Best Ploy Radford Podcasts (2025)

In this episode Dr Jo Ball shares the stories behind three military tombstones from Roman Britain, touching on themes of life and death in the Roman empire, what it means to be a Roman and more.

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A carved limewood cravat - Chatsworth House 22:13

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1M ago22:13

22:13

In the second of a two part episode focused on Chatsworth House, Assistant Curator Katherine Hardwick-Kulpa shares the mysteries around a carved limewood cravat .

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Chatsworth House - William Kent Pier Table 26:57

1M ago26:57

26:57

In the first of a two-part episode focused on the English stately home Chatsworth House, Assistant Curator Katherine Hardwick-Kulpa explains to host Ploy Radford-Taylor why a small table tucked away in the West Sketch Gallery is actually one of the most significant pieces of furniture in the house's collection.…

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The women of Homer - interview with Emily Hauser 41:59

2M ago41:59

41:59

In this episode of Past Matters, academic and author Emily Hauser shines a light on the women who inspired the female characters of Homer's great epics.

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HMS Queen Charlotte Figurehead - The National Museum of the Royal Navy 46:56

3M ago46:56

46:56

Season 5 opens with an interview with Hannah Bradbury-Crowther, Curator of Diverse Histories at the National Museum of the Royal Navy sharing the tales the figurehead of the HMS Queen Charlotte has seen...

1
New Year Special - interview with author Amber Chen 29:43

8M ago29:43

29:43

In this New Year special to round off season 4, author AmberChen reveals the historical influences behind her silkpunk fantasy novel ‘Of Jade and Dragons’.

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The Sword of Ommerschans - Dutch National Museum of Antiquities 45:10

9M ago45:10

45:10

Luc Amkreutz, curator of the prehistory collections at the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, reveals the story behind the Sword of Ommerschans, currently on display as part of the 'Bronze Age: Fires of Change' exhibition. The giant ceremonial Bronze Age sword provides a fascinating insight into an overlooked part of history that actua…

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The Book of the Queen - The British Library 31:13

9M ago31:13

31:13

This episode shines a light on Christine de Pizan, one of the overlooked women from history featured in the British Library's exhibition 'Medieval Women: In their own Words'. Curator Eleanor Jackson tells host Ploy Radford-Taylor about this extraordinary woman who was Europe's first professional female author and goes into detail about one of her w…

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Lord Leighton's landscape paintings - Leighton House 42:02

9M ago42:02

42:02

Leighton House's new exhibition 'Leighton and Landscape: Impressions from Nature shines a new light on its famous former occupant. In this episode, senior curator Daniel Robbins shares the story behind Frederic, Lord Leighton's landscapes and what went into putting together this first of a kind exhibition.…

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Assortment of Japanese souvenirs - the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum 41:02

9M ago41:02

41:02

Host Ploy Radford-Taylor returns to the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum where a chat with curator Duncan Walker about some innocuous Japanese souvenirs leads to a much wider discussion about changing Japanese society, the rise of tourism and the lives of Sir Merton and Lady Russell-Cotes.

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Blandford Fashion Museum - a Regency spencer 29:00

10M ago29:00

29:00

While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, you can’t deny that clothes can reveal a lot about a person, or the past, as host Ploy Radford-Taylor finds when she visits Blandford Fashion Museum.

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The 'Queen of the Bluestockings' - Elizabeth Montagu 38:37

10M ago38:37

38:37

In this episode, historian Dr Lizzie Rogers tells the story of Elizabeth Montagu, famed salon hostess and founder of the Blue Stockings Society, literary critic and successful businesswoman.

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Costanza Piccolomini - interview with author Rachel Blackmore 57:29

10M ago57:29

57:29

In this first episode of season 4, host Ploy Radford-Taylorinterviews author Rachel Blackmore about her debut novel 'Costanza', which tells the story of Costanza Piccolomini, whose affair with celebrated superstar sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini takes a dark turn...

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Easter 2023 special - Cleopatra Selene 54:42

2+ y ago54:42

54:42

For this second Easter 2023 special episode, host Ploy Radford interviews Dr Jane Draycott on the life and times of Cleopatra Selene, daughter of the famous Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Roman general Mark Antony. While Cleopatra Selene has slipped under the radar in history compared to her mother, she led an eventful life that saw her move from Egypt…

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Easter 2023 special - Equestrian artist Lucy Kemp-Welch 42:08

2+ y ago42:08

42:08

For this Easter 2023 special episode of Past Matters, host Ploy Radford interviews Dr David Haycock, curator of a new exhibition about the equestrian artist Lucy Kemp-Welch (1869-1958) at the Russell Cotes Art Gallery & Museum. The episode explores Kemp-Welch's life, extraordinary art, and how she helped defy conventions at the time about female ar…

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New Year special - Sophia Dorothea, the British queen who never was 1:10:41

2+ y ago1:10:41

1:10:41

In a new year special, historian and author Catherine Curzon tells podcast host Ploy Radford about the story of the British queen who never was - Sophia Dorothea, the much maligned wife of King George I.

