The Common Room

@CommonRoomGN
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The Common Room

This podcast series combines the industrial heritage of the North East of England with some of the people who made it happen – right from Charles Parsons in the 1800s to engineers who’ve worked at the factory more recently. It's by Ruth Baldasera, a Quality Engineer who works at the Siemens factory in Heaton, in Newcastle upon Tyne, which used to be home to the company of C.A.Parsons. **Showcasing our stories of engineering and innovation past, present and future.** Our Programme uses our unique heritage to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers. Through our travelling Graft and Glory exhibition, education workshops and public engagement activities, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are telling the stories of how engineers and innovators from the North East impact on the world, past, present and future.

  1. 12 FEB

    Our Voices - Episode 6 - Chandra Vemury

    Welcome to Our Voices, an oral history podcast by The Common Room in association with Dr Andy Clark, a research associate with Newcasle's Oral Hisotry collective. Chandra tells Andy about how a popular role model was the reason he move from India to Dundee to pursue a master’s degree in engineering, along with life settling in to a new city and finding new communities. Also, Chandra shares personal experiences of racism throughout North East engineering institutions and board rooms.

    41 min

  2. 5 FEB

    Our Voices - Episode 5 - Bob Ogle

    Welcome to Our Voices, an oral history podcast by The Common Room in association with Dr Andy Clark, a research associate with Newcasle's Oral Hisotry collective. Andy asks Bob about how he got involved in engineering, after leaving school at 14 with no qualifications. Bob shares his experiences at C.A Parsons after securing an intense internship, such as being given files to harden his hands. They chat about occupational safety, being exposed to asbestos, compensation campaigns, and the dangers of working in a flour mill.

    29 min

  3. 29 JAN

    Our Voices - Episode 4 - David Trelevean

    Welcome to Our Voices, an oral history podcast by The Common Room in association with Dr Andy Clark, a research associate with Newcasle's Oral Hisotry collective. Andy asks David about his early interest in engineering through LEGO, and taking his own initiative to find engineering-based vocational training opportunities, when schools career advice offered him lacklustre support. He shares his experience applying for and undertaking a British Engines apprenticeship, and day to day life in the factory.

    27 min

  4. 23 JAN

    Our Voices - Episode 3 -John McCabe

    Welcome to Our Voices, an oral history podcast by The Common Room in association with Dr Andy Clark, a research associate with Newcasle's Oral Hisotry collective. John tells Andy about his family’s migration from Ireland to Seaham Harbour in the 1880s, and his family history in the northern coalfields. John outlines his early experiences in the collieries, to working for British Coal Research and becoming an engineer. John shares his memories of the 1984 Miner’s Strike, marching, marriage, marras and receiving two chickens from trade unionists at Christmas that year. Also, John describes an almost fatal mining injury and the dangers of working underground.

    27 min

  5. 17 JAN

    Our Voices - Episode 2 - Ruth Baldasera

    Welcome to Our Voices, an oral history podcast by The Common Room in association with Dr Andy Clark, a research associate with Newcasle's Oral Hisotry collective. Andy chats to Ruth about the gender expectations she faced when making career choices at school. Ruth shares her career progression from truck garage receptionist to designing umbilical pipelines. Ruth recalls being a woman engineer navigating different attitudes and expectations in a male-dominated workforce and reflects on the small number of women applying to apprenticeships today. Also, they chat about the impact of deindustrialisation and globalisation in the North East.

    25 min

  6. 9 JAN

    Our Voices - Episode 1 - James Hollander

    Welcome to Our Voices, an oral history podcast by The Common Room in association with Dr Andy Clark, a research associate with Newcasle's Oral Hisotry collective.  Andy asks James about his engineering career overseeing the Tyne Bridge and lesser-known historic mining or rail bridges across the city. They reminisce the impressive installation of the Millenium Bridge. Also, they chat about shifting careers into the renewable sector, the challenges of building wind and solar farms, improving National Grid and energy distribution solutions, and the important role of apprenticeships in the North East. Our Voices is a series dedicated to celebrating the unique voices and the industrail heritage of the North East.

    37 min

  7. 11/05/2021

    The Face of Engineering Episode 13

    Welcome to series two of our podcast. The face of engineering is forever changing and evolving, but who are the faces behind it and more specifically, the women? Let us take you on a journey exploring careers within the engineering sector. Join our host Ngunan Adamu as we bring you, The Face of Engineering podcast series. 'There’s an engineering for you, you just need to find the right one. So don’t let anybody tell you can’t, because you can.’ – Introducing Dr Nike Folayan MBE. In this final episode of the series, Ngunan chats to Dr Nike Folayan MBE. Nike is a Chartered Engineer with a PhD in Electronics Engineering, and the Co-Founder of the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE-UK). In this episode, Nike shares how she became an engineer because she loved television as a child, and discusses the importance of allowing young people to explore various aspects of engineering. Nike also tells us about what influenced her and her brother, Dr Ollie Folayan, to establish AFBE-UK – such as negative stereotypes surrounding black communities – and the work that their organisation does to support the development of more diverse engineers and young people exploring the industry.

    24 min

  8. 04/05/2021

    The Face of Engineering Episode 12

    Welcome to series two of our podcast. The face of engineering is forever changing and evolving, but who are the faces behind it and more specifically, the women? Let us take you on a journey exploring careers within the engineering sector. Join our host Ngunan Adamu as we bring you, The Face of Engineering podcast series. ‘I wanted to inspire more young girls and the next generation into engineering, and that was all because I became a mum and realised I want to make a difference’ – Introducing Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee In this episode, Ngunan chats to Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee, a Senior Flight Systems Engineer at BAE Systems. Krystina develops equipment for aircrafts, playing a role in initial designing, right through to the equipments’ disposal. Throughout the episode, Krystina shares how becoming a mum has influenced her engineering career, from becoming a STEM Ambassador, to winning awards. Krystina also talks about the ways businesses, schools and society have a role to play in helping achieve greater diversity in engineering and other STEM industries. Also in this episode, Krystina and Ngunan discuss why young people shouldn’t let their grades hinder their career goals, and Krystina tells us about her diversity-in-STEM inspired Etsy shop, AviateHer!

    19 min
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About

This podcast series combines the industrial heritage of the North East of England with some of the people who made it happen – right from Charles Parsons in the 1800s to engineers who’ve worked at the factory more recently. It's by Ruth Baldasera, a Quality Engineer who works at the Siemens factory in Heaton, in Newcastle upon Tyne, which used to be home to the company of C.A.Parsons. **Showcasing our stories of engineering and innovation past, present and future.** Our Programme uses our unique heritage to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers. Through our travelling Graft and Glory exhibition, education workshops and public engagement activities, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are telling the stories of how engineers and innovators from the North East impact on the world, past, present and future.

Information

  • Creator
    @CommonRoomGN
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2024
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyright © The Common Room of the Great North
  • Show Website
    The Common Room

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