Episodios

  • Hannah Hauxwell: Britain's First Reality Star

    Hannah Hauxwell: Britain's First Reality Star

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    Running a remote Yorkshire farm, with no flushing toilet and no electricity is an unlikely route to TV stardom, but 46 year-old spinster Hannah Hauxwell managed it on 30th January, 1973, when ITV aired the landmark documentary ‘Too Long A Winter’.Speaking lyrically about her singlehood, how she braved the bitter Winter, and how she survived on a grocery budget of just £5 per month, Hauxwell’s story inspired thousands of viewers to send her food parcels and arrange for her homestead to be modernised. In a series of follow-up films, Hauxwell travelled to America, met the Pope and Queen Mother, and became arguably the UK’s first ‘reality TV star’.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Hauxwell came to be featured on the programme that made her name; revel in an era where it was possible to be a TV personality without ever having even seen a television; and wonder if such a career trajectory would be possible today… Further Reading:• ‘Hannah Hauxwell: the lasting legacy of the daughter of the Yorkshire Dales’ (Yorkshire Post): https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/interactive/hannah-hauxwell-yorkshire-dales-legacy• ‘Hannah Hauxwell: 'She didn't ask to be filmed, but her natural personality made her a star' (The Northern Echo, 2018): https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/15913703.hannah-hauxwell-she-didnt-ask-filmed-natural-personality-made-star/• ‘Too Long A Winter’ (Yorkshire TV, 1973): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC5WeuLHUdULove the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie PeartCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.This episode originally aired in 2023Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • The First Burns Supper

    The First Burns Supper

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    When fans of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, suggested holding an annual dinner to mark his birthday, they probably didn’t realise a) it would still be happening over 200 years later; and b) they got the wrong date. Yet, even though Burns was born on January 25th, the first ever Burns Supper was celebrated on January 29th, 1802, just a few years after the ‘Caledonian Bard’s untimely death at 37.Burns had become an icon not just in Scotland but for literary fans across classes and nations. Known for his ability to weave the lives of ordinary people into rich, poetic tapestries, Burns appealed to everyone—from working-class Scots to Oxford scholars. His revolutionary politics, his embrace of Scottish dialect, and his relatable themes resonated far and wide, leading to widespread admiration. By the early 19th century, his reputation had transformed him into Scotland’s answer to Shakespeare. But it also helps that you can turn recitals of his poetry into what is effectively a drinking game on a wet January evening…In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal how haggis, neeps, and tatties weren’t *always* on the menu; explain how the ‘lasses’ eventually came out of the kitchen; and discover the delightful hybrid events hosted in Vancouver, Canada, which blend Burns Night with Chinese New Year…Further Reading:• ’When is Burns Night? Date, origins, traditions and how to host a proper Burns supper’ (The Scotsman, 2019): https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/when-is-burns-night-date-origins-traditions-and-how-to-host-a-proper-burns-supper-1423727• ’Celebrating Burns Night: Haggis, Whisky, and Scottish Heritage’ (The Standard, 2025): https://www.standard.co.uk/going-out/bars/burns-night-haggis-whisky-celebration-b1204521.html• ’Address To A Haggis, By Robert Burns’ (Gareth Morrison, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5f_yDLZBaALove the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️Go to proton.me/todayinhistory to receive a 38% discount on Proton Mail The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie PeartCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  • The Search For Pancho Villa