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Animal bones - Fishbourne Roman Palace 33:42

2+ y ago33:42

33:42

In this final episode of season 3, podcast host Ploy Radford and zooarchaeologists Dr Rob Symmons and Professor Naomi Sykes discuss the importance of animal bones to unveiling the past, and how the ones discovered at Fishbourne Roman Palace suggest there was once an exotic zoo there.

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Circles of Stone exhibition - Stonehenge 34:22

2+ y ago34:22

34:22

Stonehenge is without doubt one of the most iconic historic monuments in Britain. It turns out though it wasn't just people in prehistoric Britain building stone circles of cultural significance though - it was also happening on the other side of the world in prehistoric Japan. To delve into this phenomenon more, English Heritage has put on an exhi…

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Sword and helmet - William Morris Gallery 31:07

3y ago31:07

31:07

Find out more about the founder of the Arts and Crafts movement in England, William Morris, from the story of a sword and helmet he had made for one of his first artistic projects. On display at the William Morris Gallery, these items reveal lots about Morris' early life, his influences and are even linked to his love story with his wife.…

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'The Lost King' - The Wallace Collection 50:18

3y ago50:18

50:18

This is an episode for arms and armour enthusiasts, Ricardians, and those interested in the magic of movie-making. Host Ploy Radford interviews Dr Toby Capwell from the Wallace Collection about their temporary exhibition linked to 'The Lost King' movie about Richard III. Learn about the art of creating armour for film, what would Richard III have a…

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'Without hands' - the Sarah Biffin exhibition at Philip Mould & Company 32:42

3y ago32:42

32:42

This podcast is about celebrating the underrated, so in this episode, host Ploy Radford talks to art historian and miniatures expert Emma Rutherford about an utterly remarkable artist whose work is being exhibited for the first time in 100 years at the Philip Mould & Company Gallery in London. The artist in question is Sarah Biffin, who lived from …

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'Tiny Traces' - The Foundling Museum 36:44

3y ago36:44

36:44

Past Matters podcast host Ploy Radford interviews Hannah Dennett, Curator of the 'Tiny Traces: African & Asian Children at London's Foundling Hospital', about the stories of these children, uncovered for the first time for this vital and interesting exhibition at the Foundling Museum. Listen to learn more about the lives of foundlings and the compl…

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Christmas 2021 special episode - interview with Lucy Jago 39:48

3+ y ago39:48

39:48

Lucy Jago, author of 'A Net for Small Fishes', explains how a painting of Frances Howard, Countess of Somerset, resonated particularly with her as she was writing her novel, which follows Frances' involvement in the Overbury murder scandal that rocked the Stuart court.

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Christmas 2021 special episode - interview with Annie Garthwaite 45:23

3+ y ago45:23

45:23

In one of three Christmas 2021 special episodes, host Ploy Radford talks to author Annie Garthwaite, about an illustration in the Neville Book of Hours that helped her capture the personality of Cecily of York, the titular character in her debut novel 'Cecily', and an influential figure in the Wars of the Roses. You can see an image of the illustra…

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Christmas 2021 special episode - interview with Jennifer Saint 27:49

3+ y ago27:49

27:49

In one of three Christmas 2021 special episodes, Past Matters host Ploy Radford talks to author Jennifer Saint about an ancient Minoan object that helped inspire her debut novel Ariadne, which retells the famous Ancient Greek myths of Theseus and the Minotaur and Phaedra and Hippolytus from female perspectives. You can see an image of the object on…

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2021 special - interview with Dr Valerie Schutte 34:09

4y ago34:09

34:09

In this bonus special episode, host Ploy Radford talks to Tudor queenship expert Dr Valerie Schutte about that most underrated of Henry VIII's wives - Anne of Cleves and a book of hours she gifted Henry VIII in 1533 (now in the Folger Shakespeare Library). Listen in to hear more about how Anne actually had a quite powerful status in England post di…

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2021 special - interview with Dr Ian Mortimer 39:47

