the mainline network.

The Steam Dreams operations team have worked through the night to organise the supply because yesterday the usual water supplier told them that they are no longer allowed to supply water by tanker.

Because of this we enter the siding at Challow hoping that a tanker is there …….

Onwards to Swindon:

We pass fields and the harvest is in. There is straw on the ground waiting for the bailer. The land is getting ready for ploughing and then next year’s crops.

We steam through the historic Vale of the White Horse. We pass barns in the fields and travel through the sites of long closed stations at Challow, Uffington, Shrivenham and Stratton Park Halt. All long closed memories on the line to Swindon.

Swindon:

We pass the train sidings on our way into Swindon. Urban sprawl has returned! We stop in the 1970’s station where the woodwork on the canopy needs some ‘tlc’ because the paint is peeling off.

There is a lot of Great Western Railway history associated with Swindon – the original station, the works and the growth of the town.

On to the Golden Valley line:

We leave Swindon and take the points onto the Golden Valley line towards Gloucester. Our train is now travelling through farmland again. We pass through the sites of more long closed stations at Purton, Minety & Ashton Keynes and Oaksey Halt before we reach Kemble.

The next 11 miles to Stroud:

We leave Kemble and pass through Tetbury Road Station which saw its last passengers in 1882. The Sapperton Tunnels follow; construction begins in 1839 and completes in 1845. There are now another 6 closed stations before we reach Stroud.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this podcast. If so, please join me in a couple of weeks time when we continue our journey, travelling from Stroud to Gloucester on the Welsh Dragon.

Links:

To visit the Steam Dreams website please follow this link.

This podcast is also available through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

Music:

AKM Music has licensed Steam Railway for use in this podcast.

The History of Language TH2021 09

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:18 — 61.6MB)

Season 2021 – Talk 09 – The History of Language

In The History of Language Alan Freeland explains how language developed – verbally, with the use of icons and drawings, and through the written word.

Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk.

What is language?

A good question! The word is complicated to define and different people define it in different ways.

We believe that humans have used spoken language for at least 150,000 years. What about animals? They communicate but is it language?

Writing:

The first written forms can be traced to around 10,000 years ago. From that time knowledge can be preserved, passed down through the generations. The acquisition of knowledge gets easier.

Writing can be in any direction. You can write from left to right. Or you can write from right to left. You can also write the first line is from left to right and the second from right to left. Very ergonomic as you minimise wrist and pen movement!

Language evolves, all the time:

The evolution is mainly in the hands of children and young adults. They’re the ones developing new words to describe things.

Timeline for the development of Latin script:

8500 BCE – Simple object counting tokens.
3500 BCE – Clay envelopes and complex tokens depicting different types of objects.
3330 BCE – Earliest writing. Hieroglyphs of Mesopotamia and Egypt.
2500 BCE – Mesopotamia and Syria adopt cuneiform script.
1600 BCE – Canaanites develop earliest proto-alphabet.
1300 BCE – Phoenician alphabet.
800 BCE – First Greek inscriptions.

Listen to the podcast to hear Alan explain everything as he tells the full story!

Please note:

This podcast is a recording of a talk on Zoom and, in places, there are a few extraneous noises and sound glitches.

For Copyright reasons it is not possible to publish illustrations from the original talk. I use alternatives where they exist.

About this podcast:

This podcast is an edited recording of a talk first given to the Farnham u3a World History Group.

The Farnham u3a site is found here.

This podcast is also available through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

AKM Music licenses Media Magazine for use as the theme music.