HistoryFFS

It's 1986, and cinemas are obsessed with speed. Jets scream across the screen, engines roar, and pilots push their machines to the limit. Top Gun becomes one of the defining films of the decade, turning fighter jets into cultural icons. Forty years on, it's back on the big screen - and that tells us something. We love old machines. Aircraft, ships, trains, cars. We photograph them, film them and build museums around them. But keeping the real thing alive is far harder. So can technology give historic machines a second life? Can a ship that no longer sails, or no longer exists at all, still show us how it worked and what life on board was like? In this special episode, filmed on location in Australia, Sarah sits down with Dr. CJ Manjarres-Wahlberg, Chair of Sea Heritage Foundation Australia and First Officer of the MV Cape Don. They trace CJ's journey from airfields and lounge-room war films to maritime preservation, Indigenous inclusion and the launch of The Ghost Fleet - a bold plan to create digital twins of historic, and even vanished, vessels. Highlights: 00:00 The cultural power of old machines from Top Gun to maritime icons 00:50 Why preservation is hard: corrosion, skills gaps and rising costs 01:23 Meet Dr. CJ Manjarres-Wahlberg and the story of the MV Cape Don 06:13 Creating a memorial for forgotten heroes 11:18 The end (and afterlife) of the Naval Historical Flight 16:01 Buying the MV Cape Don 23:02 How old, simple technology sometimes still works best 23:29 The disappearing link between people, machinery and repair skills 28:37 Why lighthouses are still vital in a world of GPS and electronics 32:27 Where did all the maritime jobs go? 34:43 Why the Cape Don is more than a museum 38:00 Reinventing maritime training 42:44 Paid apprenticeships and challenging elitism in history work 44:00 History is not a jar of specimens; it's the story and meaning of now 55:04 Why we need spectacle and "wow" from Top Gun to Ghost Fleet 01:00:15 Cape Don as flagship for a new kind of living maritime heritage 01:07:16 Launching the Ghost Fleet 01:09:04 Everything's impossible until it isn't 01:12:06 Dry-docking dreams, and the practical work of ship-saving 01:12:33 Why the people that save ships matter About Dr CJ Manjarres-Wahlberg: Dr CJ Manjarres-Wahlberg is a highly respected maritime professional, educator and social impact leader with three decades of service. He joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1996, later serving in the Australian Army Reserve on operational, peacekeeping and humanitarian missions across the Asia-Pacific. As Chairman of the Sea Heritage Foundation, he has pioneered Indigenous maritime training with a 99% completion rate, and is leading the development of its Maritime Academy for Indigenous Australians and veterans. About Sarah Dowd: I’m Sarah Dowd - writer, speaker, heritage and arts consultant, producer, and all-around nerd - here to share the stories of our past that make us laugh, gasp, and mutter: It’s History… For F***k’s Sake. For 25+ years I’ve created immersive, inclusive experiences that bring history alive, from rallying Second World War convoys through London to staging performances between Pearly Kings and Gen Z creatives. My work spans museums, cathedral crypts, pop-up theatres, global brands, and community projects across the UK and beyond. As a Canadian living between the UK and France (with a late ADHD diagnosis that fuels my curiosity and creativity), I zigzag through culture, history, and big ideas, but never boring ones. Every week on HistoryFFS, we explore how history echoes through today, make sure you are following the show so you don’t miss an episode. Connect with Sarah: Website: www.historyffs.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/ Substack: @historyffs YouTube: @HistoryFFSPod Instagram: @historyFFSPod TikTok: @historyffspod X: @HistoryFFSPod Bluesky: @historyffs.bsky.social

How did theatre evolve from exclusive, elite entertainment into a truly public, participatory art form? Why do modern audiences crave experiences that go beyond observation to full immersion and what does that say about society, technology, and the future of storytelling? To mark the 50th anniversary of London’s National Theatre, Sarah Dowd sits down with Fiona Porritt, Senior Creative Producer at Les Enfants Terribles, the innovative company behind spectacular immersive productions like Alice’s Adventures Underground and United Queendom. Together, they trace the arc from 18th-century riotous audiences, political spectacle, and morally contested playhouses to contemporary immersive theatre where the audience becomes part of the action. Highlights: 00:00 From Garrick and Sheridan to mass spectacle: theatre’s transformation 01:44 Audiences as agitators: riots, protest, and who culture belongs to 03:10 The rise of immersive and participatory performance 05:28 Inspired by school panto and the opening ceremony of the Olympics 09:23 Discovering and and working with Les Enfants Terribles 13:30 Why audiences crave participation 15:46 What actually makes theatre “immersive”? 