This afternoon, we put your questions to Simon Thurley, Chief Executive, English Heritage.

In order to make it easy to locate specific questions within the podcast, you can find the time codes below. 

Introduction: 00:00:01

Q1 Richard Justice: 00:00:46

Q2 Judy Ling Wong OBE – Black Environment Network: 00:02:15

Q3 Pippa Bailey – Independent Consultant: 00:03:21

Q4 Julie Lewis – Teacher: 00:04:41

Q5 Mick Harrington: 00:06:17

Q6 Kati Preston – Multi Cultural Storyteller: 00:07:14

Q7 Brian Hilton – Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People: 00:09:39

Q8 Nick Poole: 00:10:42

Q9 John Preston – Education Secretary, Institute of Historic Building Conservation: 00:12:11

Thanking Simon and final comments: 00:13:20

Click below to play the podcast or download here. (right click on link, ‘Save target as’).

A transcript of the interview is available here.

Do feel free to comment on what Simon’s answers - what do you think about what he said? It’d be great to see more debate on the issues that came up:

• How do we share the power of institutions, curators and experts with the wider community so everyone can have a stake in defining what heritage is?

Also, email us with suggestions for future podcast participants. Is there anyone you’d like to put on the ‘hot seat’?

On Monday 11^th December Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, will be taking your questions in an interactive audio podcast – the first in our occasional series of ‘Your Place or Mine? Debates’

Following on from the successful ‘Your Place or Mine? Engaging New Audiences with Heritage’ Conference, here’s your chance to ask  Simon about his views on involving communities in the historic environment and how we can take on board different personal and cultural views of heritage.

The podcast is a means for you to have direct a direct interaction with Simon, either by leaving questions below (click on ‘Join the debate’) or leaving your own voice message on   

020 7 193 2807 

If calling, remember to leave your name and organisation, so we know who you are.  Those leaving their questions as voice will have the question incorporated directly into the podcast!

The deadline for questions Friday 8^th Dec. The podcast will go live on the blog on Tuesday 12th December. Once up, do feel free to extend the conversation by leaving further comments on the blog. It’s also an opportunity for the community at large to debate Simon’s answers!

Who else do you have burning questions for? Email us back at this address with names of other people you’d like to engage with!

We asked a couple of participants what they thought of the event so far. This is what they had to say:

Stacey Bains, Cultural Diversity Officer, The Herbert.

Click to download or press play below:

Karen Brookfield, Deputy Director (Policy and Research), Heritage Lottery Fund.

Click to download or press play below:

Just bumped into Rob Deeks, Project Development Worker, Aik Saath. I asked him for his feedback on how the conference is going.

Click to download Rob’s soundbite or press play below: