Read this: Mark Steel's in Town. Materials of State. Test Match Special Podcast - Interview of the Year nomination.

Sounds music Radio podcasts BBC sounds music Radio podcasts and welcome to feedback has Mark steel beam to your time yet Series 14 of his long-running comedy shows just finished on Radio 4.

I'll be talking to Mark about it all come together.

When is the Union Flag or Union Jack will try to answer listeners questions over a Radio 4 programme on the history of the flag and the final nomination for in view of the year.

It's a much needed treat for English cricket fans the Radio 4 comedy programme Mark steels in town has been travelling around the UK since 2009 mark has been on the comedy circuit for many years turns up and does a gig in your time about your time with an audience made up of locals and listeners have been heating.

on the latest series number 14 just finished on Radio 4 feedback has only received positive comments a rare thing indeed comes from Oakham and massive county of Rutland camping Whitehaven Cumbria I just wanted to say Mark Steel hits the sweet spot for me because of the fine intelligence and understanding he brings to every so proud is county in Britain because you're smaller than all the others you're a speed bump between Leicestershire and Lincolnshire clever and he's wrapped up the idiosyncrasies of a place into a motto is it in Latin

To the correlates with inevitable references to well-known characters business establishment and sore still entertains listeners.

He won't necessarily know this week comes from a beautiful shed called the Northants Hall between the mighty cities of the sound on haroldswick on the island of spice summer going I'm in the most southerly part of the most northerly Island and another series of Mark steels in town earrings at the moment.

That's a great format Mark putting the work getting to grips with each place and he deftly products work local for themselves and their communities.

Ironically years ago.

I didn't like marks comedy.

I thought he was all about grudge politics.

Where about the same age and whenever I still had matured since then because I know love his work and Mark steels in town hello.

This is Elaine Goulding I live in Suffolk Always Love You Make Me who I've just been listening to the most recent programmes about Shetland only ways to get here from mainland Britain or a plane that will be cancelled or a fairy that you wish I'd been getting amazing that he could make a whole show out of what appeared to be no, it was just wonderful anyone who doesn't love his shows has no soul.

Well.

I am delighted to say that the place you will find Mark Steel today is right here on feedback the many many listeners enjoyed your programs over the year so it's a real pleasure to have you here what I'd like to ask you to do for us feel back to card in a little bit and give us an insight into.

Processes at work, what do you do to find out what makes a play Stick well guess? There's no trick to it.

We just go to a Town that's my produces a name.

We always find someone quite easy to find the three people in every blades who have a great Enthusiasm for the place.

They might work at the museum.

All they have just sorted written something on Twitter about a place or something like that and we find them and then we go round for a couple of hours with them and we just look at the strange places and get sent to the extent and the funny things they talk about it does sort of right itself in a way.

We went to the Forest of Dean which I always do people have heard of the Forest of Dean I didn't know anything about it and really lovely woman came with her dad to the pub, then we spent the evening in the pub and her dad didn't say a word except once every 20-minutes Elena grass and he just went.

We're not English were not Welsh with Foresters that's all he said you can't help but laugh at that all that you went to the city that was sent to the rhythm of the sea the boat doesn't come and Sundays so things don't come and Sunday and someone told us that he was in the newsagents behind a man who was trying to buy this guy said to the newsagents on have a daily paper, please and the newsagents when you want two days or yesterday is he said today is and we'll have to come back tomorrow when someone tells you that you just sort of thing what I just got to say that now then other night that is it is sort of it and I don't think we've ever been anywhere and not something that is unique and funny and Daft about that place because of there's always someone with a great deal of Enthusiasm about that every place positive comments from people.

The UK but also internationally here is Brian back from New Jersey in the USA I love listening to Mark steels in town especially this week's episode of finding him at the northernmost point in Britain it was absolutely absolutely brilliant.

Please allow him to continue his series forever if he runs out of town start building more immediately he of course is welcome to come to the state where he will never run out of any towns.

Thank you.

That's so touching and it's so also I'm sort of you expect to come on feedback and get people saying why on earth should the licence player have the fun this other nonsense I would rather listen to my own teeth being drill you expect it's lovely and it's just very very flattering that you have been to Paris and Gibraltar and Malta Brian over.

