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 Dec 18, 2022
Stonehenge - the History and the Mystery
Sunday Dec 18, 2022
Sunday Dec 18, 2022
For our December episode, we are at Stonehenge for the winter solstice. We investigate the mystery of Stonehenge’s little-known neighbouring sister Woodhenge - was it once home to the largest “city” in the world? We hear about the strange legend of the Cuckoo stone.
We find out how – 4,500 years ago - the first stones at the henge were dragged 180 miles from Wales. We tell the story of how the first metalworker in Britain came to be buried near the henge, and find out how to dowse the mysterious lay lines that run under the great monument. Are the initials of Britain’s most famous architect inscribed into the monument? We wait with the druids, wiccans and witches for the winter solstice.
Sunday Nov 27, 2022
Women and Witchcraft - The Horrifying History of Female Sorcery
Sunday Nov 27, 2022
Sunday Nov 27, 2022
This podcast tells the story of witchcraft. From the ancient witches of Wales to the medieval sorceress known as the Witch of Eye. From the brutal torture of the pilliwinks, to the British king who wrote a book on witches. From the gruesome story of the Pendle Witches, to a “witch” imprisoned during WW2 by the British government.
Sunday Oct 30, 2022
The Pendle Witches - A Halloween Special
Sunday Oct 30, 2022
Sunday Oct 30, 2022
Our Halloween special tells the story of the Pendle witches - the most famous witch trials in British history. This chilling court case saw dozens of Lancashire women imprisoned for witchcraft, with accusations of stolen babies, teeth taken from corpse skulls, talking dogs and crippling curses.
Sunday Sep 04, 2022
Dead Fascinating - The Strange History of Death and Burial
Sunday Sep 04, 2022
Sunday Sep 04, 2022
We dig up some stories of death and dying. How much did it cost to get to heaven in medieval times? What is a corpse road? And a sin eater? Hear about the "outcast dead" and find out why Victorian Londoners were literally dancing on a giant graveyard. What was the necropolis railway? Who were funeral mutes? Which graveyard hosts a tomb time machine And which internationally famous cemetery was invaded by vampire hunters in the 1970s. Another half an hour of extraordinary stories.
Saturday Jun 25, 2022
The Lea - The story of London’s East End River
Saturday Jun 25, 2022
Saturday Jun 25, 2022
The first in our walks podcasts features the River Lea in East London. Marc Z and Mr Londoner walk the lower section of the Lea to uncover the origins of India Pale Ale; a tale of stranded Vikings; how four Eton schoolboys ran an East End sporting empire; the terrifying story of the St Paul’s bomb exploded on Hackney Marshes; and the day when Lionel Messi played at the marshes. Hear about WW2 bunkers on the Olympic Park, the largest bell in the world, the oldest tidal mill in history, and how East End gas once lit up West End theatres. Find out if there are any poplars left in Poplar, and hear about a 1960s American diner and floating lighthouse turned recording studio.
Friday May 13, 2022
Women and Crime – Britain’s Bad Girls
Friday May 13, 2022
Friday May 13, 2022
Six true crime stories featuring notorious women criminals. From a celebrity pickpocket who performed on the London stage, to an aristocrat turned highwaywoman. From a cross-dressing pirate to the first documented girl gang, and the last woman to be hanged in Britain. Hear about these bad girls in this podcast.
Saturday Mar 26, 2022
Women and Protest - How they Fought for Justice
Saturday Mar 26, 2022
Saturday Mar 26, 2022
Eight stories of women who fought for liberty, justice and human rights. From a 17th century campaigner left to rot in prison for running an underground press, to the women of Peterloo murdered by a Manchester militia army, from a rural vicar’s wife who became the mother of India, to the first person to raise the anarchist flag.
Tuesday Feb 08, 2022
History of Men‘s Fashion - Part 2. From Tudors to Teddy Boys
Tuesday Feb 08, 2022
Tuesday Feb 08, 2022
The second part of our history of British fashion. Find out how you could get sent to prison for wearing the wrong trousers, why Piccadilly was known for ruff trade, how the bowler got its name, and who were the original mad hatters. We uncover the secrets of the oldest shoe in Britain, hear about the top hat riots of 1797 and reveal how a famous prime minister invented the onesie. Hear how The Mods and hippies of swinging 1960s London and Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's 1970's punk stylings changed fashion for ever.