The Odditorium

We have now reached the end of our third journey through the portal labelled “Odditorium”. The two Davids reflect on the eclectic fare that has been offered and look forward to putting their feet up and consuming a celebratory biscuit, when…!

Thank you for listening to this series and we look forward to returning in the new year with the fourth season of the Odditorium.

To paraphrase Monty Python, “What have the French ever done for us?”. Well, language wise, quite a lot or 74% to be precise. But is it all good? Dr Lynne Murphy asks us to reclaim our language and the two Davids try to reclaim our land.

Zoology expert, Jules Howard gives his second Odditorium talk on the sex lives of animals, the extraordinary ways some creatures have learned to extend their lives and what we can learn from them. In the studio pie, cake and biscuit lover Dave Mounfield, is doing all he can to make it past 40.

We were delighted when Rupert agreed to come and speak at one of our live Odditorium events in 2016. Here the celebrated scientist explores the importance of ritual and pilgrimage and the rise of psychedelic rituals in recent years. Inspired, our intrepid presenters take a pilgrimage to the shops…to buy some biscuits.

Something a bit different for our episode today! Odditorium co-presenter David Bramwell, together with author John Higgs, have made a special 4-part series exploring the hidden history of one of Britain’s oldest roads: Watling Street. This sample episode, recorded on location in Kent, covers everything from the Carry -On’s Charles Hawtry to Brian Haw, who sacrificed his life in a spiritual war with former prime minister, Tony Blair. If you like this episode please subscribe to Watling Street Podcast on iTunes or Stitcher etc. Abnormal service will be resumed next episode.

Psychogeographer, author and acclaimed Alpinist, Mathew Clayton argues that, even more than the synthesiser, the cowbell, was the defining sound of the 20th century. Tying in everything from Kraftwerk to Jazz he shows how the little-known genres of kling-klang and ding-dong have influenced us in a post-truth world.