Batting the Breeze

Thank you for looking in on the home of Batting the Breeze. This is the place where we do a lot of thinking about people and their stories. If they are alive, we talk to them on our ORIGINAL STORIES Podcast. If they are no longer with us, then we talk about them in the DATES WITH HISTORY newsletter.  

So, if you are curious about the world, take a few minutes out of your hectic schedule and join us batting the breeze.

Incidentally, you can take a look at some of our ORIGINAL STORIES podcast trailers below. Just click and join in the fun!

 

 

 

...a podcast for the infinitely curious. It's a place where we invite others to share their stories; They may be relevant to a piece of history, stir the emotions or perhaps bring a message of hope and inspiration. Whatever the subject, they're always informative, amusing or thought-provoking... and occasionally all three! Check out the selection below:

The Last Flight OutTwenty-two Black ArrowsA Child's Eye View of World War II
The Last Flight OutTwenty-two Black ArrowsA Child's Eye View of World War II

 

...the newsletter where curiosity knows no bounds! Spend a few minutes discovering historical snippets and fascinating facts, with a dash of "lots more". Check out the archives here.)

It's 1381 and the peasants are revoltingPitt's sons, not bastards, of England Nicholas Romanov and the art of reading a room
7th June 2026
It's 1381 and the peasants are revolting		31st May 2026
Pitt's sons, not bastards, of England 		24th May 2026
Nicholas Romanov and the art of reading a room

 

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The Last Flight Out
April 29, 2025

The Last Flight Out

29/30 April 1975 - Vietnam War: The fall of Saigon - 50 years ago today How would you react if you had commandeered a Chinook helicopter and were flying over the South China Sea with little fuel, nowhere to land, your wife an...
Beyond Gravity
Jan. 9, 2025

Beyond Gravity

What does an astronaut fear most? Believe it or not, it’s not dying. What tricks do you play on yourself to get to sleep the night before lift-off? What do you feel when you are standing in front of 180 feet of rocket which i...
Alex's Wish for Duchenne
May 30, 2024

Alex's Wish for Duchenne

Your son has a life expectancy in the 20’s. What are you going to do about it? Today’s guest is the embodiment of triumph over adversity, as are her family. Emma Hallam’s life is marked by extraordinary resilience in the face...
Hurricane Michael and the Compassionate Captain
May 9, 2024

Hurricane Michael and the Compassionate Captain

If I suggested that you spend nine months away from home and family and sail 32,000 miles around the world the hard way around (ie against prevailing winds and currents), what would you say? And suppose I then told you that e...
The Khmer Rouge, Mr Clever and Me
April 18, 2024

The Khmer Rouge, Mr Clever and Me

In 1993, Chris Moon MBE was taken prisoner while clearing landmines in Cambodia by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, the most feared and brutal regime in the country's history. No Western prisoner had ever survived. Chris managed to ke...
The Good, the Bad and the TV Anchor
Feb. 29, 2024

The Good, the Bad and the TV Anchor

If you ever seriously considered a career as a TV Anchor, you had better listen to this episode first. Elizabeth Pearson Garr has been there. After growing up at Stanford and studying at Harvard, she ventured out to the wild...
Inhuman Trafficking
Feb. 15, 2024

Inhuman Trafficking

WARNING: Today’s episode contains adult themes, specifically sex trafficking and human trafficking, so please take that into account. Amanda Blackwood is a gem. She’s fun. She’s full of life. She’s also a survivor of human t...
Twenty-two Black Arrows
Jan. 31, 2024

Twenty-two Black Arrows

In 1958, Sir Patrick Hine was part of a team of elite RAF pilots, the Black Arrows, who broke the world record for an aerobatic display manoeuvre that has never been equalled - and might never be. The Black Arrows performed ...
Battling the Breeze in the 2003 America's Cup
Jan. 18, 2024

Battling the Breeze in the 2003 America's Cup

The America's Cup - the pinnacle of professional sailing and one of the oldest and most prestigious trophies in international sport. The 2003 America's Cup: 10 teams, 1 winner. What was it like to be a competitor in one of th...
Grounded by an Autobiographic Memory
Jan. 4, 2024

Grounded by an Autobiographic Memory

Do you pride yourself on your infallible memory? Well think again. Memories about ourselves and the events of our lives are nurtured by our Autobiographic Memory and, shockingly, it turns out that it is unreliable by design. ...
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