New Storytellers

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New Storytellers: The Bathing Place

The Bathing Place

BBC Radio 4 - New Storytellers, The Bathing Place

Exploring Parson’s Pleasure, a male-only nude bathing place on the outskirts of Oxford.

George Townsend leads us through the unique history of Parson’s Pleasure, a male-only nude bathing place on the outskirts of Oxford.

Cultural historian George Townsend leads us through his research into Parson’s Pleasure, a male-only nude bathing place on the outskirts of Oxford. 

A unique site, Parson’s Pleasure offered exercise and repose to men from many walks of life, for at least 400 years. It formed a centre of muscular Christianity for the Victorians and a hub for the sunbathing craze between the wars. It was also a cruising spot and sanctuary for gay men until its demolition in 1992, and remains a part of the city’s collective imagination to this day.

Through poetry and stories from old regulars, we explore the river island where Parson’s Pleasure sits, and discover surprising echoes of its history among the younger generation of today. 

Touching on social and landscape history and the history of sexuality, The Bathing Place offers an insight into the city of dreaming spires like no other.

New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features the five winners of the 2021 Charles Parker Prize for Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of the pioneering radio producer Charles Parker who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. 

Winning producer of The Bathing Place, Hunter Charlton studying an MA at Goldsmiths, University of London, was commended by the judges for having made ‘a lovely engrossing listen, with a great mix of oral history, music, poetry and effects.’

Presenter: George Townsend
Producer: Hunter Charlton
A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4

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Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Factual: Life Stories

New work from winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature.

New work by radio and audio producers new to BBC Radio 4 from the five winners of this year's Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature.

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