"There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive." And that's just where the HBTG boys found themselves after an energy draining 2-month production delay -- rusty, slightly discombobulated, and, yes, probably a little drunker than advisable...but still slightly ALIVE and, in fact, overflowing with joy after …

Loose Ends is at the Stratford-upon-Avon Literary Festival and Stuart Maconie is joined by Harriet Walter, who has played many roles at the RSC in Stratford and has just published 'She Speaks!', a book imagining what Shakespeare's women might have said if they'd been given half a chance. John Douglas Thompson is one of America's finest classical ac…

Stuart is joined in the Loose Ends Salford Studio by comedian, musican, actor and Strictly winner Bill Bailey. His new book is 'My Animals, and Other Animals: A memoir of sorts'. It's the story of his life through the creatures who have meant something to him, and a celebration of how animals bring us joy. The Yorkshire Shepherdess, Amanda Owen, ta…

The poet Pam Ayres, author of Oh, I wish I'd looked after Me Teeth - which was voted one of the UK's top ten comic verses - joins Clive to discuss almost half a century of writing and a new volume of her collected works - Doggedly Onwards. Dawn O'Porter was once the journalist behind documentaries on topics from extreme dieting to poligamy and even…

Stuart Maconie presents Loose Ends from the North Cornwall Book Festival in St Endellion. He is joined by Patrick Gale, Tom Allan, Anna Keirle and Tim Smit, and there's music from the multi-instrumentalist Angeline Morrison. Patrick Gale is the author of the Emmy award-winning BBC drama Man in an Orange Shirt and novels including A Place Called Win…

Nihal Arthanayake presents Loose Ends from the third annual Morecambe Poetry Festival. He's joined by Henry Normal. Henry is a writer, poet, TV and film producer who has been involved with many of our most loved comedies, such as The Mrs Merton Show, The Royal Family, Gavin and Stacey and Alan Partridge. He's a prolific poet, and his latest collect…

The tenor Russell Watson's remarkable career took him from playing from working mens clubs in Salford to performing at the Vatican. But his life hasn't been completely charmed - he discusses the brain tumour that threatened his life as well as his voice and how he found his way back to centre stage. Jackie Kay is one of the UK's most lauded poets w…

From Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in Stirling. Richard Armitage’s CV is already packed with roles, including a string of stellar acting credits in the likes of The Hobbit, North and South, Robin Hood, and Spooks. Now he’s added author to the list with his debut novel Geneva. Ambrose Parry is not one writer but two – it's the penname of in…

Sir Ian Rankin’s much-loved detective Rebus has had a big year, with a fresh BBC TV adaptation in the summer, and now a return to the stage. Clive Anderson hears about new play Rebus: A Game Called Malice which was written by Sir Ian and Simon Reade, it's touring the UK. Michelle McManus chats to poet and women’s rights advocate Len Pennie who rose…

Elaine C. Smith has delighted audiences for decades, including work on TV shows like BBC Scotland’s Two Doors Down. In her latest project she joins the touring cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and takes on a character that used to terrify her - The Childcatcher. Claire Love Wilson is a Scottish-Canadian theatre-maker, actor, and singer-songwriter wh…

Actress and singer Su Pollard’s new tour Still Fully Charged celebrates her 50 years in showbiz – she catches up with Michelle McManus about what keeps her hooked, and being beaten by a dog in a talent competition. Clive Anderson chats to comedian and actor Chris Grace. He’s returned to Edinburgh after his sold-out 2023 run, this time with a packed…

Clive Anderson is joined by comedian Jason Byrne who returns to Edinburgh for his 28th consecutive Fringe with No Show, a performance that will be totally new each night. Playwright and actor David Ireland’s award-winning plays Cyprus Avenue and Ulster American have had success across the world. His latest play The Fifth Step stars Jack Lowden and …

From the Edinburgh Festivals, Clive Anderson and Michelle McManus talk to actor, comedian and family favourite Bobby Davro about his beginnings in TV entertainment, his acting journey and finding comedy through tough times – something he explores in his show Everything is Funny...If You Can Laugh at It. Lara Ricote, a former winner of the Edinburgh…

"Faster, Higher, Stronger...Drunker?" To commemorate these Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris, the HBTG boys set their sights on the Marathon Taverna (SW 18th & Burnside), arriving just past opening at 7 a.m. alongside several of Portland's world-class early morning drinkers (including one bourbon-loving fly) to take advantage of the economical …

