National Museums Liverpool Podcast

How, and why did Birkenhead-native Ron Gittins turn his home into a living work of art. We talk to TV director Martin Wallace, about the story behind (and ahead of) Ron's Place.

How a group of punk rockers saved St Luke's church. We talk to musician and artist, Ambrose Reynolds, about his years as caretaker and Creative Director, of this beloved Liverpool landmark.

Jock Stein once said "Football without fans is nothing". And whilst that may be true, representation amongst supporters has historically been overwhelmingly male. In recent years however, football has changed and we are now seeing more women championing the beautiful game, both on the pitch and in the terraces. To discuss these developments we welcome the founder of photo-zine GIRLFANS Jacqui McAssey, and the Chair of LFC Women's Supporter's Club, Jay Goodall.

In four short years, the Eric's club in Liverpool became legendary for its international roster, raucous punk antics and youth centric outlook. Eric's was an impromptu 'school of music' and key to the rise of famous Liverpool bands and figures of the late 70s and early 80s; from Echo & the Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, to Pete Burns, Pete Wylie and many more. In this episode, co-owner Ken Testi, shares his story of how the club came to be a seedbed of fresh talent in the city, as well as host to some of the greatest acts of all time, from the Sex Pistols to the Ramones.

From Jodie Comer to Jimmy McGovern, the stars of film and TV are making Liverpool proud, continuing its remarkable history of screen writing and onscreen talent. But what is the state of the Scouse film scene today and what does the future look like?

In the past decade advancements in technology have enabled us to discover more about the universe we inhabit, but should we be delving deeper into the unknown expanses of space when our own planet has issues of its own? Dr. Jackie Bell tells us how important space exploration is for the generations that follow and how it can help us understand and even solve Earth's Problems. Then our very own Patrick Kiernan from the Planetarium at World Museum tells us how important it is to understand the darkest depths of space so we can protect our earth from meteorites headed to earth.

The Mersey River makes the brilliant city of Liverpool, but who was there when the tide quite literally got too high? A hero by any standard, James Clarke saved many locals from drowning in the Mersey in the early 1900s and taught countless others to swim. And, fast forward to 2022, we meet current day heroes through the LifeBoat Station Project, Jack Lowe's ten year mission to photograph all of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s 238 lifeboat stations across the UK and Ireland (including Hoylake, West Kirkby and New Brighton). What drives these people to put their own lives at danger to save strangers at sea?

The Liverbirds were the first all-female rock and roll band- defying expectations and even the industry. This disregard for convention is shared by Nine x Nine records, whose goals are to support their artists instead of trying to control them. Both these stories show that through their resistance against authority and control, they truly are rebels in music.

As we look on across Europe to our Ukrainian allies, how can sharing stories of war help us all?

Art galleries have always been a space for quiet contemplation, but in the midst of our modern lives, can they still provide solace during life's biggest challenges?

How has our attitude to sex changed over the generations?

Provocative, intriguing, and perhaps salacious – it’s hard to resist a story about a scandal. Hear a discussion about the legacy of Liverpool losing its World Heritage status, find out what makes a book scandalous and discover why a portrait of Lord Leverhulme caused international outrage.

With Liverpool being a maritime city, a strong relationship with the sea is inevitable. Hear from an open water swimmer about plunging into freezing water and how this can help to free the mind in difficult times and improve mental health. Dive beneath the waves to find out how to play with an octopus and discover what it feels like to make friends with such an amazing and intelligent creature. Get an expert’s view on mangrove trees, how they are being affected by pollution and why it's important for us to protect them.

For centuries we have been cutting, dying, curling, straightening, and braiding our hair. But is hair just for expressing personal style – or is there more we can discover about society, history and even ethics? Look back to the Roman period and hear how hairstyle influencers from elite society spread the latest hair trends amongst the masses. Discover the social and political history surrounding Afro hair and get a personal perspective about the importance of celebrating Black hair today. Find out how a bizarre dress from our collections - made of human hair extensions - caused mixed reactions from audiences and consider the ethics behind using human hair for fashion.

All bodies are worthy of love and respect. **Content warning: this episode explores stories relating to eating disorders and abortion** Hear the inspiring journey of one Instagrammer, from difficulties with body image to arriving in a place of body acceptance. Through the etchings in our collections by celebrated artist Paula Rego, discover the personal and political stories behind Rego’s abortion series, with commentary from the artist’s son, Nick Willing. Look back at sculptures from ancient Greece to discover how body ideals from the ancient world have influenced our thinking about beauty today. Finally, find out how one artist sets out to challenge representations of male body image and masculinity in the media, creating work from an LGBTQ+ perspective.

