Radio Tilling

A new book!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:57:00 +0000

Not a new episode I'm afraid - but I can announce a new project from Radio Tilling; a new book!
Some time ago, I found a 'lost' short story by E.F.Benson entitled "The Renewal" - I checked with a number of experts in the field, and consulted my personal collection (as well as those online) and could not find it included in any of the many and various collections that have appeared in the years since Fred died.
The story originally appeared in The Cosmopolitan Magazine in November 1894 and I found it purely by chance during one of my occasional searches on eBay for Benson material.
Benson is now (in the UK at least, and quite probably elsewhere as well) out of copyright, it being 70 years since his death in 1940, and so I thought it the perfect time to make the story available in printed form once more. To make the book (more a booklet to be honest) more interesting, I have also included another story that I found on eBay, though subsequent research reveals it to have been included in a small press Benson collection some years ago - a collection that is, as far as I am aware, no longer in print. This story, also from 1894, is entitled "The Return of The Probationer" and originally appeared in the July 1894 issue of The English Illustrated Magazine.
Both stories, along with the original illustrations and copies of the respective magazine covers and a copy of the rejection letter sent by the editor of The Windsor Magazine (as featured in the introduction to Jack Adrian's excellent volume of Fred's ghost stories "Collected Spook Stories Vol 4 - The Face" published by Ash Tree Press in 2003), have been collected into a single 46 page booklet (along with one of my own original stories, set in Tilling and entitled "A Locket Full of Woe" - it's a slightly revised version of the story I have on my personal website) and is now available on the EFBenson.co.uk Cafe Press store priced at US$8 or £6 (plus postage and packaging)

Please do consider making a purchase - profits go towards keeping the EFBenson.co.uk website and the Radio Tilling podcast going in these somewhat difficult times.

Mapp, Lucia and Mr Logie Baird's Invention

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:53:00 +0000

Episode 04 of Radio Tilling has now been uploaded to the podcast servers and should be available shortly - if you can see it in the list on the left, you can download it! It should already be on iTunes and will work it's way onto other podcast servers as soon as possible!

My grateful thanks to Alistair Kerr for the interview - I hope you all enjoy it!

Just a little bit longer...

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:00:00 +0000

...and Episode 4 will be 'on the air' so to speak/type!
To whet your interest, the LWT/Channel 4 TV adaptations of Fred's Lucia series, "Mapp and Lucia", was first broadcast in 1985 and so, as it is celebrating it's 25th anniversary this year, I thought it might not be a bad idea to take a look at it on the podcast. As a result, I recorded a very chatty conversation with Alistair Kerr, an old friend from the Tilling Society days, and creator of the "Tilling on TV" website.
This I am editing at the moment (I've taken a short break to write this!) and it should be online by the end of this week!

Coming Soon...

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:58:00 +0000

Yes, Patient Radio Tilling listeners, there IS a new episode coming soon! Episode 4 was recorded today and I will be editing it over the next couple of days so that it can be uploaded sometime next week.
It was an enjoyable conversation, and a great pportunity to catch up with an old friend, and hopefully you'll be able to hear the results shortly!

The Future of "Major Benjy"

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:08:00 +0000

I received an email from Guy Fraser-Sampson this weekend - listeners to the podcast will remember him from episode 2 as the author of the new, official, Tilling novel "Major Benjy". Guy has a blog on which he posted an answer to the question I asked in the podcast - will there be a sequel to "Major Benjy"?
You can read his answer here but, to summarise, it all depends on how well "Major Benjy" sells.
Now, I enjoyed the book, (having purchased two copies from Amazon, one for myself and one as a present for a friend!) and included links to it on this blog (to both Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com - if you haven't already got a copy, click on one of the links to order one now!) even though there were one or two shortcomings - I felt that the first new official Tilling novel since Tom Holt's books appears in the 1980's deserved support and encouragement.
Alas, sales have not been as brisk as might have been hoped, and although Guy is keen to write the next one, "Lucia on Holiday", unless the sales pick up to an extent that it is worth the publisher investing in printing a new book, it may not see the light of day.
So, if you haven't already purchased it, please think about doing so. If you don't want to purchase online, consider asking your local bookshop to order in a copy for you. If, in this difficult financial times, you cannot afford to buy the book, why not ask your local library if they have it and, if they do not, ask if they might get a copy!
If you DO already have the book, have you any friends who might be interested in the adventures of Lucia, Mapp, Georgie, Major Benjy, Diva, The Padre, Wee Wifie, Quaint Irene and The Wyses?

Let us get together to encourage the latest revival of Fred's work - especially now, in the last year of UK Copyright applying to the Benson Collection!

