Shows
The InterviewThe Interview | Jersey's myths and legends - finding new meaning in the pastPublished historian Paul Darroch talks about his latest project: unravelling some of Jersey's myths and legends that have captivated islanders for hundreds of years. What is the story behind these stories, and what do they tell us about ourselves?April 20, 2023
2025-12-1920 min
Operations Unpacked: The CISIPaul Darroch Groden on Agility in Action – Transforming Financial ServicesIn this episode of Operations Unpacked, hosts Victoria Sena and Colin Anderson sit down with Paul Darroch Groden to explore what true agility looks like within the fast-moving world of financial services. Drawing on his extensive industry experience, Paul sheds light on how organisations can adapt at pace, build resilient operating models, and empower teams to innovate in the face of constant regulatory and market change.From practical strategies for streamlining operations to the cultural shifts required for genuine transformation, this conversation offers clear, actionable insights for leaders looking to future-proof their organisations. Whether you’re navigating di...
2025-11-1945 min
Paul Adamson in conversationUnderstanding Donald Trump's Second PresidencyKim Darroch (Lord Darroch of Kew), UK Ambassador to the U.S. 2016-2019, talks to Paul Adamson about the differences between the first and second Donald Trump presidencies.
2025-05-1227 min
Paul Adamson in conversationUnderstanding Donald Trump's Second PresidencyKim Darroch (Lord Darroch of Kew), UK Ambassador to the U.S. 2016-2019, talks to Paul Adamson about the differences between the first and second Donald Trump presidencies.
2025-05-1227 min
The History IslandsHarry Vardon - King of Clubs - Part 4We conclude our multi-part series on the life of Harry Vardon, one of the greatest golfers in history. We rejoin him in New York City in 1900, on the brink of global fame. The boy from Grouville in Jersey would go on to ignite a wave of enthusiasm for golf in America. Vardon's life was a blend of professional triumph and heartbreaking personal tragedy. The world he knew has passed into history. Yet over a century since his six Open victories, his record stands unbroken.
2023-08-1909 min
The History IslandsHarry Vardon - King of Clubs - Part 3Harry Vardon was born in Jersey and went on to become one of the greatest golfers of all time. This episode continues his story of heartbreaking personal tragedy and breathtaking professional triumph. It opens in the mist-shrouded streets of St Helier and ends in the lavish opulence of the finest hotel in New York City. [Sensitivity warning: contains themes of baby loss and bereavement].
2023-07-3008 min
The History IslandsHarry Vardon - King of Clubs Part 2Harry Vardon grew up in poverty, in a tiny cottage in rural Jersey. He would live to become a legendary sportsman and a household name. Today he is remembered worldwide as a founding father of the modern game of golf. In the previous episode, we met him as a small boy, on the day that strangers came to seize the common land around his home. They created the Royal Jersey Golf Club before his eyes - and the young lad was entranced. In this episode, Vardon's story continues.
2023-06-2111 min
The History IslandsHarry Vardon - King of Clubs - Part 1 Harry Vardon grew up in poverty, in a tiny cottage in rural Jersey. He would become a founding father of the modern game of golf. He singlehandedly revolutionised its play; his innovative Vardon grip became the global standard. When he toured America, the world beat a path to his door. His duel with Francis Ouimet lit the touchpaper for the golf mania that would consume the USA in the twentieth century. When Vardon took the radical step of sporting knickerbockers, the golfing world spun on a dime and embraced this novel fashion. With his obsessive practice regime, h...
2023-05-2808 min
The History IslandsThe Lady and the Bay: The Florence Boot StoryBeauport Bay is sublime. The golden sand, towering rock stack and shimmering sea form one of Jersey's most treasured landscapes. The Beauport headland, allowing exclusive access to the bay, was once given as a birthday gift to a very special Lady. That lady was born Florence Rowe, daughter of a St Helier bookseller, but we know her better as Florence Boot. Her creative vision helped to establish the success of a British household name. Her generosity continues to shape the Island we know today.
2023-05-2005 min
The History IslandsBitter Harvest - The Tragedy of the LaurelThis week's story tells of a shocking Victorian tragedy that unfolded in Grouville Bay, Jersey. An expedition to collect vraic, or seaweed, ended in disaster. I have re-imagined this actual historical event from the perspective of a watcher, surveying with a telescope from the shore.
