London History

Hazel Baker hosts a London History Podcast episode with author and Lambeth tour guide David Turnbull exploring the musical legacy of the 1951 Festival of Britain and how, 75 years on, music again anchors South Bank celebrations with Danny Boyle’s “You Are Here.” They discuss the Royal Festival Hall’s symbolic opening night and its British-focused programme, the festival’s nationwide reach through choral competitions, mass singalongs and the HMS Campania tour, and the Arts Council’s opera commissions and controversies, including Alan Bush’s Wat Tyler. The conversation traces how the festival’s optimism and internationalism helped shape later British sounds, spotlighting calypso’s unofficial anthem by Lord Kitchener, the arrival of the Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra, and popular dance culture at Battersea Pleasure Gardens, alongside details of Turnbull’s limited-time walking tour.

Hazel Baker hosts a special bonus edition of the London History Podcast celebrating over 500,000 streams and downloads and continuing a “London’s firsts” theme with a slightly harder, play-along quiz. Listeners get 12 questions with 15 seconds to think, then the show shares the answer and a short story behind each landmark “first,” spanning Norman and medieval London through the Georgian era and beyond. The topics range across royal power, religion, law, theatre, newspapers and magazines, West End planning, docks and trade, botanic gardens, and public art exhibitions. Hazel invites listeners to keep score, compare results with the first bonus quiz, share the podcast, and send in scores via Spotify Q&A or social media.

Hazel Baker of London Guided Walks welcomes you to the London History Podcast for the first of a two-part deep dive into the dramatic events of 1381—often known as the Peasants’ Revolt. Joining Hazel is City of London guide and lecturer Ian McDiarmid, as they unpack why “peasants” is far from an accurate label. Contemporary records and post-revolt indictments reveal that many participants were skilled workers or even minor landowners, challenging long-held assumptions about this uprising. Together they trace the revolt’s roots in three powerful pressures: crushing and unfair taxation—especially the infamous poll taxes—England’s costly and faltering campaigns in the Hundred Years’ War, and deep economic tensions following the Black Death. With landowners trying to freeze wages and reassert labour controls, resentment brewed across the country. The episode explores the political turmoil surrounding the teenage Richard II, corruption scandals involving figures like Alice Perrers, William Latimer, and Richard Lyons, and London’s bitter clashes with John of Gaunt over civic rights and Wyclif’s reformist ideas. As rebellion ignites in Essex and Kent, the movement gathers momentum under Wat Tyler, culminating in the rebels’ march to London and their tense first meeting with the king at Deptford. The story closes with the rebels poised to enter London—setting the stage for part two, which follows the uprising as it engulfs the city. You can explore even more through Hazel’s related blog posts on the Marshalsea, London’s aldermen, John of Gaunt’s Savoy Palace, and Alice Perrers.

In episode 151 of the London History Podcast, host Hazel Baker is joined by Caroline Jane Knight, who is Jane Austen's fifth great-niece. Caroline discusses her unique perspective growing up at Chawton House, the family estate, and her deep connection to Austen's legacy. She shares anecdotes about Jane Austen's life, her literary works, and her connection to London. Caroline also talks about her efforts to preserve Austen's heritage through her memoir 'Jane and Me,' her role in the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation, and her upcoming project to create a family archive. The conversation covers Austen's experiences in London, including her theatre visits and her correspondence with the Prince Regent, as well as her modern cultural significance.

In this episode of the London History Podcast, host Hazel Baker, a qualified London tour guide, and founder of londonguidedwalks.co.uk, explores the financial history of London and the role of women in this narrative. Joined by Jenny Funnell, a second-generation City of London tour guide, the episode delves into the story of Mary Harris Smith, the world's first female chartered accountant. The discussion covers Smith's origins, her career challenges, her efforts in promoting the employment of women, and her eventual recognition in the male-dominated field of accountancy. The episode also touches on the limited representation of women in London's history as seen through plaques and statues in the city, and discusses the ongoing legacy of Smith's groundbreaking work. Jenny Funnell provides deep historical insights and personal anecdotes, making the episode both informative and engaging.

