PODCAST · history
The Log Books
by Tash Walker and Adam Zmith
We’re Tash Walker and Adam Zmith, and EVERY WEEK we get together to talk about history, politics, art and LGBTQ+ life. From us ageing millennials nattering on, to interviews with exciting people doing amazing things, The Log Books contain… the stories of our lives. WINNER of several awards including Best New Podcast (Gold) at the British Podcast Awards 2020. An Aunt Nell Production. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/thelogbooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
-
Tranny Central zine - 027
Jaye Hudson, trans superstar and founder of TGirlsonFilm, joins us to launch the new edition of Tranny Central, a zine seeking to give flowers to the trans members of the Gay Liberation Front in 1970s London. Also mentioned in this episode: Boy George - A Bit Fruity with Matt Bernstein (with...
-
East-end Lou the lesbian - 026
We’re joined in this episode by Lou, a potty-mouthed truth teller, compassionate friend, loving mother, proud feminist and iconic lesbian. Lou told us about her life in east London and what it meant to take a community approach to processing grief when it struck her friendship circle. Also...
-
Ghost rivers - 025
Tash entertains Adam with ghost rivers - natural waterways that get diverted or covered by cities. It’s a subject that has fed into Tash’s recent poetry and other writing, linking the natural world with queer experience and city life. Listen to ad-free episodes by supporting the show on Patreon....
-
Art about Switchboard, with Sean McKenzie - 024
Tash meets the artist Sean McKenzie as he prepares to open his new exhibition, The Night Shift, at the Pale Horse Gallery in London. Like us, Sean has used Switchboard’s log books for his research into making work about queer lives — producing exquisite set pieces and photographs. Also Adam went...
-
The power of singing together, with F*Choir - 023
Tash interviews Jenny Moore and Bianca Stephens from F*Choir, one of London’s longest running queer choirs, as the project prepares to wind down after a decade. It’s a bittersweet conversation about singing, memory and queer bodies. Mentioned in this episode: Sing it Pink podcast series about the...
-
Is porn a sex life? - 022
Adam bares all! In this episode, Tash interviews Adam about how he uses porn. It opens up a rabbit hole, so to speak, about culture, politics, loneliness, queer identity — and the question: what kind of sex do YOU want to have? Mentioned in this episode: Porn: An Oral History by Polly Barton…
more -
When We All Get to Heaven (with Lynne Gerber) - 021
Tash interviews Lynne Gerber who is the host and producer of the podcast series When We All Get to Heaven. We hear how Lynne found boxes of old cassettes from decades ago that reveal a forgotten queer history of the Metropolitan Community Church in San Francisco. Books mentioned in this episode:...
-
Fancy Work - 020
You might love William Morris and his fancy wallpaper... but did you know about his daughter, May Morris? She did many of the famous textile designs, and was a poet, artist, writer and socialist activist. Her life story is fascinating. Tash spoke to Alice Hattrick, whose new book Fancy Work...
-
Try selling poppers! - 019
When Bill Hartwell started selling poppers online he was surprised to discover that payment companies didn’t want his business. In this exclusive interview with Adam, Bill bares all... about the sexual politics of modern banking. Mentioned this episode: VegasPridePositions - Bill’s online store…
more -
David Shenton’s life in cartoons - 018
Adam got to meet the artist David Shenton and get a sneak peek of his retrospective exhibition at Norwich Castle and Museum. David’s 50+ year career is filled with wit, humour, LGBTQ+ politics, and wry observations — we loved to hear it all. Thanks to the co-curators Ruth Battersby and Ian Giles,...
-
Barbers beyond gender - 017
Tash went for a haircut and took the mic along! Their barber is the marvellous LP, who talked to Tash about seeing clients who are fed up with the way they’re boxed in by their previous hairdressers and barbers. Mentioned in this episode: Queer Me and the Sea @ Turner Contemporary, Margate…
more -
The 90s mayhem of Stuart Linden Rhodes - 016
You’ve not seen queer nightlife until you’ve seen it through the lens of the photographer Linden. Adam met Stuart, the man behind the lens, to talk about what it was like to take so many iconic photos, and why it’s important to capture queer nightlife. Check out Linden’s photos on Instagram and…
more -
The Sound of Trans Freedom - 015
A stack of letters written by trans people asking for help in the 90s is an essential piece of queer history. The letters are rightly kept confidentially, but a year ago we were given special access to make a sound art piece using them. Today we’re marking the anniversary of that work, which was...
