Vices & Volumes - An introduction to the podcast.

Ever wondered what happens when someone with dyslexia, an aggressive browsing habit in vintage bookshops, and absolutely no qualifications in English history decides to start a podcast? You're about to find out.Welcome to Vices and Volumes, where host Avril Clinton-Forde reads from her personal collection of books spanning the 1700s through the 1920s—and dives headfirst into the wonderful rabbit holes they create. This introduction episode explains how an impromptu performance for six American tourists in a West Coast Ireland bookshop led to a podcast dedicated to exploring the delightfully complex way the upper classes made simple instructions sound like diplomatic negotiations.What you'll discover in future episodes: Victorian etiquette that makes modern dating apps look simple, Irish folklore and banshees, servant management techniques more insightful than modern leadership books, hunting protocols with existential overtones, and the elaborate way Georgians and Victorians made the English language perform Olympic-level gymnastics just to say something simple.This episode features readings from "Thoughts on Hunting" and "Bear Recital" (18th-19th century), including the immortal wisdom: "A slip of the tongue is no fault of the mind," and why masters who don't understand their servants' duties will find those servants inevitably idle.Whether you're here for history, curiosity, relaxation, or honestly just hoping something will help you fall asleep, Avril has you covered. Episodes include fully researched deep dives and "bare recitals" where the original Victorian and Georgian texts speak for themselves.Perfect for: History lovers, insomniacs, literary curiosity seekers, and anyone who gets genuinely excited about 200-year-old instructions for proper hat storage.