Fly Agaric
Brett Westwood seeks out the story of the magical mushroom Fly Agaric, with its red cap and white spots. From 2016.
Brett Westwood seeks out the magical mushroom, Fly Agaric.
With its red cap and white spots. Its story is entwined with Father Christmas, Alice in Wonderland and the founding of religion itself.
The mushroom's hallucinogenic properties and its appearance in fairy tales make it the most evocative of all British fungi.
Brett goes searching for a fly agaric into the woods with River Cottage forager John Wright and talks to pharmacologist Professor Richard Miller and Dr Patrick Harding author of The Christmas Book about its surprising importance in human culture.
With readings from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Claire Skinner.
Original Producer: Beth O'Dea
Archive Producer: Andrew Dawes for 大象传媒 Audio in Bristol
First broadcast on 大象传媒 Radio 4 in November 2016.
Last on
Dr Patrick Harding
He has also organised many flower holidays abroad, most recently to Turkey. His books include four on fungi, two on wild flowers, one on trees and one on Christmas. He loves finding links between the arts and the sciences, hence his interest in herbal medicine, tree folklore and Christmas.
Professor Richard Miller
He has spent over 40 years engaged in research on the brain and has published over 500 papers on pharmacology. He is particularly interested in how 聽drugs affect synaptic communication between nerve cells in the brain. He is also interested in the history and philosophy of science and authored the book , which describes the history of the use mind altering substances.
John Wright
is a professional forager who has written three books on foraging and one on home-brewing for the River Cottage. He describes himself as聽one of those very lucky people who have managed to turn a hobby (chiefly fungus hunting) into a job.
Until recently John worked as a country cabinet maker but now spends his time foraging and encouraging others to forage through his writing, forays, talks and, occasionally, TV and radio appearances.
Picture: Louise Jolley Photography
Broadcasts
Tue 15 Nov 2016 11:00大象传媒 Radio 4- Mon 21 Nov 2016 21:00大象传媒 Radio 4
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