2023-05-1405 min
The History IslandsThe Dragon of St LawrenceThe dragon that ruled the Island slept by the shores of St Lawrence, where the tides poured in across the bay. This story is based on one of Jersey's oldest and most enduring legends.
2023-04-2311 min
Bailiwick PodcastsJersey's myths and legends: finding new meaning in the pastPublished historian Paul Darroch talks about his latest project: unravelling some of Jersey's myths and legends that have captivated islanders for hundreds of years. What is the story behind these stories, and what do they tell us about ourselves?
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2023-04-2020 min
The History IslandsHelier, my friend Today's episode is set in Jersey’s distant past, in the 6th century, in a world where legend and history blend. This is the story of Saint Helier, who gave his life for the people of the town that bears his name.
2023-04-1105 min
The History IslandsUnder The Line - Raleigh's Last Voyage Part 3Welcome to another episode of the History Islands. In this episode, we complete the story of Sir Walter Raleigh, the former Governor of Jersey, on his final, doomed journey. This story is taken from Jersey: Secrets of the Sea by Paul Darroch.
2023-03-2508 min
The History IslandsUnder the Line - Raleigh's Last Voyage Part 2This week we follow Sir Walter Raleigh, the former Governor of Jersey, on his final, disastrous journey. Under The Line - Raleigh's Last Voyage is an extract from my second book, Jersey: Secrets of the Sea.
2023-03-1907 min
The History IslandsUnder the Line - Raleigh's Last Voyage Part 1Sir Walter Raleigh was Jersey's last Elizabethan Governor. His legacy casts a long shadow; his life was a blend of brutality and brilliance, scholarship and recklessness, that defies the easy verdict of the historian's pen. This is the story of his last voyage, his final gamble, one played for the highest of stakes. It is extracted from my second book, Jersey: Secrets of the Sea.
2023-03-1208 min
The History IslandsThe World Beyond The Wall - The T.B. Davis StoryThis is the true story of T.B. Davis - the ragged and penniless boy from Jersey who cheated death and earned a king's ransom, yet could not save his beloved son. You can discover his inspiring and tragic story in my second book, Jersey: Secrets of the Sea.
2023-02-2505 min
The History IslandsThe Army of Winter Night - Part 3It is the Spring of 1781. Jersey has been saved from the invading French army. Yet it was a shockingly close-run escape, and a scapegoat is required. The military trial of the Lieutenant-Governor, Major Corbet, is about to begin.
2023-01-0909 min
The History IslandsThe Army of Winter Night - Part 2It is January 6th, 1781. The French army is about to burst in upon St Helier. In the hours to come, Jersey's fate will be sealed.
2023-01-0608 min
The History IslandsThe Army of Winter Night - Part 1It is a winter's night in Jersey, 242 years ago. Baron de Rullecourt's ghostly army is landing. The invasion of Jersey has begun. This story is adapted from my first book, Jersey: The Hidden Histories.
2023-01-0505 min
The History IslandsReturn to the Lost IslandThis is the story of a bold expedition that set out to claim a desolate wilderness and transform it within a generation. The empty place they settled was Sark - the cliffs that loomed on the northern horizon, so close to Jersey yet abandoned to the elements. One man was determined to reverse the tide of history, and reclaim the lost island. Enjoy this latest episode of the History Islands ~ Paul Darroch
2022-12-2214 min
The History IslandsThe Lost Stones of JerseyThis was Jersey's Stonehenge; a monument that endured thousands of winters and glimmered through countless summers. The wheel of history turned, empires rose and fell, and the stone sentinels on the hill outlasted them all. Until one day, they were gone.
2022-12-0308 min
The History IslandsLeap to Liberty - A Jersey LegendThis is one of Jersey's most curious and engaging legends - a medieval tale of a heroic, faithful steed. The story opens as night falls over St Ouen's Bay, in September 1467.
2022-11-2610 min
The History IslandsThe Fall: A Medieval LegendThis story is based upon one of Jersey's most mysterious and ancient myths. It opens at the Rock of Execution, in St Martin's Parish, in the winter of 1251. When the dawn drowned out the stars, Geffray knew he was about to die.
2022-11-2108 min
The History IslandsThe Legend of La PlancheAn ancient Jersey legend, of the lost bridge to Normandy that was swallowed by the waves. This is the story of a drowned world. The seabed at low tide is treacherous even today; an experienced guide is essential.
