Episode Details

Tonight on Fockham Hall, I was joined by Paul English and Anorak for a wide-ranging, gloriously unruly conversation about fear, control, technology and how modern life seems to keep people anxious, distracted and off balance. We touched on everything from cycling, trains, libraries and steam engines to language, law, religion, politics and the way public life can be shaped by narratives of crisis. Along the way, we also had one of those very live-radio moments as Paul’s audio briefly vanished from Food For Thought Radio, which only added to the chaos.

What really emerged from the discussion was a shared feeling that too much of modern life has become overmanaged, overcomplicated and detached from ordinary people. We spoke about the loss of craftsmanship, the decline of local food, the value of books, bells, singing and human connection, and the need to move beyond endless commentary towards practical action, community and mutual support. As ever, the night balanced serious themes with plenty of laughs, odd detours and the kind of conversation that only seems to happen once the microphones are live.

• Food For Thought Radio: https://www.fftradio.com/
• Fockham Hall with Eric Von Essex: https://www.fftradio.com/djs/eric-von-essex/
• Paul English on FFT: https://www.fftradio.com/shows/paul-english/
• Paul English Live on Rumble: https://rumble.com/PaulEnglishLive
• Mark The Bowler Hat Farmer: https://www.fftradio.com/shows/mark-the-bowler-hat-farmer/
• Bases Actual with Miles Johnston: https://www.fftradio.com/shows/bases-actual/
• Andrew Bridgen: https://abridgen.uk/
• Benjamin Netanyahu: https://www.netanyahu.org.il/?lang=en
• The Last Kingdom: https://www.netflix.com/title/80074249
• Quakers in Britain: https://www.quaker.org.uk/
• Buckminster Fuller Institute: https://www.bfi.org/about-bfi/
• Critical Path by Buckminster Fuller: https://academic.macmillan.com/academictrade/9780312174910/criticalpath/
• NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/
• Edward Dutton: https://edwarddutton.com/
• Guy Gibson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Gibson
• Arthur Conan Doyle: https://arthurconandoyle.co.uk/
• William Shakespeare / Shakespeare Birthplace Trust: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/
• Jerry Hayes parliamentary career: https://members.parliament.uk/member/1146/career
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation: https://www.jrf.org.uk/
• Salts Mill: https://saltsmill.org.uk/
• Cadbury Bournville: https://www.cadbury.co.uk/products/brands