Pirates: Why the British treasure the Robin Hoods of the seas
Ahoy! Suzanne sails off to the Spanish Main and the Barbary Coast, introducing Muriel to a cast of buccaneers, corsairs and privateers against a shifting background of enterprise, geopolitics - and marine insurance! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:08:52
French Theme Parks: Running the Gamut From Fun to Propaganda
What do France's homegrown theme parks tell us about Frenchness? asks Muriel. From the 'ethnographic exhibitions' at the Jardin d'Acclimatation to visionary vulcanologists in the Auvergne and spectacular historical romancing at Le Puy du Fou, controversy looms large! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:00:33
Pimms: The journey, joys and jeopardy of the quintessential British summer drink
In time for Wimbledon, Suzanne encourages Muriel to celebrate the British season with a glass of Pimms, and the history, associations and meaning behind it. A tale of gin addiction, oyster houses, fashionable crazes and absurd traditions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:01:17
Identity Cards: A French story of the struggle between liberté and securité
Why does France have ID cards while Britain does not? Muriel unpacks a national narrative of medieval identity theft, Revolutionary ideals of collective nationhood, policing under the German Occupation and contentious 21st-century bilingualism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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55:36
Bungalows: The perfect British design for living?
Britain has a lot of bungalows, but why and how did this begin? Suzanne goes enthusiastically utilitarian and modular and introduces Muriel to the history, charm and meaning of this revolutionary one-storey design, associated with the seaside and hygienic living, with pioneering architects and refinements of snobbery, with the temporary and permanent, and with the topical question of how best to house the nation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Suzanne and Muriel examine a series of very different things – from a film to a kitchen utensil, a model train to a bar of soap – that define British or French attitudes, each explaining her cultural background to the other and trying to get to the essence of what makes the British British and the French French. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.