2010!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:34:00 +0000

Happy New Year to all who read this blog, listen to the occasional podcasts or (even) do both!
I have some ideas that, if I get the time, I will probably convert into more episodes of Radio Tilling this year (including the long pondered audio tour of 'Tilling' aka Rye!), but if there is something Benson related that YOU would like to see covered, please do get in touch! I would be particularly interested to hear from anyone who would like to come onto the podcast to discuss a particular topic, or who has an insight into some aspect of the Benson world that might be of interest to listeners!
If you are planning a performance of one of the plays based on Benson's works, or if you are attending a Gathering of Bensonites, please let me know - I'd like to make this podcast a bit more regular, but to do that I need editorial contributions from you!

The Benson Window Appeal

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:55:00 +0000

Episode 03 of Radio Tilling will shortly be posted online (watch the RSS feed on the side or check out iTunes or other podcast services soon!) and in it I take a look at the Benson Windows in St. Mary's Church, Rye and at the fundraising effors currently being made to save them from weather damage!
In the episode I mention some links and forms which you can use if you would like to help with the appeal; the E.F.Benson Society link mentioned is here; the Friends of St. Mary's form can be downloaded here (requires Adobe Acrobat) .
Please do consider contributing to this exceedingly good cause - hopefully the windows can be save for future generations, and you will be, in some way, imitating Lucia or, as Mrs Mapp-Flint nicknamed her, "Lady Bountiful"!

Major Benjy at The Oxford Literary Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:32:00 +0000

Well, strictly speaking, it's Guy Fraser-Sampson (my guest on Episode 2 of the Radio Tilling podcast) talking about his book "Major Benjy". Guy will be appearing at 12pm in Festival Room 2, Christ Church, and tickets can be booked by visiting This Page (you will need to scroll down the page for details on Guy's talk)

"Major Benjy" now available for pre-order on Amazon.com

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 12:36:00 +0000

As promised, here is the Amazon.com link to the new Tilling novel "Major Benjy" by Guy Fraser-Sampson:
Major Benjy
And here is the Amazon.co.uk link again:
Major Benjy

Quai-Hai!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:18:00 +0000

After much teasing, the latest episode of Radio Tilling is now online, in time to mark Fred's 141st Birthday.
The link on the left is playing up at the moment - hopefully it will update itself shortly - in the meantime, the episode IS on iTunes; if you are already subscribed via iTunes, you should get the episode the next time your subscription updates (or you can subscribe for free by following the iTunes link o nthe left - which DOES work!)
Alternatively, you can get Episode 02 HERE

I am now planning the next episode... wish me luck!

Nearly...

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:32:00 +0000

After trials and tribulations undeserved (well, ALMOST undeserved!) I have finally finished editing and compiling the second episode of the podcast - but I'm going to make you wait for it until July 24th - Fred's 141st Birthday!

It's Been A Long Time...

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:21:00 +0000

...Since the last post, but I hope to be able to make up for this in the coming weeks and months!
Today (Sunday 6th July) I recorded an interview with author Guy Fraser-Sampson, whose new book, "Major Benjy" a new story based on the world of Mapp and Lucia, is set for publication on 1st September.
I had great fun talking to Guy about Benson, Tilling and books in general, and once the editing is finished, I hope to have it online as Episode 2 of the Radio Tilling Podcast on 24th July - Fred's 141st Birthday!
In the meantime, more information about "Major Benjy" can be found here

And UK fans can pre-order Major Benjy from Amazon.co.uk (affiliate link) here

As soon as the book is available to US readers, I will add a special link for them!
Please do support this book - it is the first of a planned trilogy and is the first officially authorised novel based on Tilling since Tom Holt's excellent books way back in the 1980's!

Now on iTunes!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:55:00 +0000

Radio Tilling is now available to download from Apple's iTunes: clicking here will open iTunes (if installed on your computer) on the Radio Tilling page (there is also a link in the menu on the left of this post)

If you don't already have iTunes, you can get it here.

First episode online now!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:05:00 +0000

The very first episode of Radio Tilling is now online - click on the link under "Radio Tilling Podcast Episodes" in the menu on the left.
The podcast has been submitted to iTunes and should be available on there shortly.

Radio Tilling takes to the air - soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Bines) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:19:00 +0000

This is the home page for the new Radio Tilling podcast - a podcast dedicated to the life and works of Edward Frederic Benson, the creator of, amongst many other things, Dodo, Miss Elisabeth Mapp, and Mrs Emmeline 'Lucia' Lucas, as well as any number of ghost stories, biographies and memoirs.

We are hoping to have the first episode online on February 29th, the anniversary of Benson's death.
If you would like to participate, please feel free to contact us at