Witnesses of History: Recent Episodes
Geoff Lumley
Readings based on the Faber book REPORTAGE (pub 1987 and edited by John Casey) and other sources. Each episode takes two or more readings with at least one based on the date of publication of the episode. The readings may either dovetail with each other or be in contrast.
We look at endings in this final edition, the end of life, the end of war, the end of the race and even the end of Man being unable to fly across the sea.
We look at endings in this final edition, the end of life, the end of war, the end of the race and even the end of Man being unable to fly across the sea.
Advent Sunday marks our penultimate episode and, as we await the coming of the King of kings to bring in the Age of Peace, we reflect on the fall of earthly cities:Berlin in 1945Antwerp in 1576Moscow in 1812andSan Francisco in 1906
The first recording since the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, we remember the coronation of Queen Victoria and have a mixed bag of reports from the burning of the Reichstag to the native communities of Scandinavia and South America as well as the death of a chimney sweep's lad.
An horrendous account of a mastectomy in 1811, Charles Darwin on the Galapagos islands, seeing a salamander and children at play in the Lake District
WW2 Dogfight, the Blitz, DCM awarded in WW1, Princess Anne wins on Doublet, VC10 Skyjack
The assassination of the Duke of Buckingham is followed in this edition by travel writing of visits to paris and America and then eye witness reports of the beginning of World War 1 in Brussels and St Petersburg
MP ejected from House of Commons, Keir Hardie elected, Battle of Ypres 1916, MP Storehouse jailed, Marilyn Monroe dies, shipwreck off Mozambique
American battles from Gettysburg to Vietnam, plus the Israeli rescue at Entebbe and Borg winning Wimbledon
(Publication delayed due to the server being down)
Jubilee weekend and anniversary of the Dunkirk Evacuation in 1940
For those not in the UK the National Anthem is:
God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen.
Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour,
Long may she reign.
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the Queen.
Italians in Abyssinia, Luftwaffe in Spain, Red Rum in Grand National, Oscar Wilde in Court, Birthday in Japanese POW camp
Prison and workhouse conditions, bull baiting and fighting, introducing technology to Japan
Last Journeys: funerals of Queen Victoria, Sir Winston Churchill and Gandhi; Execution Mary Queen of Scots and Selkirk found on island
Reports from 29th December: The Tay Bridge Disaster and the assassination of Archbishop Thomas a Becket; an additional report from North Africa during World War Two.
A much more recent witness report from 2015 is the main feature, there is also a report on the Lewisham Rail disaster and Louis Napoleon's arrival in Paris.
A miscellany of reports for this Armistice Day:Ireland in reign of Queen Elizabeth First, The Armistice, London Watercress Market, Elgin Marbles come to London, Crossing the Alps This episode marks the first birthday of these podcasts
Eye Witness reports of the Battle of Trafalgar and death of Lord Nelson, on this day (Trafalgar Day) in 1805.Also a report on the Wall Street Crash
Things flying in the air, often being brought down to earth unintentionally.Airships, real birds and more.
Transportation innovations: the first manned flight in England, the first InterCity train trip (and associated first railway death), the maiden voyage of the Great Eastern (and associated injuries) and the first Tanks in action.--- all from mid September.
People separated from each other or their homes this time with the Great Fire of London, Evacuations from London prior to the declaration of war on 3rd September and Churchill separated from his troops in the Battle of Omdurman
The birth of a daughter to the Princess of Wales in 1737, the arrest of Doctor Crippen and the 1966 World Cup Final
Battle of Gettysberg, Pope's infallibility, Marie Antoinette's last public appearance, a Viking funeral and the first Moon landing
Battles dominate this episode, with The Somme - the greatest loss of life for the British Army in any single Battle - and Marston Moor picking up the military theme whilst the on court battles at Wimbledon are reported by the Daily Telegraph over the years
Stories of the Empire this time, from the Black Hole of Calcutta to Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and a story of a Mermaid in Newfoundland.
On the 77th Anniversary of D Day we have reports from American, German and British perspectives
A Turkish Bath and then Mishaps in Childhood in the 14th Century; from 1801 there is Nelson's battle at Copenhagen.
Jumping a train in Canada 1899, Scott's Antarctic Diaries, Sharpeville Massacre 1960 and Army/civilian conflict in Dublin 1920
Two Prime Ministers resign, and we witness the enforced death of Socrates and hear about the funeral of George IV
The Irish Potato Famine, Green Children of Woolpit and George Bernard Shaw's mother's funeral
Our Witnesses of History this edition take us back firstly to 1645 for one report from Italy, from 1809 Sir Charles Napier reports on being taken prisoner at Corunna and we end in 1516 with a report on a performing Ass.
The Siege of Sidney Street, London crimes in the 18th Century and the opening of the world's first underground railway
Christmas events at New College Oxford in 1773 as well as Auschwitz in 1941, and the accounts of the early visitors who recognised the coming Messiah.
Eyewitness reports of a meeting with Queen Elizabeth First, the Death of Prince Albert and, in his own words, the arrival of Julius Caesar in Britain
Accounts of landings by US troops in the war, and also the Mayflower landing in New England and Chateaubriand landing in Chesapeake Bay
Three reports from the Daily Telegraph about new innovations in transport in the late 19th Century, and a long report about life on board a French Galley for the slaves (mostly French peasants) in 1703 and 1704
Stanley meets Livingstone and a Roman Ambassador attends a banquet hosted by Attila the Hun