In this special bonus edition of the London History Podcast, the host celebrates reaching over 5,000 followers on Spotify by conducting a quiz themed 'London Firsts through the ages'. The quiz covers significant historical landmarks and events from medieval to Georgian London, asking listeners to identify firsts such as the city's first continually operating hospital, the first long-lived stone bridge across the Thames, and the first systematic building regulations after the Great Fire. The host, Hazel Baker, provides historical context and anecdotes for each of the 12 questions, offering listeners a deeper understanding of London's rich history. The episode encourages audience engagement by asking them to tally their scores and interact via social media. This podcast is produced by Hazel Baker at London Guided Walks

This episode of the London History Podcast, hosted by Hazel Baker, explores the historical evolution of Milner Square in Islington, London. Initially developed in the 1840s to attract the middle class, the square transitioned into a slum by the 20th century, characterised by multi-occupancy and dilapidated conditions. In the 1970s, Islington Council cleared the slums and rehoused residents, leading to gentrification and rising property prices. The podcast features Susan Oudot, a writer and screenwriter who created the film 'Through the Hole in the Wall,' documenting her family's experiences in Milner Square from the 1930s to the 1970s. Oudot discusses the film's inception, driven by a desire to capture fading memories and address the misconceptions about Islington's history. Her film serves as a valuable oral history resource, highlighting themes of housing, work, class, and community bonds. Oudot shares personal anecdotes, reminiscing about the close-knit community, the daily struggles, and the enduring spirit of the residents. 🔗 Connect With Us 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠https://londonguidedwalks.co.uk/podcast⁠⁠ 📱 Instagram: @walk_london🐦 Twitter: @guided_walks 📘 Facebook: London Guided Walks

The London History Podcast, hosted by Hazel Baker from London Guided Walks, explores the rich history of Seven Dials in London during the 1920s and 1930s. In this episode, Professor Matt Holbrooke discusses his book, 'Songs of Seven Dials,' which delves into the cultural history of the area through vibrant archival research. Seven Dials was a diverse and vibrant community, home to migrant communities, working-class families, and bohemian nightlife. The episode covers the significant libel trial involving Sierra Leonian café owner Jim Kitten and his English wife Emily against a right-wing newspaper, highlighting issues of race, class identity, and urban redevelopment. The podcast also touches on the local cafés, clubs, and nightlife that shaped Seven Dials' reputation, the key conflicts and tensions, and personal stories of its residents, providing a detailed glimpse into this colourful and dramatic part of London’s history. 🔗 Connect With Us 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠https://londonguidedwalks.co.uk/podcast⁠⁠ 📱 Instagram: @walk_london🐦 Twitter: @guided_walks 📘 Facebook: London Guided Walks

Exploring the Vibrant Legacy of Seven Dials: An Intimate History with Professor Matt Holbrooke. In this episode of the London History Podcast, Hazel Baker hosts Professor Matt Holbrooke, a cultural history expert from the University of Birmingham, to delve into his latest work 'Songs of Seven Dials'. The conversation explores the rich history of Seven Dials during the 1920s and 1930s, highlighting its unique cultural diversity, the struggles of its migrant communities, and the nightlife that defined the area. Key topics include the impact of gentrification, the pivotal libel trial involving Jim and Emily Kitten, issues of race and the colour bar, as well as the personal stories and vibrant communal life in this storied London neighbourhood.

📜 London History Podcast | Victorian Britain & Pandemic Fear In January 1892, London went dark. Theatres closed. Streets filled with black crepe. A young royal heir lay dying — while thousands of ordinary Londoners froze, starved, and quietly disappeared.In this episode of the London History Podcast, we explore one deadly week during the Russian Flu pandemic, when Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, died in royal luxury — and the poor died alone in cold East End rooms. This is a story of pandemic fear, medical inequality, quack cures, and Victorian society under pressure — including the extraordinary legal case that still shapes contract law today. Full episode details

Step back in time with the London History Podcast as we revisit one of the city’s most daring and heartwarming moments. On a cold, smoggy evening in December 1952, bus driver Albert Gunter faced the unthinkable when Tower Bridge began to rise beneath him. With 40 passengers on board, Gunter made a split-second decision that would make him a local hero and capture the imagination of Londoners everywhere. 🏙️ About The London History PodcastHosted by London tour guide and historian Hazel Baker, the London History Podcast explores the fascinating, mysterious, and sometimes dark stories that shaped Britain's capital city. From medieval legends to Victorian scandals, from royal palaces to haunted underground stations, we uncover the hidden history beneath London's streets.🔗 Connect With Us🌐 Website: https://londonguidedwalks.co.uk/podcast📱 Instagram: @walk_london🐦 Twitter: @guided_walks 📘 Facebook: London Guided Walks