    The Search For Pancho Villa

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    General John J. Pershing’s mission to capture the guerrilla leader Pancho Villa in Mexico was quietly withdrawn on 28th January, 1917Initiated in response to Villa's cross-border raid on Columbus, New Mexico, the mission was ordered by President Woodrow Wilson but proved embarrassing and ineffective for the U.S, Army, with Villa remarking that Pershing ‘came in like an eagle, but left like a wet chicken’.In this episode, The Retrospectors track Villa’s career from highway thief to general in the revolutionary army; discover his unusual approach to finding a spouse; and reveal what happened to his head after he was assassinated… Further Reading:• ‘General Pershing's Mexican Expedition to capture Pancho Villa predates his World War I career’ (National Museum of American History, 2016): https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/general-pershings-mexican-expedition-capture-pancho-villa-predates-his-world-war-i• ‘Pancho Villa’s Last Gasp’ (Texas Monthly, 1983): https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/pancho-villas-last-gasp/• ‘UNITED STATES VS. MEXICO - THE PURSUIT OF PANCHO VILLA’ (Historic Films Stock Footage, 1916): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byL6QIDRY6oLove the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie PeartCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • The Ancients v The Moderns

    The Ancients v The Moderns

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    Modern art was controversially celebrated on 27th January, 1687, when Charles Perrault read his poem ‘The Century of Louis The Great’ at the Académie Française - railing against the prevailing wisdom that believed literature should follow the strict classical templates laid down by the likes of Homer and Aristotle.The subsequent debate between rival factions of ‘ancient’ and ‘modern’ intellectuals raged for more than five years, and became known as ‘the quarrel’. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly ask how much of Perrault’s argument was actually to do with kissing Louis XIV’s arse; explain what Aesop had to do with the gardens at the Palace of Versailles; and wonder if the Ancients would have approved of Agatha Christie… Further Reading:• ‘The Battle of the Books: History and Literature in the Augustan Age’ by Joseph M. Levine (Cornell University Press, 1991): https://bit.ly/32GeA9V• ‘Charles Perrault, a multifaceted man’ (breteuil.fr): https://www.breteuil.fr/en/charles-perrault-a-multifaceted-man/• ‘Charles Perrault INVENTED fairy tales Cinderella Mother Goose Little Red Riding Hood Sleeping Beauty’ (Timeline, 2015): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLGOJHaE6oULove the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️Go to proton.me/todayinhistory to receive a 38% discount on Proton Mail The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie PeartCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • Henry VIII's Head Injury

    Henry VIII's Head Injury

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    Henry VIII is typically remembered as he was at the end of his life - weighing in at a colossal 28 stone, with ulcerated legs, failing eyesight and an explosive temper. But, prior to the jousting accident he suffered 24th January, 1536, history had recorded him as merry, affable and physically attractive.Jousting was his favourite sport, but after being knocked off his horse and falling unconscious for two hours, he appears to have become increasingly erratic, irritable and cruel - not least to his wife Anne Boleyn and her four famous successors.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly suggest why the identity of Henry’s jousting opponent was not recorded; explain why the Vatican were really quite excited by Henry’s head injury; and ask whether the King’s demeanour really did change significantly, or whether he was ALWAYS a bit of a jerk… Further Reading:• ‘The jousting accident that turned Henry VIII into a tyrant’ (The Independent, 2009): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-jousting-accident-that-turned-henry-viii-into-a-tyrant-1670421.html• ‘Henry VIII: ‘brain injury caused by jousting to blame for erratic behaviour and possible impotence'’ (HistoryExtra, 2016): https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/henry-viii-brain-injury-caused-by-jousting-to-blame-for-erratic-behaviour-and-possible-impotence/• ‘Full Metal Jousting - The Biggest Hits’ (The History Channel, 2012): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWVZgp-eQG8Love the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️Go to proton.me/todayinhistory to receive a 38% discount on Proton Mail The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • Rock N Roll's Big Night

    Rock N Roll's Big Night

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame welcomed its first inductees in a star-studded event at the Waldorf Astoria, New York on 23rd January, 1986. But the ceremony was not the glamorous HBO spectacular we have come to expect today: the audience was mostly music executives, and it was not filmed for television.Conceived by Atlantic Records chairman Ahmet Ertegun, the nonprofit foundation initially had lofty ambitions of recognising unsung heroes of the genre, and redressing racial injustice.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the Rock Hall came to be located in Cleveland, of all places; investigate the claims of sexism that have plagued the institution; and recall the phenomenal rejection issued by Axl Rose following an invitation to perform… Further Reading:• ‘The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: From An Idea, To A Labor Of Love, To A Spectacular Event’ (Billboard, 2004): https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0A8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17&dq=ertegun+rock+and+roll+hall+of+fame&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi3os-Fr7r8AhWQaMAKHZc8AzoQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=ertegun%20rock%20and%20roll%20hall%20of%20fame&f=false• ‘Why the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame should be put out of its misery’ (The Guardian, 2016): https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/04/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-should-be-destroyed• ‘Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, Jerry Lee Lewis, Neil Young – "Roll Over Beethoven"’ (Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, 1986): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM_1eDzWYzI&list=PLuYH1Vrzl1TMtAjBPm80j0EGOT0FL8Uc4&index=2Love the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • Here Come The Swiss Guards

    Here Come The Swiss Guards

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    With their colourful uniforms and pomp, the Vatican’s iconic Swiss Guards might seem more decorative than dangerous today - but their origin is far from ornamental. On January 22nd, 1506, 150 elite Swiss mercenaries marched into the City, and were blessed by ‘Warrior Pope’ Julius II at sunset to protect the Pope during a tumultuous era of political strife.

    The Swiss were Renaissance Europe’s answer to modern special forces. Renowned for their phalanx formations and halberds, they could dismantle charging cavalry with precision. Their reputation as fierce fighters had already drawn the attention of earlier popes, including Sixtus IV and Alexander VI, who hired Swiss mercenaries to bolster their armies. 

    In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly revisit the lethal Sack of Rome in 1527; explain how Jules Repond revived and reformed the Guards in the 20th century; and consider the strict qualifications for candidates to become a member of their ranks…

    Further Reading:
    • ’A history of the Vatican's Swiss Guard’ (Daily Telegraph, 2011): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/8873853/A-history-of-the-Vaticans-Swiss-Guard.html?msockid=23c525cc0876634208c637a40951628f
    • ‘The Swiss Guard’ (Suisse Société): https://houseofswitzerland.org/swissstories/society/swiss-guard
    • ’Ex-guards march to mark 500th anniversary’ (Associated Press, 2015):
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyF8VDovJqM

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  • The DeLorean Dream

    The DeLorean Dream

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    The iconic DeLorean DMC-12 rolled off the production line in Belfast on 21st January, 1981.



    Priced at $25,000, the stainless steel gullwing sportscar was marketed as a luxury item, but its actual features fell short of the hype. The DeLorean Motor Company faced financial troubles, and had ceased production within just two years. But the car found its way into the "Back to the Future" script because John DeLorean, the man behind the car, was embroiled in a $24 million cocaine conspiracy, making headlines during the film's development.



    In this episode, The Retrospectors explain how DeLorean leveraged his profile within the car industry to raise the funds to finance his dream project; explain how the car’s production in Northern Ireland led to untrained workers and corporate deceit of the British government; and reveal how Doc Brown very nearly drove a Mustang...



    Further Reading:

    • ’The Short, Chaotic History of the DeLorean’ (Time, 2016):

    https://time.com/4180894/delorean-history/

    • ‘DeLorean Motor Company and the DMC-12: the full story’ (AutoExpress, 2021): https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/features/354919/delorean-motor-company-and-dmc-12-full-story

    • ‘Back to the Future: The DeLorean’ (Amblin Entertainment, 1985): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0cw6lU5jo4
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  • Ozzy vs. Bat

    Ozzy vs. Bat

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    Ozzy Osbourne orally decapitated a bat live on stage in Des Moines, Iowa on 20th January, 1982; an act that quickly went down as one of the most outrageous moments in rock n roll history.
    Concertgoer Mark Neal, 17, said the bat was dead long before he threw it on stage. But this was not Osbourne’s first offence: he had previously shocked attendees at a CBS press launch by biting the head away from a live dove.
    In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly trace the origins of Osbourne’s bizarre bird-and-bat-beheading behaviour; applaud the ingenuity of his long-suffering wife Sharon; and debate whether Alice Cooper intentionally threw a chicken to a braying mob to be mutilated…
    CONTENT WARNING: animal cruelty, offensive language beeped.
    Further Reading:
    • ‘Everything you need to know about Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off a bat in Des Moines’ (desmoinesregister.com): https://eu.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/kyle-munson/2016/01/20/everything-you-need-know-ozzy-osbourne-biting-head-off-bat-des-moines/79055858/
    • ‘When Ozzy Osbourne Bit Off the Heads of Two Doves (ultimateclassicrock.com)’:
    https://ultimateclassicrock.com/ozzy-osbourne-dove-bite-head/
    • ‘Ozzy Osbourne talking to David Letterman about the bat incident’ (NBC, 1982): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxn2_sO5los

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  • Conflict of Interest: Helen Lewis on Destruction and Reconstruction

    Conflict of Interest: Helen Lewis on Destruction and Reconstruction

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    We all know you’re here because you - like us, are a bona fide history nerd, so here's a little something from the producers of this podcast; a brand new series of Conflict Of Interest with the Imperial War Museum. We think you're going to love it

    How have artists, filmmakers and photographers shaped our understanding of wars and conflict? Journalist and writer Helen Lewis explores the recently-opened Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries at Imperial War Museum, London.
    From No Man's Land to mushroom clouds, Helen discovers the people that have interpreted over a hundred years of conflict, in this specially-curated tour by James Bulgin, Head of Public History at IWM.
    They are joined by Suzanne Plunkett, Reuters' Chief Photographer for the UK and Ireland, and a photojournalist for almost 30 years - and someone who can give us a first hand account of what it’s like to be capturing a seismic event in the moment.
    Objects Discussed:
    Paul Nash, The Menin Road, 1919
    John Armstrong, Pro Patria, 1938 
    War Pictorial News No. 21
    Mushroom Cloud over Nagasaki, 1945
    Suzanne Plunkett, People Covered in Dust and Debris New York, 11 September 2001 - 
    © AP (IWM DC 123993)
    © AP (IWM DC 124023)
    Narrator:  James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums
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  • Rebooting 'The Rivals'

    Rebooting 'The Rivals'

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    The first night of Richard Sheridan’s classic comedy ‘The Rivals’ did not go according to plan. Critics thought it was too long, the Irish gentry in the audience were insulted, and an actor was pelted with rotten fruit. It closed after one performance on 17th January, 1775.
    But then… after eleven days of rewrites, recasting and edits (a process Sheridan called “prunings, trimmings and patchings”), the show re-opened - and became the much-loved hit it remains to this day.
    In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly expose how Sheridan exploited his notoriety in Bath to put bums on seats; unpick how the play’s famous ‘Malapropisms’ achieved seminal status; and revisit the best of Sheridan’s real-life one-liners…
    Further Reading:
    • ‘The scourge of Bath’ (The Guardian, 2004): https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2004/may/15/theatre
    • The Dramatic Works of Richard Brinsley Sheridan (Cavan Library): http://www.cavanlibrary.ie/file/Local-Studies/Library-Scanned-Docs/The_dramatic_works_of_Richard_Brinsley_Sheridan.pdf
    • ‘What Are Malapropisms?’ (Bright Idea, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMdgr-qSAfM