This week Stuart is joined by Jon Holmes who's producing a new play at the Edinburgh Festival - which explores what happens when the camera moves on from a relationship forged on a Love Island-style reality show. And there are definitely some strained relationships in the second series of House of the Dragon - but they're more the kind that result …

Clive Anderson and Emma Freud present Loose Ends from Latitude Festival in Suffolk. They'll talk to the actor-turned-musician Damian Lewis who will discuss his latest album Mission Creep and why he's chosen to go back to his musical roots when he could have rested on his Hollywood laurels as the star of Homeland and Billions. The UK's favourite cho…

Clive will talk monkeys, masks and improvisation with comic Nina Conti who is honing a brand new show Whose Face is it Anyway? and about to release her directing debut a feature film called Sunlight; Chef Tom Kerridge's been on a culinary tour of the UK for a new cookbook and TV show and has plenty to say about our food, farming and how to pronounc…

The actor, producer and now memoirist Griffin Dunne on growing up in Hollywood in a family of literary stars including his aunt Joan Didion, on his own screen success opposite Madonna in Who's That Girl and in After Hours and the real-life tragedy that changed his life forever. Soft Cell front man Marc Almond on his early days as a subversive perfo…

Stuart is joined in the Salford Loose Ends studio by the Welsh Sprinter Iwan Thomas, who held the UK 400m record for 25 years. His new memoir 'Brutal', tells his story - one of speed, the drive to succeed and an extremely high tolerance for pain. . Comedian Chloe Petts is gearing up for the Edinburgh Fringe, and in perhaps the ultimate highbrow/low…

*DRUMS PLEASE* Here it is, the pod, slightly transformed, just a bit of a break from the norm, just a little somethin' to break the monotony...Yes indeed, it is SUMMERTIME in the city and on the eve of America's birthday, the HBTG boys put their sunglasses on, oiled each other up like a pair of Navy fighter pilots prepping for a sand volleyball gam…

An eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedyPar BBC Radio 4

Joining Stuart in our Salford studio are Charlie Higson. After writing several books in the bestselling 'Young Bond' series, Charlie has written his first Bond for Adults. Stand up Bilal Zafar's new show 'Imposter' is about a once harmonious house-share that goes very wrong and Pravesh Kumar has written 'Frankie Goes to Bollywood', a new musical ab…

The comedian Paul Sinha is a man of many careers - from working GP to sucessful stand up to his role as "The Sinnerman" in ITV's quiz show The Chase. He joins Clive to talk about his new autobiogaphy - Once Sinha Lifetime - charting his extraordinary Bengali family background through the peaks and troughs of his own working life to his recent medic…

Fathers. You have 'em, you may be 'em, you probably love 'em, and you may also drink in dark bars because of 'em. But there's no better place in Portland to linger over a stiff pour and big ol' pile of eggs while thinking about yours than My Father's Place aka MFP (523 SE Grand Ave.). Established as MFP in 1978 (yes, ANOTHER late '70s bar!) and a l…

After a series of best-selling books focussing on girls and women Caitlin Moran turns her attention to the lads in ‘What About Men?’. Find out if comedian Laura Smyth is indeed living her best life on the ‘Living My Best Life’ tour and Alex Lowe tells us what makes his Clinton Baptise character so popular. John Hopkins on playing Henry Higgins in M…

Stephen Merchant - the BAFTA, Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor, comedian and writer behind hits like The Office and Extras - joins Clive Anderson and Athena Kugblenu to talk about a new series of The Outlaws, a hugely popular crime caper set on a Bristol community service project; the Vogue journalist and author Plum Sykes will discuss her new n…

Clive is joined by impressionist Jan Ravens (who brings along Liz Truss and Theresa May) chatting about the challenge of developing an impersonation and what happens when the politician who forms part of your act gets the boot...Award-winning novelist Tiffany Murray describes her unusually starry childhood at the residential recording studio Rockfi…

Joining Stuart Maconie in our Salford studio are the comedians Frank Skinner and Rachael Fairburn. In Frank's latest stand up show '30 years of Dirt' he has his comedic eye firmly on the dirty joke, while Rachel Fairburn's showgirl finds her moving away from boozing and towards crystals - will it last? Maxine Peake stars in Robin/Red/Breast at Manc…

