Tag Archives: James Taylor

The White North Has Thy Bones: Ice stations, submarines & the woman who swam the North West Passage

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Samira Ahmed

Here’s a programme to listen to huddled by the fire, like Jane Eyre with her book of polar wildlife as the wind howls outside. Producer Kevin Dawson came up with the idea of our latest Something Understood  programme about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Environment, History, Music, Radio, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The curious idea of museums

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Samira Ahmed

This article originally appeared in The Big Issue magazine. Journalism worth paying for. What are museums for these days? Are collections passé? Northampton City Council’s decision to sell off an ancient Egyptian statue to fund a museum extension, after striking … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Design, Education, History, Politics, Uncategorized, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wilderness Years: From Rapunzel to Travolta and General Zod

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Samira Ahmed

A blind prince wanders through a Biblical-looking stony desert. The strange coda to Rapunzel is often forgotten, but it’s what I remember most about reading the Ladybird storybook as a child. And it’s where I chose to start today’s Something Understood … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Politics, Radio, Religion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments