NOTE: Apologies for the bad sound quality of my microphone in the beginning. It is getting better from 05:25 onwards.
TALKS BEYOND TIME AND PLACE – EPISODE FOUR: ROBERT KINGHAM
Robert Kingham is part of “Minimum Labyrinth“, the creative partnership of Robert and Rich Cochrane. They have collaborated on many creative projects since meeting at Cardiff University in the early 1990s and they offer guided tours, audiobooks and much more London-related content.
Robert Kingham – Pagan London
In 2018, Robert produced “Pagan London”, a twelve-part documentary film series exploring London’s historical, mythical and contemporary pagan connections, in collaboration with the award-winning filmmaker Jeremiah Quinn. It can be viewed on Minimum Labyrinth’s and on Londonist’s YouTube channel. So on episode four of “Talks beyond time and place”, we chat about Pagan London!
YouTube
Spotify
Timestamps
0:00:00 London beyond time and place Intro
0:01:00 Note: Apologies for the bad sound quality of my microphone in the beginning. It is getting better from 05:25 onwards.
0:01:40 Introduction
0:03:00 About “Minimum Labyrinth”
0:04:01 Where did the name “Minimum Labyrinth” come from?
0:05:48 How exactly do you develop your tours?
0:09:42 How exactly did you come up with the “Peter Ackroyd” pub crawls?
0:11:17 Have you always been a London historian?
0:15:14 The Bomber Harris statue and the differences of dealing with the history of the Blitz in Britain and Germany
0:20:47 What kind of people attend your tours? Londoners, tourists?
0:22:50 What was the strangest moment on a tour?
0:27:00 Is London female or male?
0:28:28 You were part of a project “For Ann” – a prog rock song and music video to commemorate Thomas De Quincey’s tragic unrequited love with Ann of Oxford Street. What is the story behind the song and the project?
PAGAN LONDON – The documentary
0:33:37 Where did the idea for the documentary come from and how did it develop?
0:37:12 Have you always been interested in the topic?
0:41:43 It is a 12-part series covering 12 different locations in and around London connected to paganism – how did you choose the locations?
0:43:32 Why do you think Bloomsbury is the centre of spiritual London? And Seven Dials the centre of astrology in London? Is there anything “pagan” or “spiritual” about the area?
0:47:39 Do you think there is still some kind of “genius loci” to these places or has it completely gone?
0:52:31 “What have the Romans ever done for us?” – Did all the London cults and religions come from the outside?
0:53:55 How important were pagan beliefs for London’s history and culture? What is modern-day paganism in London like?
1:00:34 What spiritual societies do we have in London today? Are there still Druids?
1:06:26 Water as the main element that connects all the sites in “Pagan London” / The “strong brown god” Father Thames
1:09:37 What is your favourite place in London?
1:10:47 Are there still topics or places you want to research?
1:14:06 Has dealing with London and its history and its literature changed your view of the city?
1:15:12 Can you name three Londoners that you would have dinner or a drink with?
LINKS
MINIMUM LABYRINTH by ROBERT KINGHAM and RICH COCHRANE
PAGAN LONDON by Robert Kingham
A twelve-part documentary film series exploring London’s historical, mythical and contemporary pagan connections, in collaboration with the award-winning film-maker Jeremiah Quinn.
For Ann
A prog rock song and video to commemorate Thomas De Quincey’s tragic unrequited love with Ann of Oxford Street.
Further reading
On The Natural History Of Destruction*
The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Oxford World’s Classics)*
PHILIPP RÖTTGERS’ “LONDON AND ITS GENIUS LOCI”
TALKS BEYOND TIME AND PLACE
“Talks beyond time and place” is a series of online conversations by author Philipp Röttgers of “London beyond time and place“. Philipp and his guests chat about how London influences their lives. In every episode, they cover certain topics, depending on the individual guest. Among his guests are scholars, historians, tour guides and more and the atmosphere feels like a conversation in a pub.
Music by Bryan Kolarczyk
*= affiliate links/advertising links
