London History

London is known for a lot of things: its history, its culture, and its public executions. That's right, for over 700 Londoners have gathered to watch convicted criminals be put to death. While today this may seem barbaric, at the time it was an important way to keep the public safe. or was it? Join  Hazel Baker  as she talks with  City of London tour guide Ian McDiarmid to discuss Museum of London...

John Wilkes was a radical politician and newspaper editor. He used poetry and  Magna Carta to mobilise public opinion, which helped him fight for many causes in his lifetime. Join  Hazel Baker  as she talks with  City of London tour guide Ian McDiarmid to discuss MP John Wilkes and his life in London. Learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know in weekly episodes of London histor...

Thomas Becket was one of the most powerful figures of his time, serving as Royal Chancellor and later as Archbishop of Canterbury in the 1100s. After his assassination he became Patron Saint of London all of the way up to 1532 with the Dissolution of the Monasteries under the reign of Henry VIII. To tell us more about the man, the myth and the Becket Pageant for London is James Winterbotham, Histo...

Like many other places in London, Covent Garden has evolved over the years. It started from humble beginnings as a Convent garden for Westminster Abbey, it has moved through many guises over the centuries.  From a home to the aristocracy and the main centre of theatrical life in London it developed into the largest produce market in the world. The rapid expansion of the market altered the characte...

London’s Underground railway is not only the oldest system of its kind, it’s also the world’s most famous. The Tube, as it’s also known is more than just a way of getting around the capital, it is also a symbol of the city. More than four million people use it everyday. On Tuesday this week more than 130,000 passengers piled aboard the first trains running on the new £18.9bn Elizabeth line within...

Georgian London was a fascinating time and place. It was a time of great change, and the city was growing rapidly. This period in London’s history is often overlooked, but it is definitely worth taking a closer look at! In this podcast, we will explore some of the most interesting aspects of Georgian London. We will take a look at the architecture, the culture, and the people who made it their hom...

Join  Hazel Baker as she continues to discuss Shakespeare’s London with Carol Anne Lloyd including the way London is shown in Shakespeare’s plays (and even non-London location plays). They discuss whether censorship, curses and real London locations used in Shakespeare's plays. Learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know in a 20 minute espresso shot episode of London history with...

Join Hazel Baker as she discusses Shakespeare's London with Carol Anne Lloyd including the way London is shown in Shakespeare's plays (and even non-London location plays). They discuss whether Shakespeare has always been so "highbrow", was he always so popular? and how he make most of his money. Learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know in a 20 minute espresso shot episode of L...

Join Hazel Baker as she talks with Natalia Jagielska about London geology including dinosaurs and fossils! Find out why the first dinosaur was called the human scrotum, why London's buildings don't reflect its geology and the best way to fossil hunt in the city. londonguidedwalks.co.uk/podcast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/londonguidedwalks/message

Join Hazel Baker as she talks with John Wyatt Greenlee about the dutch trade of eels in Medieval London. Find out how they were transported, who ate them and how they were cooked and how a clue in Wenceslaus Hollar's map led John Wyatt to become an eel historian like no other! See the full transcript and show notes: https://londonguidedguidedwalks.co.uk/podcast/episode-83-dutch-eels-in-medieval-lo...

Covent Garden is so important in the history of English ballet. Hear why in our latest podcast episode. Learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know in a 20 minute espresso shot episode of London history with a splash of personality. There's so much we can't fit into our tours, no matter how hard we try. This London history podcast is where we can get down and dirty with the detai...

What would Voltaire make of London today? The great enlightened thinker spent a couple of years enjoying London's charms. Of course, London has changed a lot since then, but some things never change and Voltaire would doubtless appreciate the city's sense of irony and humour. Join  Hazel Baker  as she talks with City of London tour guide Ian McDiarmid to discuss Voltaire and his life in London. Le...

