Disclaimer: -

Part 2 of the podcast contains strong language in a few areas. Listener discretion is advised.

In Part 2, Dr Tom Harrison uses his extensive knowledge to delve deeply into the groundbreaking Northfield Experiments at Hollymoor hospital in South Birmingham. These took place in a turbulent period of Birmingham's history in WW2.

- Who were Wilfred Bion and John Rickman? Tom looks into the backgrounds and work of these pioneering psychoanalysts who conducted the 1st of the Northfield Experiments in 1942. We learn about the military patients they treated and what led them to conduct the 1st experiment.

- Why was the 1st experiment shut down after 6 weeks? Was it useful?

- Dr Siegmund Foulkes, Harold Bridger and Thomas Main ran the 2nd experiment. Tom looks into the intriguing way this was conducted and how the care offered patients at Hollymoor was revolutionary.

- Did group therapy and the 'therapeutic community' originate from these experiments at Hollymoor?

- Tom and Len discuss their personal experiences of working in large mental hospitals in the NHS. These had been adapted over the years and originally termed asylums. They offer their reflections on the major shift in mental health care over the later part of the 20th century. This led to the closure of all the large former asylums in Birmingham by the turn of the 21st century.

- In this podcast spanning 2 parts, Alison and James are joined by 2 fantastic guests, Dr Len Smith and Dr Tom Harrison: -

• Dr Len Smith had a long career as a psychiatry social worker and is a mental health historian with expertise in the development of private madhouses and asylums
• Dr Tom Harrison is a retired psychiatrist with great expertise on the Northfield Experiments which happened at his former workplace at Hollymoor Hospital in Birmingham.

Throughout the entirety of this podcast, we refer to many terms not used today to describe patients suffering from mental health problems(this includes people with learning disabilities) and the locations they were treated in.

In Part 1 we travel from the 18th to the 20th century and delve into the places and people linked to mental health care in Birmingham. The following intriguing areas are discussed: -

• England's first asylum

• We understand what went on in private madhouses and who in Birmingham was sent there. Duddeston Hall was a private madhouse in the 19th century and was close to what is now central Birmingham.
• We learn more about asylums outside of Birmingham and who was sent to these places.
• We look at the Birmingham Workhouse and its key role in providing mental health care to poverty stricken patients. Dr Thomas Green was tasked with improving mental health care there in the 19th century. He kept extensive records and we discuss how these have given us a fascinating glimpse into the care being offered there in the 1840s.

• We look at the many attempts taken to try and improve mental health care. This led to the establishment of the 1st borough asylum for Birmingham in 1850(led by Dr Thomas Green). We discuss this important hospital and the building that remains there today. Len discussed the care and conditions offered to patients there from his extensive knowledge and first hand experiences.
• After 1850 was there any other locations in Birmingham that treated mentally unwell patients? James and Tom look into this further.

Great news! Alison Thomas is back to co-host the podcast with James on the latest edition of the Birmingham History podcast.

Alison and James are joined by two fantastic guests: -

- Rob Sutton from the Harborne Royalty Trust http://www.theroyaltyharborne.co.uk/

- Ben Waddington. Local historian, tour guide and author in Birmingham. Ben wrote 111 Places in Birmingham That You Shouldn't Miss. Really interesting read.

The podcast takes you on a journey through the rich history of cinema of Birmingham and highlights the upcoming annual Flatpack Festival in Birmingham in May 2026.

- The Silent Film era is discussed and the many venues across Birmingham that played silent films. This includes The Picture House(now a shopping arcade), The Futurist and The Electric. We discuss the recent developments with the Electric and the hope that this may be saved as a cinema. We discuss our experiences going to this iconic cinema, the oldest cinema in the UK, dating from 1909.

- Ben discusses the current nook gallery and studies in the Birmingham suburb of King's Heath. Ben gives us a fascinating insight into his research. This led him to discover that the building was once a Silent Cinema in the 1910s and called the Cosy Cinema.

- The era of sound in cinema is discussed and the different venues in Birmingham involved in this new era of cinema from the 1920s onwards. This includes the Harborne Royalty, a cinema designed by the renown architect Horace Bradley in 1930. Rob discusses the incredible efforts he has made to try and bring this derelict building back to use.

- Oscar Deutsch and the Odeon cinema chain is discussed. Oscar had strong links to Birmingham and the 1st branded Odeon cinema was in Perry Barr. We debate what Odeon might stand for!

- We learn more about the landmark Odeon at New St and its remarkable history. It became an Odeon in 1942 and still is! The unique Art Deco style of Odeon cinema architecture is discussed.

- The podcast delves into the lost cinema hidden underneath a building in Central Birmingham. It was once the successor to the Scala cinema. Ben takes us on a fascinating journey into that lost cinema.

- The iconic comic duo Laurel and Hardy came to Birmingham towards the end of their career. The podcast discusses this visit and their career which spanned the silent and sound era of cinema

- Was Charlie Chaplain born just outside Birmingham in Smethwick? The podcast looks into this intriguing story

- The acclaimed Flatpack Film Festival is held in Birmingham every year and is going from strength to strength. The next edition is from the 8th to 16th May 2026. Ben discusses his involvement and how he is bringing silent cinema back to the former Cosy Cinema!

- Ben closes the podcast by giving a fascinating insight into nature of research in this area.

Links: -

https://flatpackfestival.org.uk/

http://www.theroyaltyharborne.co.uk/- Learn more about the Harborne Royalty

Thank you for listening and we will be back soon with another episode! Please follow us on Spotify and other platforms.