Kids love to see you in the US to think it would work there.

I think it might do but I think it is it is a very British thing.

I think that we understand that from the outside things look different they do giraffes the things that we used to in a town someone from outside comes along and goes.

What do you do that? I think in America is probably a little bit different.

I'd love to go to Australia one of these places in there in the middle of the desert with I think we all love to listen to that one.

Will I sound like a record by employed backwards cos like just been sent out there for about 30 years.

Love to do it one of those places, but I might not come back.

Not just tell me about your accent because you know it's hard enough doing an accent anyway doing an accent.

I'm talking to somebody for Northern Ireland when I see people doing accents on television dramas that are from the supposed to be anywhere in Ireland often does can't make your skin colour because I don't get it.

You're doing the accent of a place on stage with everybody from that place in the audience.

You must be blooming good at it.

I don't think I'm all there's a number of things are one is that the central I get anywhere near it and it's tricky.

I think I did with Shetland a bit but vaness and I spent a whole evening with a man who was always lived in Inverness lovely fellow, and he was drinking whisky Hollywood just talk in and I was trying to do the accent and he kept saying no that's Glasgow that's Glasgow and then eventually I said I thought I might getting it and I said is that it now and he went something like this and anyway.

I said that is someone who was born in in Inverness and he said it could be as long as they were taken at birth and brought up in Glasgow so.

That we carried on and then all of a sudden he went that you've got it and I said really said no not really I just wanted to go home and I never got that one.

I never got near it.

So it's not at the Sunrise alone.

I don't get it listening Nicky Clarke from Northumberland has very fond memories of you being in Berwick-upon-Tweed recording there we looked up.

It's actually a series 3 back in 2011.

I'm Nicky Clarke from eternal in North Northumberland just about 8 miles from Berwick-upon-Tweed a few years ago Mark Steele came to Berwick to do his Mark steels in town show and we went along to The Maltings Theatre to watch the show it was hysterical.

I don't know how you get so many facts about a place in such a short visit.

I always try and listen to all of the episodes either on Radio 4 or through BBC sounds because it's a joy when the show is on.

It doesn't matter if you've never been to the places visiting the shows an absolute regardless if you've never heard an episode of Mark steels in town you really need to it's a complete flat very embarrassing.

Thank you very much.

Nicky knock you out this current series in or on Shetland at the most northerly point on the island, and you got some great stories of life there you also started the series in the UK smallest county Rutland in Oakham extremes at both ends.

I suppose themes in the series and how do you choose where to go? I wish there was a formula, but there isn't really it's just to come we think of 6 places that sort of a bit you might want somewhere that's industrial and then somewhere that may be a bit more or something like that and then if there is some somewhere that's unique.

The most northerly place in Britain not just Shetland we need one in Lerwick but it is true that you are you get to Monks which is the highest bit of Shetland days that you think I couldn't be doing with being back in Lerwick in the middle of Shetland ou can't hear yourself think and so I think those I think if you think of somewhere.

That's the is really unique you think likes Stoke that's obviously what the people about snow because it makes lots of past so we can go to the pottery places like that sort of thing the arms of Scilly is obviously got a unique sort of thing going on so I think if there's something like that then it's let you know it's going to be released the places that appear nondescript November going to Portishead and get an arriving therefore it says just outside Bristol and

I don't like this.

There's nothing on the face of it here this will be really good fun because I remember still thinking about it in a month's time will know all about the little daft little idiosyncrasies of this place and the first thing this is one thing a place as just outside a big city, so I said the worst thing you can do is say must be lovely living in Bristol Bristol 6 miles away and there's no it's that happens outside anything changed her influence to our understanding of the UK as a whole of it must have you know so much about all these different places and I wonder how much you see and differences in the size of of England then you'll know Scotland Wales Northern Ireland at there's plenty of politicians who don't know Britain half as well as you do know what was the two things I've learnt from here.

How every place is unique and distinct but also every place is similar so when someone says that area is really stuck up.

It's never true.

It's never true that everyone is negative and a similar you know if there's a really poor area, so you'll get robbed or something you know the things people say about an area.

It's never it's never true obviously some places than others but it won't be it's just not true that you give me to go to the poorest place most people will try and be friendly will have a certain Enthusiasm about the area that they're in the conversation.

I find me more than anything else with people though that area is no say something negative.

I would say I bet it is Mark Steel thank you so much for coming onto feedback and ol14 series are available to listen to or indeed as quite a few of you have said relist on BBC and if you comment on anything you've heard on any of the BBC radio stations on signs or BBC podcasts, please do get in touch the easiest way is to send a voice using WhatsApp the number is 0333 444 5444 number again 0345 on X and Instagram it's at BBC R4 feedback and you can send an email to feedback bbc.co.uk, please go onto BBC signs and you can search for feedback click the link and subscribe and you can get every episode in your feed and you can go whenever it suits you.

Materials of state has been running on Radio 4 this week just after WWI professor David cannadine Author and historian of modern British history has been examined the origins meanings and significance of artefacts and emblems such as Blackrod the Stone of Destiny the ballot box and sort of state the first programme on Monday explored the history of the Union Jack during the heyday of the British Empire in the 19th and early 20th centuries the Union Jack became the world's most globally displayed flag one of the key materials of state shows how the flag has been at the centre of Culture fashion and politics throughout modern history, but the fact it's been referred to as the Union Jack in the programme let your number of feedback listeners getting in touch Michael and John represent most of the comments.

Hello, my name is Michael Casson I'm from Fareham in Hampshire I've just been listening inside out.

About the Union Union Jack is not the UK the flag of the UK is the Union flag is only Union Jack when did the slaves the staff of a shit or at least I thought that historian and where you go forward.

I got this distinction write the flag of the UK is the Union Flag disrespectful to call it that thank you Mrs John hits from landlord, Wimbledon otherwise excellent series materials of stay may be missing formed baby missguided the flag of the United Kingdom is the Union flag is today's programme has turned a Union Jack Union Jack is only such when the flag is flying from the track star from one of his or her majesty's warships the Jag staff being master the front of a ship.

Guided by the former Sea Scouts and from a family of serving personnel, I was educated to differentiate the Union Flag or Union Jack listeners my correct talking but either way.

I do the BBC to continue to look to one and it's pounding ideas to do so with the correct information about B12 in the spirit of the BBC's mission to educate the feedback team sort out the definitive answer from none other than the flag Institute which addresses the very question of the Union Flag first of the Union Jack on its website and Malcolm Farrow and president of the flag Institute I'm very interested to read the comments made about the name Union Flag vs.

Union Jack and I understand on a two people have claimed that it should only be called the Union Jack on the Barras

This is a very common misconception.

I was in the Navy for 39 years and many of my colleagues in the Navy have this misconception is a very name of misconception because of course the jackstaff is the front end of the ship and that's where the Jack tries so it's understandable misconception both names are correct for our national flag Union Jack or union flag both names have been used for hundreds of years to describe the flag mostly.

I have just been called the Union flag has been called a Union Jack right from the earliest times of its first creation by King James back in the 1600s.

So what is the easiest way to sum it up is to mention the two occasions was only joking shins.

Where are flag? Are de facto National

Has been mentioned in a formal parliamentary namely into which are enhancer Factor because it's not that day during ever been declared to be the national flag banner constitutional instruments, but it has been mentioned price in Parliament the first in 1908 in response to a question by girls how yeah, that's true replied and the question was what is the national flag of my lord, so I think it may fairly be stated in reply to the note though that the Union check should be regards.

Does the national flag and it started in this loan on land by all His Majesty's subjects and you can read that enhance or will it be remembered? What was said then because the 1933 in The Commons the same again and the answer was given in the comments on the 27th of June 1933 where the Home Secretary said no sir the Union flag is the national flag?

Buy any British Subject on land Malcolm carry their president of the flag Institute and hopefully this will settle many arguments once and for all or maybe not know last week.

We had about the changes being made to BBC Scotland late night music lineout presenters, Ian Anderson who has been key to giving airtime to legions of Scottish musicians and Billy Sloan who's a long record of interview and all the big names in Scottish music and beyond losing their shows we are from Kate Forbes Scotland deputy first minister.

