Postgraduate Jenny Jones on Oxford College Castaway radio show

Jenny Jones (2016, DPhil in History) was a recent guest on Oxide student radio’s Oxford College Castaway show, presented by Alice Watson. The programme takes its inspiration from the BBC Radio 4 classic, Desert Island Discs. Alice speaks to students from across the University to find out more about their lives, experiences, and journeys to Oxford, and their aspirations for the future. The show’s premise is that the interviewee is cast away to their college for the duration of the holiday with their choice of eight music discs. The castaway is also asked to choose one essential item to take with them and a golden ticket to their favourite eatery in Oxford.

The episode featuring Jenny is available online here. In it, she talks about a wide range of topics – starting with growing up in Wilmslow and studying for her first degree in music in Liverpool. She describes her early career working first at the Sadler’s Wells theatre in London, and then playing with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, before changing tack and moving to Shell as a marketing trainee.

Jenny also discusses being diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 47, and how that led to her doing an Open University BA in History and then coming to Oxford to undertake her MSt and DPhil. She talks about the supportive response she has received from both her department and college with regard to her mental health issues, and tries to encourage others who may be experiencing similar issues to seek the help that is available.

The conversation then turns to Jenny’s research, which focuses on the intellectual life of bishops in the late medieval and early modern period and the motivation of bishops who went on ‘heresy hunts’ at the start of the reign of Henry VIII. She also talks about her other interests, particularly her passion for real tennis, and writing a historical novel.