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, by the way, fair, 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 mass of talks and particularly this year, panel discussions and even standalone as well,

and on a very wide ranging theme.

Conflicts, politics, society and culture, environment, science and exploration and sports 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 RNA roundhouse, SOE training camp, medieval jousting, arrow making,

cold walker marmpos, tanks, guns, medieval dancing, this 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?

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