4+ y ago39:47

39:47

In one of three special episodes, host Ploy Radford talks to Dr Ian Mortimer, historian and author of the hugely popular 'Time Traveller's Guide...' series about the rediscovery of the mirror in medieval Europe. This most basic of objects led to a revolution in the sense of self and can even be linked to a decrease in crime for a period...…

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2021 special - interview with Dr Ellie Woodacre 46:09

4+ y ago46:09

46:09

In one of three special episodes, host Ploy Radford talks to royal studies specialist Dr Ellie Woodacre about a collection of books that belonged to Joan of Navarre, wife of Henry IV and stepmother to Henry V, of Battle of Agincourt fame. The books provide a fantastic starting part for a wider discussion about this little known English queen who le…

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2021 special - interview with Kelcey Wilson-Lee 56:18

4+ y ago56:18

56:18

In one of three special episodes, host Ploy Radford talks to Kelcey Wilson-Lee, historian and author of 'Daughters of Chivalry', a biography of the five daughters of Edward I (aka the king in 'Braveheart'). Kelcey picks the Alphonso Psalter as her underrated historic object and reveals what it tells us about life and death in medieval England as we…

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The prisons - Colchester Castle 41:35

5y ago41:35

41:35

Season 2 of Past Matters ends on a gruesome note with Ben Paites, Collections and Learning Curator at Colchester & Ipswich Museums, discussing the history of the prisons at Colchester Castle. Not for the squeamish this episode covers prison conditions, witch burnings and the over zealous pursuit of justice. As ever you can see a picture of the obje…

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A pair of huia birds - The Horniman Museum & Gardens 27:34

5y ago27:34

27:34

In this episode, host Ploy Radford talks to Jo Hatton, Keeper of the Natural History Collection at the Horniman Museum & Gardens in South London. She picked a pair of taxidermied huia birds from the collection as her underrated objects. What makes these sadly now extinct birds particularly remarkable is that they represent the most pronounced examp…

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Two swords - Ipswich Museum 32:31

5y ago32:31

32:31

For this episode, host Ploy Radford revisits a museum featured in season 1 – Ipswich Museum. This time, Tim Rousham from the visitor services team at the museum discusses two pattern-welded swords from the 9th century AD. Tune in to this episode to learn more about designing beautiful and effective swords and how their shape changed over time and w…

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1960s clock - Museum of the Home 18:29

5y ago18:29

18:29

Vanessa Meade, Curator of Exhibitions and Interpretations at the Museum of the Home, talks to Ploy Radford about a humble yet special 1960s clock for this episode of Past Matters. You can view a picture of the clock on www.ployradford.com or by following Past Matters on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.…

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'Schooner approaching the harbour' - Compton Verney 19:42

5y ago19:42

19:42

Compton Verney in Warwickshire has one of the finest collections of folk art in the UK. In this episode Director Julie Finch tells Ploy Radford why 'Schooner approaching the harbour' by Alfred Wallis, which is painted on a tea tray, is a piece of folk art that particularly resonates with her during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic lockdown. You can vi…

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Two smocks - The MERL 41:28

5y ago41:28

41:28

When you're asked to imagine an iconic item of clothing the humble smock probably doesn't come to mind. However, in this episode, Dr Ollie Douglas, Curator at The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL), convinces podcast host Ploy Radford as to the importance of the smock to English identity. Design, how we align stories with historical objects and fe…

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A patera - The Roman Baths, Bath 23:00

5+ y ago23:00

23:00

In this episode, Zofia Matyjaszkiewicz, who is the Collections Assistant at the Roman Baths in Bath, tells Ploy Radford why a patera - a shallow libation bowl - is her underrated object at this world-famous site. This one object sets off a whole discussion about Roman lives and passions, how design can let us date an object, and the concept of pilg…

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Three ceilings - Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery 36:16

5+ y ago36:16

36:16

While the previous episode reminded listeners to look down when visiting historic houses, in a pleasing symmetry, this episode reminds them to look up. Podcast host Ploy Radford talks to Clare Gough, Director at Pitzhanger Museum & Gallery, about three beautiful ceilings in the building, touching on subjects of family fallouts, the use of light in …

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Axminster carpet - Harewood House 27:21

5+ y ago27:21

27:21

This episode of Past Matters should encourage visitors to England's finest stately homes to look down as well as up for future visits, as Assistant Curator and Archivist at Harewood House, Beckie Burton, describes the significance of a grand Axminster carpet for social standing. You can find a picture of the carpet on Ployradford.com.…

