Kop Hill Climb 2011

 In 1910 one of the first hill climbs in the country took place on a hill in the Buckinghamshire countryside. 100 years later cars are here tearing up the hill again. The Kop Hill Climb is one of the oldest motorsport events on the country, and a few years ago it was revived. A beautiful location within the Chiltern Hills and beautiful old cars spanning 11 decades can be seen. This is the best £5 you will spend on a day out.

  

 The cars can be best seen in the paddock, cars from 1903 to present day, road cars, race cars, concept cars... you never know what you might find next.

 

 This is like the Goodwood Revival, but on a personal level, you can meet the car owners, touch the cars, open the bonnets and generally get involved. So if you like a Talbot, a Rolls, a Ferrari, or a Mini... this is the place to come next year!

 

Favourite Podcasts - 9 - Dr Karl on Up All Night

Dr Karl is a super celebrity in Australia, he is the Brian Cox of down under... yet he seems to know so little, but he communicates his lack of knowledge well!

Let me explain, early on Thursday mornings BBC 5live has a science phone in hosted by the brilliant Rhod Sharp, and then Dr Karl Kruszelnicki joins down the line from Australia to answer questions. Mostly mad people ring in with science questions. Dr Karl is usually out of his depth with the questions (although about one in 5 he answers very well) and calls for an expert to ring in and help him.

This should be annoying, someone like Dr Chris Smith (we will come to him on a later blog entry) would have the answer there and then, but Dr Karl will fumble about, try and work something out from 'first principles' on the spot, give half an answer and then give up.

But I love this approach, it gives me hope that I can work some science stuff out for myself, and even a super star like Dr Karl needs experts in the field to help him. He makes me feel less stupid and gives me pointers on how a normal person can work stuff out for themselves... in fact he is a great Skeptic (see Pod Delusion).

Oh, and also it is great fun to laugh at the strange people who ring in to the show...

Download at BBC 5live website here.

Favourite Podcasts - 8 - Ricky Gervais

It could probably be argued that the idea of the 'podcast' was popularised in the UK by Ricky Gervais, many people did not know what a podcast was until he came along, and his was certainly one of the first few podcasts that I ever found.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant presented a radio show on the then trendy indie station XFM (not sure when it went out of fashion, but you hardly hear of the station anymore!), and XFM then edited the show down into a series of podcasts. Ricky is funny, and even when he is not funny he laughs at his own jokes in a way that is infectiously funny.

Stephen Merchant is always funny, and is a calming influence on Ricky's sometimes over exuberant style of broadcasting.

The genius of the XFM podcasts was the producer Karl Pilkington. I am sure I don't need to say anything about him, he has become a super celebrity in his own right, but in the early days of the podcast you were never sure if Karl was a character, a spoof, or quite to to make of him. This tension made his absurd comments even funnier.

The podcast then broke free of XFM, and eventually became a pay-to-download affair. The idea had become a bit tired by then and I gave up paying for it. But this podcast had a huge influence on the world of downloads, it inspired many comedians to create podcasts, and helped commercial radio to break into the podcast market as well.

I am not sure if the podcast is still going in any way, I know some of it was animated for television, but can't be sure if there are any new ones.

Find out more here.

Things I have seen around Aylesbury (Part Five)

Scotch people.

Favourite Podcasts - 7 - Filmspotting

This podcast was a game changer in the world of podcasts for me, for several reasons.

It was the first podcast that I found that had a reasonable back catalogue online to download the whole of.

It was the first podcast to gain it's own folder on my Mp3 player.

It was the first podcast I listened to that was not related to a British radio show.

Filmspotting is a film podcast based in Chicago, the two presenters Adam Kempenaar and Matty (ballgame) Robinson are passionate and knowledgeable about film in an extraordinary way.

In the early days that I was listening the podcast was called Cinecast, and came out twice a week. Matty was just an occasional guest and the other host was Sam Van Hallgren  I was a little into films at that point, but this podcast really got me interested. I signed up to the Lovefilm rental service and started adding loads of films that they had been talking about onto my list. I watched films and genres that I would never have thought about watching before.

It was this podcast that prompted me to watch 5 Woody Allen films in 3 days, watch Citizen Kane for the first time, made me decide to become a member of our local independent cinema, and much much more.

Cinecast had to change names for legal reasons, Sam left to do other things, and it went to once a week. It is still a fantastic listen though, and although I don't watch that many films these days (these things come in cycles for me) I still love listening to their witty, smart and insightful chat.

Each episode reviews a new film at the start, has some listeners feedback, usually an older film is reviewed (as part of themed 'marathons') and then they do a top themed 5 at the end (in a homage to Nick Hornby).

Download Filmspotting here.

Favourite Podcasts - 6 - Adam and Joe

Adam and Joe are just naturally funny, every line they say makes you smile, every silly childish noise raises a chuckle, every long winded jingle or song makes you laugh. If Adam and Joe made a cup of tea it would be a funny beverage.