Stuart Maconie is joined by Sacha Lord who offers some Tales from the Dancefloor, Julie Hesmondhalgh talks about the impact of a single punch which is considered in a new play by James Graham at the Nottingham Playhouse. Dr Benji Waterhouse, a frontline NHS psychiatrist, discusses his new book You Don't Have to be Mad to Work Here and there's music…

The comedian Rhod Gilbert gave up touring and TV appearances last year when he got cancer. Now he's back - a newly focussed man - with a show called 'Rhod Gilbert & The Giant Grapefruit', all about the big bitter diagnosis he had to swallow; the best-selling novelist Kathy Lette's latest book is called The Revenge Club and is based on a real life c…

Five 1/2 years ago...two earnest, but slapdash episodes into this grand experiment called the History by the Glass podcast...we were contacted out of the blue...by an actual BAR. And not just any bar, but an honest-to-god OLD bar who simply said, "Love your podcast!" -- the first inkling we had that maybe this thing might possibly resonate beyond o…

Stuart is joined by multi instrumentalist and singer of hits like Electric Avenue, Eddy Grant; comic-turned-author Natalie Haynes on putting the feminisim into Greek mythology; actress Adelayo Adedayo on her upcoming second series playing the rookie cop in the hit BBC police drama The Responder and Comedian Richard Herring on finding the humour in …

The astronaut Tim Peake joins Clive to talk about life on and off Earth, and he's joined by the acclaimed guitarist Phil Manzanera who tells us about the astonishing life he led en route to joining Roxy Music. Helen Lederer discusses her new memoir and recalls formative days in The Comedy Store and Jess Fostekew talks footie in her new podcast. We'…

Stand up comic Al Murray on 30 years of his outspoken stage persona The Pub Landlord and his more recent side-hustle as a history podcaster; Actor Lesley Sharp on playing a spy in her high octane thriller set on a London to Beijing flight and called Red Eye; Historian Bettany Hughes on her new series of Treasures of the World, this time heading alo…

Ruby Wax defined an interview style which many of us now take for granted. She discusses her hugely popular books on mindfulness and her new book which sees her undertake a series of journeys designed to aid her recovery from depression.Paul Hartnoll of the dance act Orbital is another genre definer, looking back at the history of electronic music …

Established in 1907, Dan & Louis Oyster Bar is Portland's oldest family-owned restaurant. Is it really a bar though? Or just a restaurant that serves drinks? We'll leave that for you to decide. But is it a FANTASTIC place to eat, drink, and connect with Old Portland? Abso-shuckin'-lutely. Yes, like Roger Sterling and Don Draper in Mad Men's Season …

Join us dear friends for another succinct and well produced episode of History by the Glass -- Portland most popular podcast tour of the city's freshest, hottest, and relatively historic bars, pubs, and saloons…whiskey libraries, modern speakeasies, craft brew pubs, and mixology dens. In this rare commercial-free episode, we asked how soon is Too S…

Clive Anderson and Emma Freud are joined by Daniel Mays, Cush Jumbo, Janey Godley and Marc Wootton for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Ride and Georgia.Par BBC Radio 4

Clive Anderson and Sara Cox are joined by Gemma Whelan, Mark Watson, Shaznay Lewis and Mr Motivator for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from The Mary Wallopers and Sahra.Par BBC Radio 4

Clive Anderson and Bidisha Mamata are joined by Jonny Lee Miller, Ade Adepitan, Kimberley Chambers and Gary Stevenson for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Kat Eaton and Blondeting.Par BBC Radio 4

Clive Anderson and Arthur Smith are joined by Armistead Maupin, Ophelia Lovibond, Toheeb Jimoh and Emmanuel Sonubi for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Ayanna Witter-Johnson and Amelia Coburn.Par BBC Radio 4

Clive Anderson and Rachel Parris are joined by Bruce Dickinson, Noomi Rapace, Siobhán McSweeney and Travis Jay for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from MT Jones and OneDa.Par BBC Radio 4

Remember FUN?! Well, thanks to vibrant old locals like The Slammer Tavern (500 SE 8th Ave.) it's BACK. And, hey, so are WE for a THIRD season of History by the Glass! We were thrilled to get busy living at one of Portland's most unique, friendly, and fun-loving dives (or is it?), which has been sentencing folks to good times as "The Slammer" since …