Ladies Who London

Hello fopdoodles! This week we are taking a look at the original collector of unusual words, Dr Samuel Johnson, and his English dictionary. What common word did he leave out, whilst including a very random other word? And what particular ailment did he have that would have raised eyebrows? Emily is answering those questions and many more in this week's podcast.   Plus we find out who won the Podca...

Ding ding, the bells the bells are calling. We are heading east this week to Whitechapel, home of the renowned Whitechapel Bell Foundry, where bells such as Big Ben and the Liberty Bell were forged. But the story of Big Ben's arrival is not as simple as you might imagine... Plus we find out who won the Podcast Pedestal and Emily gets her sweaty hands on the wheel again for another chance to see wh...

Bash the cymbals and crash those drums, we are heading to Soho for a bit of rock music history. Denmark street is the centre of all the excitement, and we are going to take a look at what makes this street in London quite so special. Plus we find out who won the Podcast Pedestal and Emily gets her sweaty hands on the wheel again for another chance to see where we will get to chat about next week....

Ladies, unite! Unite under a bridge and check out how dirty it is underneath. Because we are here for the ladies' input this week, as we take a look at Waterloo Bridge and find out if there is any truth to the often quoted rumour that this was built by women during WW2. We also take a look at the nearby impressive Somerset House and find out why it has a more interesting history than it might seem...

This week's podcast is acted out entirely in mime as we talk about Charlie Chaplin, who lived for some of his life in Lambeth. We take a look at his life, loves and career, plus we find out why he got banned from America, and the strange story of what happened to his body after he died. Plus we find out who won the Podcast Pedestal and Emily gets her sweaty hands on the wheel again for another cha...

Alex takes the lead this week, and she has picked the fascinating and ultimately tragic Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Groomed for a life at the absolute peak of society, her match in a husband was horribly mis-cast, and he soon started a string of affairs with her friends, leading to a pretty catastrophic ultimatum. Find out more here.  Plus we find out who won the Podcast Pedestal and Emily g...

Hold on to your party pants, we are going dress shopping for a coronation. This week Emily is talking all about Normal Hartnell, the iconic royal dress designer, famous for designing both the wedding dress and coronation gown for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Find out more about this fascinating man here, including how some brown cows started the move into fashion for him.   Plus we find out who wo...

This week, Alex is thrilled to talk about Angela Burdett-Coutts, and it's her favourite podcast to date. We chat about the wonderfully unique Angela, who inherited a ton of money then spent her whole life giving it away! Friends with Charles Dickens and Queen Victoria, she scandalised society (not to mention changing her whole life) when she married a man over 30 years her junior and broke an impo...

Ah Emily. Another week, another opportunity to get stuck in with the grime, the dark, and the deaths. This week we are off to...erm...well, everywhere in London actually! It's the Great Smog of 1952, which hung over London and caused all manner of chaos and suffering. So as you can imagine, Emily is LOVING IT. Join us to find out more about this frankly grim few days of 20thC London.   Plus we fin...

Well that's not a snappy title, is it?! This week we are off to Greenwich, and it is Alex who was the lucky winner of this most coveted of locations. She has picked to talk about John Harrison, his marine chronometers, the prime meridian and the wonderfully named Sir Cloudsley Shovell. Who he? Find out in this week's episode. Plus we find out who won the Podcast Pedestal and Emily gets her sweaty...

Hello podcats! You'll be thrilled to know we are taking a detour from the darker side of London's history, and we are brightening the mood with a chat about the glorious Ellen Terry, one of London's most famous actors. We take a look at her life, loves and legacy as one of the 19thC's foremost Shakespearean actors. Plus we find out who won the Podcast Pedestal and Emily gets her sweaty hands on th...

Welcome back, everyone! We're continuing our march into the darker bits of London with a look at Bethlehem hospital, better known as Bedlam. We take a look at the history behind this infamous hospital and why the name Bedlam has been adopted into day to day language.  TRIGGER WARNING - we are talking about mental health, and will be using some words that were used historically but are not particul...

Welcome back, podcats! This week is the turn of Emily, and she is taking us over to Bloomsbury to take a look at the story of one of literature's most influential writers, Virginia Woolf. We find out why she was such an amazing writer, how she got an education when girls were routinely overlooked for learning, and her friendships and love affairs. TRIGGER WARNING - we do talk about her death where...