Hosted by Hazel Baker from London Guided Walks, episode 145 of the London History Podcast explores nearly a thousand years of London's feasting traditions. The journey begins with medieval banquets at Guildhall, showcasing elaborate feasts that reflected wealth, power, and international trade connections through elaborate meals and public spectacles. The episode then delves into the history of Christmas traditions, including the evolution of the Christmas pudding from medieval frumenty to the iconic Victorian dessert, and the development of mince pies from meat-filled pastries to sweet festive treats. The podcast also highlights the important roles of Smithfield and Leadenhall markets in providing festive foods, describing their transformations over the centuries and their lasting impact on London’s culinary culture. Listeners are invited to explore how food has shaped social customs, political ties, and community celebrations in London’s tasty history. London History Podcast Website

Join Hazel Baker, host of the London History Podcast, as she delves into the character of Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'. Explore the rich symbolism behind Scrooge's name, his physical and emotional transformation, and the social commentary embedded in the novella. Discover the streets of Victorian London that inspired Dickens' tale and learn how the story's themes of greed, generosity, and redemption resonate even today. Perfect for literary enthusiasts and history buffs alike, this episode offers a comprehensive analysis of one of literature's most enduring characters. 00:00 Introduction to Ebenezer Scrooge 01:30 The Symbolism Behind Scrooge's Name 04:56 Dickens' Masterful Description of Scrooge 11:13 Scrooge's Relationship with Jacob Marley 13:39 Scrooge's Troubled Past 15:31 The Impact of Fezziwig and Belle 19:53 Fred and Scrooge's Isolation 22:25 Scrooge's Notorious Statements and Their Implications 25:05 Bob Cratchit and Scrooge's Transformation 27:17 The Redemption of Scrooge 31:25 Dickens' Social Commentary and Final Thoughts 33:57 Conclusion and other Christmas-themed Podcast episodes Visit the London History podcast webpage

Discover Oliver Twist’s London with Hazel Baker, tour guide and CEO of London Guided Walks 📖. Explore Dickens’s London, the workhouses, markets, and slums that shaped one of literature’s most famous orphans 👶. Step into Victorian London history, understand child labour, poverty, and urban life, and see the city through the eyes of Dickens himself.From the Strand Union Workhouse to Jacob’s Island, this episode uncovers the real locations behind Oliver Twist, revealing how Dickens’ storytelling exposed inequality, inspired reform, and immortalised London’s streets. Full episode webpage

Episode 142: The Monsters and Myths of London | Halloween Special 🎃 Welcome to a spine-chilling Halloween special from the London History Podcast! Join host Hazel Baker from London Guided Walks as we explore the terrifying creatures, urban legends, and supernatural tales that have haunted London for centuries. From Victorian fire-breathing demons to medieval spectral hounds, 1970s vampire hunts to stone devils carved in revenge—these are the monsters that refuse to stay buried. 🔥 SPRING-HEELED JACK: The Victorian Terror In February 1838, 18-year-old Jane Alsop answered a knock at her gate. A man claiming to be a policeman shouted, "For God's sake, bring me a light—we've caught Spring-heeled Jack!" When she handed him a candle, he threw back his cloak, spat blue fire in her face, and attacked her with metallic claws. Her testimony, published in the Patriot newspaper, convinced skeptics that London faced a real threat. Discover how Spring-heeled Jack terrorised Victorian London, leapt impossibly over rooftops, inspired theatrical productions and penny dreadfuls, and may have influenced modern superheroes like Batman. He was never caught—and some say he's still out there. 🐕 THE BLACK DOG OF NEWGATE: Medieval Vengeance Step into medieval London during the devastating famines of Henry III's reign. At Newgate Prison—described by Henry Fielding as "a prototype of hell"—starving inmates committed the ultimate sin: they killed and ate a scholar accused of sorcery. But their crime awakened something worse. A monstrous black dog with burning eyes began stalking the corridors, hunting down each cannibal one by one. Even those who escaped weren't safe—the beast followed them into the streets. First recorded in 1596 by prisoner Luke Hutton, this legend became so powerful it appeared on tavern tokens as currency, inspired Elizabethan plays by John Day in 1602, and is still reported near the Old Bailey today. 🧛 THE HIGHGATE VAMPIRE: 1970s Mass Hysteria On Friday the 13th, March 1970, Thames Television broadcast interviews with witnesses who claimed a vampire haunted Highgate Cemetery. Within two hours, hundreds of Londoners armed with wooden stakes and crucifixes stormed the gates in "the largest vampire hunt of the 20th century." Explore the decades-long feud between occultist Sean Manchester—who arrived at newspaper offices in opera cape and top hat—and investigator David Farrant, who was arrested carrying a stake. One man claimed he tracked the vampire to Crouch End and killed it. Another wrote books declaring it still lurked in ancient tombs. This wasn't medieval superstition—this was 1970s London, and it shows how even in the space age, the city never quite escaped its Gothic past. 😈 THE CORNHILL DEVILS: An Architect's Revenge Walk down Cornhill in the City of London and look up at numbers 54-55. Three red terracotta demons have been sneering down since 1893—but most Londoners rush past without ever noticing. Legend says architect Ernest Augustus Runtz placed them there as revenge against the vicar of St Peter's Church, who opposed his building plans. Runtz commissioned artist William James Neatby to create the most grotesque devils possible, positioned to glare eternally at the church. The smallest devil, mouth wide open, was supposedly modelled on the vicar's own face—condemned forever in Doulton terracotta. They're proof that in London, even architecture can weaponise a grudge. More Spooky Episodes: 🎃 Episode 122: Haunted Underground Stations 👻 Episode 28: The Ghost of Cock Lane Hosted by Hazel Baker, London tour guide and historian. Visit londonguidedwalks.co.uk for walking tours and more episodes.

