The Story of London
Government
Presenting The Story of London, a podcast dedicated to telling the history of London as a single narrative tale; from it’s birth until the present day.
Each episode takes us along the tale of the most fascinating and vibrant city on Earth.
The format is every episode is self-contained, while also continuing to the next part in the chronicle. It covers events as they happened, from the actions of the great and the good, down to those of the poor and marginalised. We try to be as historically accurate as possible, sometimes stumbling upon little gems of history that change the way we see the past.
So you can follow the tale from start to finish or just jump in as we tell The Story of London.
Location:
United States
Description:
Presenting The Story of London, a podcast dedicated to telling the history of London as a single narrative tale; from it’s birth until the present day. Each episode takes us along the tale of the most fascinating and vibrant city on Earth. The format is every episode is self-contained, while also continuing to the next part in the chronicle. It covers events as they happened, from the actions of the great and the good, down to those of the poor and marginalised. We try to be as historically accurate as possible, sometimes stumbling upon little gems of history that change the way we see the past. So you can follow the tale from start to finish or just jump in as we tell The Story of London.
Language:
English
Episodes
Chapter 93- A rumble in St Barts… (1248-1250)
5/1/2024
London and King Henry III were NOT getting on; and while the 7th Crusade was gloriously sailing towards disaster in Egypt, and the affairs of the nation carried on regardless, the city and the king would repeatedly clash as he provoked the place endlessly. And then? There was a huge fight in the beloved St Barts church. Who caused it, and why it led to mobs of Londoners prowling the streets and swearing vengeance on the VERY high powered offender, is covered this episode.
Duration:00:48:58
Chapter 92- Jesus came to Westminster (1247-48)
4/24/2024
In October 1247 King Henry III led a grand procession from London to Westminster, carrying a sacred and holy relic the like of which London had never seen before. Its importance is overlooked because in the great scale of things- it didn’t amount to much in the long history of the city. But at the time? It captured a pivotal moment, as the King and City continued to fall out, and the seeds were being sown for something VERY ugly in London’s future.
Duration:00:41:42
Chapter 91- The Great Whale of London Town (1240-1247)
4/17/2024
We return to all things London with an in depth look at the events of the early part of the 1240’s; we have earthquakes, storms, prophecies, politics, factions, new buildings being built, old buildings being revamped, processions and a whale suddenly finds itself at London Bridge! It’s also an insight into one of confusing eras of London’s political history as two mayors, Mr Tovey and Mr Bat, begin to reflect the growing divisions in the city.
Duration:00:43:11
Chapter 90- The Shine of Foreign Silver (c1240’s-1260’s)
4/10/2024
The Story takes a brief break from the regular narrative of events, with a look at two things that were impacting upon the city. The first was the ongoing crusades, and we look at the stories of the 5th and 6th Crusades along with the ‘Barons Crusade’ as this will become increasingly important later on, and then examine the perilous economic situation London was facing. Economics drives politics and politics drives history, and much of what was to come is explained here.
Duration:00:42:34
Chapter 89- Celebrations, Most Royal… (1233-1239)
4/3/2024
The story continues with an insight to six years in the cities history; we have a minor but important confrontation between the bishop of London and a bunch of French moneylenders; two royal weddings (both of which were scandalous for differing reasons), ongoing political tensions, wild street parties, drought, ambitious civil engineering and more. There are even some Vikings… in the distance but still. Vikings! The Story of London continues the cities amazing history.
Duration:00:50:43
Chapter 88- The Four Men in the Bed (1226-1232)
3/27/2024
Crime has always been a feature of urban life; but during this era a series of criminal cases are reported… which highlight a growing conflict between the authorities of London and the crown. But arguments about jurisdiction and authority soon obscure deeper debates and passions in the city. An episode that brings to life the alien nature of justice in the 13th century.
Duration:00:47:22
Chapter 87- The lamentable death of Constantine FitzAnulf (1219-1225)
3/20/2024
We kick off Book 4 with the story of a man executed for supposedly having a fight over a wrestling match… but his death could well have been the result of the chaotic aftermath of the recent Civil War. An episode about why Westminster started growing, a massive expansion of the Tower of London, the arrival of new orders of monks to London, and how the symbol of one of the men mentioned in this episode is seen on the streets of London to this day.
Duration:00:39:07
Book 4 Trailer- The Winter Kings (1219-1348)
3/18/2024
The Story of London reaches Book 4 of the saga of the city… covering the years 1219 until 1348, and bringing to life the extraordinary tale of the city during the early Plantagenet Kings…
Duration:00:03:59
Chapter 86- “A king from their own land…” (1216-1219) (End of Book 3)
3/13/2024
The wild, violent and crazy few years were coming to a close… London stood defiant; most of the country was within the regime of it’s French Prince, and their enemy was a 9 year old boy. And yet, somehow Henry III secured the English throne and London’s part in this great usurpation attempt is forgotten about. Why? Well, in this final episode of the Third Book of the Story of London, we explain how.
