Ladies Who London

A week late to Trans Visibility Day, but that is on brand for us! This week's episode is all about the Chevalier d'Eon, spy to King Louis XV, and all round enigma! Were they trans? They lived as both man and woman in both France and England over many years. What weird stipulation did the King make in a deal with the Chevalier and why? We delve into this story, surrounded by myth and mystery to try and figure out what is what from the story of this fascinating person. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is time. We've been threatening it for a year, so let's get down and dirty with the City of London livery companies! I know, I know, it's hard to contain your excitement. Fiona gets into an A-Z of livery companies, everything you never knew you wanted to know, and we find out why the loving cup is a thing, whether the Upholders really make bras, and why oh why is a demi-virgin so named. All the chat with all* the stats *some of the stats, most of it inaccurate. WELCOME! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's us, but different! We come to you LIVE, recorded last week at the Wanstead tap in east London. There are few audio teething issues at the start, but bear with, as it does come together! We had the great pleasure of talking to the lovely Leo Hollis, author of Inheritance - the tragedy of Mary Davies, and what a story it is! A little-discussed but very influential woman, Mary inherited swathes of London which would later become Mayfair, and then nearly lost it all after an event that took place in a hotel in Paris became the subject of a court case, amidst stories of duplicity, co-ersion and unscrupulous people in her inner circle. To find out more, join us to listen! Copies of Leo's books can be found at your local bookshop - it is well worth a read. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

TRIGGER WARNING - contains themes of murder and violence against women. It's the return of Katie from Look Up London! Twice in one month, aren't we lucky?! Katie joins us to talk about some of the women involved in the famous case of the 19thC serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. But we are not focusing on him and his action. We are focusing on the women - who were they? What are their stories? Is everything we think we know about them entirely accurate? Katie is here to dispel some myths and give the women the recognition they deserve. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're on site this week at the new, fantastic exhibition of Women of the RNLI at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the RNLI. We talk to former Tower lifeboat station manager Janet, archivist Hayley Whiting, and photographer Jack Lowe about his amazing project to photograph every single lifeboat station in the UK. Join us as we find out more about this wonderful institution and Jack's fascinating project. The exhibition was curated by Royal Museums Greenwich’s Laura Boon, Lloyd's Register Foundation Senior Curator: Contemporary Maritime and Aimee Mook, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Maritime Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's International Women's Day! So we have invited back one of our regular guests, Katie Wignall, to help us talk about 3 fabulous London women. Bella Burge - boxing impresario Mary Somerville - the first scientist Ada Coleman - one of the best bartenders who ever lived. And it wouldn't be us without having a competition about who is the best! Take a look at our socials to have your say. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the first of your podcast picks, and the winner was Elizabeth Fry, the angel of Newgate. Shocked by the abject conditions she found in the most notorious of prisons, Newgate, she put her whole life on hold to try and improve the situation for the women imprisoned there. If she could make even one person's experience better, then it would be worth it. She achieved that, and so much more. Come with us as we delve into this woman's fascinating life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Londoners will tell you that London Bridge was once sold to a man who thought he was buying Tower Bridge. That man was Robert Paxton McCulloch, who in 1964 bought London Bridge and had it shipped to Arizona. But did he really think he was buying Tower Bridge, or is that just a fantastical myth spun for a bit of a laugh? This week we delve into the story of how one of London's most famous landmarks ended up across the sea in the United States, what record it set when it went there, and why - WHY - was it even sold in the first place? Find out this week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well gang, we've been threatening this one for a while. And you know what happens when we threaten a topic? Yes, we get round to it after about 3 years. Don't say we never treat you. This week we are FINALLY getting round to chatting all things Great Exhibition. From Tempest Prognosticators to naked statues in tents, huge chunks of gold and coal, and a glass atrium that welcomed 6 million people over the course of 6 months, there's a lot of stuff to chat about. Plus we find out how it impacted London in the ensuing years. Strap in, lads, it's going to get exciting! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

LONDON IS BEING INVADED BY DRAGONS! Well, they mostly have been here for a while, and almost all of them are made of stone, but let's not let that get in the way of a good headline. Fiona's off on the hunt of some of London's most fearsome dragons this week, with a sprinkling of St George, a dash of Chinese New Year, and a boundary marker or two for good measure. How many can you spot around London? Dedicated to Fraggle, the bestest dragon there ever was. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inspired by Emily's episode from last week, Alex is going back to an old favourite, the story of Dorothy Lawrence, the woman who, in WW1, set off to war-torn France armed with nothing but a notebook and a bicycle. Her aim? To get to the front and be the only female war correspondent, and jump start her journalism career. Will she make it? Come and find out! TRIGGER WARNING - some discussion of sexual abuse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our guest this week is the lovely Emily Laurence Baker, fellow Blue Badge Tourist Guide and champion of women's history. So it is only right that we get her to talk about one of her favourite women, Kit Cavanagh. Kit was one of those women we love - fearless and determined, who decides to go incognito into a man's world! When her husband disappears, she decides to enlist in the army - disguised as a man of course - to go off and find him. Will she find him? And if she does, what then? Will she be discovered? So many questions! Find out the answers on this week's episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WARNING - discussion of the Georgian sex trade in this episode The marvellous Moll King is the subject of this week's episode - a wonderful businesswoman in the 1700s, who skirted the line of the law with loopholes and cunning. From growing up in Covent Garden and learning the lay of the land, Moll met her husband Tom King, and together they established one of the most famous - and infamous - watering holes on Covent Garden piazza. We find out how this enterprising woman skirted around the edge of the Georgian sex trade, and how she survived despite her husband's early death. Come and find out all about this legend of Georgian London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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London calling! Have you even visited London if you haven't stood in a queue to have your photo taken in a classic red heritage phone box? This week we chat all things phones - from the first phone call made, to where you can find little cherubs on the phone on some London buildings! Why are phone boxes red? What exactly IS a K2? And how can you spot them and tell them apart from other types? We answer all your London-based phone questions on this week's episode. Enjoy! Get in touch! - ladieswholondon@gmail.com Check out the show notes - https://www.ladieswholondon.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy New Year! We are starting the year off strong with the tale of a London eccentric, William Reginald Bray. Known as the 'postal prankster', Bray took it upon himself to test the (then) newly formed postal service by sending ever wackier things through the post, culminating in having himself delivered by the postman! It is a story almost too mad to be true, but we have the photos and the postcards to prove it! Over his lifetime he sent thousands of items, and requested somewhere in the region of 36,000 autographs through the post. There are a few notable people who turned him down...including one who is probably for the best. Find out all about him on this week's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Christmas, folks! It's time to open up the grotto again for this year and welcome back one of the friends of the pod, Mr Lee Ingleby. We take a look at some festive traditions, and where they all come from. Dead birds and hares on bicycles, anyone?! See you in 2024! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Picture this - you are dug into the trenches in France during WW1, and suddenly a red double decker with a Tetley's tea advert trundles past. OK, we are being dramatic, but a large number of Transport for London's buses and drivers were shipped over to the continent during WW1. What happened to them? Did they come home?! And what happened in London in the absence of all these essential parts of London's infrastructure? Who will step into this role? Fiona takes on the mantle this week talking all about this little discussed part of the war effort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are joined by a friend of the pod this week, our tame black cab driver, Ollie, for a deep dive into the iconic mode of London transport. We're going to rewind further than you might think to get to the origins of the hackney carriage, the little black cabs with their orange light punctuating the dark nights. Hop in, let's get going! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fleming?! Pah! Behind every famous man is a team who made it work - this is the amazing story of how that team took Fleming's discovery of penicillin to the people. While Fleming discovered it, the development and production of what was hailed as a miracle drug is a much more interesting story than you would think. It's wartime England, and in a lab in Oxford university a team of scientists have made an amazing development of how to isolate and use the penicillin that Fleming discovered. But how are they going to produce this miracle drug in enough quantities to help? Find out the story of ingenuity and creativity that changed the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's spooky season, so we have to give you a good ghost story, don't we? And it's a right royal rumpus, this one, as we head to St James' Palace. Enter the troublesome Duke of Cumberland, who - despite getting himself embroiled into many a scandal - was haunted his whole life by what happened to his valet, Joseph Sellis. As the Duke returned at night to the safety of St James' palace, an attacker lay in wait for him, and set off a chain of events that would end is a truly gruesome way. Find us on Instagram @ladieswholondonpodcast or email us on ladieswholondon@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tart Hall - a cheeky little spot on a map opens the key to a very interesting person... Fiona has gone off at a tangent this week after checking some blog images for the last episode - and oh my goodness, she has unearthed a whole family chest of exciting characters and more skulduggery. First stop on a multiepisode tour of one famous family, perhaps? Keep your eyes peeled... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever dreamed about stealing the Queen's underwear?! No, us neither, but we know someone who did just that. Come and enjoy the story of a plucky urchin known as the Boy Jones, who around the age of 14-16 broke into Buckingham Palace on several occasions and spent days...DAYS!...exploring and spying on Queen Victoria! Who was he, why did he do this, and how did it all end up?! Find out on this week's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're back! Hello team, we've missed you! We're starting back with a bang, and we are off to Piccadilly. Central London, the hustle and bustle, a tourist's playground. Beneath the shiny shops and West End's twinkling lights, there's a lot more going on, and history lurks around every corner. Fiona chats to Midge Gillies, who is the author of a new book all about Piccadilly. Who better than to unearth some of the West End's secrets and dig beneath the busy meeting spot that you think you know. We will be back fortnightly for the next couple of months as the dust settles on a very eventful year. But we are back, and we can't wait to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A little bit of news from the pod - a short hiatus Alex and Fiona are taking a couple of weeks to regroup, but we will be back in August! See you soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the 1700s, and theatre is all the rage, kids. One of the biggest stars of the era was the phenomenally successful Sarah Siddons. How did Hollywood bring her back to prominence in the 20th century in a really strange way? Fiona takes a look at one of the hugest name in London's theatre, and also tracks down her statue hidden in 2 rather intriguing spots - both hard to find, but well worth the hunt. Visit the podcast notes here   for more information on this week’s episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We rise at dawn! It's the showdown of the two big names in recipe book development - one well known and celebrated, and one overlooked and forgotten. How did that happen? Get your oven mitts at the ready, rolling pins in hand, let's go. This week's episode is a listener request (thanks Despa!) and we take a look at the two women who were instrumental in creating the ubiquitous cookbook that we take for granted daily. Why is one woman known and the other not? Could there be (wait for it...) BEEF?! (sorry!) Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com/post/battle-of-the-bakers-eliza-acton-mrs-beeton  for more information on this week’s episode as well as instructions on how to make your own long eggs. Whaaat?! Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A cheeky little mid-week bonus for you, gang - we revisit the match girls with a descendent of one of the major players in the match girls strike! Find out more on the website - https://www.matchgirls1888.org/home Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the middle of a Victorian artistic revolution comes Evelyn de Morgan, breaking rules and expectations as she goes. A pre-raphaelite artist, Evelyn took the rules of the movement and bent them to her own unique style. Evelyn was a woman who trod her own path, and really went where others hadn't yet gone. She's the subject of a stunning exhibition at the wonderful Leighton House, and on this week's episode we talk to curator Sarah Hardy about why Evelyn really should be better known. It's a fantastic chat, don't miss it! Visit the website here  for more information on this week’s episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do you do if you first and second treasonous plots are foiled? No matter - go for a third, but this time, make it a doozy.  We're back on a treasonous footing this week - it's a theme! We are heading to the Tower of London to find out about one of the most audacious plots in English history - Colonel Blood's attempt to steal the crown jewels from one of the most highly guarded and secure places in the world. No biggie. We find out why Blood is not to be trusted at any time, and how sheer coincidence took a hold in this plot, plus how on earth are you going to convince the King not to punish you? Find out on this week's episode. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for more information on this week’s episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a small hayloft in Marylebone, a daring plot was formed. This plot was so audacious and terrifying that it could never really happen. Could it? Against a backdrop of feverish political unrest and suppression of radical thought in 1820, a group of men intent on reform decide to take matters into their own hands. What they are planning to do is unthinkable, but - to them - necessary. The idea - murder the entire Cabinet and tip the country into revolution. Is fate on their side? How are they going to achieve their aim? Join us this week to talk about the Cato Street Conspiracy. Visit the show notes  for supporting images on this week’s episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Fiona's week to chat about one of her guide crushes, the polymath Robert Hooke. Is he everything he is cracked up to be? Or is there trouble afoot? We delve into one of the lesser known contemporaries of Christopher Wren, and find out why he is overlooked more often than not. Why does he not get the headlines that Wren does? And why do we need to proceed with caution on his story? Find out in this week's episode. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com/post/ep-139-dr-robert-hooke  for more information on this week’s episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mid-may sees the anniversary of the downfall one of the most famous queens of England - Anne Boleyn. 2nd wife to Henry VIII, the story of her fall from grace is as shocking now as then. Accompanied by our guest Phillippa from British History Tours, we take a look at the details of this tragic execution - the speed at which it happened, the machinations and pre-judgement, and what may and may not be true from the story of her end. Join us to find out more. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com/  for more information about the podcast. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're joined this week by the lovely Adam Scott-Goulding, otherwise known as the Music Man for a romp around London's musical legacies. From the rock n roll of Soho to the classical Kensington, Adam joins us to talk a bit about why London is such a hub for music. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com/  for more information on this week’s episode. Find Adam at https://www.instagram.com/adamlondonguide/  Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oooh, it's an epic one this week, gang. Get comfy, go on a longer walk than usual, hydrate - we are going to get through it together! We are barrelling towards the coronation, so Fiona and Alex are taking the opportunity to demystify it for you. What do all the robes and bits and pieces mean? Who is doing what and why? Take a listen, and then use it to impress your friends and family on the day! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for more information on this week’s episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's prise open the lid on the royal treasure chest for the first of our coronation specials, with guest Viv Haxby, making her bling predictions! Viv is our resident royal watcher, and she avidly follows the private jewels, their meaning and when they are worn and by whom. This week she will talk us through her predictions on who will wear what and why, ahead of the coronation in about 10 days time. Why will some pieces be rejected, and others changed? Is this really the reduse reuse recycle coronation?! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com/post/ep-135-royal-bling-coronation-predictions  for images and supporting information on this week’s episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's up, up and away this week with one of aviation's most famous pioneers, the record breaking Amy Johnson. Her death is shrouded in mystery but her legacy is impressive and enduring. Travel with us from Hull to Cricklewood, then on to Australia, Moscow and the south coast of England as we trace the footsteps of Amy Johnson. Along the way we will meet her great love, Jason, as well as her husband Jim (!) and we will wave a fond goodbye to her over the seas of Kent. Come and discover this fascinating woman. Visit the show notes here for more photos and videos to see Amy and hear her voice as she arrives in Australia. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the 17thC, and rogues and thieves are rife in London. None as famed or as intriguing as Moll Cutpurse, a legend among women for her law-breaking ways, scandalous pursuits, and unique character.  From a young life of crime, Moll quickly became the stuff of legends. It is almost as though she herself could never live up to the many and varied stories about her - from dressing in men's clothes and smoking a pipe, to appearing on stage full of swear words and lascivious chat, to being a 'fence' and a business owner who teetered on the edge of the law. Moll - or Mary - is one of those rare characters who will stay in your mind as a true one-of-a-kind, and her story is a fantastic one. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for more information on this week’s episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Art galore today as Fiona ( going solo, eek!) chats to Liz Scott, curator of the Big City Exhibition at the Guildhall Art Gallery, and, featured artist, David Hepher. The good folk at the gallery have had a rummage and put some of their biggest works on display in this fabulous exhibition devoted to large depictions of London and Londoners. Be they the grand guests of Queen Elizabeth's coronation lunch, or the person crossing the road near the Barbican. Or perhaps they live, just out of sight, behind the windows of one of David Hepher's mighty tower blocks. Plus we discover what it's like to run a gallery with an ancient monument in the basement. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for more information on this week’s episode. If you have comments or questions, please do get in touch: Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website -Fiona Lukas - Guide London Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex and Fiona go outdoors to bring you all the action from the City of London's Shrove Tuesday event - The Inter Livery Pancake race. We mingle with the crowds and the participants at the annual contest, in which teams from Livery Companies race up and down the Guildhall yard clutching frying pans and hats, tossing pancakes as they go. And then have lunch. Some folks were taking it all very seriously, some were mostly there for the lunch. And, like many City of London events, it was all in a very good cause. And there were pancakes! Lemon and sugar please, very traditional. It lived up to our expectations, being noisy, lively, extremely friendly, and just a little bit bonkers. A huge thank you to everyone who chatted to us on the day. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for more information on this week’s episode. If you have comments or questions, please do get in touch: Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website -Fiona Lukas - Guide London Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the heart of Covent Garden was a WW1 endeavour by some formidable women who wouldn't take no for an answer. Meet Flora Murray and Louisa Garrett Anderson, pioneers of opportunities for female doctors at the start of the 1900s. During WW1 they took the initiative to create a war hospital staffed almost exclusively by women, which was eye opening for the men being treated there as they came back from the front. We are joined by the lovely Katie Wignall of Look Up London, who talks us through the amazing stories behind this largely forgotten institution in the heart of one of London's most visited areas. You can find Katie here - https://www.lookup.london for her website and great blog, and on instagram as @look_uplondon Visit the website for the show notes and pictures to support this week’s episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's new co-host time! Come and welcome our new Lady Who Londons into out little podcasting family! Join me - Alex - and for her first time in an official capacity, Fiona Lukas! We still miss Emily, and Fiona has big boots to fill, but we are starting out strongly with a look at the curious and bonkers world of theatre licensing, or 'when they banned the boob' (and other less obvious stuff!) How does the Lord Chamberlain (of all people!) link into what happens on London's famous stages? Find out here in Fiona's first OFFICIAL co-host episode! Woo hoo! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for more information on this week’s episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Fiona’s guiding website - https://britainsbestguides.org/guides/fiona-lukas/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come check out Dick - was he everything we were led to believe?! Thrice Lord Mayor of London? Surely not... We talk about Dick Whittington in pantomimes and stories, and we think we know him. How much of it is true? Join me and my guest Simon Whitehouse to find out if any of it is accurate! Find Simon - on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bluebadgesimon Although good luck ever getting him to respond to you!! He's so busy! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for more information. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do the east Londoners do when bombs are falling? Well, they read, of course. We welcome author Kate Thompson to the podcast to talk all about the secret library made by enterprising Londoners. We find out who they were (bring on Minxie, Pat and Mrs Chumbley!) and how the library came to be. Kate interviewed some of the people who were involved in the library and Bethnal Green tube station, and has created their stories into her new book, The Little Wartime Library. You can find Kate; Website Instagram Twitter In the UK - you can buy her book from an independent bookshop here. In the US - you can buy her book from Barnes & Noble here You can see photos of the tube station and some of the people mentioned at our website by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's talk about the London we don't see - Saxon London. Why? It's all gone! Or has it? What did the Saxons ever do for us? Except city planning, roads, governance, knightly endeavours, urbexing and so on...  there's a riot of stuff happening in sexy* Saxon London, and we're here to figure out what that was. Find out more with this week's guest, fellow Blue Badge Guide Fiona Lukas *cannot prove it was sexy, soz. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for more information. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Alex’s guiding website - www.alexlacey.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joined by Beverley Cook of the Museum of London, we delve into the long, murky, often intriguing history of executions in London. Enter at your peril! As ever, we look at the people, places and events that surround the executions, and see how they became a public fixture in London's calendar. Brits are an enterprising bunch, and that is no different here, with people making money from the spectacle and pageantry of an execution day. Why were executioners allowed to keep the rope? Who was Mother Proctor and how did she make a living? How did one man become synonymous with the parades from Newgate to Tyburn? Plus we meet some old friends along the way, like Jack Sheppard, jail-breaker extraordinaire. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for more information. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been a while since we looked at A MAN on the podcast, so let's take a look at the ugliest man in England, member of one of the (supposedly) raunchiest clubs, and revolutionary reformer. John Wilkes was both a champion of liberty and a much hated politician - usually from within his own government! But what brought him there, and what was this mysterious Hellfire club that he belonged to? Hold on to your hats, we're getting down and dirty with John Wilkes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Journey with me back to the stews and brothels of medieval Southwark, where the church rules the roost, and the geese enjoy their protection. But what happens when the geese are no longer needed? You guessed it - the bishops turn their backs. It's the first episode since Emily left, so Alex is at the helm all on her own, taking you to one of her favourite stomping grounds to discover exactly who the Winchester Geese were. Why are the Bishops of Winchester even tarting around in London?! What are the Hoods of Ray, and why did they have to wear them? And what does this curious graveyard have to do with the Bishops and the Geese? Let's go on a journey of dubious morals and nefarious goings-on in medieval Southwark, and the modern day remembrance of the women who worked here. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com to find out more about the podcast. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.alexlacey.com where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time. None of us are ready, but it's happening. Emily is heading away, so join us for a one-off episode to say farewell to our favourite Lady Who Londons. NB - if this is your first time of joining us, maybe don't start with this episode!! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Also come and join Emily at www.instagram.com/artspoken.uk Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emily takes a look at her favourite Turbine Hall installations in her penultimate episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A rare royal for us, we are taking a look at the exciting, unusual, sexy Queen Caroline - how she broke the mould and shaped her own future. Left in a pretty sorry state by her parents, Caroline needed to think smart to escape. Fiercely intelligent, savvy and ambitious, her life reads like a soap opera, with family feuds, peacekeeping and very exciting friendships with some of the most interesting members of society. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com  Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Octavia Hill is one of the heroes of Victorian philanthropy, with a legacy that is huge even today. Find out why you will have heard of her achievements in the modern day, and explore her history with us. Plus there is big news on the podcast, with changes ahead. What's happening? Find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get your Dickens out, it's time to get Christmassy! Welcome to our little grotto, curl up by the fire and welcome this week's guest, Simon Whitehouse. Find out more about The Man That Made Christmas, and why we associate him so heavily with the festive period. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can you imagine London being underwater? Well that's pretty much what happened in the shocking flood of 1928. After a freezing December, London was overwhelmed with water, flooding huge swathes of the city and famous landmarks like the Tower of London, and forcing the government to think of ways to protect London from high tides. How did London deal with this flood? What was the legacy of the flood and clean-up operation? Find out more here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Move aside MayFair, there's a better fair in town, with blindfolded pigs, wife selling, and glass wigs, oh my! Enjoy 700 years of history of one of the greatest fairs in London's history, which started with a cloth market and grew over centuries. Which famous execution fits into the fair's history? How does a ghostly monk feature? And what exactly is a Pie-powder? Find out on this week's episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Wellcome! The medicine man will see you now, and will probably show you something interesting too… Grab your tabloids (eh?!) and buckle up for some weird and wonderful medical stuff. Where did Henry Wellcome come from? What is his lasting and very famous legacy? Find out on this week’s podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Travel with us to 19thC Old Nichol slum, to meet the inhabitants, and find out who Dicky Perrott is, and why he helped bring about huge changes in the area. Emily and Alex are off to visit one of the most dangerous places in East London in the 19thC, and find out what it was like and how changes came about through the publication of a crucial book. What will happen to poor Dicky Perrott?! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com  Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When history gets weird - what exactly did a whipping boy do? Was a tosher really a job? And what was a necessary woman? This week as Emily is indisposed, Alex is joined by Fiona Lukas again, who brings her own lovely brand of random information to our pod. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are ragged schools, and who were they for? How did the help the poor of London, and what exactly is a Blue Coat School? This one is a listener request, so let's delve into the murky world of abjectly poor London of the 18th and 19th centuries and go back to school! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com  Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Halloween week! And we are going back in for the grisly stuff - from photographic evidence to royal skulduggery. Emily picks up some pictures to see where ghosts have been spotted in London, and Alex goes for one of the grisliest murders in a royal palace, with the intrigue and conspiracy theories that went along with it. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com  Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's head to sexy, subversive Soho, where toffs rub shoulders with ne'er do wells, and Kate Meyrick comes to fame in the darker corners of the area.  Please excuse the bad audio this week - Emily's internet is still rubbish, and Alex is away in the sticks, so it's a bit of a weird format this week! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here's a weird one, a prank which made 54 Berner's street the most talked about address in London...for one day only! Our mischief maker is the cheeky Theodore Hook, whose antics created a stir for a very short few hours, but whose laughter will have continued for many years. Find out how he pulled off an audacious hoax, and what exactly he did to become this renowned! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for more info Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come with us on a little stroll through Kew Gardens to the world's smallest palace, a little place with a big history. Emily is back her her favourite place this week, a garden! But we're going rummaging through the undergrowth to find a picture perfect palace, which was home to King George III amongst others. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com to find out more Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where magic meets medicine, Great Ormond Street has links to two renowned authors, but for very different reasons. We trace the history of the first dedicated children's hospital in the English speaking world, and find out how one little boy will have an impact on the hospital forever. Yet another 4 month old boy had a very different impact on the hospital and one particular treatment - we find out more on this week's episode. Plus, we meet Alex's dad, and find out more about his role as Gentleman Usher to the monarch and his role in the royal funeral recently. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com  Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you solve a deadly problem when you don't know what the cause is? Enter John Snow, a radical thinker with the solution...This week we are in dirty, gritty 19thC Soho, looking at a famously deadly cholera epidemic, and the solution that came from a doctor who nobody believed. How did he prove it? How was it received? Find out more here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Found in the forests in Germany living wild, Peter the Wild Boy was a popular curio at the royal court. Who was he, and what happened to him when he was brought to the UK? This week's story is a but tragic, but with a slightly happier ending. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for more information Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where do lion tamers go when their animals get the better of them? Into one of the Magnificent Seven! Come find out about Frank Bostock, the famous lion tamer and the beautiful Abney Park cemetery where he ended up. Ever heard about the chimp who travelled in first class?! Now you have! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to find out about the podcast Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nobody puts Millicent in the corner...because she will come out fighting! This week we look at Millicent Garrett Fawcett, just one of 10 children born into a radically thinking family, and Millicent is one of the headline children. Aged 17, she travelled to London to watch something happen that would light a fire in her belly, and set her on course to be one of this country's greatest campaigners, with a legacy almost unrivalled. Join us to find out more! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're going all modern and arty this week as we look at the best, the worst, and the maddest of the 4th plinth project installations. Find out more about a horse skeleton, what the inside of the plinth looks like, a hotel for birds, a human pigeon, and the newest one to grace the plinth. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the chaotic 100th episode! Wahoo! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the seemingly ordinary if impressive Wimbledon champion, to a historic, heroic WW2 jail break, this week we look at the fascinating and completely unexpected story of Jean Borotra, one of France's most famous tennis players. Don't worry, it's not all tennis - the story takes a much more unusual turn during WW2. Last chance for our 100th episode next week! Sign up to get the link here - https://www.ladieswholondon.com/event-details/100th-episode-live-recording Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's a woman to do when Romans run rampage through your tribe? Only one thing for it - a bloody rampage, burning everything to the ground. Join us to discover the story of the legendary warrior queen Bouddicca, including the possibility of where she might be buried...or is she? Don't forget to sign up for our 100th episode live zoom recording! Get your link to join us here - https://www.ladieswholondon.com/event-details/100th-episode-live-recording Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How London fell to the panic and fear of a group of criminals who had new and more effective ways of robbing and mugging the city folks. But was the panic all it was cracked up to be? And how did the locals try to protect themselves? This week, join us for one of the maddest periods of group panic in the capital. DON'T MISS OUR LIVE 100TH EPISODE! 15th August, sign up for free here; https://www.ladieswholondon.com Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Take a trip with us to Battersea Power Station, once a part of London's infrastructure, now a moneyed retreat for the wealthy, and all the turmoil in between! From a new structure in the early 1900s which invited criticism and protest, it became a huge part of London's modern landscape, and has featured in everything from Hollywood movies to rock album covers. It is finding a new life as a rather pricey part of London's real estate, so we thought it about time we took at look at the stories behind it. DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP TO OUR LIVE 100th EPISODE RECORDING! Free tickets are on our website www.ladieswholondon.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Women dressed in furs and dripping with diamonds arrive...and then you're in trouble. This week we look at the Forty Elephants, a group of women who enjoyed luxury and decadence, but who were not all that they seemed. This group was around from the 1870s for nearly 100 years, and what they got up to would make your hair curl - much like Maggie 'Babyface' Hughes, whose curly hair and small stature made her seem adorable and harmless. SPOILER - don't make that mistake! REMINDER - our live zoom recording is on the 15th August at 7pm BST - head to https://www.ladieswholondon.com to register for the link to join us! Places limited, so get in quick! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nestled along the river Thames in Richmond is a little house with a big history. Sweet nothings whispered in gardens before political downfalls. Welcome to Ham House Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bring the tissues - it's a weepy one this week. Meet Thomas Coram and his foundling hospital for abandoned babies - yeah, it's a heartbreaker. We find out about the home for abandoned children set up by Coram on his return from sea, and the 25,000 children the home helped over 2 centuries. We look at what brought a mother to leave her child at the home, and what that meant for the children left there. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wondered what happened to the beautiful Crystal Palace? Us too! Let's find out where it went. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Barry was a surgeon with a big secret. Fitting in nicely with Pride month, we take a look at Barry, and what exactly he was hiding. As a military surgeon he rose through the ranks to one of the top surgeons in the army. He made friends and enemies along the way with his foul temper and rude ways of speaking to people, ,but could this have been a defence mechanism? Beneath the gruff exterior was a secret that - at the time - would have been truly shocking. Come and find out what it was. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come a-sailing with us and Sir Frankie Drake as we head out onto the high seas for piracy, mayhem and knighthoods. Your hosts this week are slightly the worse for wear, but we've powered through to bring you this tale of top dog Frankie D. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Things don't always go to plan at the top - we take a look at some of the weird and wonderful things that have happened at coronations! From sleeping kings to tiny queens, rolling lords and backwards crowns, it's not always plain sailing during the big dates in a monarch's reign. Let's dive in and see what's happened... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The second part of the Koh-i-noor diamond story, Duleep Singh's daughter Sophia is up next, as a warrior princess who was part of huge change, and made powerful enemies. Growing up in a place of privilege as Queen Victoria's goddaughter, she eventually rebelled against the system to bring the women's suffrage to the fore...including using her own home at Hampton Court Palace as a tool! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wouldn't you love to live in Biscuit Town? We peek at Peek Frean and find out why they were so important in Bermondsey. From custard creams to twiglets, joy slides to christmas puddings, come along for the ride! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All good things come to those who wait - and we are a day delayed with the pod. We have been slammed with work, so we will release the podcast tomorrow instead. Apologies team, chat amongst yourselves, we will be back tomorrow! Al & Em.x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a gory scandal isn't enough, what are you to do, except hold parties on the bodies of the dead? This is what we get from the Enon Chapel Scandal, which was brought to light in 1839 and shocked the public to its core. It didn't shock them enough, however, to close it down - in fact, they went one (quick)step further. Find out the details of this sorry tale on this week's episode. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we take a dive into the crazy world of the Tudor table, and their unusual habits. When what you eat is a smorgasbord of crazy stuff and your table is groaning with sugary delights, how do you keep the devil off your shoulder? Don't worry, we have you covered. We take a look at banquets and peacocks, pots made of sugar and roasted swan. Strap in, folks, we've got the lowdown on dinner plans. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com/post/you-are-what-you-eat-the-tudors for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When is an aquarium not an aquarium? When it's in London and it's got no fish. Hear the story of one of London's shortest lived but grandest entertainment centres. We check out the Royal Aquarium, which, despite the name, never really had any fish. Unless you count a dead whale...? Hear tales of epic dives, strange swimming, strong women and acrobats. All under one roof! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where do you go if you want to eat wafer thin beef, watch fireworks, listen to Handel and visit brothels all in one place? We've got you. Come with us to Vauxhall. Georgian London explodes into huge pleasure gardens where anything and everything went on. Want to go out in public just wearing a thin chiffon scarf? No worries. Want to hold up beef so thin they were like underpants? Who doesn't?! Want to stroll through gardens lit with eye popping lights after dark? Yeah, same. Come to Vauxhall. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you summer body ready? I hope not - that's the off season for bodysnatching... this week we talk about the grisly but intriguing business of bodysnatching. Who was involved? How was it done? What did the public think of it? And how did John Bishop and James May feature in this weird, mysterious world? TW - talk about death and human remains Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A cinematic trailblazer, Jill Craigie was one of the foremost female directors in the UK, with a unique look at London life. We find out what took her into the film industry, why she was so important, and how a high profile marriage affected her career. Plus we chat to Emily from 'It's Not That Boring' who runs a platform supporting and promoting women in film. You can find her platform at www.itsnotthatboring.com Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com/post/behind-the-lens-with-jill-craigie for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How a drag court case created a tabloid storm in Victorian London, we find out about Thomas Boulton and Frederick Park, who were unceremoniously hauled before a jury after being arrested while out at the theatre in women's clothing. However, this was not the charge they were put on trial for. The actual charge was much more serious, although without evidence to prove their supposed crime. What happened, who were they, and how did their case change the law... A NOTE / TW - we talk about the law of sodomy, or the act of being gay, and some of the discrimination around it. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the foremost artists of the 20thC, we take a look at Dame Barbara Hepworth. Emily takes us on a trot through the life and work of the wonderful artist who is linked to both London and St Ives, and we find out what inspired her art, and where in London you can find her work. We find out where you can take a little break from the hustle and bustle and lose yourself in her art for a short time. Visit www.ladieswholondon.com/post/piercing-holes-dame-barbara-hepworth for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're delighted to welcome Lara Maiklem to the podcast this week - bestselling author and mudlarker Lara comes to chat to us about mudlarking and her love for London's history. We chat about some of the most exciting obects that Lara has found on the Thames foreshore, as well as finding out an exciting update on one of her more intriguing and headline grabbing finds! You can follow Lara on social media @londonmudlark or @london.mudlark on instagram Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com/post/delving-deep-with-mudlarker-lara-maiklem for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heading back to the 1600s, we take a look at the intriguing, mysterious Aphra Benn, the first female English professional writer with an extra little secret to her story. We find out what makes her so interesting, why it is we know so little about her life, and how a stint in the Netherlands ended her up in a bit of hot water! Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come up to the top of the hill and find out all about the people's palace, Ally Pally. Up up and away! From huge balloons to Laurence of Arabia, fireworks and fires (oops), Alexandra Palace is the hilltop palace that has always belonged to the community. Find out more in this episode. Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com/post/alexandra-palace for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's episode we chat to Siddy Holloway, presenter of Secrets of the London Underground about the abandoned tube station used as a WW2 bunker, Down Street. She gives us some fascinating facts about the abandoned underground sites, and how Churchill made a very specific request for the development of the station Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All welcome to peek behind the curtain of one of London's most secretive gay clubs, the 1930s 'Caravan Club'. We take you off for a bit of LGBTQ history, as we travel back in time to the 1930s, where it was illegal to be gay in the UK. We invite you to join us in one of the most infamous, secretive gay clubs - will it be raided? Will it stay secret? And most importantly, will Cyril ever get his man?? Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com/post/the-caravan-club-a-sink-of-iniquity-in-gay-london for the show notes to this episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A secret 19thC operating theatre hidden in the attic of an old church, and the women who braved the surgeon's knife. This week Emily and Alex are on site at the Old Operating Theatre in London Bridge, taking a look at the fascinating history of this place of hope and fear, as women were operated on before anaesthesia or antiseptic. How long would a surgeon take to amputate a limb, how would that happen, and just how many people would be crammed in to the theatre to watch. We chat to Monica Walker from the museum, and you can find out more and visit at www.oldoperatingtheatre.com Visit https://www.ladieswholondon.com/post/the-old-operating-theatre for the show notes to each episode. Get in touch! Instagram; @ladieswholondonpodcast Email; ladieswholondon@gmail.com Websites; www.ladieswholondon.com www.guideemily.com and www.alexlacey.com/podcast where you can also book for our virtual and real life walking tours. Thanks to Susie Riddell for our voiceover jingles www.susieriddell.com and our jinglemeister Ben Morales Frost, can be found on www.benfrostmusic.com See you next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices