{"podcast":{"title":"The English Heritage Podcast","slug":"the-english-heritage-podcast-1111199","podcast_index_feed_id":1111199,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/EHE9742327131","website_url":"https://www.english-heritage.org.uk","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/668330d4-7cc2-11ee-a5ea-07253fb3eec9/image/70adb887611b592c53ddec06599e8d50.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"English Heritage","episode_count":379,"summary":"Every object has a story to tell. But how can one mystery item lead us on a journey through history, people and places? In the English Heritage podcast, comedian and writer Amy Matthews brings you entertaining tales from unexpected places. Each week, we begin with a mystery item and with the help of English Heritage experts and special guests, Amy explores what our past can tell us about our present and perhaps our future. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-25T12:21:33.694200+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-english-heritage-podcast-1111199"},"episode":{"title":"Adventure and obsession: orchid hunting in the 1930s","slug":"adventure-and-obsession-orchid-hunting-in-the-1930s","published_at":"2026-01-15T06:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-english-heritage-podcast-1111199/adventure-and-obsession-orchid-hunting-in-the-1930s","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-english-heritage-podcast-1111199","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/EHE6513855998.mp3","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/EHE6513855998.mp3","summary":"From steamy jungles and boiling mud pools to a bathroom aboard a luxury yacht, this is a plant story like no other. Sir Stephen and Lady Virginia Courtauld weren’t just art deco tastemakers; they were globe-trotting orchid obsessives, chasing rare blooms across Southeast Asia in the 1930s and (legally!) bringing them home against the odds. Joined by English Heritage’s Dr Andrew Hann and gardener-researcher Hannah Pearson, Amy Matthews follows the Courtaulds’ trail through diaries, photographs and maps, uncovering a tale of privilege, passion and peril. Along the way, orchids are dealt, gifted, bombed, evacuated and lovingly preserved through war, displacement and decades of change. It’s a story of people and plants and how a collection of extraordinary flowers travelled the world and were conserved through conflict for the benefit of the world today Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠ Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.* Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠ The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales. *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"From steamy jungles and boiling mud pools to a bathroom aboard a luxury yacht, this is a plant story like no other. Sir Stephen and Lady Virginia Courtaul…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2397,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-english-heritage-podcast-1111199/episodes/adventure-and-obsession-orchid-hunting-in-the-1930s/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-english-heritage-podcast-1111199/adventure-and-obsession-orchid-hunting-in-the-1930s.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}