In today's longer than usual episode we take a look at a lovely South Somerset stone town with a history going back 1,300 years and then move on to the reasons for and people involved with one of the most tragic and bloody episodes in the county's past, the Monmouth Rebellion.
So get a cuppa or a glass of wine and head back to the "Summer County".
One of the most famous towns in Somerset and one of its least known grab our attention today in a story that ranges from early Christianity to an industrial estate, by way of King Arthur and a vanished railway.......
From the historic Somerset Levels to a hilly town on the Wiltshire border, Ian manages to weave in cakes, cheese, grain, coal.......and beans on toast!
A little bit of Somerset that's known all over the world and a fairytale castle and village are our subjects today as we look at places beginning with the letters C and D.
So my thrid series of ABCs moves us to Somerset for a look at an overlooked ancient town and a surprising coastal village.
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More to come soon.......
Look out in the coming days as my third series of "ABC Podcasts are published.......
Battles, soft drinks, malt, crusaders and one of Birmingham's true surviving villages are just some of the subjects covered in this the final episode of season 2 of Ian's A-Z podcasts.
But worry not; there's more to come!
A verutable melange of traitors, Belorussians and Jews make their way on to Birmingham's street signs today.......
Today Birmingham's street names give us an excuse to hear about the BBC, mediaeval monuments, a legendary outlaw and digging holes.......
Horses, Romans, Handel and tram all get a look in as we listen to the next episode of Ian's Second A-Z of Birmingham
Our second episode looks at dirt, weather forecasting, fires and spaghetti!
The first episode in my second series of Birmingham street name podcasts takes us to South Africa, Maryland and Timbuktu!
Concluding this series looking at Birmingham's street names with the intriguing letters Y and Z which give us links with a British military icon and which looks at the difference between Birmingham and its neighbour the Black Country.
Thanks so much for listening!
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How do Singapore, Hong Kong, Gateshead and London get linked with a former willow-clearing in Birmingham?
Where are Birmingham's distances measured from?
And how will Ian deal with the letter X?
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For the first time in this series we venture beyond the Birmingham city boundary, then look at two forgotten streets in the shadow of Birmingham's Birthplace.
A look at three very contrasting streets in Central Birmingham whose stories link us with France, Vienna, the USA.......and Hull!
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This next episode covers two famous city centre streets with surprising histories, as well as a suburban road recalling hard work and great kindness.
From a national politician to a prehistoric earthwork, from an amazing Odeon to the "longest street in Birmingham, here is the latest episode of my "Streets of Birmingham" podcast.
Three small side streets here, one well-known, two much less so. But they tell the stories of canals, the landed gentry of Staffordshire, a social reformer.......and the world's largest fishing club!