Month: May 2025

TH2024 Ep03 How Science is helping

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:13 — 40.5MB)

Season 2024 – Talk 03 – How Science is helping people our past

In ‘How Science is helping people our past‘ Pam Taylor tells us that we don’t often have talks about archaeology. She also says it’s not all about grubbing around in the dirt.

After the grubbing around in the dirt:

Pam’s interest began in the 1970s with an evening class at Farnborough Tech. She then moves on  to the Royal Aircraft Establishment Archaeological Society, active in digging at local sites.

She admits that there is a lot of grubbing around in the dirt, but says that she doesn’t do it. Her interest is in looking at the results of grubbing around in the dirt.

Archaeology has developed over the last few centuries, going from antiquarian interest to involving many scientific techniques today.

Carbon 14 dating and X Rays:

In the 1970s the use of science was limited to Carbon 14 dating; at the time very expensive for a local society. This gives a date for organic material such as plants, trees, people and animals.

X ray techniques were sometimes used, for example, on Egyptian mummies.

Prior to this, dating used stratification. The depth of an object and the  sequence leading to it. This means finding undisturbed layers in the soil and is not always accurate.

As time passes other techniques, such as MRI and CT scanning come into use along with DNA analysis.

Tracing peoples’ movements:

These scientific techniques all lead to a greater understanding of how the distribution and mixing of different genetic traits took place across the world.

Listen to Pam tell us the full story.

About this podcast:

This is an edited recording of a talk given to the Farnham u3a World History: Ancient, Medieval and Modern  Group.

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

AKM Music licenses Media Magazine for use with this talk.

© The MrT Podcast Studio and the Farnham u3a World History: Ancient, Medieval and Modern Group 2018 – 2025

UKRJ S2 Ep 02 Around St Pancras

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:24 — 14.1MB)

Around St. Pancras –  UK Rail Journeys
Series 2 Episode 02

In ‘Around St. Pancras’ I walk up Midland Road on the west side of the station and visit St. Pancras Old Church.

Please click on a thumbnail to see the photographs that go with this podcast:

Midland Road:

Midland Road runs up the western side of St. Pancras station splitting the station from the old goods yard. Today the British Library stands on part of the site at the junction of the Euston and Midland roads.

The move to the current building, Grade 1 listed since 2015, started in 1997. Currently the library has facilities here and at Boston Spa in Yorkshire.

The next building I come across is the Francis Crick Institute, a biomedical research centre. It is a partnership between Cancer Research UK, Imperial College, King’s College, the Medical Research Council, University College and the Wellcome Trust.

Opposite is the modern extension to the hotel and the new platforms for the semi-banished East Midlands Railway.

Remains of the goods depot:

As I walk up the road I pass a row of shops in arches. These are the last visible remains of the buildings from the old goods depot.

St. Pancras Church:

St. Pancras Old Church is an ancient seat of Christian worship. Although the building underwent a major restoration in the middle of the 19th Century, it still incorporates material, believed to be, from Roman times.

The building of St. Pancras station resulted in many exhumations from the Churchyard. It is estimated that 10,000 of the 100,000 graves were dug up.

Camley Street Natural Park:

I pass under the tracks and reach the Camley Street Natural Park which has the Regent’s Canal on one side and the railway tracks on the other. I recommend this tranquil park to anyone visiting the area.

Listen to the podcast to hear more about the area.

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

Music:

AKM Music licenses Steam Railway and News Night for use in this podcast.

UKRJ S2 Ep01 St Pancras

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:34 — 20.7MB)

St. Pancras –  UK Rail Journeys
Series 2 Episode 01

In ‘St. Pancras’ I arrive at the station to start my journey along the route of the Midland Railway’s Scotch Expresses and the LMS Thames Clyde Express.

Please click on a thumbnail to see the photographs that go with this podcast:

The Midland Railway:

The Midland Railway was a proud organisation. From their base in Derby their powerbase is between Birmingham and York; however their services stretch as far as Carlisle and Bournemouth.

Their ambition is to reach London. For many years they have to share tracks with other companies. At one stage they are paying the Great Northern £20,000 a year to use Kings Cross.

The involvement of George Hudson, known as the Railway King, means that they can’t get approval for a London terminus. However, once the disgraced Hudson is out of the way, they win Parliamentary approval for a terminus.

St. Pancras:

The Midland purchase land from the estate of Lord Somers on the north side of the New Road. Like Kings Cross, Euston and the much later Marylebone, the station is between the New Road and the Regent’s Canal.

The chosen area houses many people, has a gasworks, is on the course of the buried River Fleet and has the ancient church of St. Pancras, with a burial ground. A site with a great number of difficulties!

William Barlow, the Midland’s engineer, is told to build something dramatic. His roof is a single span, 243 feet across which, until 1888, is the largest in the world.

The station is built of the finest materials, all transported from the Midland’s heartland. The building work leads to many evictions, with little notice, from slum homes and the exhumation of 8,000 bodies from the churchyard.

On the 1st October 1868 the first trains arrive.

The Midland Grand Hotel:

George Gilbert Scott wins the competition to design the grand hotel to stand in front of the train shed. The budget is £316,000.

When the hotel opens it is the most expensive railway hotel in London. For a charge of 14 shillings you get dinner, bed and breakfast; however there is only one bathroom on each floor!

Proposed demolition:

In the 1960s and 1970s see plans to demolish the station and hotel buildings. This leads to uproar and a Grade 1 listing. The introduction of Eurostar services  leads to a £800 million renovation.

Listen to the podcast to hear more about ‘St. Pancras’.

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

Music:

AKM Music licenses Steam Railway and Corporate Winners for use in this podcast.