Hello, James Holland here. One thing I can say for certain is that listeners to this pod are lovers of history.

And that being so, I've got some good news for you because down here where I live and where my big bro Tom and I were brought up,

there's an annual history festival, isn't there bro?

There is, you're absolutely right. It is a beautiful, historic, gorgeous corner of Chalk downland,

and the best thing about it as we knew because we grew up here is the fact that it's haunted by the ghost of a Roman centurion.

Absolutely. And you can almost sense him watching over us every June as the place is transformed by a sea of tents,

and all the things one would expect from an English summer festival in a field.

Think glass though, but history.

Well, why don't we fare? We do also have live music too.

So it's coming up this summer?

Yep, what do you have in store for us?

Well, as per usual, a massive talk, but particularly this year, panel discussions and even stand-alone as well,

and on a very wide-ranging theme.

Conflicts, politics, society and culture, environment, science and exploration, and sport too.

But important to emphasize, isn't it, that the history festival in the Chalk Valley is not just about talks?

It absolutely isn't. It is a festival of history.

So we've got a massive, brilliant performers, living historians, traditional craftsmen,

there's an RNAs roundhouse, SOE training camp, medieval jasting, arrow making,

cold walker marmpos, tanks, guns, medieval dancing, the historic fast food, storytelling by the far.

You've done that, haven't you? I have. Yes, I have.

And, bro, you've witnessed this firsthand, haven't you?

Because you've had a go over longbow.

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