Skip to content
Claire McGowan episode artwork

Feb 22, 2023 13 min

Claire McGowan

from The Essay Hosted by BBC Radio 3

Claire McGowan enters the freezing waters off Burgh Island, connected at low tide to the mainland by a short sandy causeway. There are 43 tidal islands around the UK, accessible just briefly each day along beguiling and perilous paths. Across the series, five writers walk their favourite causeway to islands of refuge, pilgrimage, magic and glamour. Claire grew up with the mythology of the giant Finn McCool flinging rocks at a rival in Scotland and building the Giant’s Causeway. Arriving at Burgh Island, she steps into tranquil 1920s glamour, to sip Agatha Christie inspired cocktails in the Art Deco hotel bar. In this time capsule, Claire explores our relationship with Golden Age Crime and her own past; as the tide retreats, past relationships disappear with the waves and time simultaneously changes and stays still. Producer: Sarah Bowen

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Claire McGowan

0:00 13:14

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of The Essay?

This episode is 13 minutes long.

When was this The Essay episode published?

This episode was published on February 22, 2023.

Can I download this The Essay episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.