The BackTracker History Show

Season:  3 Episode: 8 John Maskell was considered a man of very good character, having been in the Royal East Kent Regiment, or Buffs, for many years. So what pushed him over the edge in April 1868 and made a man such high standards go on a rampage around his barracks? You won't believe the answer. THIS PODCAST This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol,...

Season:  3 Episode: 7 On April 4th 1823, the Somerset Assizes were filled with an excited and curious crowd. They were there to see the three women who were charged under Lord Ellenborough's Act, of maliciously cutting and stabbing an old woman with the intent to murder her. Why? Because they believed her to be a witch !  THIS PODCAST This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley...

6 3 Charles Stephens was a 58 year old barber from Bristol, England where he had acquired a reputation of daredevil through a number of high dives and several parachute jumps. In Bristol he was known as the “Demon Barber of Bristol” and he wanted to use his addiction to adrenaline to gain more money to feed his large family. The biggest and riskiest endeavour at the time was going over the Horsesh...

Season Number: 3 Episode : 5 Shipwrecks were tragically common in the 1860s – the official figure being 10 every week , with a loss of at least 34 lives. The real figure could be so much more, given that they only reflect the shipwrecks which took place off the coast of Britain.  The Steamship London was considered extremely safe. Just two years old when she embarked upon her final...

Joel Fisher was a hard working man who had fought for his country at Waterloo but was unlucky in love. His first wife passed away leaving him with two young boys but his second wife would be the end of him. Find out the events that led up to that eventful night in 1844. THIS PODCAST This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England.  If you liked it pl...

Among the artists Uncle Art Satherley discovered, signed or recorded during his career as a recording director for Columbia Records were Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, the Carter Family, Roy Acuff, Gene Autry, the Sons of the Pioneers, Bill Monroe, Lefty Frizzell and Marty Robbins. Satherley was credited with naming Wills’ signature tune “San Antonio Rose.”  He also pushed blues music in...

The golden age of Highwaymen was 1650 to 1830, with the peak in the second half of the 18th century, At that time trade and commerce were increasing and there were many well-to-do travellers., and it turns out Gloucestershire was a popular spot for them. In this episode, you'll hear all about several of these notorious villains that haunted the roads looking for an easy target. THIS PODCAST This p...

The Vickers VC.1 Viking is developed and manufactured by Vickers-Armstrong Limited and introduced in 1946. It is a twin-engine short-range airliner primarily used by British European Airways. The aircraft was developed from the Vickers Wellington long-range medium bomber and was produced from 1945 to 1954 with a total number of 163 aircraft built. It featured the Bristol Hercules, a 14-cylind...

It wouldn't feel like Christmas without the traditional Christmas Carol, so we take a look into the history of this heart warming custom as well as the origins of some of the nation's most loved songs. PLUS it's the final instalment of The Big Bristol to London Stroll where we end up in what has been called, the birthplace of The Church of England. This is the last show of the year. The first one...

In this episode, we continue to find out the history behind some well known Christmas traditions. Have you ever wondered about who the hell came up with the idea of explosives at your festive meal? Yes, I'm talking about the Christmas cracker. What about the origins of the Yule Log? All this and more in a special little festive gift episode. Merry Christmas Everyone and thanks so much for your sup...

Ever wondered why we do certain things only during the festive season? Well, wonder no more as we look into a few of the Christmas traditions that have been around for decades. Some for much, much longer. THIS PODCAST This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England.  If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to suppo...