October 2018 - The MrT Podcast Studio

Talking History with Farnham U3A – The Boer War and other Colonial Adventures – part A – S2018/9 02A

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:24 — 20.5MB)

In the first part of the Boer War and Other Colonial Adventures Richard Thomas starts by talking about the Colonial tensions in southern Africa. He discusses parts played by the key players in the lead up to the war and their different viewpoints.

He covers the Boer sieges of Ladysmith, Kimberley and Mafeking and the difficulties that the British Army, initially led by Redvers Buller, had in relieving Ladysmith and the defeat of the British Army at Spion Kop.

These talks are split into sections of around 20 minutes to make them more convenient to listen to.

Click on a graphic to open the gallery:

Please note: It has not been possible to include all the graphics used in the original talk due to copyright considerations.

The Farnham U3A site is at Farnham U3A Home Page.

The music Media Magazine used in this podcast is licensed from AKM Music.

Talking History with Farnham U3A – The Boer War and other Colonial Adventures – part B – S2018/9 02B

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:51 — 21.8MB)

In the second part of his talk on the Boer War and other Colonial Adventures Richard Thomas discusses the replacement of Redvers Buller by Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener.

The arrival of these two new Army leaders brings a much tougher regime for conducting the war with a scorched earth policy as a response to the Boer guerrilla warfare, the building of armed blockhouses and the introduction of concentration camps for Boer civilians.

Richard points out that the disregard for the health of the internees by the Roberts and Kitchener was equalled by their disregard for the welfare of their soldiers. Things only improved for the civilian prisoners when the responsibility for the management of the camps was handed over to Milner.

This was all a PR disaster and although Britain won the war it lost the peace.

These talks are split into sections of around 20 minutes to make them more convenient to listen to.

Click on a graphic to open the gallery:

Please note: It has not been possible to include all the graphics used in the original talk due to copyright considerations.

The Farnham U3A site is at Farnham U3A Home Page.

The music Media Magazine used in this podcast is licensed from AKM Music.

Talking History with Farnham U3A – The Boer War and other Colonial Adventures – part C – S2018/9 02C

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:23 — 17.7MB)

In the third part of his talk, the Boer War and other Colonial Adventures, Richard Thomas discusses some of the other adventures that took place during the scramble for Africa. The scramble for Africa took place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The adventures discussed include:

The Fourth Anglo-Ashanti War.
The Anglo-Zanzibari War – the shortest war in history!
The punitive Benin Expedition.
The Fifth Anglo-Ashanti War.

These talks are split into sections of around 20 minutes to make them more convenient to listen to.

Click on a graphic to open the gallery:

Please note: It has not been possible to include all the graphics used in the original talk due to copyright considerations.

The Farnham U3A site is at Farnham U3A Home Page.

The music Media Magazine used in this podcast is licensed from AKM Music.

The Canadian Pacific Restoration Project – part 1

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:55 — 18.2MB)

The Canadian Pacific restoration project, often called the CanPac project, concerns the restoration of the Merchant Navy class locomotive, number 35005, Canadian Pacific.

The Merchant Navy class was designed by Oliver Bulleid for the Southern Railway early in the Second World War. The locomotive brought together many innovations from across the world – some worked well, others didn’t!

Oliver Bulleid was a very persuasive person; this allowed him to produce such an innovative design.

Canadian Pacific was the fifth locomotive to be built at the Eastleigh works in 1941 and entered service on 13 January 1942. She worked hard on passenger and freight trains during the war and after the war the Merchant Navy class were used on boat trains to Southampton and on ‘named’ express trains such as the Bournemouth Belle.

The Merchant Navy class were very heavy locomotives weighing 97 tons and this meant they couldn’t work services past Exeter. A smaller ‘light Pacific’ class (with, for example, smaller boilers) evolved from the Merchant Navy class and retained many of their novel features. Although one type of locomotive they are often referred to as two classes – the West Country class and the Battle of Britain class.

The Merchant Navy locomotives (and the West Country / Battle of Britain locomotives) originally had an ‘air smoothed’ casing resulting in the nickname Spam Cans. This was removed during a major rebuilding programme in the late 1950s where some of the unique features were replaced with more standard designs.

On 15th May 1965 Canadian Pacific, pulling a Bournemouth express, reached 105 m.p.h whilst travelling down Winchester Bank.

Sadly she was withdrawn from service later in 1965.

Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery:

My thanks to Becky for her time and the members of the team at the Watercress Line for making these podcasts possible.

