Talks beyond time and place

David Charnick is a Londoner, a historian, a writer and a qualified City tour guide. Apart from doing his own “Charnowalks“, he is part of “Footprints of London” and is employed as a tutor for tour guiding. In the first episode of “Talks beyond time and place”, David shares his strangest moments as a tour guide and explains what London as a home means to him. Based on one of David’s tours, our main topic is London biographer Peter Ackroyd and his view on London, especially on London’s “Monstrous East End”. From the “trope of the tramp” in his works to Ackroyd’s imaginary projections: Follow us into Peter Ackroyd’s powerful, majestic and dark London, which is full of shadows.

EPISODE ONE: DAVID CHARNICK – TOPIC: PETER ACKROYD’S MONSTROUS EAST END

Richard Jones is one of London’s leading walking tour guides. He started in 1982, is a Blue Badge tour guide, an author and a broadcaster. Richard has written over twenty books on various subjects from Jack the Ripper to Charles Dickens to Haunted London and Britain. He appears regularly on international television as an expert on these topics.

In the second episode of “Talks beyond time and place”, Richard shares his stories from almost 40 years of guiding and broadcasting, like working with Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden or leading Green Day through the East End. Richard Jones is one of the leading experts about Jack the Ripper as well, so we also talk about the Ripper murders and their impact on London.

EPISODE TWO: RICHARD JONES – TOPIC: “JACK THE RIPPER” AND HIS IMPACT ON LONDON

Camila Oliveira is a William Blake researcher from Brazil and she has specialized in “Blake and Music”. In her PhD thesis, she discusses Blake’s reception in popular music in the 20th and 21st century. She interviewed musicians inspired by Blake’s work, for example BRUCE DICKINSON (IRON MAIDEN), TIM BLAKE, GORDON GILTRAP and ED SANDERS. She is also a translator and translated the lyrics of IAN ANDERSON’S JETHRO TULL “Thick as a Brick 2” into Portuguese. Currently she is working on a Portuguese translation of Blake’s magnum opus “Jerusalem, the Emanation of the Giant Albion”.

In the third episode of “Talks beyond time and place”, we discuss the influence of Blake on BOB DYLAN, JIM MORRISON, ALLEN GINSBERG, PATTI SMITH and BRUCE DICKINSON. She also shares her experiences of feeling like a foreigner when living in London and we try to find out if London is female or male.

EPISODE THREE: CAMILA OLIVEIRA – TOPIC: WILLIAM BLAKE IN POPULAR MUSIC

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.

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!

EPISODE FOUR: ROBERT KINGHAM – TOPIC: PAGAN LONDON

Stephen is the author of “Dark Lines of London“, a time-travelling, supernatural and historical comic that he wrote together with Tony Lee, with graphic design coming from newcomer Mariela Malova. The story of “Dark Lines of London” is set in two time periods: One story is set in 1589 when Queen Elizabeth I is at the end of her reign and the so-called “School of Night” makes plans for the future of the British Empire. The group consists of Francis Walsingham, his daughter Frances, Sir Walter Raleigh, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Harriot and of course Doctor John Dee, who is one of the main protagonists of the comic.

The other story is set in 2019. The English Literatures graduate Sam Carter finds a message in an ancient copy of Dee’s “Monas Hieroglyphica” that warns him of the School of Night’s plans to destroy London in 2020. He finds a way to converse with Doctor Dee in the past and together they plan to save the world.

In “Talks beyond time and place”, we talk about the comic, John Dee, the ley line from Mile End to Blackheath that Stephen discovered, and Marillion.

EPISODE FIVE: STEPHEN SALEH – TOPIC: DARK LINES OF LONDON

Wilton’s Music Hall can be found in Grace’s Alley off Cable Street in Tower Hamlets and is believed to be the oldest surviving grand music hall in Europe. It was built in the 1740s as an alehouse. In 1839, a concert room was built behind the bar that was greatly enlarged by the new owner John Wilton, who opened it in 1859 as “Wilton’s Music Hall”. Here, all the great Victorian artists like Arthur Lloyd, George Ware and ‘Champagne Charlie’ George Leybourne performed.