London is a city shaped by its traditions—and just as much by those brave enough to break them. In this episode, Hazel Baker uncovers the comic, sometimes outrageous history of umbrella-toting pioneers in London: from Jonas Hanway dodging cabbies’ missiles, to satirical cartoons by Gillray, to the Duke of Wellington’s battlefield bans. Explore four millennia of social resistance, ridiculous trends, and eventual transformation—when Londoners moved from mocking umbrellas as foreign folly to embracing them as city essentials. Discover why every innovation in London seems, at first, scandalous, and how mockery drives progress. Tune in for real tales of Georgian gentlemen, Victorian entrepreneurs, royal umbrella endorsements, and cheeky street urchins—and meet the original Londoners who changed the city, one soggy stroll at a time.

Step into history with Episode 140 of the London Guided Walks Podcast! 🎙️Join London tour guide Hazel Baker as we uncover the secrets of the Iron Duke, the Duke of Wellington. Discover his ingenious survival tactics, fascinating gadgets, and the surprising story behind the famous Wellington boot.

Episode 139: Downing Street — A Microcosm of London Step inside one of the world’s most famous addresses. Downing Street isn’t just the seat of power — it reflects London’s history, politics, and social change. Discover the stories that shaped a nation from this iconic street.

This episode reveals London's hidden connections to some of the most remote places on Earth – from the icy fjords of Spitsbergen to the vast Southern Ocean. Discover how whale hunting shaped everything from street lighting to women's fashion, and why this brutal yet economically vital trade ultimately came to define London's position as a global maritime power. Perfect for listeners interested in: Maritime history, London's hidden past, Arctic exploration, industrial history, Victorian society, fashion history, and the complex relationship between commerce and conservation.

The Remarkable Story Behind the World's First Underwater Tunnel | London History Podcast Ep. 137 In episode 137 of the London History Podcast, join host Hazel Baker and guest Katherine MacAlpine, Director of the Brunel Museum, as they delve into the fascinating history of the world's first tunnel under a river - the Thames Tunnel. Built by the pioneering father-son duo Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the Victorian era, this podcast explores the challenges, innovations, and engineering genius that made this groundbreaking project possible. Learn about the tunnel's construction, its transformation into a pedestrian foot tunnel and later a railway tunnel, and the legacy of the Brunel family. Discover artifacts, stories, and the impact of this historic achievement on modern engineering. Don't miss out on exclusive glimpses into the Brunel Museum's exhibits, including Mark Brunel's personal items and the intriguing events surrounding the Thames Tunnel. 00:00 Introduction to the London History Podcast 00:43 The Brunel Family and the Thames Tunnel 01:58 Challenges and Innovations in Tunnel Construction 05:43 Financial Struggles and Public Perception 23:44 The Tunnel's Legacy and Modern Impact 31:02 Upcoming Exhibitions and Events at the Brunel Museum 34:05 Conclusion and Special Offer More content at https://londonguidedwalks.co.uk/podcast