Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 288a Main Road | 20161014 | 20161010 (R3) | Novelist Mark Haddon reflects on the house in Northamptonshire which was his childhood home, until the age of 12: 'It was a detached, three bedroom, two storey new-build on a thin strip of reclaimed rubbish dump between the end of a red-brick terrace and the Smarts' bungalow. My father was an architect and although he didn't design the building himself it was, in its modest way, an architect's house, a couple of cuts above provincial 1960s boilerplate.' This week's Essays are part of the 70th birthday celebrations of the Third Programme: the network discussed architecture from its earliest days, covering both new initiatives and historic buildings, most notably in talks by Nikolaus Pevsner. Producer Clare Walker. Novelist Mark Haddon reflects on the house in Northamptonshire that was his childhood home Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. |
| 02 | Impington College, Cambridge | 20161011 | British Painter Humphrey Ocean RA introduces us to Impington College, the only building the Bauhaus architect Walter Gropius built in Britain. Humphrey believes it accidentally became the template for the proliferation of the kind of brave, new, post-war architecture he grew up with. This week's Essays are part of the 70th birthday celebrations of the Third Programme: the network discussed architecture from its earliest days, covering both new initiatives and historic buildings, most notably in talks by Nikolaus Pevsner. Producer Clare Walker. Painter Humphrey Ocean introduces Impington College, built by architect Walter Gropius. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. | |
| 03 | Chesterfield's Crooked Spire, Derbyshire | 20161012 | Poet Helen Mort can see Chesterfield's Crooked Spire Church - The Church of St Mary's and All Saints - from the window of her house. She explains why it has inspired her since childhood. This week's Essays are part of the 70th birthday celebrations of the Third Programme: the network discussed architecture from its earliest days, covering both new initiatives and historic buildings, most notably in talks by Nikolaus Pevsner. Producer Clare Walker. Poet Helen explains why Chesterfield's Crooked Spire Church has inspired her. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. | |
| 04 | Queensferry Crossing, Scotland | 20161013 | Author Dr Gavin Francis passes the new Queensferry Crossing every morning on his way to work. When it is finished in May 2017, it will be the largest balanced cantilever ever built. Gavin believes it is the most impressive structure under construction in these islands today. This week's Essays are part of the 70th birthday celebrations of the Third Programme: the network discussed architecture from its earliest days, covering both new initiatives and historic buildings, most notably in talks by Nikolaus Pevsner. Producer Clare Walker. Dr Gavin Francis on the largest balanced cantilever bridge ever to be built. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. | |
| 05 | Novelist Kit De Waal Reflects On The Architecture Of The Prison Where She Worked. | 20161010 | 20161014 (R3) | Novelist Kit de Waal reflects on the architecture of Winson Green Prison, in Birmingham, where she worked. This week's Essays are part of the 70th birthday celebrations of the Third Programme: the network discussed architecture from its earliest days, covering both new initiatives and historic buildings, most notably in talks by Nikolaus Pevsner. Producer Clare Walker. Novelist Kit de Waal reflects on the architecture of the prison where she once worked. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. |