Welcome to Watching Brief. As the name implies, each week Marc (Mr Soup) & Andy Brockman of the Pipeline (Where history is tomorrow's news) cast an eye over news stories, topical media and entertainment and discuss and debate what they find.

0:00 Introduction

1:53 Links of the Week

2:51 News to Keep an Eye On

10:48 James Madison’s Montpelier Row

15:39 The Nature of the Conversation & Claims

20:45 People are Passionate about the Past!

21:40 History is ALWAYS Contested

24:33 Stroud Council to Remove ‘Racist’ Clock

26:26 Considering Context & Stakeholders

31:59 People are Allowed to Choose!

37:52 Contested Heritage in War

41:49 Check your Sources!

43:35 UNESCO’s Perspective

44:57 Attempts at Erasure

45:25 Antiquities Coalition Recommendations

53:45 Conclusions

Link of the Week:

Disasters Emergency Committee:

https://www.dec.org.uk/

Links:

18 April 2022 | Heritage and Climate:

https://www.icomos.org/en/focus/18-april-international-day-for-monuments-and-sites/104836-18-april-2022-heritage-and-climate

World Heritage Day 2022: History, theme and significance; here's all you need to know:

https://www.firstpost.com/world/world-heritage-day-2022-history-theme-and-significance-heres-all-you-need-to-know-10562651.html

CBA: Festival of Archaeology: https://www.archaeologyuk.org/festival.html

Government blocks Oxford Street M&S demolition until plans can be scrutinised:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/government-set-block-oxford-street-153417571.html

M&S Oxford St demolition scheme halted by Gove:

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/ms-oxford-st-demolition-scheme-halted-by-gove

Gove blocks plans to demolish Oxford Street M&S:

https://www.building.co.uk/news/gove-blocks-plans-to-demolish-oxford-street-mands/5117103.article

Highways: A303 Stonehenge:

https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/south-west/a303-stonehenge/

James Madison’s Montpelier:

https://www.montpelier.org/

Montpelier says it's open to parity with slave descendants. Descendants call foul:

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/20/1093673939/montpeliers-fight-with-descendants-of-the-enslaved-brings-employee-firings

SAA Issues Statement on Action by Montpelier Foundation Board of Directors:

https://www.saa.org/quick-nav/saa-media-room/saa-news/2022/04/13/saa-issues-statement-on-action-by-montpelier-foundation-board-of-directors

Is there really a ‘woke war’ at the National Trust?