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  • Meet Don Quixote

    Meet Don Quixote

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    Prior to the release of his book Don Quixote on 16th January, 1605, Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes had previously been a soldier, a royal messenger, a tax collector and – for a spell – a slave.But perseverance paid off for the aspiring author who, at the age of 57, produced a book that has been called “the greatest piece of literature ever written”.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discuss why Cervantes’ poetry and plays weren’t as successful as his first novel; reveal how his characters became embedded in the English language; and explain why Don Quixote is really just Shrek but 400 years earlier. Further Reading:• ‘Disney’s many failed attempts to bring Don Quixote to the screen’ (Polygon, 2020): https://www.polygon.com/entertainment/2020/9/15/21436961/disneys-failed-attempts-to-bring-don-quixote-to-the-screen• ‘No Ordinary Man - The Life and Times of Miguel de Cervantes’ (Dover Publishing, 2006): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/No_Ordinary_Man/CBHLqNlLuEMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Miguel+de+Cervantes&printsec=frontcover• ‘Why should you read "Don Quixote"?’ (TED-Ed, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDUPu6tMWHY Love the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • How 'Hill Street Blues' Made TV Grow Up

    How 'Hill Street Blues' Made TV Grow Up

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    Groundbreaking police procedural Hill Street Blues first aired on NBC on January 15th, 1981. Back then, TV dramas were mainly mindless entertainment, overshadowed by sitcoms or feel-good fare such as Little House on the Prairie. But, with its richly chaotic blend of overlapping dialogue, gritty realism, and complex characters, Hill St broke the mould. 
    Yet the pilot’s test audiences found the unconventional format disorienting—the flawed characters, unresolved storylines, and chaotic setting were too unfamiliar for comfort. Nonetheless, NBC renewed the low-rated show, partly because its small audience was an influential demographic of discerning viewers who valued its intelligence and depth.
    In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Hill Street Blues revolutionized TV storytelling; consider the outdated societal attitudes on display in their pilot episode; and reveal why Rebecca was prevented from discussing her love for show on the BBC’s Mastermind…
    Further Reading:
    • ‘Hill Street Blues’: The most influential TV show ever (CNN, 2014): https://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/29/showbiz/tv/hill-street-blues-oral-history/index.html
    • ’15 Surprising Facts About Hill Street Blues’ (Mental Floss, 2018): https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/73436/15-gripping-facts-about-hill-street-blues
    • ‘Hill St Blues, Episode 1’ (NBC, 1981): 
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeJEEAtZH_I


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  • The Caesarean Frontier

    The Caesarean Frontier

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    24-year-old doctor Jesse Bennett successfully performed a C-section on his wife, Elizabeth, saving both her life and their daughter Maria's: 14th January, 1794, in a log cabin on the Virginia Frontier. The attending physician's refusal to participate, leaving the scene altogether, left Bennett to make quick decisions - though this included spontaneously removing his wife's ovaries.The groundbreaking operation remained a local legend for nearly a century, as he never publicly reported it due to concerns about disbelief and the delicacy of the matter.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why, despite the success of this operation, C-sections still weren’t routinely performed until over a century later; investigate whether earlier examples of successful caesareans had happened in Africa; and consider whether pig-spaying was an appropriate qualification for midwifery…Further Reading:• ‘Caesarean Section - A Brief History: Part 2’ (US National Library of Medicine): https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/cesarean/part2.html• ‘House Of The Dragon: A History Of Mediaeval Caesareans (C-Sections)’ (HistoryExtra, 2022): https://www.historyextra.com/period/general-history/caesarean-c-section-childbirth-history-origins/• ‘African midwives successfully performed C-sections before it was common in Europe’ (Verify, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mto400r_T3MThis episode first premiered in 2024, for members of 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴 - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 100 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks! We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/retrospectors The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • A Deadly Day At The Races

