Showing results by narrator "Rory McGrath" in All Categories

This curated collection travels through the beginnings of the Gothic Imagination, showcases the first gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, before unveiling the male gothic in Matthew Lewis’s The Monk and the dawn of the female gothic in Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho. Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey showcases the Gothic Satire, and the collection concludes with Melvyn Bragg’s In Our Time episode exploring the history of the genre and Gothic Legacy.

Chelmsford 123 was originally a two-series sitcom set in Roman Britain that brought memorable characters, strong gags and hilarious storylines to the small screen. Using the original scripts as foundation, these four episodes contain all-new material written by Rory McGrath and Jimmy Mulville and are perfect for both fans of the series as well as anyone looking for a bit of comic relief...so come back with us to AD 123 for a generous dose of historical humour.

This is Rory's story of being brought up a Catholic, going to Catholic school, being an altar boy; of the parents, priests, the nuns who taught him, the life and characters at his local Church. Until, that is, as a teenager in crisis, he abandons his faith and enters the god-forsaken world and the glamour of its evil ways with a spring in his step.

From his Cornish boyhood, Rory recounts his life of birdwatching, observing his first skylark while stoned; his repeatedly failed attempts to get up at the crack of dawn like the real twitchers; and his flawed bid to educate his mate Danny in the ways of birding. Rory's tale is a thoroughly educational, occasionally lyrical and highly amusing romp through the hidden byways of birdwatching.