This episode explores the themes of race and class in Northern cricket, referencing C.L.R James' book and a documentary, while thanking Andy Pettinger and Michael Bradley for their insights.
16 Apr 2025
Series Three Episode Two - The Haunted North
With thanks toJoanna Walpole of the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena – ASSAP and Dr Samantha George senior lecturer in the Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities Research Institute at the University of Hertfordshire and convenor of the Open Graves, Open Minds research project for their generosity of spirit and their time. The read quote is from Bram Stoker's Dracula with thanks to Tom Scott for reading it.
5 Mar 2025
Series Three Episode One - Walking the North - Grasmere
We have now established the tradition of beginning each series with a walking episode. The first was around the city of Sheffield and our second is around Grasmere in the Lake District.
20 Jun 2024
Series Two Episode Seven - Singing the North
With huge thanks to Mike Jones - former songwriter with the 80s band Latin Quarter. Programme director of an MA in Music Industry Studies. He also contributes to the MA in the Beatles: Music Industry and Heritage. In 2017 wrote, directed and produced the concert 'George Harrison and Indian Music’ which was performed at Liverpool Philharmonic. The poem Four Northern Boys Coming At You that Adrian reads will be part of his next collection - working title Grim Up North?! This is the last episode of series two - we will back in the autumn. Please send us any comments on this or the last series and please send ideas for series three to grimupnorththepodcast@gmail.com (mailto:grimupnorththepodcast@gmail.com) We are really happy to hear your ideas and want to do some more jaunts across the North.
13 May 2024
Series Two Episode Six - Farming the North
The BFI film - The Dale that Died mentioned in this episode can be found at https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-dale-that-died-1975-online (https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-dale-that-died-1975-online)
With thanks to Matt Gibson (Joe Gibson's Grandson) for a great impromptu interview on his farm in Grisdale. Thanks also Paul Renison from Renwick for a great interview and a nice cup of tea in his Farmhouse kitchen.
The final song is by Show of Hands and is called Country Life from the album of the same name. https://open.spotify.com/album/5KbyPGFAqyZC2gqJaSmj4I (https://open.spotify.com/album/5KbyPGFAqyZC2gqJaSmj4I)
The cover image for this episode is Joe Gibson, from the film, riding bareback on his horse and rounding up his sheep with his dogs.
2 Apr 2024
Series Two Episode Five - Our Friends in the North
We are especially grateful to Peter Flannery - the writer of Our Friends in the North for this extensive interview. As fans of the series we felt it deserved a whole episode in this our second series of Grim Up North?. If you haven't seen it then there will be plot spoilers! It would be worth watching the series first, before you listen - it is a brilliant piece to TV - you wont be disappointed. This series defined an era and also has rather chilling echoes in our own time.
29 Feb 2024
Series Two Episode Four - Speaking the North
With many thanks to Dr Robert McKenzie from Northumbria University for giving his time and expertise. The book he mentioned is Implicit and Explicit Language Attitudes: Mapping Linguistic Prejudice and Attitude Change in England, McKenzie, R., McNeill, A. 2023 If you want to share your experiences of accent prejudice or anything in reaction to this episode send your thoughts to grimupnorththepodcast@gmail.com (mailto:grimupnorththepodcast@gmail.com).
The poem used at the beginning and end of the podcast by Tony Harrison can be heard at Them & (Uz) - Tony Harrison (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn4ghv_R-vE)
4 Feb 2024
Series Two Episode Three - Cooking The North
We wish to thank Carly Lee and all at Maggie May's Cafe on Bold Street in Liverpool for their time and hospitality and of course the Scouse! We also want to extend our gratitude to Thom Hetherington for his time and extensive knowledge of the Northern food scene and his love of Manchester. Thanks to Eva Scott and Izzy Coward who voiced the piece from the T. Thompson story called ‘The Epicures’.
