Favourite Links
These are some links related to my interests.
Entertainment
Sometime I go to see BBC radio and television comedy programmes being made. Tickets are usually free and you can see what is available at the ticket unit web site. But get to the studio early or you could lose your place!
Timeslip was a children's TV programme shown when I was about eight years old. Even though it is over 30 years since being shown on television it now has an official website and was recently released on DVD.
Mechanically Scanned Television
This site shows television images that were actually recorded on records in the 1930's.
Some other sites related to the history of television are
www.antiqueradios.com/stereotv.shtml
http://history.acusd.edu/gen/recording/notes.html
Nuclear Electricity
Whether you think nuclear electricity is a good or bad idea these sites provide a good explanation how it all works. They also provide details of where and how to visit a nuclear power station. Visits to many are currently suspended.
www.bnfl.co.uk British Nuclear Fuels operates most of the older stations in the UK.
www.british-energy.com British Energy operates the UK's newer stations.
www.edf.com Electricité de France operates the stations in France.
www.nucleartourist.com Clearly written information about various aspects of nuclear power.
www.connyankee.com This site has videos including one from the 1960's showing the construction of the Connecticut Yankee power station.
www.world-nuclear.org Lots of information about nuclear energy and related topics, even how a smoke detector works!
Greenpeace's nuclear site is www.greenpeace.org.
www.archive.org contains North American downloadable videos, mostly 1930's to 1950's, including ones which show the first commercial US nuclear power plant being built.
Alistair Cooke's Letter From America
This long running radio programme provided an insight into American culture and thinking. Since his death several other speakers, mainly journalists, have filled the same slots on BBC Radio 4 with similar comment.
Programmes are still available going back to 1997 on the BBC website. I could not find a complete index to these so I've created the following to help anyone who wishes to locate them.
Letter From America - Links to 1997 Programmes
Letter From America - Links to 1998 Programmes
Letter From America - Links to 1999 Programmes
Letter From America - Links to 2000 Programmes
Letter From America - Links to 2001 Programmes
Letter From America - Links to 2002 Programmes
Letter From America - Links to 2003 Programmes
Letter From America - Links to 2004 Programmes
It took me a long time to track them all down so let me know if you find the links useful.
If you are a keen fan of Alistair Cooke you can also visit the following
Alistair Cooke - Brief Biography - make sure you listen to his speech "On The Perils of Recognition"
Alistair Cooke - What Makes Him Tick?
Alistair Cooke - Churchill Society Keynote Speech
Aromatherapy
Actually not one of my mainstream interests but my mate Andy from University created this award winning site and has put a link to mine, so it only seems fair to give it a mention.
Please note that I am not associated with the links ouside this website and take no responsibility for their content.