The Author Archive Podcast

Vicky Spratt - Tenants : The People on the Frontline of Britain’s Housing Emergency

Vicky Spratt is a British journalist specialising in the issue of housing.

For her book 'Tenants' Vicky spoke to people trapped in a world where homelessness is a constant threat. The stories are heartbreaking and shocking. It is unbelievable that this is happening in the UK in 2022. The book is a loud and strident wake up call to politicians. A change is required. Now.

This is a shocking story that is back in the headlines because of the stories of mould in houses that can be lethal.

Michael Dobbs - the author of the House of Cards talks about real politicians and another fictional invention.

Michael Dobbs was a very successful politician in his youth. He was labelled as the Tories baby faced hit man.

But then he turned to fiction but still writing about politics .... House of Cards was his invention.

After the loathsome amoral Francis Urquhart he came up with Thomas Goodfellowe MP.

Around 20 years ago Michael met David Freeman and they started their conversation musing on how party discipline was achieved in Westminster.  Around that time he had said of the Tory government 

'We have a flat pack Cabinet that threatens to collapse every time you turn the telly on'

Maybe nothing changes!

Richard Houghton - Gonna See All My Friends : A Peoples History of Fairport Convention

Richard Houghton has collected memories of music fans who have revelled in the folk/rock music of Fairport Convention.

The band was formed in London in 1967 so there his a huge fund of stories to draw on.

Legendary musicians have come and gone but Fairport Convention rolls on!

 

Mark Steel - Reasons to be Cheerful

David Freeman met Mark Steel when his memoir 'Reasons to be Cheerful : from Punk to New Labour through the Eyes of a Dedicated Troublemaker' was first published. There was a Labour government back then!

T.L. Mogford -The Plant Hunter

This novel imagines the horticultural world of the 1860s.

The hero of the story is a  young man who seeks his fortune by travelling east to find new plants that will sell for huge prices in London.

 

 

 

Robert Lacey - Royal: the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II recorded at the time of the Golden Jubilee

Robert Lacey is known as a historian of the Royal Family, so much so that he is a consultant to Netflix for their hit series The Crown.

At the time of the Golden Jubilee he write a biography of the Queen which was published as 'Royal' in the UK and 'Monarch' in the US.

The book gives a history of the Queen's reign and the story of the wider family. Prince Philip is celebrated as is  Prince Charles. The role of Princess Diana is examined as are Camilla and Princes William and Harry.

The partial withdrawal of Prince Harry is predicted ... and this was written 20 years ago.

Interesting background to the new Netflix season.

 

 

 

Martyn Ware - Electronically Yours : the autobiography of the man behind the Human League and Heaven 17

Martyn Ware tells David Freeman about his life growing up in Sheffield , almost making it as a manager in the Co Op but became a pop star with a passion for synthesisers and other electronic instruments instead.

He talks about his enthusiasm for Brian Eno and Roxy Music, and how his insight into the capabilities of electronics took him to be the successful producer of numerous records including tracks by Tina Turner and Mavis Staples.

Mary Hollingsworth - Conclave 1559

This evocative book tells the story of the scramble for power in the Vatican as the College of Cardinals voted for a new Pope.

One might like to think that such an election would be very different from the political elections that we are used to. 

Sadly the way things were done in 1559 would be very familiar to the likes of Liz Truss and Jacob Rees Mogg..... and they used the Sistine Chapel as a dormitory. It had to be fumigated.

 

Don Hale - Town Without Pity : The true story of a murder committed in Derbyshire in 1973.

This is the story of a massive miscarriage of justice that leads to a teenager, Stephen Downing, being sentenced to life in jail.

Don Hale worked for the local newspaper and spent years working through the evidence to show that Stephen was innocent.

It is a shocking story.

William Davis - This Is Not Normal : The Collapse of Liberal Britain.

The journalist William Davis talked to David Freeman on the morning of June 13, 2022, the day before the first Rwanda flight was scheduled and just before the publication of the bill to change the Brexit agreement in Ireland.

As the UK sinks into another election for another Tory election this seems all too relevant again.

The Rwanda flight is yet to happen and the Irish protocol is still awaiting sorting.