Not bonkers but quite niche
I’ve written before about strange degrees in puppetry and bagpiping, for example, and in Beyonce and Ghostbusting.
Now there’s another exotic academic venture, a course on Dr Who:
The BBC show, which started in 1963, will be the subject of an 11-week course at Aquinas College in Stockport. Teacher Michael Herbert said it would explore all of the Doctors, their companions and behind-the-scenes production techniques.
“It’s about both the programme and the society it was shown in,” he said.
“So the role of women is quite interesting, the way that has evolved over the years. Now the Doctor’s companions are very feisty and articulate whereas in the past they sometimes had a supportive role… and that reflects the changes in society.”
Long overdue, it is clearly a key piece of cultural history.
The BBC local evening programme did a piece on this and, strangely, asked me to comment on other bonkers courses
You’ll find some rambling observations at 50 minutes in.
More interestingly, my attention has been drawn to the courses in wine at Plumpton College (a college which I must admit I had never heard of before this):
Plumpton College is Britain’s Centre of Excellence in Wine education, training and research, and It is the only Higher Education Institution to offer undergraduate degrees in Wine Business and Production in English in Europe. Our courses include the best practice from both the ‘Old’ and the ‘New’ World, and we have excellent contacts within the English wine trade and with wine producers in Europe. First offered in 1996, around 150 students attend these courses each year, and graduates from the Wine courses at Plumpton College have become:
- Vineyard managers and winemakers, both in the UK and abroad (including Australia, Canada, France and New Zealand)
- Wine buyers, importers, brand managers and sales accounts managers
- Wine tourism operators, wine journalists and wine educators
- Winemaking consultants and research scientists.
Short courses include intensive courses in wine production for smaller growers and vineyard employees, the full range of Wine and Spirit Education Trust courses and ‘bespoke’ courses and events for specific business requirements. We also offer an Apprenticeship course for those who wish to learn commercial vinegrowing ‘on the job’.
You can hear all about their extremely serious and excellent sounding (if slightly niche) courses at about 44 minutes in on the same programme.
So, some great additions to the roster of niche courses.