To visit the Watercress Line website please follow this link Watercress Line

Join us in two weeks for our second podcast about the restoration project for the Merchant Navy class locomotive ‘Canadian Pacific’. This express locomotive is the pride of the Watercress Line fleet. To visit the Canadian Pacific project page please follow this link Canadian Pacific project pages.

Full size copies of the photographs taken by MrT are available from Flickr, Facebook and some through Instagram.

The music Steam Railway used in this podcast is licensed from AKM Music. The recording of the locomotive is from material published by the Watercress Line.

The Grand Prix de Farnham – October 2018

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:17 — 56.8MB)

The Grand Prix de Farnham took place in October 2018 to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Mike Hawthorn winning the Formula 1 World Championship.

On 19 October 1958 the Moroccan Grand Prix was held on a circuit near Casablanca. This was the only time that Morocco has hosted a world championship Grand Prix.

Mike Hawthorn driving a Ferrari was in pole position but the race was won by Stirling Moss driving a Vanwall with Mike Hawthorn in second place. Mike’s second place secured him the world championship by one point making him the first British Formula One champion ever.

Having become Formula One world champion the Farnham Flyer, as he was known, retired from motor racing.

John Michael Hawthorn had come a long way since his birth on 10 April 1929 in Mexborough in what was then the West Riding of Yorkshire.

At the age of two his parents had moved to open the Tourist Trophy garage in Farnham, the town where Mike remained for the rest of his life.

The people of Farnham celebrated with cars from Mike Hawthorn’s era driving through the centre of town on a wet Sunday afternoon.

The event was organised by the Friends of Mike Hawthorn and the website for the event is at Mike Hawthorn GP de Farnham where you’ll find lots of information about the day.

The organisers would like to thank the the owners and drivers of the 86 cars that took part, the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club, the Jaguar Drivers Club, the Hedgehogs and the Hants and Berks Motor Club for providing marshalls. Thanks also go to the Unity Support Riders for their help and to Zara and the team at Farnham Maltings.

Full size copies of the photographs are available from Flickr, Facebook and some through Instagram.

Click on a thumbnail to open the gallery.

The music Fast Lanes is used under licence from AKM Music.

US Rail Journeys – Coast Starlight through the Cascades – Series 1 Episode 4

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:22 — 19.6MB)

The Coast Starlight through the Cascades continues as the train travels northwards . The first stop in this episode is at Chemult station. In 2017 the station hosts 10,500 passengers.

I meet interesting people to interview as the journey continues through stunning scenery. We pass the upper reaches of the Willamette River and then Lookout Lake, a reservoir dating from the 1950s.

We reach the farmland of the Willamette valley as we progress towards Eugene Station. Eugene is a busy station, used by over 98,000 passengers in 2016. We have an air break on the platform – its been a good few hours since we breathed natural air! The addicts light up!

After the short break we continue north to Amtrak’s westernmost station at Albany which hosts the Coast Starlight and the Cascades services. In 2017 the station sees nearly 34,000 passengers.

North of Albany we reach Salem. The Southern Pacific Railroad station is in the Beaux Arts style and dates from 1918. 2017 sees passenger numbers increase to 63,300.

The journey continues past the paper mills of Oregon City and on to Portland Union Station used by nearly 600,000 passengers in 2017. I disembark from the train which continues to Seattle. I’m going to spend a couple of days in Portland before joining the Empire Builder to Chicago.

Join us in two weeks for episode 5 where our traveller spends a couple of days in Portland.

Full size copies of the photographs taken by MrT are available from Flickr, Facebook and some through Instagram.

The music Steam Railway is used under licence from AKM Music.

The Grand Prix de Farnham

Come back here during the afternoon of Friday 19th October (or later) to listen to the podcast on last Sunday’s Grand Prix de Farnham.

Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Mike Hawthorn becoming Formula 1 World Champion.

Listen to the sounds of the many wonderful cars that braved the weather to entertain the crowd.

War on the Line Weekend – Ropley and Alresford – Episode 2

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:14 — 15.8MB)

Our second visit to the War on the Line weekend takes us to Ropley and Alresford stations. Most visitors coming by car park at Ropley as there is free parking (the car parks at Alresford and Alton are ‘pay and display’). Ropley is the station with the most space available for displays.

The episode begins with a description of the activities taking place during the weekend at the station. A ‘light’ locomotive is waiting to go down the line to Alresford to haul the first train of the day back up the line to Alton. When the road is clear we hear the locomotive set off down the line.

