Who the hell is Norfolk?: Recent Episodes
Michael Beeson
The companion podcast to David Beeson's "A history of England". Michael Beeson (some relation) asks increasingly dumb questions in the hope of getting to grips with just how messy history really is.
In this episode we cover the beginning of the English civil war(s) as the nation divides itself and readies for England's deadliest war. We discuss:
- Why did the navy side with the Parliamentarians?
- Undisciplined cavalry
- Who the hell is Waldemar Januszczak?
Don't forget to write to us at whothehellisnorfolk@gmail.com
We're back to following the episodes of A History of England by the masterful Mr. David Beeson. We cover the lead-up to the English civil war, where we discuss:
- Veteran Scottish soldiers doing a better job than hapless militia being dragged around the country by their king
- Glorious self sacrifice
- Descartes and his health problems
Don't forget to contact us at whothehellisnorfolk@gmail.com
In this sub episode we try to get a sense of perspective, and see where the last few episodes have been situated in the grander scheme of things. We discuss:
- The evils of writing
- Did the dark ages deserve that monicker?
- Did the renaissance start in Italy or Spain?
Don't forget to email us at whothehellisnorfolk@gmail.com
In this episode we cover episode 16 of a history of England, "Slippery slope", covering Charles I's marriage and reign, including his eleven-year "personal rule" and his dealings with Calvinists and Catholics. We discuss:
- Buckingham's incompetence, and sticky end
- A long digression on conspiracies
- These calvinists are crazy!
Don't forget to send us feedback at whothehellisnorfolk@gmail.com
Here we talk about James' family, and his lovers ;). We discuss
- Charles' silly escapades in Europe
- Gunpowder-based treason
- The good stuff: James' homosexuality, and a surface scratching look at gayness in history
Don't forget to write to us at whothehellisnorfolk@gmail.com
In this episode we barely hold on to the thread as we explore various themes around James I / VI's reign. We cover
- His desire to unite England and Scotland
- Catholics are fine, but hell has no wrath like a king James scored.
- Don't insult people you need to work with
Don't forget to write to us at whothehellisnorfolk@gmail.com
Welcome to our little trial run with new mics in the hope of making the podcast sound a little less like it's coming from the bottom of a well
We go over the material covered in the era-defining season 1 of who the hell is Norfolk, comprising 11 truly amateurish episodes that span Henry VIII to James the VI and I.
Look forward to a crisper season 2, where David's mellifluous tones are not drowned out by the slightest outside noise.
In this episode we go through the process by which James I / VI became king, the people who manoeuvred their way into his affections, and why he wasn't greeted with quite as warm a welcome as he might have liked. We also discuss:
- Monarchy or no monarchy, we do like family legacies
- Why Tolkien is conservative
- How bad behaviour forces us to make laws (not that it matters)
Don't forget to write in with feedback at whothehellisnorfolk@gmail.com
Here we explore more about Elizabeth's personal life, and her family tree which is more of an insane bush of connections involving all too many Seymours, Edwards, Thomases and a whole collection of step mothers. All this to say she had no child, so the crown was to pass on to James I, whose relationship to Elizabeth is scientifically impossible to determine. We also discuss:
- Romping
- The murderous inclinations of modern politicians, possibly
- What's up with the Swedes?
Don't forget to get in touch at whothehellisnorfolk@gmail.com
In this episode we barely manage to stay on the topic of Britain's woeful response to the Spanish Armada, but we seem to spend more time focused on Portugal, economic theory and when does regime change justify breaking treaties. Specifically we go over:
- Britain's relationship with Portugal
- America's cop out when not honouring its alliance with France
- How on Earth did Venice have such a big and long-lived empire?
Don't forget to write in with questions and criticism to whothehellisnorfolk@gmail.com
Here we discuss the mythical and disastrous invasion of England by Spain, and we also discuss:
- Bowls (the game)
- How the English are like Parthians
- Where's Calais?
- Why is Shakespeare good?
Don't forget to send us feedback at whothehellisnorfolk@gmail.com
So before looking at the great Armada, it might be interesting to find out why Spain wanted to invade in the first place. We also talk about:
- Some of Michael's idiotic misconceptions about the Cutty Sark and the tower of London
- What is Spain?
- The virtues of trade over conquest
Don't forget to write in to whothehellisnorfolk@gmail.com
Well after listening to this I think all your ecumenical issues will be fully resolved, as we discuss the role of Christianity in Europe (and a tiny bit on other religions). We also discuss:
- Divine retribution in the form of explosive diarrhoea
- The same bloody argument about the trinity that won't go away for thousands of years
- Why Christianity is like birds
In episode 5 we are finally onto Elizabeth the first! But really we're focusing on Mary queen of Scotts, getting to the bottom of her relationship with Elizabeth, where she came from and if she married her husband's murderer.
We also talk about:
- What's a good monarch? Is it like homeopathy?
- What's a parliament?
- When's the best time to defect?
Don't forget to write in with questions to whothehellisnorfolk@gmail.com
Welcome to the somewhat badly organised fourth episode of our distinguished podcast! In this episode we cover:
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tomato-based cocktails
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the revolutionary invention of a time machine to correct minor factual mistakes
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how Arabic advances allowed for double-entry book keeping
We go over the short reign of Henry's littlest child. We also talk about:
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Unfortunate romping
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What's a nation state?
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The Baader-Meinhof effect
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Learning through computer games
We go over what Henry VIII is probably best known for: his wives. We also discuss:
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What's a Habsburg?
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Who comes after Henry? Spoiler: his kids
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Michael attempts to have some input by waffling about Holbein for a bit
In our inaugural episode, we go back to fill in some of the details of episode 1 of "A history of England". Specifically, we talk about Henry VIII and his two chief chancellors, Thomas Moore and Thomas Cromwell. We also cover:
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How embarrassed the Catholic church was of the contents of the bible.
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Who the hell is Norfolk?
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Wage inequality in 16th century England
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International student exchange programmes.