May 2023 - The MrT Podcast Studio

MRTGY Ep05 17th to 30th April

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:43 — 12.6MB)

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 leaves are soft and delicate at this stage which makes them susceptible to late frosts. Beech hedges also provide environmental benefits.

The large cooking apple tree is late blossoming. Last year it was in full blossom by the 16th April however this year it doesn’t blossom until the 30th. MrT wonders whether that will affect the crop.

This year the flowering cherry beats the apple into blossom!

Compost:

It is time to sieve the compost from the compost bins that are used for garden waste. There is less than usual because the hot, dry, summer last year resulted in less cut grass.

The fine compost, after sieving, goes into a compost mixture that MrT uses for pot plants and the surplus will be spread on the flower borders. MrT uses the coarse matter that doesn’t go through the sieve as a mulch on his raspberries and fruit bushes.

A major benefit of this home made compost is because it is ‘peat free‘ and therefore environmentally friendly.

The greenhouse:

It is full to the brim! MrT needs to start moving some plants outside to harden off. The herbs are the first to go outside. MrT moves these to an area that is protected from frost.

MrT moves his tomato plants from the house to the greenhouse prior to putting them in ‘peat free’ growing bags.

The petunia seeds are germinating and there is life in the capsicum tray!

Next up:

I hope that you’ve enjoyed joining MrT in the garden. Please keep your eyes open for the next episode.

Links:

Many resources to help you in the garden can be found on the RHS website. You’ll find information on all aspects of gardening and news about their five wonderful gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Bridgewater (Salford), Harlow Carr (Harrogate), Hyde Hall (Essex) and Rosemoor (Devon).

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

Music:

AKM Music licenses the theme Horticulture for use in this podcast.

USRJ S3 Ep 09 Washington to Wilmington

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:00 — 15.6MB)

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 National Cemetery on the Virginia side. The 383 mile long river forms part of the borders between Maryland, Washington, Virginia and West Virginia.

Through Federal Washington:

We pass the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, where all currency and postage stamps are produced. ‘Official’ Washington and the Capitol quickly follow. We then travel through a tunnel under the Capitol on our approach to Washington Union Station.

Washington Union Station:

It is goodbye to our diesel locomotive because an electric Siemens ACS-64, known as an Amtrak Cities Sprinter, joins the train to take us the rest of the way.

Washington Union Station originally opened in 1907. It is Amtrak’s headquarters and their second-busiest station. The annual ridership is just over 5 million.

The station is the southern terminus of the Northeast Corridor, an electrified line that goes north through Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and on to Boston. It’s the busiest passenger railway line in the US.

The high-speed Acela Express, the Northeast Regional and several long-distance trains, including the Capitol Limited, Crescent, and Silver Service trains use the station.

Baltimore:

About an hour after leaving Washington we reach this major seaport. It is named after Lord Baltimore, founding proprietor of the Maryland Colony. It is the largest city in Maryland.

We approach the station from the south through the two-track, 7,660-foot Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel. The tunnel, opened in 1873, has a 30 mph limit, sharp curves, and steep grades. Because of this it is one of the North East Corridor’s worst bottlenecks.

Amtrak owns Penn Station which is the eighth-busiest railway station in the United States. It serves nine of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor services. Because the tunnel bore is too small double deck Superliner railcars can’t use it.

In 2019 passenger numbers were 1,043,542 across the 9 Amtrak services.

Wilmington Station:

Built in 1907 as Pennsylvania Station, the station was renamed in 2011 after Joe Biden because ‘Amtrak Joe’ frequently took the train from Wilmington to Washington, D.C. when he was a Senator .

Passenger numbers rose to over 705,259 in 2019.

Next up:

If you enjoy these podcasts please join me in a couple of weeks for the final part of my journey on the Silver Star to New York.

Links:

To visit the Amtrak 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 licenses Steam Railway and Joseph McDade licenses Backplate for use in this podcast.

MRTGY Ep04 10th to 16th April

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:54 — 9.1MB)

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 that they can withstand the weather they’ll go into large containers where they’ll spend the summer.

Because the weather is wet this afternoon MrT spends time in the greenhouse. It is time to tidy up the Geraniums that have been in pots over the winter. They are starting to grow rapidly and so he cuts out the dead parts of the plants and also takes cuttings because they root rapidly at this time of year.