If I were ranking podcasts (which I am not) then this would be in the top 3, in fact this blog is named after one of their catchphrases.

This is another podcast based on a radio show (BBC 6music) with a few download bonuses. it features Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish. You are as likely to find them talking about a random and unpredictable selection of topics each week such made up jokes, film scenes, train announcers or the Points of View theme tune.

What really shows their comedy genius is the songs they write, from a brand new Bond theme to a pop song about a lizard in a blizzard. Go to You Tube and search for Song Wars or Adam and Joe songs and you will get a good taste of what they can do.

Listening is like a club, Twitter is always alight with in jokes and quotes from shows, there is even an identifying action for listeners to find each other in public spaces... but even if you are a first time listener you will soon pick it up in a few shows, and in fact in jokes are created and dropped all the time, so even if you don't feel involved in one you will soon be part of a brand new one.

Adam and Joe are on a break at the moment, but I implore you to download some of the last series of podcasts, Adam and Joe is what podcasts were made for.

Download at the BBC 6music site here.

Favourite Podcasts - 5 - Dave Gorman

The Merchant of Tennis, Indiana Bones and the Temple of Groom, Much ado about toys, Tina we salute you!

Anyone who does not listen to the Dave Gorman podcast from Absolute Radio will not understand what just happened, regular listeners will already be smiling at reading this list.

This podcast is, like many others, an edited version of a radio show. Dave Gorman is host, Danielle Ward and Martin White the trusty co-hosts. The edited show is really great listening on it's own (Martin actually writes a song based on the show during the show each and every week!), but the genius is the podcast extras that are recorded after the show, Listeners Lexicon, correspodcast and the hilarious Pun Street.

Dave Gorman is a brilliant comic, and this podcast shows he does not just do great scripted stand up comedy (His live show from last year is one of my favourite comedy shows I have ever seen) but he can also do great spontaneous humour too.

So many comedians have a podcast these days, some just don't work all that well, but this one really is a treasure, and makes me look like a grinning idiot on the bus every Monday.

Dowload at the Absolute Radio site here.

Favourite Podcasts - 4 - Radio 4 Documentary of the week

I wasn't going to put this one in, and that may mean I have to bump another one out later, but today I listened to an episode that made me realise that it had to go back in.

This podcast stream is simply documentaries that have been broadcast on Radio 4, theoretically one a week, but recently there have been some days with 3 new podcasts.

Subjects cover all sorts, technology, science, arts, politics and religion. I probably download one in ten that are published, but that one is usually like finding gold dust, something that broadens the mind and educates in a subject you may not have given much thought to.

This low hit rate made me not have it in my original list, but I listened to an episode today by Naomi Alderman that gripped me and made me think about a subject (9/11 and it's affect of peoples religious views) that I had not really given any thought to.

Find somewhere quiet and listen to it, it's only 15 minutes long, if you don't find it interesting then there might be something else on the feed that you like. Or it might be that I am just a old fuddy-duddy that just likes documentaries.

Listen to the individual episode by Naomi Alderman here, or the podcast feed here.

Favourite Podcasts - 3 - Pod Delusion

I am a recent convert the the movement of Skepticism, well, convert is totally the wrong word, but I have only heard about it in the last 18 months or so.

I am not sure about the series of events that let me to find this podcast, possibly through the comedian Robin Ince, possibly through searching for Richard Dawkins on the internet... I have genuinely forgotten how I discovered it, but after hearing an episode I immediately went back to episode one and listened to them all.

The podcast, presented by the likable James O'Malley, is a collection of articles provided by various contributors, there is rarely an overall theme, but each article is something that the contributor feels passionate about.

It comes from a liberal, skepitical and rationalistic viewpoint, but there are also plenty of contrasting views as well, Torys and Christians have also contributed in recent episodes.

The podcast introduced me to Skeptics in the Pub, the podcast is actually born out of Westminster Skeptics, which has lead me to meet some splendid people at High Wycombe Skeptics in the Pub, and has made me think a lot more about what I believe about the world generally.

I also love that fact it is a very professional sounding podcast, in fact it sounds like a radio show, and this makes it a pleasure to listen to, and the host James has a sense of humour that any dad would be proud of...

Find the podcast at the Pod Delusion.

Things I have seen around Aylesbury (Part Four)

Sexism. Alive and kicking in Aylesbury.
 

The Kingsbury is a truly awful place.

Favourite Podcasts - 2 - Collings and Herrin

You know those annoying friends you have who are always saying really rude inappropriate things, who tell you the same stories over and over again, who talk confidently about subjects from a place of ignorance? They are frustrating, but somehow fun to be around. Somehow a gathering would not be complete without them.