-
Hastings queer history - 014
Tash went along to Hastings for a tour of Lemons, Laws and Secret Doors — an exhibition made by a local queer collective all about their history. There was so much to discover! Tash and Adam are running a writing workshop at Joelle Taylor’s Maryville salon this weekend - tickets here! Listen to...
-
FKA twigs, and why Adam is an alien - 013
Adam takes Tash on a deep dive of the artist FKA twigs: her style, her drive, her weirdness, and of course her delicious music. We covered the full range of her career and why she’s an icon for queers, women and weirdos. We love you, twigs! Discussed in this episode: Poni’s flip of Fallen Alien…
more -
Bradford’s queer history - 012
Tash got a tour of Bradford’s queer history with Alice Parsons, who runs the city’s Castles in the Sky project. We learnt all about the local Switchboard, the gay arts festival, the lesbian support line, and how these all stem from Bradford’s radical politics. Discussed in this episode: Amnesty...
-
‘Sferics’: the spooky sound of connection - 011
Tash has tuned into the secret sounds of electricity pylons (no, really) and discovered something unique about human connection and queer experience. We learnt about ‘sferics’ and about static electricity in the air, and how it affects us all. Discussed in this episode: Petition to call for a...
-
Our exclusive tour of Queer Britain - 010
Tash went down to Kings Cross in London to visit the newly re-opened Queer Britain museum. From nightclubs like Club Kali to footballers like Justin Fashanu, from the painter Carrington to dyke-themed folk songs, the museum captures every part of queer life. Thanks to Jennifer Shearman (curator)...
-
Staying afloat - 009
It feels like life is pulling many of us down at the moment — so we asked each other: what do you do to stay afloat? We discuss swimming, solo cinema trips, birds and well-stocked food cupboards. The queer future starts here? -Adam + Tash Listen to ad-free episodes by supporting the show on...
-
Hunky Jesus - 008
Every Easter in San Francisco, there’s a competition to find the best hunky Jesus. We didn’t go to it, BUT we spoke to Sister Roma, one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the order of queer nuns that organises it. AND to filmmaker Jennifer Kroot who’s just made a film about the sisters and...
-
Second adolescence - 007
Why have one adolescence when you can have two? That’s the reality for many LGBTQ+ people. So let’s talk about what happens when you come out (or let people in), and unleash a whole new era on yourself. Sex, friendships, romance, lifestyle — all these things are up for grabs again a second time...
-
Ghosts of your former self - 006
We’ve got a star guest this week! Tino Orsini is a versatile character actor — you might have seen him playing the artist Banksy in Ted Lasso. For his next trick he’ll be on stage performing an intimate solo show about his own dark past. It’s all based around the time he tried to make it in...
-
Lab rats - 005
Tash has been reading some intriguing studies about the psychology of lab rats — and has discovered something about themself in the process. So let’s talk about it! Join us while we gnaw on the topics of cages (real and imagined), being queer, and the power of nature. -Adam + Tash Discussed in…
more -
Inherent Vice - 004
We make no secret that we’re obsessed with queer history and heritage. So in this episode Tash met Shoun Obana who’s created a zine called Inherent Vice, “for heritage professionals and enthusiasts alike”. We’ve also got a poem by Tash, Dear Section 28. -Adam + Tash Discussed in this episode…
more -
An Army of Lovers Cannot Fail - 003
Sometimes you read a book and feel ‘this is a bit of me!’ That’s how we both felt reading An Army of Lovers Cannot Fail, so we wanted to talk about it. It’s a book about friendship, across generations, and the power of queer solidarity. So it also led us to two recent photography exhibitions too....
-
Margate Queer Library and Archive - 002
Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside… Tash went for a swim (Adam went to the cafe), but we BOTH went to the Margate Queer Library and Archive, which is run by Sé Malaïka Nomyo. We also met Jen Scott, aka SHELLY GROTTO, who also told us about her work on Margate and Thanet’s queer history....
