<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Card</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/card--7062428</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7062428/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright General Fiction Genre</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg</url><title>Card</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/card--7062428</link></image><lastBuildDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 10:47:08 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>General Fiction Genre</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker55@podcastlibrary.org</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="History"/><itunes:category text="Society &amp; Culture"/><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>7c28f1dc-b2b6-52d6-a10d-d22940b079f6</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Fanatics-Paul Laurence Dunbar</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/fanatics-paul-laurence-dunbar--74389855</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74389855</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:04:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74389855/fanatics_paul_laurence_dunbar.mp3" length="64865922" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8100</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Burning Secret-Stefan Zweig</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/burning-secret-stefan-zweig--74341993</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74341993</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:03:52 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74341993/burning_secret_stefan_zweig.mp3" length="31639343" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3951</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Price of Love-Arnold Bennett</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/price-of-love-arnold-bennett--74192316</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74192316</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:03:31 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74192316/price_of_love_arnold_bennett.mp3" length="78570006" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>9812</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Warden-Anthony Trollope</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/warden-anthony-trollope--74138640</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74138640</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:03:51 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74138640/warden_anthony_trollope.mp3" length="222166543" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>27743</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Permanent Husband-Fyodor Dostoyevsky</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/permanent-husband-fyodor-dostoyevsky--74098727</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74098727</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:03:55 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74098727/permanent_husband_fyodor_dostoyevsky.mp3" length="154119481" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>19246</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Courage of the Commonplace-Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/courage-of-the-commonplace-mary-raymond-shipman-andrews--74062349</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74062349</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:03:39 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74062349/courage_of_the_commonplace_mary_raymond_shipman_andrews.mp3" length="38532370" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4812</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Heart of Hyacinth-Onoto Watanna</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/heart-of-hyacinth-onoto-watanna--74020379</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74020379</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:04:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74020379/heart_of_hyacinth_onoto_watanna.mp3" length="107669616" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>13445</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Beckside Lights-John Ackworth</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/beckside-lights-john-ackworth--73959443</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73959443</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:04:24 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73959443/beckside_lights_john_ackworth.mp3" length="231167127" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>28867</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Favourite Chapters Collection 001-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/favourite-chapters-collection-001-various--73915152</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73915152</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:04:12 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73915152/favourite_chapters_collection_001_various.mp3" length="22741564" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>2840</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman-Mary Wollstonecraft</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/maria-or-the-wrongs-of-woman-mary-wollstonecraft--73874999</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73874999</guid><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:06:13 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73874999/maria_or_the_wrongs_of_woman_mary_wollstonecraft.mp3" length="137368809" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>17154</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Daisy Miller A Study in Two Parts-Henry James</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/daisy-miller-a-study-in-two-parts-henry-james--73790570</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73790570</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 01:52:24 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73790570/daisy_miller_a_study_in_two_parts_henry_james.mp3" length="42228324" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5273</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Great Stone of Sardis-Frank R. Stockton</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/great-stone-of-sardis-frank-r-stockton--73760424</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73760424</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:55:51 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73760424/great_stone_of_sardis_frank_r_stockton.mp3" length="198251963" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>24757</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Miss Grantley's Girls, and the Stories She Told Them-Thomas Archer</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/miss-grantley-s-girls-and-the-stories-she-told-them-thomas-archer--73733670</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73733670</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 02:11:54 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73733670/miss_grantley_s_girls_and_the_stories_she_told_them_thomas_archer.mp3" length="124846335" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>15590</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Regent - Arnold Bennett</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/regent-arnold-bennett--73312902</link><description><![CDATA["Regent" by Arnold Bennett invites listeners into a richly crafted narrative that explores the intricacies of human relationships and the impact of societal expectations. This timeless work delves into themes of ambition, identity, and the pursuit of personal fulfillment, making it a compelling listen for anyone reflecting on their own aspirations in today's fast-paced world. Bennett's keen observations and nuanced character portrayals resonate with contemporary audiences, reminding us of the enduring struggles we face in balancing personal desires with external pressures. Experience the depth of Bennett's storytelling and discover why "Regent" remains a significant exploration of the human condition.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73312902</guid><pubDate>Sat, 01 Aug 2026 12:26:26 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73312902/regent_arnold_bennett.mp3" length="54450899" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/e13154f9-5041-4770-87b8-27621f91f8be/e13154f9-5041-4770-87b8-27621f91f8be.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/e13154f9-5041-4770-87b8-27621f91f8be/e13154f9-5041-4770-87b8-27621f91f8be.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/e13154f9-5041-4770-87b8-27621f91f8be/e13154f9-5041-4770-87b8-27621f91f8be.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Regent" by Arnold Bennett invites listeners into a richly crafted narrative that explores the intricacies of human relationships and the impact of societal expectations. This timeless work delves into themes of ambition, identity, and the pursuit of...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Regent" by Arnold Bennett invites listeners into a richly crafted narrative that explores the intricacies of human relationships and the impact of societal expectations. This timeless work delves into themes of ambition, identity, and the pursuit of personal fulfillment, making it a compelling listen for anyone reflecting on their own aspirations in today's fast-paced world. Bennett's keen observations and nuanced character portrayals resonate with contemporary audiences, reminding us of the enduring struggles we face in balancing personal desires with external pressures. Experience the depth of Bennett's storytelling and discover why "Regent" remains a significant exploration of the human condition.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6800</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Card - Arnold Bennett</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/card-arnold-bennett--72192493</link><description><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72192493</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 20:28:26 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72192493/card_arnold_bennett.mp3" length="229666937" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Arnold Bennett</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The ‘Card’ in question is Edward Henry Machin - His mother called him ‘Denry’. This light-hearted story is of his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a washerwoman and sempstress in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the pottery towns (which Arnold Bennett christened ‘The Five Towns’) of the English Midlands; how, by his own wits, enterprise and ‘nerve’ he rose to wealth, married bliss and public recognition as the youngest-ever mayor of his home town.“’And yet,’ demanded Councillor Barlow, ‘what’s he done? What great cause is he identified with?’‘He’s identified,’ said the speaker, ‘with the great cause of cheering us all up’.” (summary by Andy Minter)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>28709</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>bennett,card,cause,councillor,denry,general,identified,machin,sempstress,towns</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c2fc8ca05c81b2663b64bf4d6cd7b03a.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
