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Absolute Units

Absolute Units

Di: The Museum of English Rural Life
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Lo-fi clip-clops and bleats to relax/study to. Welcome to the official podcast of The Museum of English Rural Life. Based at the University of Reading, we explore the past, present and future of the English countryside. Hosted by Joe Vaughan and Dr Ollie Douglas. Chaotic Good.

© 2026 Absolute Units
Arte Mondiale
  • Old Crockern Awakes (with Ruth Webb and Lisa Schneidau)
    Feb 19 2026

    There's an ancient spirit who rules over Dartmoor, an uplands region in South West England. His face is granite grey. His eyes are dark as peat pools. His name is Old Crockern. And right now, he's at The Museum of English Rural Life.

    In the first of two episodes, we're joined by environmentalists and activists Ruth Webb (of The Lost Giants) and Lisa Schneidau (storyteller and author). We explore the mythology of Old Crockern, his 19th century origins, and what's brought him back in recent years to defend access to Dartmoor.

    Old Crockern arrives at the Museum as part of Radical Rural, our new gallery trail celebrating the people, movements, and forces defending access to rural England and championing England's green and wild spaces. Plan your visit on our website.

    • Radical Rural
    • Voices of the Countryside: 100 Years of the Campaign to Protect Rural England
    • Crockern arrives at The MERL
    • The Lost Giants
    • Lisa's website

    This episode uses audio from Epidemic Sounds and Freesound.

    Special thanks to Philip Goddard for the clip 'In Fernworthy Forest, on Dartmoor — ambience in a stand of Sitka spruce' from https://freesound.org/s/671088/ (License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0)

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    Absolute Units is the official podcast of The Museum of English Rural Life. This series is made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England and Museums Partnership Reading, a partnership of The MERL with Reading Museum. Themetune by Tai Dawson.

    Co-hosts: Ollie Douglas and Joe Vaughan
    Producer: Joe Vaughan

    • Shop MERL merch: https://merl-shop.co.uk/shop/absolute-unit.html
    • Support the pod: https://merl.reading.ac.uk/visit-us/donate/
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    56 min
  • Rural Britannia (with Ollie Douglas)
    Feb 5 2026

    Content warning: This episode contains references to antisemitism and prejudice. Listener discretion is advised.

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    Last episode we talked about the founding year of The Museum of English Rural Life. But what was our significance within wider museum practice? How did our founding relate to Britain's waning empire? And what does the future hold for The MERL?

    In this second episode marking our 75th anniversary, Joe and Ollie delve deeper into the theory and politics of our making.

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    Absolute Units is the official podcast of The Museum of English Rural Life. This series is made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England and Museums Partnership Reading, a partnership of The MERL with Reading Museum. Themetune by Tai Dawson.

    Co-hosts: Ollie Douglas and Joe Vaughan
    Producer: Joe Vaughan

    • Shop MERL merch: https://merl-shop.co.uk/shop/absolute-unit.html
    • Support the pod: https://merl.reading.ac.uk/visit-us/donate/
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    51 min
  • Making The MERL (with Ollie Douglas)
    Jan 22 2026

    On 1 January 1951, on the same day that the first episode of iconic radio drama The Archers aired on the radio, academics at the University of Reading officially founded The Museum of English Rural Life.

    What inspired these storied scholars to make a museum? What did establishing a museum involve? And why aren’t all our team dressed up in smocks?

    On this episode, Joe and Ollie chat about The MERL’s earliest years.

    Fair warning: there is a long intro where we ramble and catch up after not seeing each other in about 2 months. If you’d like to get right to the action, listen from 5:58. Enjoy the show!

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    Absolute Units is the official podcast of The Museum of English Rural Life. This series is made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England and Museums Partnership Reading, a partnership of The MERL with Reading Museum. Themetune by Tai Dawson.

    Co-hosts: Ollie Douglas and Joe Vaughan
    Producer: Joe Vaughan

    • Shop MERL merch: https://merl-shop.co.uk/shop/absolute-unit.html
    • Support the pod: https://merl.reading.ac.uk/visit-us/donate/
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    54 min
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