20:04 Breaking the social contract in theatre 21:30 “Tricking” new audiences into theatre and making it more accessible 24:00 Olivier Awards and fitting immersive shows into old frameworks 26:17 How Edinburgh Fringe, music halls, and found spaces paved the way 28:58 Romeo in a bombed-out library 29:22 Can immersive theatre make history feel real and accessible? 36:35 Why “serious” history isn’t always serious 46:58 Inside Pussy Riot: immersive and political storytelling 52:42 Can immersive theatre be “fun” and hard-hitting at the same time? 57:47 The paradox of spoilers in a digital age of oversharing 60:23 We’re all performers now: 62:05 Why the way we connect onstage and off, matters more than ever. About Fiona Porritt: Fiona is a creator of imaginative and immersive worlds. As Senior Creative Producer at Les Enfants Terribles known for its striking visual aesthetic and innovative use of props, puppetry and live music she has spent over twelve years pushing the boundaries of storytelling and audience experience. Her credits span theatre and brand experiences alike, including The House with Chicken Legs, The Trench, Inside Pussy Riot and bespoke commissions for PlayStation, Ikea and Kraken Rum. Fiona is currently producing Die Hunnenkönigin for the Nibelungen Festival in Germany and the remount of Olivier Award-nominated Alice's Adventures Underground. About Sarah Dowd: I’m Sarah Dowd - writer, speaker, heritage and arts consultant, producer, and all-around nerd - here to share the stories of our past that make us laugh, gasp, and mutter: It’s History… For F***k’s Sake. For 25+ years I’ve created immersive, inclusive experiences that bring history alive, from rallying Second World War convoys through London to staging performances between Pearly Kings and Gen Z creatives. My work spans museums, cathedral crypts, pop-up theatres, global brands, and community projects across the UK and beyond. As a Canadian living between the UK and France (with a late ADHD diagnosis that fuels my curiosity and creativity), I zigzag through culture, history, and big ideas, but never boring ones. Every week on HistoryFFS, we explore how history echoes through today, make sure you are following the show so you don’t miss an episode. Connect with Sarah: Website: www.historyffs.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/ Substack: @historyffs YouTube: @HistoryFFSPod Instagram: @historyFFSPod TikTok: @historyffspod X: @HistoryFFSPod Bluesky: @historyffs.bsky.social

What happens when a community has the courage to challenge, the faith to persist, and the nerve to imagine a different future? And what is lost when the buildings that held that community together begin to disappear? In part two, Sarah Dowd reunites with Chris Smith, Chair of the Historic Chapels Trust, and Steve Pilcher, longtime campaigner for England's chapels, to take the story further, from nonconformist conscience as a force for reform and public morality, to the harder questions of what comes next. They also discuss Sunday schools as engines of social mobility, the hard road of repurposing sacred space, fundraising in a pandemic, and a rare positive tale of winding a charity down. Highlights: 00:00 Why the “nonconformist conscience” changed Britain 01:44 Bethesda Chapel: the power and perils of an iconic building 04:10 Why nonconformist architecture is designed for the voice 08:10 Sunday schools, education, and the struggle for opportunity 16:54 Courage & mutual aid: what builds and sustains a chapel community 18:13 When faith fades, what happens to the buildings? 