That Time When

Poor people of Windham, they were having a hell of a time in 1754. War was happening around them, a drought was making everything awful, and they were about to become the laughingstock of the Americas. But hey, they rolled with it. Find out what it was that woke them up one muggy June night and how it changed the fate of the town. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ladies of London, protect your thighs and your bum, because a really weird sort of pervert is going around slashing women for... no real reason? This week on That Time When, Amelia tells us about the London monster, who terrorised the streets of London (Surprise, surprise) in the 18th century. So get your giant cork underwear on and have a listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

Howdy there! This week on That Time When we're thinking about carers and nurses, so the obvious choice of topic would be that of Calamity Jane! A legendary figure of the Wild West, Jane's life was a series of exaggerations, tall tales, and outright lies. It took such a long time for historians to start examining her life that even to this day it's hard to tell how much of the gun-toting, men's clo...

What do the songs 'Grândola, Vila Morena' and 'E Depois Do Adeus' have in common? If you don't know then you should listen to this week's episode of That Time When so that Amelia can talk about the Carnation Revolution. Even if you do know, you should listen anyway just to find out about the secret middle verse of YMCA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know, if you've got a big event to plan then you can go easy on yourself. There is absolutely no way that anything you prepare could be worse than the 1904 Olympic Games. This week, Barnaby tells us the history of this most bizarre event, and the marathon that nearly killed the runners. Also, find out how to enjoy Victorian performance enhancing drugs, and why you shouldn't play dice before a...

Barnaby gets very annoyed this episode about a toad in a rock, and just the sheer laziness of some historical charlatans. In this episode of That Time When, Amelia tells us the strange tale of the Piltdown Man. Is it the missing link? Or is it just a few skeletons jammed together? Spoiler: It's the second one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time on That Time When we've got an arts and craft section for you! With enough urine, you too can make a magical hand! This week, Barnaby looks at the history and mythology of the Hand of Glory, and tells us just why you might want to make a candle out of a criminal's severed hand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've often said on this podcast that nothing ever changes, and that people aren't original. It's never been more relevant on this episode as Amelia tells us about the Childrens' Crusade. Think that moody teenagers rebelling against their parents and saying "You can't tell me what to do" is new? Think again, and learn why two young shepherd boys practically created the rise of Instagram and TikTok...

If you found an alien baby while wandering through a cemetery, would you pick it up, take it home, and feed it condensed milk and cottage cheese? If the answer's yes then you'll fight right in at the village of Kyshtym. This week, Barnaby tells us about baby Alyoshenka, otherwise known as the Kyshtym Dwarf. Was it an alien? Was it the product of a nuclear disaster? Or was it just a sad story about...

It was... very hot when we recorded this. Amelia tells us the story of Peter the Wildboy, who turned up in Norwich having completed a two day journey on foot by himself. We don't know why, but maybe you can find out by listening to That Time When. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the Illuminati a secret organisation controlling the world through political machinations, trained assassins, and black helicopters? Or was it just a bookclub for some nerdy Bavarians? Find out if you should be worried about the New World Order, or just slightly disappointed, by listening to this episode of That Time When Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine your confusion, as an American pilot in World War Two, that after being shot down and captured, you're met not by brutal torture and suffering, but by Hanns Scharff, who's offering you cake and walks in the woods and just generally a friendly chat. This week on That Time When, Amelia tells us about how lovely Hans Scharff was, despite him being on the side of the Nazis. It's odd to think a...

Oh no! You've been bitten by a venomous spider! What can you do? Well, you should probably just dance until you feel better, or die from exhaustion. This week on That Time When, Barnaby looks at the phenomenon of Tarantism. Was it a genuine attempt to cure poisons? Or was it just a big excuse to have a party? Also, enjoy Amelia's lengthy rant on the nature of secret underground cults. Hosted on Ac...

Sometimes you hear about those precocious people who just really annoy you because they've achieved more by the age of seventeen than you ever have. Enter Ivor Montagu, the founder of modern table tennis, filmmaker, and probable communist spy. Also hear about why the name ping-pong had to be changed, and why the Wombles are far more sinister than you ever imagined. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

The day we recorded this was the day of the G7 Summit where President Biden said that something needed to be done about the rise of China. Perhaps he could take a leaf out of history and organise some friendly ping-pong games? This week on That Time When, Amelia tells us about how ping-pong softened relations between America and China in the 1970s, and we ask if it was truly a spur of the moment g...

Barnaby goes full Suetonius in this episode and talks a lot about the terrible things Caligula did. But maybe there was another reason? Maybe there was a cynical joke in there? Also hear how Amelia likens Caligula to Henry VIII, King Canute, and Dr Frasier Crane. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Didn't think we'd be feeling sorry for a man considered a brutal tyrant and one of the maddest emperors the Romans ever had. This week Barnaby looks at the early life of Caligula to see what happened that made the little booted boy a notorious villain, and how he actually did some good before... everything changed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You think social distancing is a new thing? Think again! This week on That Time When, Amelia tells us about the village of Eyam and how they managed to prevent the spread of bubonic plague, and also about how many catapults you might need to get rid of puritans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you think you're as brave as some Glaswegian schoolboys? This week on That Time When, Barnaby tells us the tale of the Gorbals Vampire and the boys who decided to hunt it down. We also learn why children should go to sleep when they're told to, and why Pennywise the Clown might have visited Scotland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a week's break we're back with episode 50! We go full circle, going back to the story in our first episode where Amelia tells us about Richard the Lionheart getting captured on his way back from the crusade. Was he found by a minstrel singing at castle walls? Or was it just a spy network? And why was everyone incompetent apart from Richard's mother? Find out here. Hosted on Acast. See acast....

Step into the shoes of a Roman detective and help Emperor Tiberius solve the mystery of the death of Aponia... OK the actual murder is pretty easy to solve but it's cool that you get to spend time with the Emperor, right? Was Emperor Tiberius a proto-Fox Mulder? Did Apronia just accidentally fall out of a window? Does Apronius deserve even more titles and accolades? Solve the mystery here. Hosted...

This is a title to send Nigel Farage seething with rage, but we're not withdrawing the statement yet. In a time when the British government is known for making *cough* questionable choices, we can look back at a time when they actually were very considerate of other races and cultures. So have a listen and find out why having surgery in a kitchen might not be so bad, why getting cremated was illeg...

Part 2 of our episode on the lost Franklin expedition and we finally get to the Arctic! Only to lose track of the expedition pretty much immediately. But you can find out why your water distillation may not be as healthy as you think, why you shouldn't freeze your lemon juice, and why you really shouldn't tell a widow that her dead husband may have been a cannibal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

Finding the Northwest Passage through the Arctic is big business, it could make you rich and famous. You're going on some of the most advanced ships the 19th century can offer. They've even got central heating! Forget that the ships are the Terror and the Erebus, you'll make your fortune, right? In this first part of our episodes on the lost Franklin Expedition we'll hear about how this doomed voy...

You know who we like here at That Time When? We like clever and influential women who are super bitter about how society looks down on them. This week on That Time When we go to the seaside, and onto the Jurassic Coast to hunt for fossils with Mary Anning. We're also learning why people might have accidentally eaten fossilised poop. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.