Let’s Talk About… Unheard Stories

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The Air Raid Siren

There are some sounds that need no explanation. The moment you hear an air raid siren, you know something is wrong.

But the story of the siren begins long before the Second World War, and surprisingly, it wasn't invented as a warning at all.

In this episode of Let's Hear About… Sounds from History, we travel from an eighteenth-century experiment in sound and music to the sirens that warned millions of people during the Blitz. We discover how a simple scientific instrument could produce the unmistakable rising and falling wail we know today, why the sound changes pitch, and even how the technology was used to measure the speed of a mosquito's wings.

We'll also hear about Britain's first wartime air raid warnings, the all-clear signal, the experience of waiting in shelters during the Blitz, and the role the siren later played in Britain's Cold War four-minute warning system.

Two sounds made from essentially the same idea, one meaning danger, the other meaning safety.

The technology may have changed, but the warning's purpose hasn't.

I'm Nicky, and this is Let's Hear About… Sounds from History.

Music and sound effects: Pixabay

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You've almost certainly heard it...

One scream has appeared in hundreds of films and TV programmes over the last 70 years, from Star Wars and Indiana Jones to The Lord of the Rings, Toy Story and countless others.

In this episode of Let's Hear About, Nicky explores the fascinating history of the Wilhelm Scream. Discover how a recording made for a man being attacked by an alligator became one of Hollywood's longest-running inside jokes, why nobody knows for certain who actually recorded it, and how legendary sound designer Ben Burtt helped turn an ordinary stock sound effect into a piece of cinema history.

We'll also look at the science behind why screams grab our attention so instantly, and why your brain is wired to react before you've even had time to think.

Once you've heard the Wilhelm Scream...you'll never stop noticing it.

In this episode:

• The surprising origins of the Wilhelm Scream
• The mystery of who actually recorded it
• How Star Wars helped make it famous
• Why filmmakers still hide it in movies today
• The psychology and neuroscience of why screams are so powerful

If you enjoy the episode, please consider following the podcast and sharing it with someone who loves films, movie trivia or the hidden stories behind everyday sounds.

Next month: The fascinating history of the air raid siren.

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If you grew up in the early 2000s, you've heard it. Probably thousands of times. But do you know where it actually came from?

The Nokia ringtone is one of the most recognised sounds in human history,  heard an estimated 1.8 billion times a day at its peak. But behind that four-bar melody is a story most people have never heard. A 100-year-old Spanish guitar composition, a copyright loophole, and a tune that became the accidental soundtrack to an entire era.

This is the first episode of Let's Hear About... a new series digging into the stories behind the sounds that shaped our lives.

Music and sound effects from Pixabay.

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This month, Nicky is asking a big question - is capitalism killing creativity?

From the cassette recorder she and her best friend used to play with as kids, to the systems that decide whose creative work gets funded, recognised and seen, this episode looks at what happens when commercial value becomes the only measure of creative worth.

Covering awards, independent creators, the closed loop of credits in the film and television industry, what happens when someone just bypasses the whole system entirely? 

Find out in this episode...is capitalism killing creativity?

#Creativity #Capitalism #Podcast #ADHD #IndependentCreator #UnheardStories

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Some sounds aren't just noise, they are history in the making. Let's Hear About... digs into the stories behind the sounds that shaped our lives. Where they came from, how they spread, and why they stayed with us.

From the Nokia ringtone to the Wilhelm Scream, from the first recorded human voice to the sounds of space itself, new episodes drop on the 1st of every month.

Music and sound effects from Pixabay.

#Podcast #SoundHistory #UnheardStories #LetsHearAbout

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This month Nicky is talking about something that affects millions of neurodivergent people, carers, and everyone really!  Let's talk about... Form Filling!

From benefits to education, housing to healthcare, forms are often the only way to access the support you need. So why are they so badly designed for the very people who need them most?

This episode covers the real cost of inaccessible forms, why they fail neurodivergent people so consistently, and what good actually looks like when someone bothers to get it right.

Plain language. Real examples. No jargon.

#ADHD #Neurodivergent #ADHDPerth #FormFilling #Accessibility #Podcast #UnheardStories

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This week's episode of Let's Talk About... Unheard Stories is a special one. 💙

After 15 years as the admin heart of ADHD+ Perth, Lorna Fotheringham has just retired, and I couldn't let that moment pass without saying a very public thank you.

I've been part of the ADHD+ Perth community for over 20 years. Lorna is one of those people who shows up, gets on with it, and makes everything work, quietly and consistently with so much warmth.

She came in 2012 for a day's filing, and almost fifteen years later, here we are!

I'm re-releasing my full conversation with Lorna as a tribute to everything she has contributed to our community. 

🎙️ Listen now  

#ADHD #ADHDawareness #Podcast #Community #Perth #MentalHealth #UnheardStories

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To mark International Women's Day, Nicky visits one of the most extraordinary pieces of Scottish history currently on public display, the last letter ever written by Mary Queen of Scots.

Written in the early hours of 8th February 1587, just hours before her execution at Fotheringhay Castle, the letter is now on free display at Perth Museum until 26th April 2026, the first time it has been displayed north of Edinburgh in modern times.

Nicky reflects on what it feels like to stand in front of this remarkable piece of history, the composure of Mary's handwriting, and why her words still resonate more than 400 years later.

🏛️ Perth Museum - Free admission 📅 Open until 26th April 2026 ⏰ Last admission 4.40pm Mon-Sat | 3.40pm Sunday

📚 AK Bell Library, Perth - Linked display Burns' Lament of Mary Queen of Scots & Liz Lochhead manuscripts ⏰ Tue-Thu 10am-4pm | Sat 9.30am-1pm

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If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe, leave a review, and share - it genuinely helps more people find the show! 

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In the centre of Tron Square stands a dry but dignified landmark, the Alexander Martin Memorial Fountain, gifted to Dunning in 1874 by a villager who built a new life across the Atlantic. 

Today, it’s more than stone and plaque; it’s a reminder of connection across oceans and time.

But Dunning is not just its past. From the sound of kids on the green to chatter in the pub and the rhythms of village life, this walk weaves together history and the present. The fountain anchors the story,  but it’s the people who keep the village alive.

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In this episode, Fiona Clason, from the University of Stirling Art Collection, talks us through the stories behind the collection, its purpose, its people, and its mission, before diving into the history and significance of Mary Martin’s Wall Construction.

Fiona shares:

• How the University’s art collection began and what makes it unique
• Why art on campus matters for students, staff, and visitors
• How Mary Martin’s Wall Construction came to Stirling
• What makes the piece stand out within the wider collection
• How abstract art communicates through structure, rhythm, and space
• The ongoing work of preservation, interpretation, and community engagement

This episode opens up the world behind the artwork, the decisions, the care, and the conversations that keep collections alive.

You can find out more about the University's art collection here https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/art-collection/

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