Podcast: Episode 4 - Isolation

In episode four of the National Museums Liverpool Podcast, Jane Garvey introduces stories on isolation, each with their own unique link to the museums and Liverpool.

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The Importance of Being Social

Joseph is, in many ways, your typical 16-year-old boy. Throughout lockdown he'd been missing his mates in school, at the youth club and at his favourite underage nightclub. Joe also has Down's Syndrome and as such was placed on the critically extremely vulnerable list. In this story we explore what that was like for a young man to be cooped up for a whole year from both his and his mum's perspective.

We also speak to the Down's Syndrome Association to find out how they've been helping their community throughout the pandemic, in particular with its WorkFit campaign.

For World Down's Syndrome Day 2021, the Down's Syndrome Association worked with their global partners including Coor Down to create The Hiring Chain - a campaign raising awareness of people with Down's Syndrome in the work place. Watch this brilliant video below. 

 

Splendid Isolation

An 1890s photograph of endemic tree species Dendrosicyos socotranus, the cucumber tree, by Henry Ogg Forbes

The Isle of Socotra in the Indian Ocean is a wonder of biodiversity comparable to the famous Galápagos Islands. In 1898 Scottish explorer, ornithologist, botanist and then Director of Liverpool Museums (World Museum) Henry Ogg Forbes undertook a joint expedition with the British Museum to the Yemeni Island. Their discoveries were vast and in this story we speak to a successor of Forbes, Dr John-James Wilson, about the collection and to Kay van Damme, who is currently residing on the Island conducting further research.

Story by Megan McGurk

References:

Friends of Soqotra 
The natural history of Sokotra and Abdel-Kuri by Forbes and Grant

Stuck in the Suez Canal

GBLA member weightlifting during their mini olympics

As the huge container ship the Evergiven ran aground and blocked passage through the Suez Canal, interest in the waterway was piqued. It was stuck for just under a week, imagine being stuck there for 8 years as the Yellow Fleet was between 1967-1975. We speak to Cath Senker author of the book Stranded in the Six-Day War, who details this often forgotten moment of diplomatic history. 

Read Assistant Curator of Maritime History, Jen Robertson's excellent blog, which inspired this story.

 



Credits
Host: Jane Garvey
Produced by: Daniel O’Connor
Stories: Daniel O'Connor and Ellie Field
Post Production: Onomatopoeia Post Production
Theme Music: Big Giant Circles
Creative Director: Scott Smith