Extraordinary Stories of Britain
Extraordinary Stories of Britain is a history podcast packed with fun and informative tales from our island’s long and storied past. Visiting little-known corners of British history, shedding new light on familiar faces, uncovering unusual - and sometimes bizarre - facts along the way, this is the podcast for anglophiles, history buffs, and anyone interested in finding out more about the UK. From killer queens to grime and punishment, from medieval medicine to celebrity cats, from secret sewers to pickled philosophers, we leave no historic stone unturned. Follow our blog at: www.storiesofbritain.com
Episodes
Sunday Aug 18, 2024
Charles Dickens - The Writer Who Changed Britain
Sunday Aug 18, 2024
Sunday Aug 18, 2024
This podcast tells the dramatic story of the life of Charles Dickens. When his father was imprisoned for debt, he had to work as a child labourer. The excitement of his first publication, his troubled early romance, eventual marriage, success and secret affair – and relentless campaigning to improve the life of the poor and needy
Monday May 27, 2024
Bedlam - The Story of a Madhouse
Monday May 27, 2024
Monday May 27, 2024
St Mary’s Bethlem was England’s first psychiatric hospital. This podcast tells the story of the hospital, from its medieval origins to its home in a grand 17th century palace. We follow the lives of its famous inmates: the woman who tried to kill King George III, the first documented case of paranoid schizophrenia and a brilliant Victorian artist who murdered his father.
Monday Apr 01, 2024
Trapped by the Plague - Eyam Village 1665
Monday Apr 01, 2024
Monday Apr 01, 2024
In 1665 plague devastated England. The remote Derbyshire village of Eyam was spared the horror - until a tailor bought a roll of cloth from London. To stop the pestilence spreading, the local vicar closed down Eyam - and the villagers were locked in. Hear the dramatic story of the plague village in this podcast.
Monday Feb 26, 2024
A History of London Pubs - Pilgrims, Parrots, and Phantoms
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Our history of London pubs pubcast visits the oldest tavern in London, including a pub haunted by phantasmal spirits. Hear about Parliamentary boozers, the smallest bar in the world, the Pilgrim Fathers Mayflower pub, and Gandalf’s riverside alehouse.
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Pub Names, Ghosts and Flying Ale - A History of Beer Part 2
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
What is the oldest pub name in Britain? And the most popular pub name in the country? Where is our oldest pub? What are the boozy origins of the nursery rhyme “Pop Goes the Weasel”? What caused the London beer flood? And where is Britain’s most haunted pub? Find out in our latest History of Beer podcast
Tuesday Dec 19, 2023
Boozy Britain – History of Beer. Part 1
Tuesday Dec 19, 2023
Tuesday Dec 19, 2023
The story of Beer. From Britain’s first brewer, to ancient ales made with psychedelic plants. From rules on Viking drinking horns to the English king who drank himself to death. From the rise of female brewers, to a drunk Queen Elizabeth I. From the legend of the ale-conner, to pubs forced to change names.
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Lav Affair - The History of Sewage Podcast.
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
The story of sewage: from the Romans taxing urine, to York's Bog on the Bridge; from Henry VIII's Groom of the Stool, to pure finders selling dog faeces. Hear about the life of a Gong Farmer, and how a lav affair with toilets lead to the Great Stink, which brought London's mighty Thames to a standstill.
Friday Sep 22, 2023
Podcat Special - Cats in World War II
Friday Sep 22, 2023
Friday Sep 22, 2023
This special history podcast brings to life the stories of beloved pets and their owners during the dark days of WW2. From a cat who lost his tail, to a pussy who warned its family about an impending air raid. From a heroic church cat, to felines in the trenches. All brought together using personal stories, newsreel, dramatised events and music.