Well this is a bit like listening to Collings and Herrin Podcasts. The premise is that Andrew Collins (Collings) and Richard Herring (Herrin) sit in Richards attic with the papers and talk about the news. Well that was the original premise, the papers have kind of been forgotten, and now they talk about anything they like.

Often discussion revolves around the things Richard wants to do to Andrew, often about how much they hate each other, often about the disturbed contents of Richards head...

I have listened to every episode so far (over 2 years worth) and I can't count the amount of times I have thought an episode was so stupid that I was going to give up downloading it, but somehow the next one comes out and I find myself listening again and laughing along.

Richard and Andrew have recently had a very public falling out, so the podcast is on hold. I am fairly sure they will be back one day though, and they will pick up the bumming jokes where they left off.

Download at The British Comedy Guide here.

Favourite Podcasts - 1 - Chequered Flag

This is the first of many BBC podcasts that make up my favourite podcasts, and one of only two F1 related podcasts.

It consists of a podcast version of the 5live pre-race show on Friday nights, and then a short review of the race posted usually a few hours from the end of each race.

The BBC Radio 5live commentary team are much better than the TV team, they seem to take the sport a bit more seriously, with much more in depth analysis and a less patronising tone. The regulars include the commentator David Croft, who holds things together, sportscar driver (and previous F1 test driver) Anthony Davidson, new recruit Natalie Pinkham, mine of F1 Knowledge and F1 historian Maurice Hamilton and occasionally Karun Chandhok, current driver for Team Lotus.

It is always great to get the pre race interviews on the Friday podcast, and it means you can always impress other F1 fans at work on the Saturday with a few random facts or gossip about the race!

Download at the BBC 5live website here.

My 25 Favourite Podcasts

Time for a break on the 100 objects, I realise that ten was hard enough, ten times that amount will take quite a bit more thought.


Me, with my headphones in, as usual.

So time for my favourite podcasts, I love listening to podcasts, an hours worth on the way to work, an hours worth in my lunch break, an hour on the way home, and maybe half hour before I go to sleep... I listen to a lot of hours of podcasts each week!

Over the next few weeks I will list 25 of my favourite podcasts, in no particular order. Hopefully there will be a few ones there that you have not heard of that may be of interest to you, and hopefully you will be able to suggest a few new ones for me too!

Let the podcasts begin!

A history of Neil in 100 objects - Object 10 - Ship of Fools Mug

'Ok, if it's going to be like that then we will take this conversation to Hell!'

That is how many an argument started, and would rumble on for days and weeks, tensions rising, other people sticking their oars in, unlikely allegiances being formed, friendships being broken.

Such is the life on an internet discussion board, peoples views get polarised, respect for one another goes out the window, people say things that they would never say to work colleagues or family.

July 2000, I had been on the internet for about 6 months and had just discovered that there were interesting people out there who liked talking about interesting stuff. I joined a newsgroup (an early discussion forum) that led me to a web based discussion forum for Evangelical Christians, and that in turn led me to www.ship-of-fools.com, a satirical website with an attached discussion boards.

The boards were laid out so that creativity could be kept in one place (Heaven), personal stuff in one place (All Saints) and debates in another (Purgatory) and heated discussion in another (Hell). Many forums claim to have invented this format of organising a forum, but I genuinely think that Ship Of Fools was the first to do it properly.

I quickly came to love logging on to this site, people were smart. funny, varied and friendly. I was particularly interested to find that there were many people who termed themselves Christian, but held wildly different views than my own. This was my first proper encounter with Liberal Christianity.

The ideas that other shipmates (as people who used the sites forum became know as) would challenge what I thought, and made me think constantly about the beliefs that I held. The end result of where my beliefs are today perhaps says all you need to know about the result of my faith being challenged (and of course it was more than this one site who got me here, but it was a very important factor).

But more than the intellectual discussion it was the community aspect that grabbed me most. We took the online into the real world, we met up at pubs locally, or in London or Bristol or Cardiff or Swansea, we went on several weekends away in beautiful Northern towns, and at the Greenbelt festival.

Some people on that site became my best friends, and many remain so. There were certainly some strange people I met, but the good ones more than made up for that, and in fact made 'Shipmeets' more entertaining, and provide a good source of humour and stories...

I became involved in the running of the forums for a good few years, mostly hosting the discussions devoted to fun and creativity called Heaven (hence the mug, which was sent to me when I gave up formally being involved in the site).

Earlier this year the world sadly lost the lady who brought more to the site than any other, Erin, who was a huge personality on the site, and ran it wonderfully and (mostly) fairly from the very start. She sent me a Christmas card every year, and we spoke on the phone a few times. Amazing how someone you have never met can have a big impact on you.

The site is still there running strongly, have a look at Ship of Fools, and although I only pop back there from time to time I think it is still one of the best run forums on the internet, and recognise it has had a big impact on my adult life (and I have only touched on its influence on this blog!)

Now go to Hell.