Thursday, 13th April:

There are a number of the flamboyant Amaryllis plants growing in the greenhouse. More correctly these are Hippeastrum which originated in South America. MrT has a number of these, the parent and then bulbs that have come from the parent. It is time to take them into the house to flower.

The raspberry rows in the fruit cage need weeding. MrT only grows the Autumn fruiting raspberry Joan J because it is an early autumn fruiting variety with very large fruits. It is spineless, heavy cropping, stores well when frozen and tastes wonderful when just picked.

A Robin keeps MrT company as he weeds the rows because he is able to pounce on any interesting morsels that I unearth.

Saturday, 15th April:

The Petunias are starting to germinate because MrT can see very small plants colouring the vermiculite green. Let’s hope the slugs don’t get them.

The Tulips that have been planted in the border are now at their best. The yellow ones perform very well. These were first in pots and then, each year, move to the border after flowering. They get no care during the year!

Sunday, April 16th:

This year the Clivea, which MrT moved inside a few weeks ago, are flowering wonderfully.

Next up:

I hope that you’ve enjoyed joining MrT in the garden. Please keep your eyes open for the next gardening week.

Links:

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

Music:

AKM Music licenses the theme Horticulture for use in this podcast.

TH2022 Ep17 Left Handed in History

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:37 — 22.5MB)

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’t easy to identify left handed people in history because there are no indisputable records. The paintings of historical people are not always truthful.

Research shows that lefthanders make up 10% of the population but 20% of Mensa members.

People are made to write with their right hand until well into the 20th Century!

In history:

In the time of early ‘man’ research suggests a slight right handed majority with around 56% chiselling right handed.

History frowns on Left handers. Language, civilisation and beliefs give us clues. Ancient language has words for ‘Right’ but not for ‘Left’. A taboo?

‘Right’ also means correct and fair whereas ‘Left’ is sinister, unlucky, clumsy and treacherous. The ‘Right hand of the Gods’ is for healing and good whereas the left is for curses!

Medieval Europe accuses left handed people of witchcraft and consorting with the devil. Paintings of Joan of Arc show her as left handed. Are they true? In some societies left handed women might not be able to marry.

Tools and Machines:

Many tools and machines suit right handed people. In the hands of a left handed person they can be dangerous to both the user and those around them.

Education:

For many years education has a bias towards right handed people. Sometimes teachers tie a school child’s left hand to the back of the chair to force them to write with their right hand. The inkwell in the desk is also on the right making it difficult to write with the left hand.

Listen to the podcast and hear Margaret tell the full story.

About this podcast:

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

It is not always possible to use all of the images in the original talk for copyright reasons.

The Farnham u3a site is 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.

USRJ S3 Ep 08 Through Virginia to Alexandria

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:48 — 18.1MB)

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 been a transport crossroads for many years.

The town became a city in 1967. A major north-south CSX railway line crosses a Norfolk Southern east-west line in Emporia and for those who prefer traffic jams U.S. Route 58 crosses Emporia east-west and Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 301 cross north-south.

Petersburgh:

Just under 100 miles from Rocky Mount we reach our first stop at Petersburgh. We’re running late!

The station is also known as Ettrick station because it is outside Petersburgh and dates from 1955. Passenger numbers in 2021 were 21,476.

Richmond, Virginia:

Another 30 miles we reach Richmond in Virginia. The station is about 5 miles north of downtown as it replaces the old downtown station in 1975.

As I travel through, in July 2022, the station serves nine routes with 18 daily trains. All of these travel north to Washington Union Station and New York Pennsylvania Station with some continuing to Boston’s South Station.

Staples Mill Road is the busiest Amtrak station in 2018 in Virginia with 373,800 passengers.

Alexandria Union Station:

We continue on our northward jouney, past the US Marine Corps base and FBI Academy in Quantico as we travel along the Potomac River.

In Alexandria the original station, a one-story brick building completed in 1905, is still in use. Unlike most stations from the era, it is in the Federal Revival style. The stone and concrete Veterans of Foreign Wars memorial dates from 1940.

Next up:

If you enjoy these podcasts please join me in a couple of weeks for the next part of my journey on the Silver Star to New York.

Links:

To visit the Amtrak 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 licenses Steam Railway and 50’s Woogie Mood for use in this podcast.