History (Personal) Episodes

Tonight, as the rain falls softly outside and the kettle sings on the hob, we are letting our thoughts roam free. Together, we shine a light into the forgotten corners of history to explore a quiet, essential rhythm; the often-overlooked role of the people who wound the parish clocks, and the precious gift they gave, the burden of time, Journal entry: 11th May, Monday “Mother and a host of tiny ducklings (Don't count them. Just enjoy). A raven alights on the One O...

There’s a warm welcome aboard the Erica tonight. But why the Erica? Why not any of the other boats we viewed and discussed? What was it about the Erica that made her special enough for us to buy, even though there were other boats that seemed to be stronger contenders? How did we know she was the right choice? Jo Bell’s brilliant book Boater helps us to find some answers. Journal entry: 12th April, Sunday “From Bridge 55 Children and old men Lean on Georgian ironwork W..

It's a blustery, moonless, and nearly starless night tonight, with the ever-present hint of rain in the air. So, why not come aboard the Erica for a while and reminisce about inconsequential things, the joy they bring, and how they form such strong bedrocks to our lives in an unsteady world? Journal entry: 17th September, Wednesday “Summer has left And strewn all along the towpath Is the detritus of its sojourn. Rusting wires of sorrel and dock, Hogweed ...

Welcome to tonight’s episode where ‘Erica’s Place’ by Mind Shambles awakens a kaleidoscope of reminiscences about Mum and ‘elevensies’ and her never ending supply of fresh scones. As the different memories flow and glide past, it slowly becomes clear how much of ‘Erica’s place’ and Mum’s philosophy still lives on and unconsciously shapes these podcasts. Welcome to Erica's place. Journal entry: 20th May, Tuesday “The yellow flag are out. Unfolding the origami o...

Tonight, we float upon a starfield of hawthorn blossom under a waxing moon. Why not join us as we continue with the final part of Mum’s account of the ‘totally worthwhile risk that was never regretted.’ Journal entry: 9th May, Friday “A westering sun Lays long shadows across The towpath and canal. Two geese in a field watch me from across the water. A pheasant’s rasp The scent of may.” Episode Information: In this episode I read the first part of John Clare’s...

Join us tonight under a waning April moon as we think about the local ducks preparing for the ‘long sitting’ and hear more about what happened to Mum and Dad after they had landed in Canada to start a new life together. Journal entry: 25th April, Friday. “Down in the engine bay De-rusting for painting. I am once more a clumsy adolescent. My feet grow too large and my knees and elbows get in the way. I no longer can bend as I once did. The march of time becomes visible In both the ...

Tonight, clouds build as the high pressure breaks. Speculative gusts of wind kick blackthorn blossom ghostly white along the towpath and the full moon seeps heavy and watery through a blanket of cloud. Join us tonight as we continue hearing Mum's account of a risk that was totally worth taking. Journal entry: 7th April, Monday “Warm snowflakes Of blackthorn float and drift Along the towpath Among cowslip yellow And bluebell blue. The sheep are loathe To move, preferring to lie On the...

Send us a text It's a spring, moonless night - not quite 'Bible black', but nearly! It's a perfect night for stories. Why not join us to hear the first part of Mum’s account of their great adventure when, 68 years ago, almost to the day, Mum and Dad embarked on a totally new phase of their lives. Journal entry: 26th March, Wednesday “The ash are heavy with bud Blistered garnet, raspberry- Shaped jewels That glow warmly in The low sunshine That picks out the Slow contours of the fields I...

Send us a text Join us on the narrowboat Erica on a moonless, star-filled night as we celebrate autumns, real and imagined, present and remembered. Although October (at the moment) is far from 'golden', it is apple picking time mem ries of which take us meandering down the wandering paths of my childhood. Journal entry: 3rd October, Thursday “Afterglow of sunlight Ash etched into ice blue Overseen by a watching rook. Smoke curls Listless on no wind. Cabin lights call me home.” Epi...

Traditionally, August has been the time for Britons to head off to the seaside for their annual holiday. This week’s episode celebrates this custom and causes me to reconsider the momentous moment when I saw the sea for the first time. Journal entry: 23rd August, Friday “All night the winds blew; Battering and hooliganing Around the boat. Perhaps that’s why I woke In a disquieted mood. I stand on the bank And feel my feet set squarely On the towpath. Each morning, a raven rows his wa...

Join me tonight as I recount a strange and rather unnerving experience that I had just over a week ago, of feeling as if I were walking in the footsteps of Meursault, the main character of one of my favourite books, Albert Camus’ The Outsider. Please note that this episode contains themes relating to death and cremation. Journal entry: 25th July, Thursday “First light of iron and steel. A mist of rain On the back of A wind from the south. A raven calls from the Topmost branch of the ta...

As a family, we gained a reputation for the way our 'short walks' often turned into marathon hikes which invariably meant staggering home long after dark (usually without a torch). In this week’s episode I reminisce on the lessons learnt, their prescient significance, and living in a culture that does growing old and dying so astonishingly badly. Journal entry: 24th February, Saturday. “Cloud cliffs, grey and climbing Early spring sunshine Catching the stonework traceries And Benedictin...

