Grass
It has given us our oldest stories, made England a green and pleasant land, and once a week gives suburban man a purpose. Brett Westwood investigates our obsession with grass.
It's given us our oldest stories, made England a green and pleasant land, and has even helped shape our brains. Natural Histories investigates our obsession with grass, and Arcadian toil according to Victorian writer Richard Jefferies. Humans evolved in the grasslands and the major food crops (all grasses) have made us what we are. Thousands of years later it even gives suburban man an energy and a purpose through the summer.
Brett Westwood leads us through nature rich hay-meadows, through cornfields, across garden lawns and onto Wembley stadium in his quest to appreciate a neatly manicured piece of turf. How grass has influenced humanity is explored via author Tim Dee, grass expert Howard Thomas, artists Ackroyd and Harvey, Oxford gardener Simon Bagnall, historian Oliver Cox and groundsman Karl Standley.
First broadcast in a longer form 18th July 2017
Original producer: Melvin Rickarby
Archive producer : Andrew Dawes
Last on
Clip
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How is the Wembley pitch prepared for the FA Cup final?
Duration: 02:49
Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey
They reflect urban political ecologies by highlighting temporal processes of growth and decay, and they have received many awards for their unique photographic work which聽utilizes聽the pigment chlorophyll in making complex photographs.
Their work has been exhibited in contemporary art galleries, museums and public spaces worldwide.
Simon Bagnall
Dr Oliver Cox
He has published widely on Gothic Revival architecture, landscape gardening, patriotism, and is currently writing From Addison to Austen: A Short Guide to the Long Eighteenth Century.
Tim Dee
Meditating on these four fields, he argues that we must attend to what we have made of the wild, to look at and think about the way we have messed things up but also to notice how we have kept going alongside nature, to listen to the conversation we have had with grass and fields.
Karl Standley
When most people are watching the match, Karl can't keep his eyes off the pitch and his thoughts are on how it is reacting to the game.
Professor Howard Thomas
He has published extensively on the genetics and physiology of plant development and has a special interest in the science-humanities connection. He is a Fellow of the and a co-author of and .
His most recent book is , a personal account of the terminal events in the lives of plants and other organisms. He is also a devout jazz musician, and is author of .听
Broadcasts
- Tue 18 Jul 2017 11:00麻豆社 Radio 4 FM
- Mon 24 Jul 2017 21:00麻豆社 Radio 4
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