The Crocodile Collective: Stories of Washington (UK) and beyond is a podcast for anyone interested in history, heritage and everyday stories and sounds from Washington, Tyne and Wear.

In this episode we have a focus on sound: how it evokes place, time and atmosphere, and how we can manipulate it.

We are taken on a sound walk across a windswept Bowes Railway, which is currently celebrating its bicentenary. In the excellent company of our own Jim Metcalfe, historian Stuart Miller, folklorist/historian Keith Gregson, and Bowes Railway Museum volunteers Geoff Morrison, Martin Blyth and Mark Blake, we’re taken on a tour of the site of one of the Bowes Incline, one of George Stephenson’s great innovations; and we hear about the Springwell Colliery, its history, disasters, and how ancient skills like blacksmithing are still being practiced on what is now a heritage site.

After this, we take a different perspective on audio when we have a bit of fun experimenting with sound in the style of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop’s Daphne Oram. You’ve never heard “The Lambton Worm” performed quite like this. Thanks to Jan Lawson for being such a sport in having the choruses of her excellent performance warped beyond recognition!

We asked our Crocodile Collective members what they think of messing with sound in this way – some very diverse opinions there.

Finally we hear chapter 1 of James Williams’ fascinating and evocative story Reflections of Green and Black (we had a preview in our previous episode).

Thanks to: Keith Gregson for folk songs and historical insights; Historian Stuart Miller; Bowes Railway Volunteers Geoff Morrison; Martin Blyth and Martin Blake and to Barry Hall of Bowes Railway for permission to record on site and interview the Bowes volunteers.

Useful links: https://www.historypin.org/en/washington-uk-heritage-map/

https://bowesrailway.uk/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne_Oram

Presenters: Elvira Pirozzi and Liz Greener

Producers: David Taylor and Jude Murphy

Podcast Theme Music: "The Lambton Croc" by Jude Murphy

“Oramicised” Lambton Worm performed by Jan Lawson with the Crocodile Collective and warped by Jude Murphy

Audio editor and support: Joe Simmons

Exec Producers: Caroline Mitchell, Sarah Murray and Jude Murphy and NEVoice CIC

Thanks to Matthew Blyth and staff at Arts Centre Washington; University of Sunderland: Richard Berry, the radio and podcasting team in the School of Media & Creative

Industries and everyone at Washington Town Centre Library and Podcast Studio.

The Crocodile Collective Community Podcast Group is: Sarah Murray, Joe Simmons,

Roger Morris, David James Taylor, Jan Lawson; Ged Parker, Liz Greener, James Williams, Jim Metcalfe, Elvira Pirozzi, Jude Murphy and Caroline Mitchell