2022-04-2511 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochThe Legend of La PlancheThis story is based on an ancient Jersey legend.St Clement’s ParishChristmas Eve, 1355Winter breathed ice upon Jersey. This was a season for huddling, for clinging to warmth by the embers of the fire. After the backbreaking toil of the summer, we curled up in our huts, indolent and slothful. On Christmas-eve, the goose was broiled, the turnips stewed, and we slaked our throats with pitchers of watery beer.We were hours deep into our revelry when the storyteller arrived. He was a pitiful vagrant, a shuffling old man, th...
2022-04-2411 min
The History IslandsWreckers of Winter NightWinter had fallen hard upon Jersey. As the red sun collapsed below the western horizon, the sky was smeared with blood. Wreckers of Winter Night is based on a legend first recorded in the nineteenth century, but which dates from an earlier, darker age.
2022-02-1411 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochWreckers of Winter NightWelcome to another episode of The History Islands. This month’s story is an origin myth. It explains how the sand dunes of Les Quennevais, in the west of Jersey, came into being.It is an ancient legend, recorded in the nineteenth century but probably dating back to a much earlier age. The story is called Wreckers of Winter Night.St Ouen’s BayLate November 1494Winter had fallen hard upon Jersey. As the red sun collapsed below the western horizon, the sky was smeared with blood. The first breath of fros...
2022-02-0511 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochUnder The Line: Raleigh's Last Voyage (Part 3)Welcome to another episode of the History Islands. This week we complete the story of Sir Walter Raleigh, the former Governor of Jersey, on his final, doomed journey. ~ Paul DarrochSir Walter Raleigh, Guyana, Mouth of the OrinocoSaint Valentine’s Day, 1618The Caroni is a blackwater river, red and sluggish, charged with the blood of the land. Somewhere along it lies Mont Aio, which I had once seen with my own eyes: a great and high plateau, many miles across, raised stark above the forest like Jersey above the sea. And deep in...
2021-12-1208 min
Saint Bride's Parish PodcastsMarion Darroch Funeral Mass 19th November 2021Marion Darroch Funeral Mass 19th November 2021
2021-11-1950 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochUnder The Line: Raleigh's Last Voyage (Part 2)Under The Line – Raleigh’s Last Voyage (Part 2)Welcome to another episode of the History Islands. This week we follow the last journey of Sir Walter Raleigh, the former Governor of Jersey, on his final, disastrous voyage to South America in search of El Dorado.Guyana, Mouth of the OrinocoSaint Valentine’s Day, 1618The weather waxed foul, and within hours of leaving, we scurried like rats back to Plymouth. It was a humiliating volte-face. The onward voyage proved no more enabling. Battered by fresh gales at the Scillies, hemmed in at Cor...
2021-11-0707 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochUnder the Line: Raleigh's Last Voyage (Part 1)Sir Walter Raleigh was Jersey’s last Elizabethan Governor. His legacy casts a long shadow; his life was a blend of brutality and brilliance, scholarship and recklessness that defies the easy verdict of the historian’s pen. This is the story of his last voyage, his final gamble, one played for the highest of stakes. ~ Paul DarrochSir Walter RaleighLondon, 1616At last the walls parted and the Tower spat me out. After so many years of incarceration, I was myself a carcass, shuffling along on my dead leg, an old man rasping his...
2021-10-1708 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochWreck at Midnight: The Miracle of the EcréhousAs summer draws to end, I’m pleased to present another short story drawn from Jersey’s rich history. This is an autumn tale from the Ecréhous, that lonely scattering of rocks perched between Jersey and Normandy. It is well suited to the darker evenings to come. ~ Paul DarrochNovember 2nd, 1872Welcome to Jersey’s Ecréhous; a drowned land, a labyrinth of reef and rock, the hill-tops of a vanished world. The tide turns sharp as a blade here, as twice a day the land sinks back to its watery grave, and the...
2021-08-2905 min
Latin Mass SocietyIota Unum Talk No. 8 - ‘After Traditionis Custodes‘ by Joseph ShawOn the issue of the Motu Proprio 'Traditionis Custodes', Chairman of the LMS Joseph Shaw launches our second series of the popular podcast series with an in depth analysis of the recent apostolic letter on the restrictions of the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Documents quoted and referred to in the Podcast:
Pope Francis, Apostolic Letter Traditionis Custodes (2021):
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/20210716-motu-proprio-traditionis-custodes.html
Pope Francis, Letter to Bishops (2021):
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/events/event.dir.html/co...
