Albion Tonight

Tonight, I tackle the topic that has been haunting the whole season: slavery and its inextricable involvement in the history of food, the history of society, and the history of humanity. This episode contains a discussion of the context of slavery in the United Kingdom and its colonies and abolitionist movements. In the second half, it turns to the voices of the enslaved and formerly enslaved.

Did you enjoy listening to people try to guess obscure Victorian ads? Are you curious about what the terrible pun ad-venture could mean? Well, have we got a show for you! In this fun intermission between history expositions, listen as some of my guests try to guess what 20th century ads are for based on out-of-context quotes and descriptions. Through this fun game, we unpack some of the rhetoric s...

Welcome back to the podcast after a most unfortunate hiatus! History was happening to me in real life, but rest assured that Albion Tonight lives on. This episode is about the lives of historic mothers—the pressures placed on them, the things they fed their babies, and the sociocultural implications of such issues as breastfeeding and nutrition. In this episode we explore the tragedies and triumph...

This episode explores a few case studies related to the history of cookbooks and how they can be seen as a source of community, empowerment, and expression for women in the 19th and 20th centuries. From individual publishing feats to supporting causes like suffrage and temperance, cookbooks have served as an important tool for more than just making a tasty meal. Disclaimers: In the episode, I used...

Welcome to an unconventional and experimental episode of Albion Tonight! Join me for an evening of storytelling where I read and react to the original penny dreadful version of Sweeney Todd. During which I share my insights on gender, food, and history related. See how literature and history are interconnected. Most of all, please sit back, relax, and enjoy this raw and riveting episode relating t...

Welcome to an unconventional and experimental episode of Albion Tonight! Join me for an evening of storytelling where I read, react to, and share insights on gender, food, and history related to the original penny dreadful version of Sweeney Todd.

This episode is the first request of the show! Due to an email request, I researched beef and burgers in Britain. Join us to learn a bit about why beef is historically and culturally embedded in British identity. See how hamburgers crossed the Atlantic.  Journey with us from beloved markets and butchershops to the homes of 1960s housewives and beyond, and find out how even beef made its impact on...

This episode is the first requested success of the show! Due to an email request, I researched beef and burgers in Britain. Join us to learn a bit about why beef is historically and culturally embedded in British identity. See how hamburgers crossed the Atlantic. Journey with us from beloved markets and butchershops to the homes of 1960s housewives and beyond, and find out how even beef made its i...

In this episode, discover how sparkling waters made it from spa towns to middle class homes. Discover the mysteries behind the soft drinks that pervade our lives, from the sparkling lemonades in British pubs to ginger beers, colas, and fruity sodas galore. Learn the ways in which women appear in the archive. Spoiler alert: they have a big role in the history of soda, pop up in soda trade journals,...

NOTE: Turns out the podcast recording studio at my local library caused some of the audio for this episode to jump around and be a little funky for the first 22 minutes, so please bear it for a bit. My sincerest apologies. I hope it will still be enjoyable. I put many, many days and hours into this episode, and I hope it still shows. In this episode, discover how sparkling waters made it from spa...

An Afternoon Tea is considered a quintessential British experience nowadays, but have you ever wondered what lies beneath this elegant tradition? In this episode, I discuss some of the history, origins, and fun facts about British tea and the culture surrounding it. Most importantly, we look at how tea affected women’s lives at work, at home, and on the dance floor! Pour yourself a cuppa, eat some...

An Afternoon Tea is considered a quintessential British experience nowadays, but have you ever wondered what lies beneath this elegant tradition? In this episode, I discuss some of the history, origins, and fun facts about British tea and the culture surrounding it. Most importantly, we look at how tea affected women’s lives at work, at home, and on the dance floor! Pour yourself a cuppa, eat some...

*Some content in this episode may be suggestive and unsuitable for children. * In this special episode, some of my guests of podcast past, present, and future come together to guess what in the world some of my favorite Victorian (and Victorian-ish) ads are for, since these ads are notoriously obtuse and eccentrically euphemistic. Please feel free to play along at home and put your historical chop...

*Some content in this episode may be suggestive and unsuitable for children. * In this special episode, some of my guests of podcast past, present, and future come together to guess what in the world some of my favorite Victorian (and Victorian-ish) ads are for, since these ads are notoriously obtuse and eccentrically euphemistic. Please feel free to play along at home and put your historical chop...

Oh, Beans on Toast. It is a multifaceted dish, which has developed many identities over time from that of the economical wonder meal to a quick breakfast and even that of a quintessential element of British identity (and of a full English breakfast). Both beloved by many and despised by many, there is no way to deny its importance to British history, culture, and identity. In this episode, I seek...

Oh, Beans on Toast. It is a multifaceted dish, which has developed many identities over time from that of the economical wonder meal to a quick breakfast and even that of a quintessential element of British identity (and of a full English breakfast). Both beloved by many and despised by many, there is no way to deny its importance to British history, culture, and identity. In this episode, I seek...

When fighting for their right to vote, women in the UK broke off into two main groups: militant suffragettes and pacifistic suffragists. The former were so determined to achieve their goals that they were willing to make huge sacrifices, including transforming their bodies into battlefields for political protest. In this episode, we will discuss the hunger strikes that suffragettes undertook in pr...

When fighting for their right to vote, women in the UK broke off into two main groups: militant suffragettes and pacifistic suffragists. The former were so determined to achieve their goals that they were willing to make huge sacrifices, including transforming their bodies into battlefields for political protest. In this episode, we will discuss the hunger strikes that suffragettes undertook in pr...