Welcome back to The Interesting Bits. This week, in the second part of the Vikings special, recorded in celebration of the start of filming on season three of Netflix’s Valhalla, our host Justin, the historical consultant and associate producer for Vikings and Valhalla, will be talking about some of the semi-historical Vikings which the hit tv-show was based upon, including the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok. --------  Written and presented by Justin Pollard Produced and edited by Teän...

Welcome back to The Interesting Bits. This week, in the first part of a mini series recorded in celebration of the start of filming on season three of Netflix’s Valhalla, our host Justin, the historical consultant and associate producer for the hit TV show, will be telling stories about the Vikings, the Nordic seafaring people of Scandinavia between the 8th and 11th Century CE. But how did the Vikings dominate the seas for so many centuries? How did they navigate such treacherous seas? How...

Welcome to Episode Five of The Interesting Bits. Today, we will be riding off a cliff with a Scottish king, and listening to the strange prognostications of the woman in the wall. But first, we dive into the dubious reasons behind The Pastry War. ------------- Written and presented by Justin Pollard Theme music by Constance Pollard Produced and edited by Teän Stewart-Murray Additional music: "The Cold Settles" by Darren Curtis "Bolero Ranchero Mexicano" by JuliusH on pixabay  "Celtic...

Welcome to Episode four of The Interesting Bits. Today, we will be meeting the man who patented Pi, and how a rotten fish made Marjorie Latimer's christmas. But first, the arrival of the mysterious Mr and Mrs Smith in Newhaven, Sussex in 1848. ------------- Written and presented by Justin Pollard Theme music by Constance Pollard Produced and edited by Teän Stewart-Murray Additional music: “Criminal Situation” by Samuel Francis Johnson (Pixabay)  “Bluegrass – Banjo and Harmonica”by...

Welcome to episode three of The Interesting Bits. This time, we will be telling the tragic tale of Katherine, Lady Jane Grey's little sister, and Alice Wheeldon's unlikely part in the poison dart plot. But first, a tale of witchcraft and sorcery, from the court of Henry VI. ------------- Written and presented by Justin Pollard Theme music by Constance Pollard Produced and edited by Teän Stewart-Murray Additional music: "Eternal Sleep" and "Ale & Anecdotes" by Darren...

Welcome to episode two of The Interesting Bits. This time, we have three stories including how Gregor Mendel's overlooked book on sweet peas changed the face of biology, and the man who spent a lifetime trying to persuade everyone that he wasn’t George Eliot, which he wasn’t. To start us off, 323 years ago, Isaac Newton was taking time off from physics to pursue an old enemy to his death. Written and presented by Justin Pollard Theme music by Constance Pollard Produced and edited by...

Welcome to The Interesting Bits. For this Christmas edition of The Interesting Bits, we will be looking at the origins of Christmas, why Good King Wenceslas wasn't necessarily good, or a king, or called Wenceslas, and how an accident on a battleship led to the creation of one of the world's most popular toys.