She's received a lot of complaints about this from her Highland constituents and will be taking this up with BBC's and we also hear from Liz Middleton who lives in London but tunes into the late night Scottish music shows on BBC sign, I'm originally from Broughty Ferry and then.

Notting Hill London I'm a pole to hear that you're planning on cutting the Ian Anderson and Roddy Hart show as an expat I am totally dependant on these programs to hear the best of traditional Scottish Irish American and other beautiful inside as well as excellent contemporary singer-songwriters and bands Scott song and these discerning knowledgeable com' show the impeccable musical tastes of the world to help to cook the precious traditional live as well as introducing interesting emerging music and musicians now for a cricket fans listening in the early hours to the commentary on the first test match of the current Ashes series last week.

It was painful to hear England

Beaten in just 2 Days by rampant Australia the boundary might not quite get there but they need that will be a devastating blow for England cricket.

Lover and this Hughes it was an interview on the test match special podcast just before that first test with one of my childhood Heroes Northamptonshire fast bowler David Lawson that inspired her to get in touch lots of took part in 1962 when the whole team travel news Bromsgrove nations for the interview of the year and I would like to suggest the episode is the test match special podcast in which cricket Correspondents definition mild interviews former cricketer David Larter David thank you for inviting us into your home.

In the in the beautiful Welsh countryside, why did cricket come from how are you introduced to the game from school most definitely I went to call Framlingham College famous moment use the interviews to explore how the experience of touring and playing in Ashes series The Shape those who have taken part in this intense rivalry and so what time he's on the boat.

Yes, I made them.

What do you do in that size as you eat? Honestly? I've never had before or since such a sustained spell just magnificent eating because we were first class.

It's just a completely what was really interesting about Lotta was the fact that he get on the ship and the Duke of Norfolk you know the manager store manager.

What was he like collectively? I think there was a bit of a site that went round when he was named as a manager.

What not who but he was going on how to drive to address of first thing in the morning the first time you saw it was your day after that just sounds like a forgotten age.

I mean he was only 22 this lad and he's never left.

He said he'd never left the country before so obviously he did what he was told and what's the big stars in that side is Freddie Trueman this Yorkshiremen came into the picture as an athlete and he turned up early shorts wrong and he decided that the best exercise will be running around the boat along the way round one of those big boat.

And one certainly Fred Trueman voice in opinion, is that he was no way was he running round the bloody both doing the podcast from the boat and you just couldn't get his underwear.

He's tried bowling and he fell over and Dec's to me you can open the bowling.

Yeah, so Mark Turner run and fall flat on my face.

Just just before delivery is Flora smelling lost my legs and legs.

They weren't going now.

I want it on the boat when they went out to Australia at the time, but my family with great cricket lovers and my sister and I used to get up early in the morning to listen to radio and I guess an important thing to stress.

You don't play and those five test matches you went all around Australia all those cities that we've done you mentioned and you didn't play been talked up was that for you a little depressing.

They did not me back a bit and I was left out.

I think we'll be about your expression rather than just dropped the national test cricketer is now maybe we played more cricket, but the pace today but again I don't want nothing my god a trip to Australia you say 6-months 1250g as it would have been really interesting wonder if this interview.

After this last first test so what to say about that and how little preparation and suitable conditions this current team of her, but don't seem to think that's it is there an absolute joy to talk to me.

Thank you very much.

I thank you too and does he was very nomination of David lotto on the test match special podcast which you can listen to on BBC signs and thanks so much to everyone who sent in nominations this just trying to get yours in Midnight on the 30th of November is the deadline and after that long list of 10 and the winner will be chosen from that shortlist by well of course by a panel of feedback listeners, and I'll be announcing the winner on the final feedback of the is the week before Christmas but that's all from me for this week.

Thank you so much for giving us your feedback.

After Anthony Eastern father passes away he goes through his dad's old suitcase is filled with cryptic clues.

Need be stacked German money a family tree.

He doesn't recognise and also finds his father's birth certificate but bearing a different name from BBC Radio 4 in The History podcast I'm Charlie Northcott Eastern understand his family's dark history and how many lost a fortune worth billions today what happened to his family their business empire and all the money listen to the house at number for the 8th on BBC sounds.