Consistently Eccentric History

As everyone is settling in for another big summer of sport, we have decided to discuss one of the first big summer events hosted in the UK, the 1908 Olympic games.Originally due to be held in Italy, a last minute change was required due to an unfortunately timed natural disaster. This allowed London to sneak in and put together a very British games in practically no time. From the eccentric stadium, to the selection of events, and even the rules, the 1908 games were designed for one purpose only; to put Britain at the top of the medal table.But would the organisers succeed? Would swimmers become accidentally impaled, and what exactly are the differences between 'British Athletics Rules' and the rules that the rest of the world follow?Guest Host: Evie Heathcote

We are back to conclude our breakdown of the eight attempts on the life of Queen Victoria during her reign. This time the motives for regicide range from Irish Nationalism to underappreciated poetry and we finally get some variation from simply trying to shoot her... which is nice.If you have not listened to part one yet, I would strongly suggest that you do so, otherwise there will be quite a few references and callbacks that will likely not make sense. Though I can appreciate it may be hard to tell if the episode seems any more chaotic than usual.Guest Host: Emma Heathcote

This week we are discussing the first four attempts on the life of Queen Victoria, which all took place during a two year span from 1840-42.While most of her subjects seemed to love the young Queen, the inequality in Britain meant that there were plenty of people who felt that life was rigged against them and at least three of these subjects had access to guns.So join us for a tale of poor marksmanship, even poorer assessments of mental health, and weird historical quirks in the first of a two part series on the people who wanted to show the establishment that they were very, very frustrated with their position in Victorian Britain.Gust Host: Emma Heathcote

It has been a long time, but we are back to the world of true crime this week with the tale of Catherine Hayes, a disgruntled wife who saw a convenient solution to all of her marital problems.... Murder.Hatching a plot alongside not one, but two lovers, Catherine figured that the bustle of London would allow her to get away with bumping off her husband. Just as long as they could quickly get rid of the evidence. After all, no body no crime, right?But even without a formal police force, would Catherine's plan succeed, would she finally get to enjoy her husband's money in the thruple of her dreams? And how exactly do you figure out who a head belongs to before photographs were a thing?Guest Host: Ollie Green

This week we are talking about one of the longest lived of all royals as part of our ongoing series focused on queen consorts of England and the UK. When little Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was born at the dawning of the 20th century it would have seemed practically impossible to her family that she would also see the beginning of the 21st, while being one of the most recognisable people in the entire country.It is a story of not following conventions and updating the image of the royal family into the recognisable state it is today, and is one of the few stories we cover where my lifetime overlaps with the subject (which amazed Evie no end.)Guest Host: Evie Heathcote

This week we are meeting Mary Willcocks, a young woman from a poor family who didn't want to accept her lot as a future housewife scraping an existence in a tiny rural village.Armed only with her own sense of self importance and a gift for making up stories, she left for London, determined to make her fortune. Free to reinvent her past she began presenting herself first as a globetrotter and then as a foreigner with a persona that drifted further and further from Britain as time passed.The end result was Princess Caraboo, member of a Javanese royal family who excited the nobility of the small village of Almondsbury.Would Mary be able to keep up her deception? What was her end game? And did she finally get to travel the world as she always wanted? We answer these questions and more.Guest Host: Emma Heathcote

This week we are heading Stateside with a young Welshman who was determined to prove that the continent had been discovered by a Welsh Prince. Convinced that somewhere in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains was a Tribe of Welsh native Americans, John Smith headed out into the wilds with only the clothes on his back and less than two dollars in his pocket. Did he find the tribe? Did he even survive? And what legacy did his adventures leave. Join us to find out.Guest Host: Pamela Lotterle (who you can find on instagram: @porters_rest) a fellow history buff.# Apologies for the sound quality on the episode, we hope the story more than makes up for it #

Deciding what to do with your retirement is always difficult. But for Arthur English an advertisement from Canada provided him with a chance to fulfil a lifelong dream at the age of 48.That lifelong dream was to become an executioner. Donning a fake name and a sharp suit he became the go to guy for hanging prisoners throughout the 1910s and roaring 20s. But would even a former soldier be able to cope with such a stressful job into his old age? It was all likely to be fine, just so long as his wife didn't find out what he was actually doing on his trips away...Guest host: Ollie Green

This week we are discussing a woman who broke multiple glass ceilings in the world of Victorian Science.The daughter of a Jewish Watchmaker, Phoebe Marks couldn't have expected to climb too far socially, however her intelligence, tenacity (and the fact that her aunts just so happened to run a school) allowed her to pursue her love of science and mathematics all the way to Cambridge university.An inventor, a suffragette, and a woman responsible for saving countless thousands of lives on the front lines of WWI. Hertha was a force to be reckoned with no matter what she turned her mind to.Guest Host: Evie Heathcote