21:22 The painful art of letting go and the future uses of chapels 28:56 Meeting the modern challenge: inventing new reasons for old places 30:41 The tough decision to wind down the Historic Chapels Trust 41:05 Why buildings are only as strong as the people powering them 54:42 Nonconformity in action: charity, courage, and regulatory reform 57:10 Working with new generations and new energy 61:07 The surprising success of community asset transfers 63:31 Having faith in people, in change, and in impossible things About Chris Smith: Chris Smith is Chair of Historic Chapels Trust and a lifelong heritage professional with extensive experience in conservation, planning and historic environment management. Formerly a Director at Historic England, he became Chair in 2019 and has since focused on securing sustainable futures for chapels through community ownership and adaptive reuse. Chris is passionate about heritage as a tool for shaping the future, not simply preserving the past. About Steve Pilcher: Steve Pilcher is a heritage specialist and former Deputy Director of Historic Chapels Trust, where he worked from 2003 to 2016. Before that, he spent two decades with English Heritage across industrial archaeology, conservation and policy. A building conservation specialist, Steve continues to support heritage projects and volunteer-led initiatives today. About Sarah Dowd: I’m Sarah Dowd - writer, speaker, heritage and arts consultant, producer, and all-around nerd - here to share the stories of our past that make us laugh, gasp, and mutter: It’s History… For F***k’s Sake. For 25+ years I’ve created immersive, inclusive experiences that bring history alive, from rallying Second World War convoys through London to staging performances between Pearly Kings and Gen Z creatives. My work spans museums, cathedral crypts, pop-up theatres, global brands, and community projects across the UK and beyond. As a Canadian living between the UK and France (with a late ADHD diagnosis that fuels my curiosity and creativity), I zigzag through culture, history, and big ideas, but never boring ones. Every week on HistoryFFS, we explore how history echoes through today, make sure you are following the show so you don’t miss an episode. Connect with Sarah: Website: www.historyffs.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/ Substack: @historyffs YouTube: @HistoryFFSPod Instagram: @historyFFSPod TikTok: @historyffspod X: @HistoryFFSPod Bluesky: @historyffs.bsky.social

The burning of Birmingham in July 1791 wasn't just a riot, it was the moment dissent and nonconformity became forces that would shape Britain forever. Sarah Dowd is joined by Chris Smith, Chair of the Historic Chapels Trust, and Steve Pilcher, longtime champion of historic chapels across England. Together they unravel what nonconformity really meant: centuries of struggle for religious freedom, communities building chapels for themselves, and the surprising legacy these "dangerous outsiders" handed to modern British society. Expect radical architecture, Quaker leases stretching five millennia, and a case for why these now-empty chapels matter more than ever. Dedicated to Sarah Dowd's Aunt Sandra, in honour of 60 years of Songs of Praise. Highlights: 00:00 Birmingham burns & the birth of dissent: Joseph Priestley’s story 00:45 Chapels as spaces for democracy, debate, & imagining new worlds 01:40 Songs of Praise and the journey of nonconformity 02:20 The hard question: what becomes of empty chapels? 03:15 Chris Smith, the Historic Chapels Trust and the battle for funding 06:10 Steve Pilcher on life in conservation and a 13-year “secondment” 09:16 What is nonconformity, historically and now? 10:28 Building Preservation and the line between activism and conformity 13:30 Steve Pilcher’s Quaker upbringing 17:00 1791, why dissent threatened power and why it kept going 25:39 The stories of St. George’s German Lutheran Church 26:11 Chapels as sites of anti-Nazi resistance 29:10 The wild diversity of chapels 35:37 Can a building hold memory, spirit, and community? 42:04 What’s next for chapels, and why being nonconformist still matters Tune in next week for Part 2, chapels that challenged society, why regulation matters, and how to be nonconformist in heritage today. About Chris Smith: Chris Smith is Chair of Historic Chapels Trust and a lifelong heritage professional with extensive experience in conservation, planning and historic environment management. Formerly a Director at Historic England, he became Chair in 2019 and has since focused on securing sustainable futures for chapels through community ownership and adaptive reuse. Chris is passionate about heritage as a tool for shaping the future, not simply preserving the past. About Steve Pilcher: Steve Pilcher is a heritage specialist and former Deputy Director of Historic Chapels Trust, where he worked from 2003 to 2016. Before that, he spent two decades with English Heritage across industrial archaeology, conservation and policy. A building conservation specialist, Steve continues to support heritage projects and volunteer-led initiatives today. About Sarah Dowd: I’m Sarah Dowd - writer, speaker, heritage and arts consultant, producer, and all-around nerd - here to share the stories of our past that make us laugh, gasp, and mutter: It’s History… For F***k’s Sake. For 25+ years I’ve created immersive, inclusive experiences that bring history alive, from rallying Second World War convoys through London to staging performances between Pearly Kings and Gen Z creatives. My work spans museums, cathedral crypts, pop-up theatres, global brands, and community projects across the UK and beyond. As a Canadian living between the UK and France (with a late ADHD diagnosis that fuels my curiosity and creativity), I zigzag through culture, history, and big ideas, but never boring ones. Every week on HistoryFFS, we explore how history echoes through today, make sure you are following the show so you don’t miss an episode. Connect with Sarah: Website: www.historyffs.