Who are you and how do you express yourself? In this episode, explore how some people reach out to connect with their ancestors and hear a discussion about the complex identity of scousers with African and Afro-Caribbean heritage. Delve into the world of tattooing as we learn about the original sailor tattoos and look at why marking our skin can help shape our identities in the present day.

Subscribe to the National Museums Liverpool Podcast. Our podcast weaves together stories from our collections with the experiences of people in Liverpool today, exploring connections between the past and the present.

In episode six of the National Museums Liverpool Podcast, Jane Garvey introduces stories on protest, each with their own unique link to the museums and Liverpool. Act One: Black Lives Matter Protesting has been an important factor of the Black Lives Matter movement since it started in 2013 and has helped bring about change and awareness to the cause. We talked to Chantelle Lunt educator, writer, entrepreneur, activist and founder of Merseyside #BLM Alliance about how protests have contributed to positive change and how to avoid protest burn out. Act Two: Pottery of Protest When Jeff Speakman, Assistant Curator of Archaeology at Museum of Liverpool, went on an archaeological dig at The Manchester Dock, him and his team didn’t know what to expect. Imagine their surprise when, not only did they unearth 3 tonnes of pottery, but found chamber pots with the royal crest on them. Jeff unpacks how they go there, what they mean and what they say about our need for personal protest today, just as it was over 200 years ago. Act Three: Liverpool 8 Against Apartheid In the 80s the people of L8 were tireless in their support of the anti-apartheid struggle. The Museum of Liverpool will host a new display highlighting the history of the community’s role in the anti-apartheid movement, and the fight to free Nelson Mandela and in this story we'll hear some of the voices from the frontline of the fight.

In episode five of the National Museums Liverpool Podcast, Jane Garvey introduces stories on movement, each with their own unique link to the museums and Liverpool. Act One: Anthony Walker Foundation The unprovoked racially motivated murder of Liverpool teenager Anthony Walker is one of the most shocking incidents in Merseyside’s history. His family, including mother Gee Walker were determined that Anthony's death was not just a statistic and set about creating an anti-racism movement with the Anthony Walker Foundation. The AWF’s most recent campaign is Speak Out Stop Hate and aims to encourage everyone to report hate crime, be it through the foundation or policing channels. In this story we talk to Ben Osu, Strategy Lead at the foundation about how Anthony’s family set about moving on the conversation about racism in Britain through educational programmes and facilitating better, easier reporting and support. Act Two: Wilson The Rope Figure Seized! is the on-display collection for the National Border Force Museum, which sits inside the Maritime Museum. Steve Butler, Curator of the Border Force National Museum Collection talks us through an item that people can see called Wilson, a small rope toy figure created by a Border Force officer to pass out to children of immigrant ships that try to break down barriers as these frightened people are confronted by huge British naval ships and uniformed officers. Act Three: The Dockers Umbrella The Liverpool Overhead Railway opened in 1893 and closed in 1956, it ran for 6 miles along Liverpool’s waterfront taking in the docks and the city centre. In this story Curator of Land Transport, Sharon Brown takes us on a ride through its technological advances to its ultimate demise and subsequent reinvigoration through a display in the Museum of Liverpool.

In episode four of the National Museums Liverpool Podcast, Jane Garvey introduces stories on isolation, each with their own unique link to the museums and Liverpool. Act One: The Importance of Being Social Joe is about to turn 16, lockdown took away his social life and in particular the underage nightclub he attended every Monday night. It's a story we're hearing a lot since March 2020, but the difference in this story is that Joe is a young man who has Down's Syndrome. In his own words Joe details how isolation has impacted him. Act Two: Splendid Isolation The Isle of Socotra in the Indian Ocean is a wonder of biodiversity comparable to the famous Galápagos Islands. In 1898 Scottish explorer, ornithologist, botanist and then Director of Liverpool Museums (World Museum) Henry Ogg Forbes undertook a joint expedition with the British Museum to the Yemeni Island. Their discoveries were vast and in this story we speak to a successor of Forbes, Dr John-James Wilson, about the collection and to Kay van Damme, who is currently residing on the Island conducting further research. Act Three: Stuck on the Suez As the huge container ship the Evergiven ran aground and blocked passage through the Suez Canal, interest in the waterway was piqued. It was stuck for just under a week, imagine being stuck there for 8 years as the Yellow Fleet was between 1967-1975. We speak to Cath Senker author of the book Stranded in the Six-Day War, who details this often forgotten moment of diplomatic history.