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Twst
The Final
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Everyone associates him with the coast, but Neil Oliver will soon be heading to land-locked north Derbyshire. Questions by James Rampton and Deborah Wain.
N EIL Oliver, archaeologist, historian, author and presenter of the TV series
‘Coast’, will be sharing his love of Great Britain with audiences this autumn on his first ever UK theatre tour, which stops off in Chesterfield.
Neil who was appointed as President of the National Trust in Scotland in 2017, is also known for his television series ‘A History of Scotland and Vikings’.
‘The Story of the British Isles in 100 Places’ will give audiences the opportunity to share Neil’s enthusiasm and unique perspective of British history.
The show is at Chesterfield Winding Wheel on Saturday, 3rd November. For tickets, ring 01246 345222 or visitchesterfieldtheatres .co.uk
What inspired you to go on tour?
I saw a flyer for Ray Mears’ show. He was going to be playing at the Albert Halls near us in Stirling. My wife said to me, “Why don’t you do a show like that?” I’ve done lots of book tours and festivals before, and I began to think that the book that had been commissioned from me, ‘The Story of The British Isles in 100 Places’, would lend itself particularly well to a tour of Britain. So I decided to do it, and now I’m really excited about it.
Will there be a link
with the 100 Places?
The venues on the tour will all be close to the locations I’m talking about. There is a geographic as well as a historical side to this. I wanted to do something simple and straightforward. I’m not an academic, I’m an enthusiast.
How did you go about
selecting those 100 Places?
Writing is 50% of what I do, and I’m always thinking about the next book. Over the last 20 years, TV has taken me on a very unusual tour of Britain. As well as iconic places such as the White Cliffs of Dover, Edinburgh and Cardiff, I’ve gone to unexpected, remote places that take quite a lot of getting to. They are places that people have never heard of. So I’d become aware that an idiosyncratic chronology of the British Isles had formed in my head.
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Do you relish the prospect of
meeting your fans face to face?
Definitely. People always ask me really interesting questions. They ask me, “What’s your favourite place? What period of history would you go back to if you had a time machine? And who would you invite to a dinner party?” But the great thing is, the questions can be about literally anything. I’m not a specialist – I’m not just talking about the six wives of Henry VIII. In the show, I’ll be talking about anything that has happened in the last million years – quite a big subject!
Are you looking forward to performing live?
Yes, although I am nervous about it. People make the assumption that if you’re on television, you’re used to being looked at. I don’t deal with an audience in my TV work. I’m just with a cameraman, a soundman and a director. So the prospect of public speaking, always makes me nervous – just as you’d be nervous about making a best man’s speech. The tour is exciting, but nerve-racking. It’s the agony of anticipation, but I know it will ultimately be really enjoyable. I take great pleasure in telling stories, and I can’t wait to share them with people.
How do you maintain your
passion for your subject?
I’m always in the position of finding out that I don’t know anything. Every day is a school
day. I’m always realising that however many interesting facts I’ve picked up, I don’t know the half of it. I’m always thinking, “I don’t know enough.” That keeps me fascinated.
How lucky are we to live in north Derbyshire?
Although I’m known for following the coast, I also love the interior of our landscape. Derbyshire is filled with fascinating places. As an archaeologist, I’m drawn to places like the henge monument at Arbor Low. So much of the landscape is simply beautiful and easy to admire.
What is the Derbyshire
gem you’ll be talking about?
In Derbyshire I’ll be talking about the wonderful St Wystan’s Church in Repton. The Anglo Saxon crypt is a wonder - so evocative of another time. I filmed there as part of a series I made about the Vikings and it has stayed with me ever since.
We’re about as land-locked as it gets but when we do have a day out at the coast, where would you recommend heading?
If I was looking to the coast, I might head west to the Wirral peninsula in hopes of catching a glimpse of the battlefield of Brunanburh (937AD). This was the clash that decided once and for all that there would be a kingdom in Scotland and another in England. I’ll be talking about Brunanburh too.
Picture: Ellis Parrinder