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/ Substack: @historyffs YouTube: @HistoryFFSPod Instagram: @historyFFSPod TikTok: @historyffspod X: @HistoryFFSPod Bluesky: @historyffs.bsky.social

You know the image: towering column, tricorn hat, one good eye. Admiral Nelson, Britain's ultimate naval hero. But how much of that legend is actually true? And how much was carefully constructed and sold to us? This week, Sarah Dowd is joined by Roy Clare, retired Rear Admiral, former boss of the National Maritime Museum, and someone who has spent a career thinking about how we remember (and misremember) our maritime past. Tune in for a brilliant conversation about heroes, myths, and who history tends to forget. They explore Nelson's very human flaws, his Blackadder afterlife, the women and non-European sailors who shaped British naval history but rarely get a mention, and why the stories our museums tell are finally starting to change. History is a lot more interesting when you tell the whole story. Highlights: 00:00 The myth-making of Nelson's death 00:38 How public heroism is forged 01:11 Nelson in Blackadder: caricature and shifting belief 02:03 Roy Clare: from Navy life to questioning hero worship 04:02 Who gets remembered and who gets erased? 05:12 Leadership and empathy on the high seas 09:32 From Admiral to museum director 14:14 Rethinking "maritime": migration, trade, and the environment 17:37 Why do societies invent heroes? 24:53 The Battle of the Nile: why strategy creates legends 26:19 Who benefits from the cult of the hero? 30:14 Heroism as marketing 32:51 Who else could have been on that column? 41:40 Where are the women? 44:05 Why put Nelson on a column? 48:41 Why pulling statues down dodges the real question 50:16 Putting Nelson in perspective 51:53 Blackadder and the power of British satire 57:10 Nelson's letters and his love life 58:59 "Male, pale, and stale": critiquing the curation of history 64:40 Championing diversity and revisiting uncomfortable stories 68:06 Decolonising collections: what happened in New Zealand 81:23 Truth-telling and why History For F*'s Sake matters About Rear Admiral Roy Clare CBE DL: Rear Admiral Roy Clare CBE DL is a former senior naval officer and cultural leader whose career spans maritime history, museums, governance and digital inclusion. He has served as Director of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich; Chief Executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council; and Director of Auckland War Memorial Museum in New Zealand. Known for championing more inclusive storytelling and challenging narrow institutional cultures, Roy has spent decades exploring how public history is presented, interpreted and debated. His work focuses on widening participation, engaging with contested histories and bringing multiple perspectives into heritage and museum practice About Sarah Dowd: I’m Sarah Dowd - writer, speaker, heritage and arts consultant, producer, and all-around nerd - here to share the stories of our past that make us laugh, gasp, and mutter: It’s History… For F***k’s Sake. For 25+ years I’ve created immersive, inclusive experiences that bring history alive, from rallying Second World War convoys through London to staging performances between Pearly Kings and Gen Z creatives. My work spans museums, cathedral crypts, pop-up theatres, global brands, and community projects across the UK and beyond. As a Canadian living between the UK and France (with a late ADHD diagnosis that fuels my curiosity and creativity), I zigzag through culture, history, and big ideas, but never boring ones. Every week on HistoryFFS, we explore how history echoes through today, make sure you are following the show so you don’t miss an episode. Connect with Sarah: Website: www.historyffs.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/ Substack: @historyffs YouTube: @HistoryFFSPod Instagram: @historyFFSPod TikTok: @historyffspod X: @HistoryFFSPod Bluesky: @historyffs.bsky.social