The Interesting Bits

Justin Pollard
  • 5.0 (4)
  • HISTORY

The Interesting Bits is an attempt to delve into the stories of some of history’s underdogs – the forgotten majority who never became historical celebrities but played their part nonetheless. It is designed as an antidote to the ‘big’ narratives of wars and politicians which dominate history books and which suggest history has some overall point. It is here to tell the stories of the mad, bad, stupid, wonderful, odd and improbable things that happened to our ancestors. They have no greater meaning, no direction and no overarching theme beyond being worthy of note, perhaps even memorable and reminding us that the past was as daft as the present and the people of the past were as daft as us. That’s what actually links us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

  1. 06/03/2022

    The Vikings Special: Part Two

    Welcome back to The Interesting Bits. This week, in the second part of the Vikings special, recorded in celebration of the start of filming on season three of Netflix’s Valhalla, our host Justin, the historical consultant and associate producer for Vikings and Valhalla, will be talking about some of the semi-historical Vikings which the hit tv-show was based upon, including the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok. --------  Written and presented by Justin Pollard Produced and edited by Teän Stewart-Murray Theme music by Constance Pollard Additional music:  Now We Feast by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  Daudir by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  Gjallar by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  Wild West Vikings by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 min

  2. 05/20/2022

    The Vikings Special: Part One

    Welcome back to The Interesting Bits. This week, in the first part of a mini series recorded in celebration of the start of filming on season three of Netflix’s Valhalla, our host Justin, the historical consultant and associate producer for the hit TV show, will be telling stories about the Vikings, the Nordic seafaring people of Scandinavia between the 8th and 11th Century CE. But how did the Vikings dominate the seas for so many centuries? How did they navigate such treacherous seas? How can we tell if the famous Viking heroes from the sources are real or mythological? And most importantly, how did they get such terrifyingly brilliant names? Find out this and more in this special Vikings episode of The Interesting Bits. ------ Written and presented by Justin Pollard Produced and edited by Teän Stewart-Murray Theme music by Constance Pollard Additional music: Now We Feast by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Wild West Vikings by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Mjolnir by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Prepare for war by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    16 min

  3. 03/21/2022

    Alexander, Remontel and Elizabeth

    Welcome to Episode Five of The Interesting Bits. Today, we will be riding off a cliff with a Scottish king, and listening to the strange prognostications of the woman in the wall. But first, we dive into the dubious reasons behind The Pastry War. ------------- Written and presented by Justin Pollard Theme music by Constance Pollard Produced and edited by Teän Stewart-Murray Additional music: "The Cold Settles" by Darren Curtis "Bolero Ranchero Mexicano" by JuliusH on pixabay  "Celtic Spirits" by JuliusH on Pixabay   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min

  4. 03/04/2022

    Mr and Mrs Smith, Edward and Marjorie

    Welcome to Episode four of The Interesting Bits. Today, we will be meeting the man who patented Pi, and how a rotten fish made Marjorie Latimer's christmas. But first, the arrival of the mysterious Mr and Mrs Smith in Newhaven, Sussex in 1848. ------------- Written and presented by Justin Pollard Theme music by Constance Pollard Produced and edited by Teän Stewart-Murray Additional music: “Criminal Situation” by Samuel Francis Johnson (Pixabay)  “Bluegrass – Banjo and Harmonica”by JuliusH (Pixabay)  “Heartbreaker blues” by Julius H (Pixabay) “Lake of Destiny” by Darren Curtis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    17 min

  5. 02/14/2022

    Eleanor, Katherine and Alice

    Welcome to episode three of The Interesting Bits. This time, we will be telling the tragic tale of Katherine, Lady Jane Grey's little sister, and Alice Wheeldon's unlikely part in the poison dart plot. But first, a tale of witchcraft and sorcery, from the court of Henry VI. ------------- Written and presented by Justin Pollard Theme music by Constance Pollard Produced and edited by Teän Stewart-Murray Additional music: "Eternal Sleep" and "Ale & Anecdotes" by Darren Curtis "Criminal Situation" by Samuel Francis Johnson (Pixabay) Additional sound effects: Julius H (Pixabay) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 min

  6. 01/24/2022

    Newton, Mendel and (the other) George Eliot

    Welcome to episode two of The Interesting Bits. This time, we have three stories including how Gregor Mendel's overlooked book on sweet peas changed the face of biology, and the man who spent a lifetime trying to persuade everyone that he wasn’t George Eliot, which he wasn’t. To start us off, 323 years ago, Isaac Newton was taking time off from physics to pursue an old enemy to his death. Written and presented by Justin Pollard Theme music by Constance Pollard Produced and edited by Teän Stewart-Murray Additional music: "Camelot Monastery" by Darren Curtis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    17 min

  7. 12/23/2021

    Ep 1: The Interesting Bits Christmas Special 2021

    Welcome to The Interesting Bits. For this Christmas edition of The Interesting Bits, we will be looking at the origins of Christmas, why Good King Wenceslas wasn't necessarily good, or a king, or called Wenceslas, and how an accident on a battleship led to the creation of one of the world's most popular toys. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    12 min
  • 7 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Interesting Bits is an attempt to delve into the stories of some of history’s underdogs – the forgotten majority who never became historical celebrities but played their part nonetheless. It is designed as an antidote to the ‘big’ narratives of wars and politicians which dominate history books and which suggest history has some overall point. It is here to tell the stories of the mad, bad, stupid, wonderful, odd and improbable things that happened to our ancestors. They have no greater meaning, no direction and no overarching theme beyond being worthy of note, perhaps even memorable and reminding us that the past was as daft as the present and the people of the past were as daft as us. That’s what actually links us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Justin Pollard
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2022
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2022 The Interesting Bits
  • Show Website
    The Interesting Bits