Harry is Head of Development and Communications at Wilton’s Music Hall. In “Talks beyond time and place”, we chat about the building’s history, the importance of the music halls for London, Cockney Sing-a-longs, memorable performances at Wilton’s and modern-day admirers and supporters like Cate Blanchett and Sir David Suchet.

EPISODE SIX: WILTON’S MUSIC HALL – GUEST: HARRY HICKMORE

Paul Kenny is the author of “Reid and the Ripper – A novel exploring the mind of Jack The Ripper and the detective who hunted him.”

Paul was a university and college lecturer for 31 years, until his retirement in 2018. After studying the case for 30 years, he published his views in the form of the novel “Reid and the Ripper”. He finds the case fascinating not only because it is unsolved, but because it is intriguing as to the type of person the Ripper was and why he committed such crimes.

In the seventh episode of “Talks beyond time and place”, we chat about his book “Reid and the Ripper” and about Inspector Edmund Reid, who was one of the leading investigators in the Ripper case.

EPISODE SEVEN: PAUL KENNY | TOPIC: REID AND THE RIPPER

Tara J Griffin is a London based storyteller and museum professional working regularly in the mediums of poetry, design, photography, and spoken word. She is also an anthropologist interested in the Pub.

Tara has a BA in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Kent and an MA in Museum and Gallery Studies from Kingston University, where she excelled in innovative creative practices in heritage landscapes and was awarded the Prize for Outstanding Creative Practice 2019.

So in the eight episode of “Talks beyond time and place”, we chat about her dissertation project “Pubology”, about “Tara in the museum”/”Tara the curator” and about being employed as a tour guide in Freemasons’ Hall!

EPISODE EIGHT: TARA J GRIFFIN | TOPIC: “PUBOLOGY”, MUSEUM WORK AND MORE

Frank Molloy aka “Soul City Wanderer” is the author of the book Soul City Wandering. He is a south London-born writer, journalist, producer, historian and guide. He has an MA in London history and is a qualified Blue Badge Guide, Westminster Guide and City of London Guide. He has lectured at various institutions including the Museum of London and the National Portrait Gallery. As an accredited journalist, he writes on travel and culture.

In episode nine of “Talks beyond time and place”, we talk about his London book “Soul City Wandering“, a guide book with London walks and a soft introduction to psychogeography. The book is fusing history, music and poetry. Its aim is to inspire travellers to engage as individuals with their journeys; to encourage interaction with time, place, motion & emotion. The places on the routes are not ‘hidden London’, they have been selected because they have a strong ‘synergy’, a soul.

EPISODE NINE: FRANK MOLLOY | TOPIC: SOUL CITY WANDERING

T.G. Campbell is an award-winning crime fiction author and creator of the Bow Street Society.

The Bow Street Society is a fictional group of amateur detectives, operating in Victorian London, that feature in the murder mystery writings of T.G. Campbell. Each of its civilian members has been enlisted for their unique skill or exceptional knowledge in a particular field derived from their usual occupation. Members are assigned to cases, by the Society’s clerk, Miss Rebecca Trent, based upon these skills and fields of knowledge.

EPISODE TEN: T.G. CAMPBELL | TOPIC: BOW STREET SOCIETY

It is the first time that I have two guests in one episode of “Talks beyond time and place”! Vanessa Woolf and George Hoyle are professional London-based storytellers. Vanessa Woolf’s “London Dreamtime” is all about storytelling and much of it is inspired by the history and myth and folklore of London. She and her partner George Hoyle work together and separately on performances for children and adults and he is an extremely popular choice with schools, museums and festivals.

George Hoyle is also a musician, working under the name “Cunning Folk“. Cunning Folk writes, sings, plays guitars on & produces songs about magic & folklore. Cunning Folk leads seasonal rituals & runs the South East London Folklore Society, a monthly meeting with talks on a variety of weird subjects.