4 Dec 2023
Series Two Episode Two - Walking the North - Sheffield’s Edges
With thanks as ever to the KLF for the opening credits music. This podcast was recorded on Thursday 30th November on a very bight and cold day in Sheffield. With thanks to all those we spoke to, especially the staff at the Grind Cafe and Linley & Simpson estate Agents. Thanks to the South Street Kitchen (https://www.southstreetkitchen.org)for a lovely lunch. The songs you hear snippets of are Standing at the Sky's Edge by Richard Hawley, Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite by the Beatles and Common People by Pulp.
2 Nov 2023
Series Two - Episode One - Welcome to the North?
After a break for various projects including Matt's trip to South America and Adrian's to the Midwest of the USA and various publishing work we return with a new series of Grim Up North. Focussing on the issue of immigration to the North and the welcome (or not) we have extended to those who arrive here from other shores.
Our interview was with Zaiba Malik about her book 'We Are Muslim Please'. For more about Zaiba click here (https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/219709/zaiba-malik)Thanks to Lemn Sissay for such a brilliant poem and to Fahaan for his love letter to Bradford. See episodes 33 and 34 of this podcast Working Class History (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/working-class-history/id1355066333?i=1000630156168) for more of Tariq Mehmood and the Asian Youth Movements in Bradford. Finally thanks as ever to Ken Loach for his wonderful latest film The Old Oak. Some of the voices in the opening sequence are from this powerful movie. For More on this Film (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19883634/).
20 Dec 2022
Episode Seven - Seeing the North
The Picture and Photos we mentioned can all be viewed on Adrian's Website at Seeing The North (https://adriangrscott.com/2022/12/20/images-for-episode-seven-of-the-grim-up-north-podcast-seeing-the-north/)
This is the final Episode of Series One. We have had a blast doing these Podcasts and we hope you have enjoyed them as much as we have. Special thanks go to the Woodhorn Colliery Museum (https://museumsnorthumberland.org.uk/) for allowing us to record in their fantastic space, and very special thanks to Vicky Jones one of the staff who was a modern version of the Pitmen Painters as she was studying for a history degree and shared her ambition to write about her home town and Ashington and the history of the North East. Her Grandad was an Ashington Miner and she gave us such a great tour!
You can view the the Theodore Major interview here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRgFSHaiIgM). The Robson Green ITV documentary is very good about the Pitmen Painters you can see that here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhr3AbHYAF8&t=397s)
We are taking a break to pursue other projects until May but there will be all sorts of extra and bonus material posted here in the mean time and please share the episodes you like with your friends. Remember it might seem Grim Up North but it is really Rich Up North! Matt and Adrian
11 Nov 2022
Episode Six - Acting the North
The opening jingle in order contains Coronation Street - Life on Mars - Dinner Ladies - Auf Wiedersehen, Pet - The Royal Family - The Last of the Summer Wine - Shameless - Peter Kay's Car Share and Kes. With thanks to Steve Waters https://research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/steve-waters (https://research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/steve-waters) for all his time and insights. Thanks too to Eva Scott. This is a link to her next production. https://www.royalexchange.co.uk/whats-on-and-tickets/betty-a-sort-of-musical (https://www.royalexchange.co.uk/whats-on-and-tickets/betty-a-sort-of-musical).
10 Oct 2022
Episode Five | Angels of the North
With many thanks to Julie Milne, Chief Curator of the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne for her time and most enjoyable tour of the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition. You can see them until 3rd December at https://laingartgallery.org.uk/whats-on/lindisfarne-gospels (https://laingartgallery.org.uk/whats-on/lindisfarne-gospels) Also thanks to all the unsuspecting souls we shoved a microphone visiting the Angel of the North.
13 Sept 2022
Episode Four : Getting Carter - Noir from the North
With thanks to the makers of Get Carter. Matt and Adrian would also like to say a huge thank you to A. A. Dhand and Lesley McEvoy, both great crime writers for a fantastic conversation about Northern Noir. You can find their books on all good online booksellers and in all good bookshops. Credit also to the Red Riding Trilogy and to the wonderful Happy Valley that is about to go into a third season. You can comment and enter the conversation with Matt and Adrian at grimupnorththepodcast@gmail.com (mailto:grimupnorththepodcast@gmail)or on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/1630818283956087 (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1630818283956087)
16 Aug 2022
Episode Three | The Defeated North?
