Yesterday's London Times

How was British classism was responsible for greatest leak ever known in British intelligence? What is the legacy of that treachery? In this episode, the final in a three-part arc exploring espionage in and around Great Britain, we meet the infamous Kim Philby, the British national and MI6 agent who spied for Moscow for decades while under the employ of MI6. How was he able to deceive so many othe...

What makes a Londoner, a Londoner?   What constitutes identity? These are two of the many essential questions that we continue to explore in this harrowing conclusion to our story about Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB colonel turned MI6 agent, the second episode in a three-part arc exploring espionage in and around Great Britain. We’ll question what motivates Gordievsky to continue to spy for England rathe...

What makes a Londoner, a Londoner? Is it exclusively by birth? Does one achieve the status after residing there a certain number of years? After working there for a period of time? After studying there or completing a course of study? It is hard to define; it is an identity, and it’s problematic to dictate parameters of identity to anyone else, or to assign an identity to another person.  The issu...

Lilibet: The Beginnings Just in time to celebrate the unprecedented Platinum Jubilee, we look at the very beginnings in the life of Queen Elizabeth II. In this episode, we’ll meet her parents, Prince Bertie and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and how they went about establishing a family uniquely their own. We’ll learn about the people in baby Lilibet’s life and look at the daily life of a very young royal....

Ahhhh, Christmas. So many traditions, so many customs. And while we know some of our listeners were able to celebrate as usual, others have been affected by Covid, and have missed their beloved rituals and events. For all of those who are sick or are caring for or missing someone who is ill, we send our love and thoughts of peace and healing. One thing is for sure — the chaos of the last two years...

Just when we thought that there was nothing more to say about Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, we uncover a compelling story-behind-the-story.  We'll investigate the story as a moment of catharsis for Dickens, mixing in  his past trauma and his adult crisis; also, the fascinations and frustrations of Victorian London that result in the classic. We'll chat about the history about...

Did you ever read a book and wish that you could direct the action and help a character make a good or interesting choice? The Choose Your Own Adventure books let us experiment with decision making. Depending on your choices, the outcomes could be very different. Join us as we take a whirlwind tour through London history and culture with our friends, Holly and Zelli.  They will face choices that w...

"From hell to heaven was how the feeling was. You felt like a miracle had happened."                                                                     - veteran Harry Garrett, on  Dunkirk Some people you don't know are in mortal danger.  How much would you sacrifice to try to save them? In this episode, an artifact in a London museum  acts as a window to the real drama of the Dunk...

If anyplace is haunted, it has to be London.  Ready for another round?  Our Haunted London Pub Crawl continues, with stops at Wapping, where we’ll visit neighboring pubs, The Prospect of Whitby and The Town of Ramsgate, then across town to The Black Lion in Hammersmith.   We’ll hang with pirates and cutpurses, a hanging judge, and then attempt to answer the question “can you kill a ghost?”   Photo...

Phantom hounds and body snatchers: old Smithfield has it all! The first two stops on our pub crawl are The Viaduct and The Rising Sun, where ghosts are reported to roam after last call. Note: these two stories have gore a'plenty - this one is NOT for the kids! Our haunted pub crawl continues with a special part 2 episode next week. Photos and sources for this episode can be found HERE .  Our...

To call it a Gin Craze is to be grossly inaccurate; addiction to the spirit in Georgian London created an epidemic of devastating proportions, negatively affecting fertility, mortality, production, and infrastructure throughout the entire city in the 1700s.  In this episode, we explore how gin ascended to control an entire metropolis, and examine the solutions put forth by the government in its nu...

Innocent children’s rhyme or Death Row ditty? Take a virtual walking tour through seven sites mentioned in the song while learning some intriguing and, yeah, macabre history. More information about Oranges and Lemons, including images and sources can be found HERE . Do you like what you hear?  Please help us find our audience by rating us 5 stars and reviewing us on Apple Podcasts. V isit us on ou...

When you think of Vogue magazine, what comes to mind? Colorful, shiny covers? Supermodels? Luxurious clothes and accessories?  But, did you know that British Vogue was an important cog in the UK’s  defense machine during WWII? In the words of its legendary editor, Audrey Withers, “Here is Vogue, in spite of it all!” - and there was a lot to spite, indeed: nightly bombings, strict rations on all of...

What’s more fun than daydreaming about what you would do if you won the lottery? Yes, there would be the question of what you do with the money, but other questions arise. What would you do with newfound friends or suitors? How can you discern true relationships? Angela Burdett-Coutts won a type of lottery in the form of an inheritance that made her “the richest heiress in all of England.” Her tru...

Have you ever wondered how you would react in a life and death situation? What makes an everyday hero? In this introductory episode, meet two of London's lesser-known heroes: bus driver Albert Gunter and doctor Joan Martin. In very different circumstances, each  rose to a seemingly insurmountable challenge that lay quickly before them.   More information about our topics, photos, and sources...

Inquire, explore, and dig deeply as we dredge London's past to unearth the quirkier - and perhaps forgotten - aspects of the city's curious history.  Join us, Jen and Mares, as we celebrate the lesser known people, places, and events that have contributed to the brilliant and peculiar mosaic that is London.