Jul 24, 2026 · 51 min · 12 segments
July 2026 Lord Asa Briggs – the Keighley-born historian of the Victorian age and of broadcasting, served most prominently as vice-chancellor of the University of Sussex and later Chancellor of the…
Adam SismanGuest
Thomas CheethamHost
Firstly, could we just start off by asking you for those who aren't familiar with him, who was Asa Briggs?
He was born in Yorkshire in the town of Keighley near the Yorkshire Moors in 1921.
He was outstandingly clever, so much so that although he enrolled, got a place at Cambridge to read history and emerged three years later with a first, he also had, unknown to his tutors, enrolled at the LSE to read economics and got a first in that simultaneously.
And after his studies, he was called up into the army and after a hiatus, found his way to Bletchley Park.
Later on, after he was at Bletchley, he became a well-known historian and academic and a founding father of Sussex University and of the Open University as well.
In many ways, you know, the start of his career comes out of Bletchley Park and it's a formative period in his life.
And he learnt things there that perhaps he hadn't learnt at Cambridge or the LSE.
And in fact, his admissions tutor, he was only 16 when he went up to Cambridge for an interview, said, you're just a baby, Briggs, but I'm going to admit you because there's a war coming and it's best that you get your studies done before you wear a uniform.
Firstly, could we just start off by asking you for those who aren't familiar with him, who was Asa Briggs?
He was born in Yorkshire in the town of Keighley near the Yorkshire Moors in 1921.
He was outstandingly clever, so much so that although he enrolled, got a place at Cambridge to read history and emerged three years later with a first, he also had, unknown to his tutors, enrolled at the LSE to read economics and got a first in that simultaneously.
And after his studies, he was called up into the army and after a hiatus, found his way to Bletchley Park.
Later on, after he was at Bletchley, he became a well-known historian and academic and a founding father of Sussex University and of the Open University as well.
In many ways, you know, the start of his career comes out of Bletchley Park and it's a formative period in his life.
And he learnt things there that perhaps he hadn't learnt at Cambridge or the LSE.
And in fact, his admissions tutor, he was only 16 when he went up to Cambridge for an interview, said, you're just a baby, Briggs, but I'm going to admit you because there's a war coming and it's best that you get your studies done before you wear a uniform.
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