    A Deadly Day At The Races

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    Chariot racing was a dangerous and violent sport at the best of times, but on 13th January, 532, a hooligan-led protest at the Hippodrome of Constantinople - known as ‘the Nika rebellion’ - ultimately lead to over 30,000 deaths and the destruction of half the City. 
    Upon hearing his wife urge him that ‘royalty is a good burial shroud’, the Emperor Justinian reportedly decided to slaughter his own people to maintain his position of power. Yet, despite this, he was ultimately deemed to have earned his epithet: ‘The Great’. 
    In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly unearth the tradition of ‘curse tablets’; explain why Empress Theodora switched allegiances from the ‘greens’ to the ‘blues’; and reveal how a eunuch wielding gold coins helped to stabilise the Byzantine empire…
    Further Reading:
    • ‘Overview of the Nika Revolt’ (ThoughtCo, 2019): https://www.thoughtco.com/the-nika-revolt-1788557
    • Deadly Moments in History - The Nika Riots (Invicta, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm9mscL2qHU
    • ‘12 Historic Little Known Rebellions with Tragic and Bloody Ends’ (History Collection, 2017): https://historycollection.com/12-historic-little-known-rebellions-tragic-bloody-ends/9/

    ‘Why am I hearing a rerun?’
    Each Thursday and Friday we repeat stories from our archive of 800+ episodes, so we can maintain the quality of our independent podcast and bring you fresh, free content every Monday-Wednesday… 

    … But 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴members get an additional full-length episode each Sunday! Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️
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  • Sinclair's Electric Dream

    Sinclair's Electric Dream

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    Rerun: The Sinclair C5, Sir Clive Sinclair’s disastrous entry into the EV market, launched at Alexandra Palace on 10th January, 1985. Looking like a cross between a mobility scooter and a child’s pedal car, it had no on-board storage, was too heavy to climb uphill, and a top speed of 15km per hour. But Sinclair had contracted Hoover to produce the vehicle, expecting orders of 200,000 units per year.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly revisit the original publicity material for this doomed design classic; rank the public embarrassment of the car’s failure against Sinclair’s other high-profile flops; and reveal the contents of the optional ‘wet weather kit’ drivers could enjoy…Further Reading:• ‘A Revolution in Personal Transport’ - the original press kit from the launch (1985): www.sinclairql.net/downloads/1985-01-10_Sinclair_C5_launch_press_kit-SQPP.pdf• ‘Sinclair C5: the history of Sir Clive Sinclair’s electric car’ (Auto Express, 2021): https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/356059/sinclair-c5-history-sir-clive-sinclairs-electric-car• ‘Imagine a Vehicle that can drive you five miles for a penny’ - original Sinclair C5 TV advert (1985): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EQetm_qWDgPhoto credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eevblog/‘Why am I hearing a rerun?’Each Thursday and Friday we repeat stories from our archive of 800+ episodes, so we can maintain the quality of our independent podcast and bring you fresh, free content every Monday-Wednesday… … But 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴members get an additional full-length episode each Sunday! Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • Introducing Income Tax

    Introducing Income Tax

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    Rerun: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”, the American statesman Benjamin Franklin once said, but until 9 January, 1799, taxation looked very different to the way it does today, because this was the day the world was first introduced to income tax.Its introduction by British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger was not one of his most popular innovations, but he had good reason to be wanting to bring more money into the government’s coffers, given the national debt had doubled during the American War of Independence and now stood at £243 million.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why there was a bonfire outside Westminster the day income tax was eventually repealed; marvel that taxation used to target the wealthy rather than the poor; and reveal why taxing farts is more sensible than it sounds… Further Reading:• ‘9 January 1799: income tax introduced to Britain’ (Money Week, 2021): https://moneyweek.com/372129/9-january-1799-income-tax-introduced-to-britain • ‘A short history of income tax’ (The Independent, 1995): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/a-short-history-of-income-tax-1577708.html• ‘William Hague on William Pitt’ (Cambridge University, 2010): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0tHmYEaqok‘Why am I hearing a rerun?’Each Thursday and Friday we repeat stories from our archive of 800+ episodes, so we can maintain the quality of our independent podcast and bring you fresh, free content every Monday-Wednesday… … But 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴members get an additional full-length episode each Sunday! Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • Let's Capture Monaco