Many thanks to Chris Peace and Kate Flannery - in the interview Kate's is the first voice you hear, followed by Chris. They are from the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign https://otjc.org.uk (https://otjc.org.uk) We wish them well in all their work.
Thanks also to Lesley Boulton for taking us back to Orgreave and telling us the story of that day.
We also want to acknowledge John Harris who took the photo we discussed. Here is a link to a photographic essay about the strike and the day. The Miners Strike - A Photo Essay (http://www.coldtype.net/Assets.15/pdfs/0507.MinersFinal-2.pdf)
Gratitude to Harry Paterson for his interview with us. His book Look Back in Anger is widely available. His website is worth a good look. https://harrypaterson.com (https://harrypaterson.com)
Thanks as always to the KLF for Grim Up North, and to Billy Bragg for such a great rendition of Joe Hill's There is Power in a Union.
You can comment, give us feedback, share your own stories with us at grimupnorththepodcast@gmail.com (mailto:grimupnorththepodcast@gmail.com) or visit us on our facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1630818283956087 (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1630818283956087)
Matt's blog can be read at https://mattcarr.substack.com (https://mattcarr.substack.com)
Adrian's Website is www.adriangrscott.com (http://www.adriangrscott.com)
11 Jul 2022
Episode Two - The North - How Did It Get So Grim?
To contact Matt and Adrian with thoughts comments and your own 'not so grim up north' moments write to grimupnorththepodcast@gmail.com (mailto:grimupnorththepodcast@gmail)
The books mentioned are Love on the Dole by Walter Greenwood, English Journey by J B Priestley, and The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell.
Special thanks to Richard Blair, George Orwell's son for giving us an interview and being so kind with his time. Thanks also to Benedict Cooper from the Orwell Society for helping us to set up the interview. https://orwellsociety.com (https://orwellsociety.com)
Here are some links to the clips we used
Walter Greenwood https://waltergreenwoodnotjustloveonthedole.com/walter-greenwood-the-kersal-flats-co-uk-interview-1973/?fbclid=IwAR0gYa0vtR-lmX7P-qHW5RwYWQSB0JZFOdcu5OjFNGbkLRFZYSXbRn4-BhQ (https://waltergreenwoodnotjustloveonthedole.com/walter-greenwood-the-kersal-flats-co-uk-interview-1973/?fbclid=IwAR0gYa0vtR-lmX7P-qHW5RwYWQSB0JZFOdcu5OjFNGbkLRFZYSXbRn4-BhQ)
J B Priestly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkloVLeAtiY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkloVLeAtiY)
The Film of Love on the Dole https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBHHOm8CbYg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBHHOm8CbYg)
Here is a link tot he Bill Brandt photograph Coal Searcher Going Home to Jarrow 1937 https://www.moma.org/collection/works/53508 (https://www.moma.org/collection/works/53508)
With thanks again to the KLF for the theme music. https://open.spotify.com/artist/6dYrdRlNZSKaVxYg5IrvCH/discography/all?pageUri=spotify:album:1kJY7mRPwF5eJOf8DMZdwa (https://open.spotify.com/artist/6dYrdRlNZSKaVxYg5IrvCH/discography/all?pageUri=spotify:album:1kJY7mRPwF5eJOf8DMZdwa)
12 Jun 2022
Episode One - True North
If you want to join our conversation about the North you can email us at grimupnorththepodcast@gmail.com (mailto:grimupnorththepodcast@gmail.com) Brian Groom's book- Northerners: A History, from the Ice Age to the Present Day is published by Harper North. With many thanks to the band The KLF for allowing us to use their track It's Grim Up North as our opening jingle and in the podcast. Also thanks to all the people we spoke to on the streets of Sheffield for their kind participation. Matt Carr writes a great blog called Matt Carr's Infernal Machine at https://mattcarr.substack.com (https://mattcarr.substack.com) Adrian Scott has his own podcast and that and his other works can be found at www.adriangrscott.com (http://www.adriangrscott.com)
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Podcast Authority Score: 14 / 100
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