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'Colt hunting in the New Forest' - Palace House 19:50

5+ y ago19:50

19:50

To kick off season 2 of Past Matters, podcast host Ploy Radford talks to Dr Steven Parissien, CEO of Palace House, Newmarket, about a painting by Lucy Kemp-Welch - 'Colt hunting in the New Forest'. Kemp-Welch was a highly successful artist and illustrator - which was rare achievement for women in the late Victorian/Edwardian era - download this epi…

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Christmas 2019 special: Margaret Beaufort's tomb - chosen by historian Nicola Tallis 34:20

5+ y ago34:20

34:20

As a special Christmas treat for you, my listeners, I have done something a bit different for this episode of Past Matters. Instead of asking a museum, gallery or historic house what their most underrated item is, I have instead asked historian Nicola Tallis, what historical object she thinks is underrated. Her choice? The tomb of Margaret Beaufort…

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Christmas 2019 special: Torcheres - Apsley House (with added bonus audio) 29:32

5+ y ago29:32

29:32

Apsley House (also known as No.1 London) is the home of the Dukes of Wellington and for the first time has extended its opening times to the 22nd December 2019 and decorated the house in 1840s style Christmas decorations. Visitors can therefore experience this already beautiful building as it may have looked for a Georgian Christmas. It therefore s…

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Christmas 2019 special: Two clocks - The Charles Dickens Museum 30:28

5+ y ago30:28

30:28

'A Christmas Carol' has got to be one of the most famous Christmas books out there, so it seemed fitting to interview Dr Cindy Sughrue, Director of the Charles Dickens Museum in London, for one of the three 2019 Christmas specials of Past Matters. With Christmas as a key marker in time, that directly precedes New Year, a time when we reflect back o…

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THREE GORILLAS – IPSWICH MUSEUM 13:30

6y ago13:30

13:30

It’s not all about the mammoth! Visitors to Ipswich Museum should also take note of three frightening looking taxidermied gorillas in the corner of the Victorian Natural History Gallery there. This group were the first gorillas the British public would have ever seen and the story of their expressions and poses provides a crucial insight into Victo…

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Madame de Pompadour snuffbox - Waddesdon Manor 31:56

6y ago31:56

31:56

Art, dogs, and a famous royal mistress... what more could you want from a podcast episode? To round off Season 1 of Past Matters, journalist Ploy Radford talks to Dr Mia Jackson, Curator of Decorative Arts at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, about a beautiful snuffbox depicting the beloved dogs and birds of Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of L…

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Three tapestries - Hever Castle 37:59

6y ago37:59

37:59

This episode of Past Matters if for fans of the Tudors, Anne Boleyn and anyone who has ever wanted to learn more about tapestries, royal signifiers of power and historical fashion. Or those who enjoy looking for the comic scenes hidden in art. Download to hear Alison Palmer, Conservation and Engagement Assistant, at Hever Castle talk about three ve…

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Regency fan - The Holburne Museum 27:23

6y ago27:23

27:23

This episode takes us to the Holburne Museum in Bath, which runs an excellent programme called Pathways to Wellbeing whereby they offer art classes focusing on the objects in the museum to people with mental health issues referred by the local NHS trust. Listen on to hear Louise Campion, Education and Outreach Officer at the Holburne, discuss the h…

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Roman jewellery - Colchester Castle 40:32

6y ago40:32

40:32

It can be very easy to walk by jewellery in an exhibition because these items tend to be very small. Don't skip by this episode of Past Matters though - in it journalist Ploy Radford talks to Colchester Museums' Senior Collections and Learning Curator Glynn Davis about some exquisite pieces of Roman jewellery that cast a new light on the inhabitant…

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Alfred Munnings' Newlyn sketchbooks - Munnings Art Museum 19:57

6y ago19:57

19:57

This episode is for those people who love animals and art because in it, I interview Jenny Hand, curator at Munnings Art Museum. Alfred Munnings was a famous 20th century impressionist painter, particular known for his paintings of horses. The objects Jenny picked though, are actually remarkably animal free - they are the sketchbooks from his years…

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Regency dairy - Weald & Downland Living Museum 31:28

6y ago31:28

31:28

Nestled among the reconstructed low-status farm buildings in Weald & Downland Living Museum is an almost fairytale-like structure. It wasn't the home of fairytale heroine though - it's actually an ornamental dairy from Regency England. Although, there are marks within it to ward off witches and evil spirits... To learn more about this building whic…