Duration:00:40:28
Chapter 85- “The commune of all the realm…” (1215- 1216)
3/6/2024
The Magna Carta had left London virtually independent as a city, beholden only unto the Committee of 25 signatories of the document. But the game was not over yet, and the political skill of King John soon drove London into taking its boldest move ever… inviting a French Prince to cross the sea and come take the throne of England. As the nation descends into utter chaos, what motivated the city in these amazing few months…
Duration:00:40:26
Chapter 84- “The Barons came to London…” (1215)
3/2/2024
May 17th, 1215: the day London was taken by an armed force for the first time. This being said, powerful forces within London helped them do this, and the city was to not just be under military occupation. The Mayor of the city was staging a putsch, and by his acts, not only was the city to see a score of arrests as political opponents were rounded up… by this act the regime of King John collapsed. Presenting a fresh insight into the creation of the Magna Carta from London’s point of view.
Duration:00:40:40
Chapter 83- “…render him their slave.” (1214-1215)
2/28/2024
The story begins to examine the crucial role London was to play in the political saga that led to the Magna Carta, as King John goes from being on the verge of glory, to being cast down into the pits of weakened despair. Who was the new faction who seemed to be in charge of the city, and what was their relationship to the Barons? And how did London find itself starting a civil war…
Duration:00:42:12
Chapter 82- “The land kept silent…” (1212-1214)
2/21/2024
We return to a London in the middle of a wild few years… the Great Fire of London; the destruction of Baynard’s Castle; a plot to kill King John; an invasion by the French; three crusades and the death of the cities first Mayor, all conspire to make London in these few years, a very intense place to be.
Duration:00:48:11
Chapter 82- “The land kept silent…” (1212-1214)
2/21/2024
We return to a London in the middle of a wild few years… the Great Fire of Southwark; the destruction of Baynard’s Castle; a plot to kill King John; an invasion by the French; three crusades and the death of the cities first Mayor, all conspire to make London in these few years, a very intense place to be.
Duration:00:48:11
Chapter 81- “…all I have lost.” (1199-1211)
2/14/2024
We arrive at the first dozen years of the reign of ‘Bad King John’; and enter a decade where the principal focus of the Kingdom was the disintegration of the great Empire of Henry II. But who was John? What drove this King? And how did events in these years dictate the events to come?
Duration:00:55:19
Chapter 80- The Dancers in the Shadows (1196-1999)
2/7/2024
The story takes a moment to reflect… there has been a lot going on over the last few years, but for all the events happening elsewhere, what can we work out was going on ‘behind the scenes’ in London itself? How did economic and societal factors drive London politics; and were the actions of the oligarchs of the city driven by greed… or survival? An in depth look at trade, the relations with the crown, and the arrival of a new King.
Duration:00:51:54
Chapter 79- The Shade of William Longbeard (1196)
1/31/2024
A very special episode of the Story, as we examine the circumstances around one of London’s most overlooked but important characters; William FitzOsbert aka William Longbeard, who man who appears to have briefly almost took over the city and defied the highest powers in the land… so who was he? And what did he do? And why does his tale complete the story of the First Mayor of London? Let’s find out shall we…
Duration:01:01:12
Chapter 78- The London Stone (1192-1196)
1/24/2024
The story of the First Mayor of London continues as we cover 4 intense years of English political history; the King’s Crusade rages across the Holy Land; the King of France seeks to destroy the Angevin Empire; Prince John is endlessly trying to take the throne, and the Mayor of London is to find the city called upon to do a most ancient duty… and in the distance, something terrible was coming to the city.
Duration:00:39:51
Chapter 77- The London Podestra (1191)
1/17/2024
The story finally reaches the pivotal moment in London’s history; the arrival of the first mayor. But what exactly WAS a mayor in this era? Where had this idea come from? How did this new post in the city come about? And above all, just WHO was this first mayor and what was his remarkable background? A detailed look at this most remarkable of circumstances that changed the way the city would be run forevermore…
Duration:00:43:55
Chapter 76- The Tyranny of Lesser Men (1190)
1/10/2024
While London recovered from from the bloody massacre upon its streets, events elsewhere rapidly began to spiral out of control. The King was lumbering towards the Holy Land, ineptly making scores of enemies along the way, while in England various factions began to draw up battlelines. And London suddenly found itself at the heart of all of this… and yet, London had seemingly changed.
Duration:00:38:24