Red Carnation Hotels

LONDON PODCASTS

This Week in London (TWiL) is a podcast about London and the places you might have already been to plus many places which you almost certainly haven't!  TWiL takes a tourist view from the locals perspective.

The host of TWiL, Paul Parkinson, was born in London and has lived in London all his life. He works in the City but travels extensively around the world. He knows the pain a tourist or business traveller can go through when arriving somewhere and hopes he can make your visit to London more rewarding, fun and informative.

Mixing in detailed pieces on places or people, music you should like but won't have heard and a few sound-seeing tours, Paul brings the locals knowledge to the visitor. Paul is passionate about London and wants to show you around his favourite city. TWiL is released every two weeks or so but Paul's day job sometimes gets in the way!

TWiL's motto, Paul says, is "What to do and what not to do; things to avoid and things to enjoy in the Greatest City on Earth" - and who are we to disagree! These podcasts take approximately a minute to download and play

  add RCH's podcasts to your iTunes

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  42:30

   Paul Parkinson  HMS Belfast

  
  

  HMS Belfast was built in 1938, taken out of battle service with the Royal Navy in 1965, and opened as a museum in 1971 as a unique reminder of Britain's naval heritage. HMS Belfast has nine decks of living history to explore.

  HMS Belfast is the largest surviving example of Britain's twentieth century naval power and is moored on the Thames between Tower Bridge and London Bridge. She was the first ship to be saved for the nation since Nelson's HMS Victory due to her historical importance.

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  35:00

   Paul Parkinson  How Many Rivers

  
  

  Most people are able to tell you the name of one river in London but do you know how many there actually are - and what they are called?

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  32:30

   Paul Parkinson  The Great British Boozer

  
  

  Paul Parkinson enlightens us on the great ways of old fashioned traditional British pubs

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  38:51

   Paul Parkinson  Ruby Murray

  
  A "Ruby Murray" is the much used Cockney rhyming slang for curry, which as a cuisine is  Britain's favourite, by a long stretch.  Paul investigates the origins of how the British came to develop such an appetite for all things spicy and also some interesting stats on the consumption of what is commonly regarded as the country's national dish, the famous Chicken Tikka Masala, which, it turns out, was actually devised by the British, the Masala sauce acting as a gravy substitute, another great British tradition! 

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   Paul Parkinson  Docklands Light Railway

  
  This week Paul Parkinson interviews two staff from the Docklands Light Railway.  The DLR is a light rail system with one of the world's most advanced automatic train control systems. It now carries over 60 million passengers a year.

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   Paul Parkinson  Buckingham Palace

  
  This episode is all about Buckingham Palace, the most famous building in London.  Paul gives listeners a bit of history and background, leading onto the current day Palace and the opportunity for visitors to take a tour of the State Rooms.

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   Paul Parkinson  The Crown Jewels

  
  Paul Parkinson looks into The British Crown Jewels, the ceremony treasured acquired by English Kings and Queens mostly since 1616. 

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   Paul Parkinson  Three very important people

  
  The three important people discussed in this episode are the Chelsea Pensioners, the Pearly Kings and Queens and the Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London, all three inspiring images of London.

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   Paul Parkinson  London Heathrow Terminal 5

  
  Paul spent a couple of hours being guided around LHRT5, he discovers an amazing building,  designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership, which will take London Heathrow into the 21st Century.

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   Paul Parkinson  Remember Guido Fawkes

  
  Investigates the Gunpowder plot of the 5th November 1605, the failed attempt to kill king James I.

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