-
The Stories of Our Lives - 001
We’re relaunching your favourite podcast! We’re Tash Walker and Adam Zmith, and EVERY WEEK we get together to talk about history, politics, art and LGBTQ+ life. From us ageing millennials nattering on, to interviews with exciting people doing amazing things, The Log Books contain… the stories of...
-
Queer roots | Episode 15
Tash and Adam listen to Abi McIntosh, our youngest interviewee!, who first listed her sexuality on MySpace... Abi also reflects on her experience of connecting with older queer Black people, and how this has changed how she sees herself. You can listen to Abi on the podcast Black And Gay, Back In...
-
Being both | Episode 14
Adam and Tash hear from Faizan, who co-founded Imaan, a network for queer Muslims. Faizan recalls what it felt like to be growing up as a British Pakistani queer person in London in the 80s, and the electricity of a first (good) kiss. Buy our book or see our events listings: The Log Books: Voices...
-
Girl power | Episode 13
Adam and Tash listen to Steph Fuller recall what it was like for trans women to go out on the town in the 90s. Steph reflects on growing up queer and trans, and what it meant to have places to go — in one of our most affecting and intimate interviews yet. Buy our book or see our events listings:...
-
Active listening | Episode 12
Tash and Adam hear from Monty Moncrieff, who took calls for Switchboard for years and now runs London Friend. Monty remembers what it was like to take difficult calls from LGBTQ+ people, and also to be listened to himself, when he gave his first interview in season 3 of The Log Books podcast. Buy...
-
No going back | Episode 11
Adam and Tash hear from Clare Truscott, a riotous femme punk who tirelessly serves her community and always has an abundance of stories to tell. Clare reflects on being a part of the podcast and being a lesbian in the 80s and 90s, and how more recently she’s been campaigning to end homophobia in...
-
Never pretending | Episode 10
Tash and Adam listen to Catherine Lee, who qualified as a teacher in the late 80s at a time when it was impossible for lesbians like her to be open at work. Catherine reflects candidly on the impact of sharing her story on the original Log Books podcast, and how her life has transformed from…
more -
Leather and love | Episode 9
Tash and Adam hear from Richard Desmond, aka Switchboard’s once resident leather queen. Richard reflects on a life in the LGBTQ+ community, as a leatherman, a volunteer, a friend and lover. We love you, Richard. Buy our book or see our events listings: The Log Books: Voices of Queer Britain and…
more -
Dream homes | Episode 8
Tash and Adam listen to Graham McKerrow, who was editor of the newspaper Capital Gay in the 80s. Graham reflects on his gay adolescence in the 70s, and how he and his partner transformed a South London house into a communal queer home. Buy our book or see our events listings: The Log Books…
more -
Standing up, standing out | Episode 7
Adam and Tash hear from Andy Piccos, whose memories of Switchboard stretch back to 1977. Andy remembers the queer family he met through volunteering and living the gay life, and what it was like to come out to his biological, Greek Cypriot family. Buy our book or see our events listings: The Log...
-
Life lessons | Episode 6
Tash and Adam catch-up with Femi Otitoju, one of the original contributors of The Log Books podcast, and one of Switchboard’s most valuable volunteers. Femi reflects on what it meant to have her memories recorded, and how she and others made sure that Switchboard served Black people and women.…
more -
Exclusive book extract! | Episode 5
Our book is published TODAY! In this special episode, Tash and Adam read an exclusive excerpt from The Log Books: Voices of Queer Britain and the Helpline that Listened, published by Faber & Faber. This is a huge milestone for The Log Books project, which started when Tash found the log books…
more -
The new life (and again) | Episode 4
Tash and Adam hear from Anson Mackay, who left a tiny, remote town in Scotland to embrace a gay identity, and then later another queer identity altogether. Anson reflects with trusting candour on their experiences through the 80s and 90s, and how people feel compelled to explore their gender even...
-
Queer family solidarity | Episode 3
Adam and Tash are joined in this episode by Diana James, who discovered herself as a dyke in the 80s and joined Switchboard as its first trans volunteer. Diana discusses what she learnt as she handled phone calls from distressed queer people, and how the older and younger generations need to...