EPISODE ELEVEN: VANESSA WOOLF & GEORGE HOYLE | TOPIC: STORYTELLING, LONDON DREAMTIME & CUNNING FOLK

Jack Chesher is a lover of all things London, history and walking. On his website “Living London History“, he wants to uncover the history of London and help Londoners see their home in a different light, as well as helping visitors to get under the skin of this incredible city.

On “Living London History”, Jack published a blog and Self-Guided Walk about London’s Body-Snatcher Gangs. In today’s episode of “Talks beyond time and place”, we chat about the Resurrectionists and this unusual business from the beginning of the 19th century.

EPISODE TWELVE: JACK CHESHER OF “LIVING LONDON HISTORY” | TOPIC: LONDON’S BODY-SNATCHER GANGS

Peculiar London invites people to explore London with them. Whether you are a local or just passing through, their tours give you a different insight into London’s vibrant and colourful heritage.

On April 16, they start their tours again with “Dark Side of Docklands“, a hilarious immersive theatre walking tour in Wapping, that explores the murky waters of London’s maritime history. Featuring a cast of colourful characters including marauding pirates, ladies of the night and even royalty, who will give you insights into the now vanished world of London’s Docklands, once Europe’s largest and notorious Port.

EPISODE 13: SIWAN HILL OF “PECULIAR LONDON” | TOPIC: PECULIAR LONDON AND DARK SIDE OF DOCKLANDS

Stephen Coates is a composer and music producer, a broadcaster and writer, a lover of London and rare stories that move people. He is also the founder of the London band The Real Tuesday Weld and he composed scores for documentaries, TV shows, short films, animations, art installations and commercial spots. He is also the founder of the arts company Antique Beat and is known as “The Clerkenwell Kid”.

In episode 14 of “Talks beyond time and place”, the legendary Stephen Coates and I talk about travelling through time and space in London, our favourite eras and areas, and about London myths. Join us on our journey beyond time and place!

EPISODE 14: STEPHEN COATES | TOPIC: TIME, SPACE AND LONDON MYTHS

Bradley Harper is a retired US army pathologist and after he retired from service, he took up writing. His first novel is “A Knife in the Fog”, in which the unlikely company of a young Arthur Conan Doyle, Miss Margaret Harkness and Professor Joseph Bell, who many believe to be an inspiration for Sherlock Holmes, are involved in the hunt for Jack the Ripper.

In the Crime/Mystery Fiction novel “A Knife In The Fog”, Jack the Ripper meets Sherlock Holmes’ Arthur Conan Doyle. In Bradley’s second novel “Queen’s Gambit”, the adventure continues with Margaret Harkness racing to save Queen Victoria herself. Bradley Harper was also featured in “How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America”, which was published in April 2021.

EPISODE 15: BRADLEY HARPER | TOPIC: A KNIFE IN THE FOG

Angela Buckley is the author of the historical true crime series “Victorian Supersleuth Investigates“. Her first book was “The Real Sherlock Holmes“, but in this episode we will focus on her second book (and the first of the series), which recounts the frantic race to stop one of Britain’s most prolific murderers: Amelia Dyer.

On 30 March 1896, a bargeman hooked a parcel from the river Thames at Caversham. Inside the brown paper package was the body of a baby girl – she had been strangled with tape. When two more tiny bodies were found in a carpet bag, the police launched a nationwide hunt for a serial killer. A faint name and address on the sodden wrapping provided the Reading police with their first clue in the frantic race to capture baby farmer Amelia Dyer, one of Britain’s most prolific murderers.

Angela and I talk about this horrifying series of murders and about baby farming in general.

EPISODE 16: ANGELA BUCKLEY | TOPIC: AMELIA DYER AND THE BABY FARM MURDERS

Susannah Wise is an actor and writer who grew up in London and the Midlands.

