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<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>Beckside Lights</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beckside-lights--7062835</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This show includes AI-generated content.]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7062835/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/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg</url><title>Beckside Lights</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beckside-lights--7062835</link></image><lastBuildDate>Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:39:39 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>John Ackworth</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/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This show includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Health &amp; Fitness"/><itunes:category text="Health &amp; Fitness"><itunes:category text="Mental Health"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>2579122a-42a6-562c-83f1-07b5ef0876cc</podcast:guid><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Harper's Young People, Vol. 01, Issue 28, May 11, 1880-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/harper-s-young-people-vol-01-issue-28-may-11-1880-various--74389577</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74389577</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:04:12 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74389577/harper_s_young_people_vol_01_issue_28_may_11_1880_various.mp3" length="55174839" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6890</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Across The Years-Eleanor H. Porter</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/across-the-years-eleanor-h-porter--74341718</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74341718</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:03:50 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74341718/across_the_years_eleanor_h_porter.mp3" length="177154212" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>22122</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Life of Reason volume 1-George Santayana</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/life-of-reason-volume-1-george-santayana--74191997</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74191997</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:03:20 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74191997/life_of_reason_volume_1_george_santayana.mp3" length="282970551" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>35336</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Poetry of Sa'di - A Selection-Saadi</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/poetry-of-sa-di-a-selection-saadi--74138386</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74138386</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:03:47 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74138386/poetry_of_sa_di_a_selection_saadi.mp3" length="56666401" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>7076</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Aunt Judy's Tales-Margaret Gatty</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/aunt-judy-s-tales-margaret-gatty--74098600</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74098600</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:03:46 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74098600/aunt_judy_s_tales_margaret_gatty.mp3" length="137857749" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>17215</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Wessex Tales-Thomas Hardy</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/wessex-tales-thomas-hardy--74062133</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74062133</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:03:36 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74062133/wessex_tales_thomas_hardy.mp3" length="217252328" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>27130</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Youth, a Narrative-Joseph Conrad</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/youth-a-narrative-joseph-conrad--74020196</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74020196</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:04:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74020196/youth_a_narrative_joseph_conrad.mp3" length="36798610" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4595</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Eyes and No Eyes and Other Stories-John Aikin, Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Jane Marcet, Jane Taylor</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/eyes-and-no-eyes-and-other-stories-john-aikin-anna-laetitia-barbauld-jane-marcet-jane-taylor--73959229</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73959229</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:04:24 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73959229/eyes_and_no_eyes_and_other_stories_john_aikin_anna_laetitia_barbauld_jane_marcet_jane_taylor.mp3" length="38884167" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. 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( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4856</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Age of the Puritans Volume 2-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/age-of-the-puritans-volume-2-various--73914916</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73914916</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:04:08 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73914916/age_of_the_puritans_volume_2_various.mp3" length="215880365" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>26958</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Tales of the Jazz Age-F. Scott Fitzgerald</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/tales-of-the-jazz-age-f-scott-fitzgerald--73874773</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73874773</guid><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:06:14 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73874773/tales_of_the_jazz_age_f_scott_fitzgerald.mp3" length="252334799" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. 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Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73790411</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 01:48:48 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73790411/girl_scout_collection_various.mp3" length="104835194" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. 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( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>13091</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Conjure Woman-Charles Waddell Chesnutt</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/conjure-woman-charles-waddell-chesnutt--73760288</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. 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( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>13159</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Mary Louise and the Liberty Girls-L. Frank Baum</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/mary-louise-and-the-liberty-girls-l-frank-baum--73733541</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. 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Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>15470</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Clog Shop Chronicles - John Ackworth</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/clog-shop-chronicles-john-ackworth--73312724</link><description><![CDATA[Clog Shop Chronicles by John Ackworth invites listeners into a world where the intricate lives of characters unfold against the backdrop of a humble clog shop. This evocative narrative captures the essence of community, craftsmanship, and the human spirit, making it a timeless exploration of connection and resilience. The themes of dedication and the artistry of everyday life resonate deeply, reminding us of the beauty found in simple pursuits and the bonds forged through shared experiences. As we navigate a fast-paced world, this story serves as a poignant reminder of the value of slowing down and appreciating the intricacies of life that often go unnoticed.<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73312724</guid><pubDate>Sat, 01 Aug 2026 12:21:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73312724/clog_shop_chronicles_john_ackworth.mp3" length="197968953" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Clog Shop Chronicles by John Ackworth invites listeners into a world where the intricate lives of characters unfold against the backdrop of a humble clog shop. This evocative narrative captures the essence of community, craftsmanship, and the human...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Clog Shop Chronicles by John Ackworth invites listeners into a world where the intricate lives of characters unfold against the backdrop of a humble clog shop. This evocative narrative captures the essence of community, craftsmanship, and the human spirit, making it a timeless exploration of connection and resilience. The themes of dedication and the artistry of everyday life resonate deeply, reminding us of the beauty found in simple pursuits and the bonds forged through shared experiences. As we navigate a fast-paced world, this story serves as a poignant reminder of the value of slowing down and appreciating the intricacies of life that often go unnoticed.<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>24721</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7b7e1ee461b4da8e349883c2517ce897.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Beckside Lights - John Ackworth</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/beckside-lights-john-ackworth--72194754</link><description><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories Clog Shop Chronicles. Set in the fictional village of Beckside (said to be somewhere between Manchester and Bolton), the book consists of 12 tales of everyday life in a close-knit Methodist community, which continue with a third volume, Doxy Dent (1899). Based on an entertaining group of Methodist who gather around Jabez Clegg's clog shop fire, the stories are sentimental at times, but Ackworth has a nice sense of irony and refrains from proselytizing. Ackworth was also a student of the Lancashire dialect and the spoken passages in his books are mostly written in a phonetic version of late 19th-century Bolton speech, which I have done my best to reproduce. ( Phil Benson)<br /><br />This episode includes AI-generated content.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72194754</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 22:36:06 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72194754/beckside_lights_john_ackworth.mp3" length="230933142" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:txt purpose="ai-content">true</podcast:txt><itunes:author>John Ackworth</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. Beckside Lights is the sequel to his popular collection of stories...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[John Ackworth was the pen name of the Rev. Frederick R. Smith, a Methodist minister who was born in Snaith, Yorkshire, but spent much of his career as a circuit preacher in Lancashire. 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