-
A teacher’s reckoning | Episode 2
Tash and Adam hear from Ruth Turner, who qualified as a teacher in the 1980s at the height of a destructive public debate over gay and lesbian rights. Ruth recalls the chilling effect of Section 28, the law that forbade her from supporting queer students, and helps Tash to reckon with their own...
-
Switchboard’s first night | Episode 1
Adam and Tash’s first guest is John Lindsay, one of the founders of Switchboard, the national LGBTQIA+ helpline. John takes us back to the first night in the phoneroom in 1974, when a ragtag gang of queers listened out for that first phone call. Buy our book or see our events listings: The Log...
-
All-new season, all-new interviews
The UK’s best LGBTQ+ history podcast is BACK. After three groundbreaking seasons from 2019-22, featuring the unique archives at Switchboard, winning a string of awards, we’re returning with a new season. We are Adam Zmith and Tash Walker, hosts and producers, and your guides into queer memories…
more -
Introducing... The Quilt
The Quilt: Living memories of queer Britain & Northern Ireland An audio exhibition open to anyone, anywhere, at any time of day, produced and hosted by Tash Walker and Adam Zmith. Born from a collaboration between the producers of the award-winning podcast The Log Books and the UK’s first and…
more -
Introducing: Queer Roots and Routes
We'd love to introduce you to this new podcast we've been working Queer Roots and Routes! Queer Roots and Routes is made by a collective. We are queer. We are migrants or descended from migrants. And we want to tell our stories. Stories of where we’ve come from and how we move in the world today....
-
INTRODUCING: New podcast Black and Gay, Back in the Day
We'd love to introduce you to this new podcast Black and Gay, Back in the Day which brings to life a photo archive of Black LGBTQIA+ life in Britain, from the 1970s through to the early 2000s. Each episode is an intergenerational journey focusing on a key photograph from the archive - joining...
-
BONUS: Tash and Adam tour the Out And About LGBTQ+ exhibition at the Barbican
In this bonus episode made for Nothing Concrete, the podcast of London's Barbican, Tash and Adam riffle through many more items from LGBTQ+ history. The Bishopsgate Institute doesn't just look after the amazing Switchboard log books — they also hold gay badges, protest placards, intimate photo...
-
“Thank you for being here” | Episode 10
This is it! After three seasons covering 1974 to 2003, Tash and Adam reach the final page in the log books in Switchboard’s archive. In this closing episode of The Log Books, Adam and Tash reflect on all the stories they’ve heard across the three years making this podcast. They also bring to…
more -
“Not suitably dressed” | Episode 9
Rubber? Feet? Piss? Flogging? Role play? What’s your kink? In this episode Tash and Adam listen to dozens of dirty stories from the LGBTQI+ community in the 90s. From the publicly funded multi-gender kink night at the London Lesbian and Gay Centre to people wearing nappies and S&M dykes — this...
-
“Interested and willing” | Episode 8
In the 90s more and more lesbians called Switchboard to ask where they could get hold of sperm. All sorts of LGBTQI+ people in the period sought to make families outside of conventional methods and constraints. In this episode, Tash and Adam hear stories from the people who pioneered queer...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
We’re Tash Walker and Adam Zmith, and EVERY WEEK we get together to talk about history, politics, art and LGBTQ+ life.
From us ageing millennials nattering on, to interviews with exciting people doing amazing things, The Log Books contain… the stories of our lives.
WINNER of several awards including Best New Podcast (Gold) at the British Podcast Awards 2020.
An Aunt Nell Production.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/thelogbooks.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Tash Walker and Adam Zmith
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Log Books have?
The Log Books currently has 84 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Log Books about?
We’re Tash Walker and Adam Zmith, and EVERY WEEK we get together to talk about history, politics, art and LGBTQ+ life. From us ageing millennials nattering on, to interviews with exciting people doing amazing things, The Log Books contain… the stories of our lives. WINNER of several awards...
How often does The Log Books release new episodes?
The Log Books has 84 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Log Books?
You can listen to The Log Books on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Log Books?
The Log Books is created and hosted by Tash Walker and Adam Zmith.
URL copied to clipboard!