Hidden History Returns for New Series

BBC Radio Ulster's Hidden History which brings local history to life by examining events, personalities, architecture and landscape has returned for a new series.

In the first program Dr Éamon Phoenix goes to County Down, journeying from Dundonald village to Greyabbey – and from the Stone Age through Norman times, the Plantation of Ulster, the settlement of the Ards Peninsula and the 1798 Rebellion.

You can download or subscribe to the podcast from www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/hidden

Tracing Your Roots

The BBC continue their excellent coverage of Genealogy and Family History with a new series of Tracing Your Roots on Radio 4 giving advice and guidance on genealogy research.

The show is presented by Sally Magnusson and Nick Barratt who "uncover personal perspectives on social history and give listeners the tools to become family history detectives."

In the first of four episodes "What's in a name?" the show investigates how family history can hit a brick wall when a name changes unexpectedly and explores stories where that change has an intriguing background.

The programme is also available through BBC iPlayer or you can download the podcast from iTunes.

A Narrow Sea

How did I miss this... Yet another great production from BBC Radio

A Narrow Sea, is a series of six minute episodes which explores the long history and relationship between Scotland and Ireland.

"The sea between the North East of Ireland and the South West of Scotland is a narrow sea. For centuries men and women have been crossing that narrow sea - known today as the North Channel and in the past as the Waters of Moyle - to settle, to visit, to trade, to raid."

Broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster weekdays at 6.54pm it is also available through BBC iPlayer or you subscribe through iTunes

Some of the recent episodes were:

• Warrior families from the Hebrides start to settle in Ulster.
• The MacDonnells of the Glens join forces with the Earls of Tyrone and Tír Conaill.
• Hugh Montgomery helps Conn O’Neill make a daring escape from Carrickfergus Castle.
• Sir Hugh Montgomery wastes no time in setting up his new home in Co. Down.
• Sir Randal MacDonnell invites Scots to settle in the Glens.
• The Flight of the Earls offers a new opportunity to King James.

Digging up Your Roots

Digging up Your Roots, BBC Radio Scotland's genealogy and family history programme has returned.

Now in its fifth series, the programme relates many inspirational stories and gives advice for those delving into their family history.

While focusing on Scottish genealogy and history it by necessity touches on many events and places worldwide referring to a variety of sources and much of the advice translates well to any genealogical search.

Episode 2 looks at myths and stories that have been passed down through generations and in episode 3 a panel of experts: genealogist Dr Bruce Durie from the University of Strathclyde, former Chairman of the Tay Valley Family History Society, John Irvine, and Senior Archivist at Angus Council Archives, Fiona Scharlau, answers questions posed by a live audience.

The programme is broadcast on Sundays at mid-day and is available on the  BBC iPlayer. It can also be downloaded through iTunes where all three of the episodes are still available.

A History of the World in 100 Objects Returns for Second Series

Today has started with some great news as A History of the World in 100 Objects has returned for its second installment. I first came across this podcast in January when in it was going into its second week and I was hooked.

This BBC podcast is part of a collaboration with the British Museum and aims to recount the history of humanity using 100 object's from the Museum's collection's. 

The series, which is narrated by the Director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor, is brodcast on Radio 4 each weekday with each episode being approx 15 minutes long and the complete series being aired in three sections with the second beginning today. The first part of the series was brocast in January-February and is still available to listen to online or download

"In these programmes, I'm travelling back in time, and across the globe, to see how we humans over 2 million years have shaped our world and been shaped by it, and I'm going to tell this story exclusively through the things that humans have made: all sorts of things, carefully designed, and then either admired and preserved, or used, broken and thrown away. I've chosen just a hundred objects from different points on our journey, from a cooking pot to a golden galleon, from a Stone Age tool to a credit card." says Neil MacGregor

"Telling history through things, whether it's an Egyptian mummy or a credit card, is what museums are for, and because the British Museum has collected things from all over the globe, it's not a bad place to try to tell a world history. Of course, it can only be 'a' history of the world, not 'the' history. When people come to the museum they choose their own objects and make their own journey round the world and through time, but I think what they will find is that their own histories quickly intersect with everybody elses, and when that happens, you no longer have a history of a particular people or nation, but a story of endless connections."

The BBC blog reports "A difference between this and the first part of the series is that you will have more time to explore the world in a particular slice in time. Across the next eight weeks the objects will often reflect on larger, broader themes and issues that run across this history. These include how political leaders should rule and represent their power; how religions visualise their deities and ideals; and the potency of even apparently mundane objects to unlock secrets of the past."

Along with the brodcast the BBC have set up a website A History of the World where images of the objects can be viewed in close up and you can watch short videos of many of the objects.

The site also highlights Museums from around the country which have chosen objects from their own collections that reflect world history from each area's perspective. Over three hundred and fifty museums are already registered on the site and even Schools and individuals have also joined in the project uploading images.

If you have an interest in History or even if you don't this is a podcast worth having a look at.

All you wanted to know about Volcanic ash clouds and why you don't fly through them

Among the many wonderful podcasts from the BBC is one from the BBC World Service called Discovery which covers a range of scientific topics.

In a new special episode the podcast deals with the science of volcanic ash clouds and why you don't fly through them.

It discusses the Icelandic volcano, the impact it's ash cloud has had on aviation and the many other implications ash clouds can have.

This podcast is well worth a listen and can be downloaded through iTunes here