2021-08-0659 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochThe Lost Stones of JerseyJersey is an Island of ghosts. I speak not of the men and women who have lived and died here over the tumultuous centuries, but of the great landmarks that have stood here and fallen. A few have left skeletons to remember them, like the mammoths of old. Think of the great fortress at Grosnez, whose broken carcass frames the western sunset. Other landmarks have simply vanished into history, lingering only in sepia photographs. No living man remembers the caves of Five Oaks, the folly at La Hougue Bie, or our very own ‘Eiffel Tower’, the weather obse...
2021-07-1008 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochReturn to the Lost IslandWelcome to the History Islands. This is the story of a bold expedition that set out to claim a desolate wilderness and transform it within a generation. The empty place they settled was Sark - the cliffs looming on the northern horizon, so close yet abandoned to the elements. One man was determined to reverse the tide of history, and reclaim the lost island. Enjoy this month’s episode. ~ Paul Darroch Helier de CarteretSt Ouen’s ManorWinter 1564I have lived my whole life brooding in its shadow. As a...
2021-05-2314 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochLeap to Liberty: A Jersey LegendWelcome to another episode of the History Islands. This week I bring you one of Jersey’s most curious and engaging legends - a medieval tale of a heroic, faithful steed. I hope you enjoy it ~ Paul DarrochPhilippe de CarteretSt Ouen’s Pond, JerseySeptember 1467The summer sun was dying in the western sky. Philippe de Carteret watched as the disc of reddish copper plunged into the ocean, and the darkness raced to meet him over the sands. The grizzled Seigneur of St Ouen lingered on the edge...
2021-05-0310 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochHelier, my friendWelcome to another episode of the History Islands. Today’s story is set in Jersey’s distant past, in a world where legend and history blend. This is the life of Saint Helier. ~ Paul DarrochHelier’s Rock6th Century ADIt is over a century since Rome fell, and this present age of darkness swept over us all. This sorry world has become a den of thieves. We came to this Island to preach a message of hope amidst the ruins. My name is Romard, and I followed Helier, my friend.I wi...
2021-04-1805 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochThe Army of Winter Night - Part IIIIt is the Spring of 1781. Jersey has been saved from the invading French army. Yet it was a shockingly close-run escape, and a scapegoat is required. The military trial of the Lieutenant-Governor, Major Corbet, is about to begin… Enjoy this latest episode from the History Islands. ~ Paul DarrochThe Major’s Story: The Court-MartialMajor Corbet Horse Guards, Whitehall - May 1st, 1781I am falling from my bed and straight down into hell. The nightmare begins in a cloistered courtroom. The panel of illustrious field officers, immaculate in their regalia, peer at m...
2021-04-0309 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochThe Army of Winter Night - Part IIIn this episode, we continue the story of the Battle of Jersey. It is January 6th, 1781, and a French army is marching into St Helier…. Daybreak bursts in on St Helier like a volley of gunshots through a window. The army of wraiths swoops like a wake of vultures on its first victims. The Legion of Luxembourg is rampaging brazenly down La Colomberie, crashing and howling like a pack of feral dogs on the warpath. Poor old Pierre Arrivé, hearing a commotion, opens his front door to lambast the noisy youths and is slaughtered on the...
2021-03-2808 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochThe Army of Winter Night - Part IJersey6 January 1781Midnight has come and St Helier lies under the heart-stopping spell of a freezing January night. The foul breath of the Jersey winter congeals on the lintels of a hundred homes, insinuating itself deep into the wood, promising a bitter morning. The embers of St Helier’s dying fires throw a smoky orange pall over the deserted streets, where the townsfolk rattle and cough in their beds. Many have drunk deeply, in celebration of Old Christmas Night under the ancient calendar. The skies above them blaze fiercely with the ice-blue stars of winter....