    Let's Capture Monaco

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    According to legend, François Grimaldi and his brother Ranieri executed a bold plan to seize control of Monaco's iconic rock on 8th January, 1297. Disguised as Franciscan monks seeking refuge, they gained access to the fortress under false pretenses… only to reveal their true intentions by overpowering the guards and taking the stronghold. The House of Grimaldi remains the monarchy of the microstate, over seven centuries later.
    Monaco’s appeal has always revolved around its strategic rock. Since ancient times, this geographical feature has served as a vital lookout and defence point over the Mediterranean. It wasn’t until 1297, amid the turbulent Guelph and Ghibelline conflicts—where local loyalties were deeply entangled in the rivalries of the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor—that the Grimaldis seized their opportunity. Their success against Genoan control marked the start of an initially turbulent history, with Monaco’s sovereignty repeatedly contested until the principality solidified its independence.
    In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal that Monaco, now synonymous with wealth, was in fact once the world’s poorest country; explain where the ‘Carlo’ in ‘Monte Carlo’ comes from; and question whether ‘The Grimaldi Curse’ can really be evidenced…
    Further Reading:
    • ’How the Grimaldis came to live on the Rock’ (Monaco Life, 2023): https://monacolife.net/how-the-grimaldis-came-to-live-on-the-rock/
    • ‘The Basics; Why Is Monaco A Country?’ (The New York Times, 2005): https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/10/weekinreview/the-basics-why-is-monaco-a-country.html?searchResultPosition=27
    • ‘MONACO: MONTE CARLO: 700TH ANNIVERSARY OF GRIMALDI DYNASTY’ (AP Archive, 2015):
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1M8H-XcOMo

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

  • dot dot dot dash dash dash dot dot dot

    dot dot dot dash dash dash dot dot dot

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    On January 7th, 1904 the Marconi Company sought to establish a universal distress call; proposing, ‘CQD’ for emergencies. Despite its adoption in Britain, other nations had varied distress signals, leading to a lack of international consensus. The second International Radio Telegraphic Conference in Berlin in 1906 came up with ‘SOS’ instead. The United States weren’t keen on adopting the new standard… until the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 highlighted the need to fall into line.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain what ‘WC’ meant; recall the eye-catching way Marconi first demonstrated transatlantic radio waves; and explain how, eventually, Morse Code itself was retired as a method of marine communication by the end of the 20th Century… This episode first premiered in 2023, for members of 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴 - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 100 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks! We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/retrospectors The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • Tonya and Nancy: Fire and Ice

    Tonya and Nancy: Fire and Ice

    · Today In History with The Retrospectors

    In our first new episode of 2025, The Retrospectors dive into the scandal that shocked the world of figure skating, when, on 6th January, 1994, Olympic hopeful Nancy Kerrigan was attacked in the leg by a man wielding a police baton in an attempt to incapacitate her. This wasn’t just a random act of violence; it was part of an orchestrated scheme involving Kerrigan’s rival, Tonya Harding, her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, and a band of bumbling conspirators. What followed was a tale of ambition, sabotage, and an investigation that captured the world’s attention.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explore how the media, both upmarket and tabloid, got their guns out for Harding and backed Kerrigan as the wronged ice princess; recall the drama that played out in Lillehammer that year as both competitors were chosen for the squad; and consider how, despite a raised awareness of the abusive relationships under the surface, the sheer absurdity of Harding’s crime continues to resonate…Further Reading:• ‘Jealousy On Ice’ (The New York Times, 1994): https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/packages/html/sports/year_in_sports/01.06.html• ’Jeff Gillooly, The Mastermind Behind The Nancy Kerrigan Attack’ (All That’s Interesting, 2024): https://allthatsinteresting.com/jeff-gillooly• ‘Tonya Harding speaks out about Nancy Kerrigan attack’ (Good Morning America, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfXm8s37E8g#Sport #Crime #90s #ScandalLove the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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