How much of our thoughts about those with disabilities comes from the Victorians? Join Hazel Baker as she talks with Phillipa Connelly and disability in the Tudor period. This podcast explores the world of disability in Tudor times, and highlights some of the challenges faced by those living with a disability as well as the successes of a few remarkable individuals. Learn things about London that...

Join Hazel Baker as she talks with Dr Gillian Williamson as they discuss what it was like to be a landlady in Georgian London and how our view of them may be warped by those who held a pen. Find out why Mary and Charles Lamb were outraged when they received an unexpected bill from their landlady and who would have been the worst lodger to have in your home. Learn things about London that most Lond...

Join Hazel Baker as she talks with Dr Gillian Williamson as they discuss what it was like to be a lodger and a landlord in Georgian London. How living conditions encouraged the rise of coffee houses and how lodging houses had their own micro hierarchy. Find out what James Boswell did to get kicked out of his lodgings in Downing Street and how a fire in Soho provided a real life account of the asso...

Join Hazel Baker as she talks with Lesley Russell about the DeLaune family who has researched connections to several Huguenot families who came to England as refugees from religious persecution in 1572 and who made their home in the ruins of the former Blackfriars Priory. Learn more about the families, the area the in which they lived and their community. Learn things about London that most London...

Join Hazel Baker as she talks with Dr Daniella Gonzalez about the latest exhibition at the British Library: Elizabeth and Mary: Royal cousins, rival queens. In this episode we look at two of the most powerful women in Tudor history; Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. Their relationship was a complicated one. They were royal cousins and rival queens. Extraordinarily the women never actually met a...

Join Hazel Baker as she looks at how the tradition of Christmas Crackers began and developed to become the traditional event we repeat each year. Learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know in a 20 minute espresso shot episode of London history with a splash of personality. There's so much we can't fit into our tours, no matter how hard we try. This London history podcast is wher...

London is a bright and eventful place all year round, but especially during the build-up to Christmas. Streets and squares fill up with elaborate light installations that transform urban spaces while changing their atmosphere for Christmas time!  Join Hazel Baker as she looks at how the tradition of Christmas Street lights began and evolved and became fixed within children's literature. Learn thin...

Join host Hazel Baker as she speaks to guest Helen Baggott about postcards from the past she has found and researched, showing the early history of Great Ormond Street Hospital. Learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know in a 20 minute espresso shot episode of London history with a splash of personality. There's so much we can't fit into our tours, no matter how hard we try. Thi...

The Hunter brothers may be names you know but how much do you know about their London lives? Join Hazel Baker and Ian McDiarmid discuss these talented brothers whose individual skills and expertise lead to significant progress being made in anatomy, dentistry and obstetrics. Learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know in a 20 minute espresso shot episode of London history with a...

How did the Georgians clean their teeth? What happened is they had toothache? Was anything given for their pain? Were women dentists a novelty or an under-researched profession? Joining Hazel Baker is 18th century historian, genealogist, and co-author of five books about the 18th century, Sarah Murden. Learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know in a 20 minute espresso shot episo...

How much do we really know about Robert Hooke? Is our understanding of him skewed due to his fall out with Isaac Newton? Join host Hazel Baker as she gets to know Robert Hooke better with the help of author Robert J Lloyd. Learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know in a 20 minute espresso shot episode of London history with a splash of personality. There's so much we can't fit i...

The Victorian story of theatre life, treachery and ghostly goings on at the Adelphi Theatre, London. Join Hazel Baker as she tells the tale of one of the most renowned actors of the era, William Terriss, and his untimely demise. Learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know in a 20 minute espresso shot episode of London history with a splash of personality. There's so much we can't...

Where was London's first railway line? How was crisis adverted? Why was the project a Project Manager's nightmare? Join Hazel Baker as she explores this often forgotten history.  Learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know in a 20 minute espresso shot episode of London history with a splash of personality. There's so much we can't fit into our tours, no matter how hard we try. Th...