Whilst at Ropley we see someone shovelling yesterday’s ash from the ash pit in the loco yard and wheeling it to the ash pile in his barrow. Is he on punishment detail? Or maybe an enemy prisoner on a work detail?

I talk to the wireless operator who is communicating with people far away. He is using a ‘set’ that was used in the Second World War and has a design range of 15 miles no matter the terrain. In reality he can speak to people much further away.

I also talk to the team dealing with unexploded bombs (UXB) – occasionally there is a loud bang but as these are re-enactors it is all quite safe! Unlike the real thing if it goes wrong!!! Its amazing – they started out at the Rural Life Centre in Tilford.

Next the big band leader tells us about the places where they have performed and the charitable collection that they are making.

After this I talk to Sheila Love about the organisation of the event and travel to Alresford where American Military personnel are dancing outside the station under the watchful eyes of the MPs.

Click on a photograph to open the gallery:

My thanks to all the passengers, re-enactors, volunteers and staff on the Watercress Line for making this possible.

To visit the Watercress Line website please follow this link Watercress Line

Join us in two weeks for our first podcast on the restoration project for the Merchant Navy class locomotive ‘Canadian Pacific’. This express locomotive has travelled at over 100 mph and is the pride of the Watercress Line fleet.

Full size copies of the photographs taken by MrT are available from Flickr, Facebook and some through Instagram.

The music ‘Steam Railway’ used in this podcast is licensed from AKM Music.

US Rail Journeys – Coast Starlight part 1 – Series 1 Episode 3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:21 — 21.4MB)

The journey for the Coast Starlight starts in the Financial District of San Francisco. Our traveller waits for the Amtrak Thruway bus to take him to Emeryville to board the famed Coast Starlight.

After arriving at Emeryville we experience the sounds of the railway station with trains passing through whilst waiting to board the Coast Starlight. This train runs daily between Los Angeles and Seattle – a train going in each direction.

After boarding our traveller talks about the stations that will be passed during the night. He then stretches out on his bed in the Amtrak Roomette and falls asleep.

On waking in the morning he opens the curtains to a beautiful dawn. Breakfast is taken with changing scenery passing the window whilst travelling north. The train passes through beautiful countryside reaching Klamath Falls station and then Klamath Lake and then on past Mount Mcloughlin in the Cascade range.

During the journey he interviews a fellow traveller who comes from Basingstoke (UK) – its only 20 miles from where our traveller lives!

Join us next week in episode 4 for the second part of the Coast Starlight journey through amazingly beautiful country.

Full size copies of the photographs taken by MrT are available from Flickr, Facebook and some through Instagram.

The music Steam Railway is used under licence from AKM Music.

US Rail Journeys – The sights and sounds of San Francisco – Series 1 Episode 2

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:16 — 9.4MB)

Our traveller arrived in the late afternoon (early morning in London) and travelled into the city using the BART system. Having reached his hotel and checked in and we find our traveller in the lift before setting out to experience the sights and sounds of San Francisco.

After a good sleep our traveller sets out to go along to Fisherman’s Wharf where there are many restaurants and other means of spending money. In addition the booking office for Blue and Gold cruises is located beside Pier 39.

We join the harbour cruise where we see the city’s downtown area before heading out to the Golden Gate Bridge; after passing under the bridge into the Pacific Ocean we turn round and pass Alcatraz Island before returning to Pier 39.

We then take a double deck bus and follow the ‘blue’ route on the map in picture 15.

Finally we ride the cable car back down to the bay. After this our traveller returns to his hotel before setting out for the Amtrak Thruway bus service to Emeryville where we will join the Coast Starlight train to Portland.

Join us in episode 3 for the first part of the Coast Starlight journey through amazingly beautiful country.

Full size copies of the photographs taken by MrT are available from Flickr, Facebook and some through Instagram.

The tune Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin is played by Stefano Ligoratti and is supplied from the rights free library at Musopen.org

The music Steam Railway is used under licence from AKM Music.

Talking History with Farnham U3A – How the West was Lost – part A – S2018/9 01A

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:21 — 31.8MB)

In the first part of Michael A’Bear’s talk on How the West was Lost, we hear about:

The French Influence and the size of Louisiana
The Lewis and Clark expedition
The Alamo and its effect on the United States

The West was fascinating, it is vast and interesting, to get an idea of its vastness listen to the podcasts in Series 1 of US Rail Journeys on this site.

There are no illustrations to accompany this talk.

The Farnham U3A site is at Farnham U3A Home Page

The music ‘Media Magazine’ used in this podcast is licensed from AKM Music.