A childhood spent outdoors inspired her love of nature and tree climbing. Susannah studied at the Faber Academy, graduating in September 2018. Her debut novel This Fragile Earth was released in 2021, and Okay Then That’s Great (2022) is her second novel. Both books have been longlisted for the Mslexia prize.

She lives in London with her partner and son.

Susannah and I met at the Kalender Café in Highgate to discuss her two novels, how she came to be a writer, her journey from having a first draft to publication, her writing routine and her upcoming projects as writer and actor.

EPISODE 17: SUSANNAH WISE – ACTRESS AND AUTHOR (‘THIS FRAGILE EARTH’, ‘OKAY THEN THAT’S GREAT’)

Toby Virgo is the author of ‘Carter, the Cabman’, which tells the story of a night in the life of a hansom cab driver working in London in the autumn of terror of 1888.

Toby is also the founder of The Real Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour of Edinburgh, but now lives in North Yorkshire with his wife and son.

EPISODE 18: ‘CARTER THE CABMAN’ – INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR TOBY VIRGO’

Singer, actor and playwright Karen Egan about her career and writing and performing the song “Eight Little Whores” in BBC’s “Ripper Street”.

KAREN EGAN – SINGER, ACTOR, COMPOSER, WRITER, DIVA (“RIPPER STREET”)

Actress, model and artist Magdalena Korpas about her role in ITV’s Whitechapel, her next projects and living in London and not liking it at all.

MAGDALENA KORPAS – ACTRESS (“WHITECHAPEL”), MODEL, ARTIST

Alicia Gerrard is an actress, known for “Interference” (2016), “Blight” (2015) and “Ripper Street” (2012).

Irish actress Alicia Gerrard played the character of Charity in “Ripper Street” from series 2 onwards. It was her first TV appearance.

ALICIA GERRARD – ACTRESS (“RIPPER STREET”)

Kunjue Li is an actress and former model. She has a long list of film credits and appeared on several TV shows, among them “Ripper Street”, “Peaky Blinders” and “Razors: The Return of Jack the Ripper”.

KUNJUE LI – ACTRESS (“RIPPER STREET”, “PEAKY BLINDERS”)

Juan Carlos Medina is a director and writer, known for “Painless”, “The Limehouse Golem” and “A Discovery of Witches”.

We talk about “The Limehouse Golem”, the cast, how he projected Peter Ackroyd’s visionary images on screen and how the illness and untimely death of Alan Rickman, who was originally cast as Inspector Kildare, affected the production and him personally.

JUAN CARLOS MEDINA – DIRECTOR (“THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM”)

Dominik Scherrer ist ein 1967 in Zürich geborener britischer Komponist, der viel für Film, Theater und Fernsehen geschrieben hat. Von ihm stammen die Soundtracks zu “Agatha Christie’s Marple”, “Ripper Street”, “Inspector George Gently”, “Primeval”, “The Missing”, “Requiem” und “The Serpent”.

Wir trafen Dominik Scherrer in seinem Crimson Noise Studio auf der Brick Lane, mitten im Gebiet von Jack the Ripper. Um die Ecke in der Hanbury Street wurde Annie Chapman, das zweite kanonische Opfer des Rippers, ermordet. Die Musik zu “Ripper Street” stammt also quasi “von” der “Ripper Street”.

DOMINIK SCHERRER – KOMPONIST (“RIPPER STREET”) (DEUTSCH/GERMAN)

Elva Trill is an Irish actor and musician. She is known for “Ripper Street”, “Line of Duty” and “Starstruck”. She is one of the vocalists of the band The City and Us.

I met Elva Trill for a pint in The Ten Bells pub in Spitalfields, East London. Some of Jack the Ripper’s victims were said to have drunk here, so it was a fitting location to talk about Elva’s appearance on “Ripper Street”.

We chat about her career, her band The City and Us, her forthcoming projects and about what living in East London is like.

ELVA TRILL – ACTRESS (“RIPPER STREET”) & SINGER – INTERVIEW AT THE TEN BELLS PUB