It has been a rather tempestuous year so far! Currently, I am many miles from the boat and have not been able to record any podcasts. I have rather rushed this episode out to update you on the reasons why I have been so quiet of late and to bring you up to date with what has been happening. Apologies for the sound quality of this episode. I do not have my recording gear with me at the moment. Episode Information: A boat at anchor at Wells-next-the-Sea Dad with his boat Seapie exploring the ...

You are invited to join us for a very special episode as we celebrate Christmas Eve onboard the Erica and remember the Christmas Eves of our childhood. Journal entry: 21st December, Thursday, Winter Solstice “The year’s turning And the longest night. There’s a rough wind And angry skies. The polestar oak Finally felled. The ducks don’t seem To notice." Episode Information: Christmas lights in the well deck Can I take this opportunity to wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and...

Join us on a night when the boat is wrapped in freezin fog, but the stoves are warm and the cabin is cosy, for this week's very special episode as we celebrate Dad’s 95th birthday and we go back in time to hear about how a 1938 Hilman Minx was instrumental in how Mum met Dad. Journal entry: 1st December, Friday “Short sections of the canal Are covered in a frosted skim of ice. Wafer thin But firm enough to bear a moorhen’s weight. She walks parallel to the offside bank Left foot rais...

I've always felt that there is something rather singular about the month of November. Tonight I try to find out what it is and end up recounting the time when Guy Fawkes wore my old dressing gown (which might or might not have anything to do with it!). Journal entry: 8th November, Wednesday. “Look down for the healing. A reluctant dawn this morning, South wind plays with stray raindrops And birch leaves. Scars of grey paving slabs lined with green. Willowherb, spurge, dandelion. Green heal...

Life afloat can throw up some rather singular challenges from being frozen in to sinking, running aground, being attacked by wild kittens and the dangers of runaway working boats!! Join us tonight as we ride out Storm Antoni (apologies for some background rain patter) for the concluding reading of The Kathy Chronicles, where the decision is made to leave life on the canal and embrace new adventures. Episode Information: The Five of Us: Me, Mick, Erica, Kismus (puss), Wendy Photograph taken be...

What was it like to give birth on small 30 ft boat in the 1960s? Mum continues her account of her life afloat on the Kathy in this week’s instalment of ‘The Kathy Chronicles’. We hear about the some of the challenges and joys of bringing up two very small children on a boat as well as Dad’s battle with the Pithers stove and a strange event that remains a mystery. Episode Information: Mum holding me in the entrance to the Kathy's galley. Dad, Mum, me, and Wendy on the Kathy On the moorings ...

What was it really like to live on board a 30ft canal boat in the late 1950s before there were such things as service points and fully equipped marinas? This week we continue with ‘The Kathy Chronicles’ where Mum describes how they began to settle into life afloat, whilst making extensive alterations, as well their plans for the arrival of a new baby. She provides a fascinating picture of the realities of what it was like to live-aboard a canal boat in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Episode ...

Travel back in time to the scorching summer of 1959. Although the canals were still mainly used by working boats, leisure cruising was growing in popularity and so too the idea of living on a canal boat. Tonight, I take us back to that world as I read Mum’s reminiscences of the decision to live on a boat with a young baby, eventually finding their future home, the Kathy, and their nail-biting journey taking her to their home mooring. Some of which could sound all too familiar to modern canal use...

This episode is dedicated to my pair of walking boots who has shared life with me for nearly 45 years (and both of us are still going strong). We have walked miles together. Where have they taken me and to what (and to whom) will they take me in the future? Journal entry: 24th February, Friday “The jackdaws' chant hangs Among the eaves of the ancient wood. Aconite, anemones, and ransoms, Green spears among rich leaf mould. A church on a hill Swims among deep drifts Of snowdrops A sky lark...

“Those eyes of old look at me and, through the haze of your futures, I look back at you…” On this freezing December night, snuggle closer to the stove as I reflect on the strangeness of coming across an old photograph of me as a small child as well as the adventures of the Archdeacon on ice. Journal entry: 9th December, Friday “The scent of wood smoke and cold air. The warm, dry sound of someone splitting firewood. Each teasel head is framed in a perfect halo of sunlight. Today, at l...

This weekend the clocks change (in the UK). These small markers in our calendars can touch us in deep ways. Join me tonight as we stop the clock, step out of time, and savour together the unspent, untouched hour as the world around us sleeps on. Journal entry: 28th October, Friday “Wild winds race ragged As starlings sport and shoal. Golden leaves, sherry warm, Stream head height across the canal. A flash of brave blue. A kingfisher Swims the leafy cataracts of air.” Episode In...

Tonight, as the evenings draw in and autumn takes a firmer hold of towpath and fields, let's gather close beside a woodland campfire for some unabashed romanticism. For life teaches us two things: 1. Romance does the heart good and brings a smile to the soul - and, on these darker and chillier evenings, who would deny us that? 2. Small boys will always be totally captivated by a wild heart and a gypsy smile ;) Journal entry: 18th October, Tuesday “Low cloud, like smoke, sweep down the w...