2021-03-2005 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochBitter Harvest: The Tragedy of the LaurelThis week’s story tells of a shocking Victorian tragedy that unfolded in Grouville bay. It is a sobering read, and of course is based on a true event. I have imagined it from the perspective of a watcher, surveying with a telescope from the shore. ~ Paul DarrochA Watcher - La Rocque, JerseyMonday, 30 July 1844It is a terrible thing to chance death for a haul of seaweed. Yet this is high summer in Jersey; vraicing season. Horses and carts muster on the seashore, so the gatherers can fill their boots. They wh...
2021-03-1405 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochJersey: The Story of an IslandWelcome to another episode of The History Islands. I hope you enjoy this week’s journey through Jersey’s rich and eventful history. As ever, if you enjoy the story, please share with family and friends ~ Paul DarrochIt’s such an easy mistake to make: to believe that Jersey’s splendid coastline, its stark granite cliffs and sandy beaches, must surely be as old as the hills. Yet our precious shores are barely a few thousand years old, carved out in the blink of a geological eye.We are all perched here on a hill-top...
2021-03-0706 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochThe World Beyond the Wall: The T.B. Davis StoryThank you to everyone who has signed up to receive the History Islands newsletter. If you enjoy it, please share with your friends and family. This week I will be telling the story of one of Jersey’s must illustrious benefactors, T.B. Davis. This is just a short overview of his life; you can discover his full story in Jersey: Secrets of the Sea. ~ Regards, Paul Darroch Long ago, in the days of Queen Victoria, a poor boy decided to climb a wall. It was a Sunday morning in 1879, and the service at St Lu...
2021-03-0205 min
The History Islands by Paul DarrochThe Lady and the Bay: The Florence Boot StoryWelcome to another edition of the History Islands. This week we look at the astonishing life of Florence Boot, the pioneering philanthropist who left an enduring legacy in Jersey. I’ve also recorded the story in audio form, for those who prefer to listen. ~Paul DarrochBeauport Bay is sublime. Follow the steep path that wends down the hillside, where the green gorse opens onto a secluded beach. The golden sand, towering rock stack and shimmering blue bay form one of Jersey’s most iconic landscapes.Just as captivating is the history of this beautiful bay...
2021-02-2105 minPaul Adamson in conversation'Collateral Damage'Kim Darroch, former UK Ambassador to the US, National Security Adviser and Permanent Representative to the EU, talks to Paul Adamson about his new book 'Collateral Damage: Britain, America and Europe in the Age of Trump'.
2020-09-2327 minPaul Adamson in conversation'Collateral Damage'Kim Darroch, former UK Ambassador to the US, National Security Adviser and Permanent Representative to the EU, talks to Paul Adamson about his new book 'Collateral Damage: Britain, America and Europe in the Age of Trump'.
2020-09-2327 min
The Media ShowTommy Robinson and the rules of journalismStephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, has been jailed for contempt of court for his coverage of a sex abuse trial. Separately, journalist Isabel Oakeshott has grabbed headlines with her story about what the former British ambassador to the United States, Sir Kim Darroch, thought of Donald Trump, based on leaked secret diplomatic cables. So what is Tommy Robinson actually guilty of? And why does he get jail time, whilst the publication of diplomatic documents - and a potential breach of the Official Secrets Act - is celebrated?We hear from media law trainer David Banks...
2019-07-1728 min
Brussels Playbook PodcastEpisode 108 — Paul Adamson, godfather of Brussels lobbying sceneIn our latest podcast episode, we discuss the life of a lobbyist, the latest in the Brussels hustle, and the recent transatlantic twitterstorm.This week’s feature interview is with Paul Adamson, the godfather of Brussels lobbying. He talks to Ryan about his 40-year career in the EU capital, how Boris Johnson hasn’t changed since his own whippersnapper days on the continent, and why lobbyists get a bad name. We spoke before U.K. ambassador Kim Darroch offered his resignation Wednesday.The regular podcast panel looks into top-job nominee Ursula von der Leyen’s vote-g...
2019-07-1133 min
Brexit The Final CountdownOptimism Vs details and 'back room stitch-up' BINGOIn this week's episode of Brexit: The Final Countdown, host Rebecca Hutson is joined by Paul Baldwin, Thomas Hunt and Joe Barnes to dissect the latest Tory leadership debate, the latest happenings in Brussels and THAT awkward leak. Disclaimer: this was before Kim Darroch resigned. We also look at Labour's latest policy pivot and we figure out what our unelected eurocrat names would be. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2019-07-1039 min