Welcome to this week's episode, where we are making a stop at Whitechapel to visit Joseph Merrick, as so many people during the Victorian era did. He is otherwise known as the 'elephant man', due to his facial growths and the story given to his birth by the showman of the 'freak' show he was part of. His is an incredible story, although not the cheeriest! Come along and find out about the wonderfu...

Technical issues all sorted, we are back for a wholesome podcast after the cheek of the last one! We're off to Chelsea Physic Garden today, and OF COURSE goth guide Emily manages to find some death and destruction amongst the lovely green plants. Alex gets her knickers in a twist over old characters in history, and normal service is resumed. The question on everybody's lips though - will Emily fin...

Ooh er missus, it's getting sexy this week! We're off to St James for Alex's pick of the Celestial Bed, which was basically an extravagant 18thC sex aid! We find out how Georgians could get electrifying sex for a rather hefty sum, and what kind of weirdness was considered aphrodisiac back in the late 1700s We experienced some pretty big technical issues this week, so please bear with us. From dodg...

The weather outside might be frightful, but inside Leicester Square's Dome of Wonder it is anything but! This week it is Emily's pick, and she is heading centrally, to the entertainment area of Leicester Square. We find out how the area developed, and what constituted entertainment in bygone times in the area. HOW big was this dome?! Plus we find out who won the Podcast Pedestal and Emily gets her...

This week sees the release of Netflix's big new film, The Dig. Always wanting to be down with the kool kidz, Emily and Alex are chatting about the Sutton Hoo treasure find - the subject of the film. We have a rummage in the countryside of Suffolk to see what we come up with, toy with the idea of breaking into the British Museum just because we miss it, and give you our completely subjective review...

What up, podcats. Welcome back to Ladies Who London - we have a guest this week in the form of Dr Aaron Hunter @scienceguidelondon to chat all things Darwin. We find out how Darwin got interested in the things that would later lead him to the discoveries he made. Plus we find out about why he was buried where he still rests today. Our lovely jingle writer Ben Morales Frost has a new musical on - t...

Welcome back podsters! It's Alex's week this week, and we are tootling around Clerkenwell on the trail of one Amelia Edwards. She was a pioneering egyptologist in the Victorian era, and was also gay in a time where being gay was not taken particularly well. She's a force to be reckoned with, and we talk about her life and legacy on this week's episode. Our lovely jingle writer Ben Morales Frost ha...

Hello podcats! It's Emily's pick this week, and true to form, she's gone stinky! We are off to Bermondsey this week to explore the leather trade that used to be an important part of this area of south London, and find out what went into making the leather that we prize so highly today. Our lovely jingle writer Ben Morales Frost has a new musical on - the Sorcerer's Apprentice. It can be found at h...

We're back! Happy 2021! Alex and Emily are back for the new year, and starting out in Bow, East London. It's Alex's pick this week, and she has gone for the Match Girls' Strike of 1888, an important event which started the tide of Victorian changes to working conditions. Plus the Wheel of Destiny is back, hurrah! Let us know what you think on Instagram, or on our websites. Instagram @ladieswholond...

IT'S CHRISTMAAAAAAAAS! This week Emily and Alex mess with the format, and do their 12 days of Christmas - or rather their top 12 things of Christmas in London. Join us to see what our pick of Christmas happenings is, and why we love them so much. Plus we find out who won the Podcast Pedestal, and the Wheel of Destiny is back the pick the topic for our first show of 2021. No podcast next week, we w...

We're getting festive this week! Join Blue Badge Guides Alex Lacey and Emily Dell to find out more about an unusual London event, the Frost Fairs. A rare occurrence, but a spectacular one, the Frost Fairs took place when the river Thames froze sufficiently for it to take the weight of people, animals, even games, entertainment and roasting of animals! Come and join us to find out more about one Lo...

When you want subterfuge and exciting deception, who do you turn to? James Bond might be a pretty decent option, and that is where we begin our chat today, talking about Operation Mincemeat. This was one of the most audacious Allied plots ever conceived, and it is full of weird details and exciting counter-espionage movements, such as a corpse, a fake  fiancée and deception of epic proportions Joi...