Latest Posts
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Watt Tyler aka Professor Adrian R Bell #HistorialDesertIslandDiscs
In the first of our guest blogs we hear from our Research Dean for Prosperity and Resilience and Chair in the History of Finance at the ICMA Centre, Henley Business School Professor Adrian R Bell. In this edition, we reveal… Continue reading
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Sir Isaac Newton by Amie Bolissian-McRae #HistoricalDesertIslandDiscs
Something for the weekend? Today’s castaway is the renowned seventeenth century English natural philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, and iconic self-isolationist, Sir Isaac Newton. Reportedly a deeply strange man, but inspired thinker, Newton was the very first European ‘scientist’ to receive a… Continue reading
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‘Dictating to the Dictators’ by Professor Matt Worley #HistoricalDesertIslandDiscs
In the second of a series, here are the Desert Island discs for a gaggle of dictators quarantined on an island for our own protection. Given their heinous crimes, they don’t get to pick the tracks. Instead, I do (‘dictating… Continue reading
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Desert Island Darwin by Professor David Stack #HistoricalDesertIslandDiscs
Today’s castaway is a nineteenth century scientist who, by formulating what the philosopher Daniel Dennett called ‘the single best idea anyone ever had,’ changed the way in which we understand life on earth. Our guest today is Charles Darwin (1809-1882).… Continue reading
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Twelve Days of Christmas: Twelve Drummers Drumming
By Professor Matthew Worley It was only two drummers, but it sounded like twelve. My pop music epiphany came on 16th October 1980: Adam and the Ants performed ‘Dog Eat Dog‘ on Top of the Pops, which you can watch… Continue reading
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Twelve Days of Christmas: Eleven Pipers Piping – Brassed Off
By Dr Natalie Thomlinson “More than owt else here that symbolises pride, it’s this bloody band!” [Image credit: bpcraddock from Pixabay.] To give you a flavour of the music from Brassed Off watch the William Tell Overture from the film here.… Continue reading
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Twelve Days of Christmas: Ten Lords a-Leaping
By Dr Elizabeth Matthew On a summer’s day in 1189 a group of men rode swiftly to the quayside at Dieppe after a long journey from the Loire valley, two hundred and forty miles to the south. Keen to cross… Continue reading
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Twelve Days of Christmas: Nine Ladies Dancing
By Professor Emily West The festive season provides a time and space for dancing (badly or otherwise), along with socializing, eating, drinking and celebrating. As befits a Christian celebration it also grants time for religious worship and quiet reflection. One… Continue reading
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Twelve Days of Christmas: Eight Maids-a-Milking
Tales of Turning Milk into Wine and Festive Phlegm! By Amie Bolissian McRae [Image credit: The Milkmaid, Lucas van Leyden (Netherlandish, Leiden, ca. 1493-1533 Leiden), 1510. Image from metmuseum.org.] What would 17th century festivities have been without milk, cream, cheese,… Continue reading
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Twelve Days of Christmas: Seven Swans a Swimming
By Professor Kate Williams Seven swans a swimming – well, with giving this, our ‘true love’ was really buying us something rather expensive. Swans have always been luxury goods, a medieval Gucci handbag, if you will. In the medieval period,… Continue reading
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