Episodes
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The Black Death has passed… and now the disaster begins. In the aftermath of the plague, London finds itself in a new political climate; without fuss and fanfare many of its ancient rights are removed, and we study a few years where new political fortunes were made. This week we follow a myriad of stories, but crucially how a secretive fraternity based in a local London parish church, was to become increasingly powerful and create one of the more powerful factions in London’s political history.
It’s time to visit a city being blamed for the economic consequences of the pandemic, and who is trying to cope with a wave of negative press towards one class of resident… the hated ‘Engrossers’
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The saga of the Black Death continues as The Story of London spends an episode detailing the epidemic in London continuing into 1349. As the weather warmed up and the massive death toll of the winter gave way to a fresh onslaught that Spring, we follow as London tried its best to cope with the chaos this caused, and the effects it had, upon rich and poor, old and young… and the plethora of orphans created by this disaster.
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Missing episodes?
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The Story of London reaches Book 5 of its epic saga… covering the era between the arrival of the Black Death to the rise of the Tudor Dynasty. And era of great change for the city and the country as the 100 Years Wars ended and the insanity of the War of the Roses erupted… welcome then to London’s Roses.
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The year is 1348 and everything changes… welcome as we take a detailed look at what London was doing in the year of the arrival of the Black Death; and how it coped when the terrible disease took hold of the city, leaving hundreds dying every day. We close out book 4 of the story, with a guide to how London responded to the first advent of the disease that was to shape the City for centuries to come.
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We rapidly race to the end of Book 4 of the story, with a chapter filled with London spending fortunes to rebuild parts of the walls, the king triggering a national political crisis, fake rugs, drunken spur makers, and canons being fire as gun crews learned how too use them…
6 years in the life of the city as it tried to stay on top of ongoing economic difficulties, mayors suddenly dying, and above all, a war like no other. Across the channel, in the fields of northern France, Londoners helped make up a brutal army that fell like angels of death upon the French, and a glorious series of victories graced the English… but something far more terrifying was on its way. Welcome to the story of London in the years before the Black Death.
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So after chapters focused on London, its time to cast our gaze outwards for an episode… as Edward III, the young, dynamic and energetic King of England, finds himself dragged into a war with Scotland, which in turn leads to a war with France… and how this, mixed with complicated French dynastic politics, to produce the conditions that led to the start of the 100 Years War.
Covering how the country slid into this war, the seemingly constant set backs and occasional brilliant victory at sea, and Edward virtually bankrupting the nation, ‘Thunderbolt’ sets up the situation in London, with the king turning up in the Tower and trying to purge his entire government for backsliding. Wild times abound.
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The story returns with a wild episode, focusing on London’s vibrant life in the era; from rich orphans, to skinners-turned-burglars; from bolshy shopkeepers, to successful tent makers, this episodes looks at the little people of London in a busy decade. We see the first ever mention of gunpowder weapons (six canons hidden in Guildhall), encounter drunken outbursts at official ceremonies, the king demanding a LOT of cash from London, and ultimately, a massive street fight between some angry fishmongers and a new mayor.
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We have reached the reign of King Edward III, easily one of THE most important King’s in English history, and begin this episode with a guide to the influences upon the young teenager who had taken the throne, how London was trying to get back to ‘normal’ after the follies and passions of the rule of his father, and more than that? How a glorious celebration upon Cheapside almost turned into total disaster.
Pomp, circumstance and poor building standards combine to describe a near disaster on Cheapside…
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The final part of the epic saga of the reign of Edward II and his impact on London comes to its bloody conclusion; when the Queen rebels against the King and launches an invasion of England, the result is a savage eruption of mass violence and death on London’s streets. But this month long anarchy cannot cannot stem the ongoing internal political conflicts in the city, and the final bevvy of London’s great political leaders try and prevent it slipping into anarchy… as we cover the conclusion of three decades of change in the cities tale…
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Rebellion stirred, the position of Mayor was restored and London hoped to get respite from the capricious king… but it was a ray of hope that was not to last. And in the years that followed, London was to see it come under the most sustained political attack in its history. Each and every one of its right, of its liberties were to be eroded as the city was to basically become the plaything for Edward II and Hugh Despenser… this is London defeated!
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In 1316 the City had managed to calm down a little under a pragmatic alliance of a radical mayor, and a leading conservative Alderman, who allied with the Lords Ordainer’s to keep a lid on things. But economic issues, trade opportunities, and a terrible famine destabilised this alliance and then? Then one of the greatest political operators in the cities history, the King’s new favourite Hugh Despenser, unleashed a terrible Inquisition upon the city, turning faction against faction, and dividing London so he could have the King take over and the Mayors be abolished… the brilliant cunning of this serpent of a man revealed as the Livery Wars continue… and London inches towards an explosion of violence. Support the podcast (if you feel like it) here: https://buymeacoffee.com/thefeck
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The city of London finds itself torn between two competing factions- the radical elements, hostile to foreigners, and supporters of the Lord Ordainers, who finally get a Mayor who supports them… and the conservative, monied merchants, who seek to prevent London breaking to far away from the King are reduced to silent opposition. But as the King’s favourite is murdered, the war in Scotland turns, and political fortunes of the nation swing wildly back and forth? An unlikely alliance emerges to prevent the City descending into turmoil. Our second anniversary celebration continues with a second episode this week, detailing this most intense and complex of city political rows…
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We celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Story of London with the first of two episodes dropping this week, as we return to the story of the birth of London’s livery companies. As London was dividing between its political factions, the nation as a whole became caught up in the issues related to the King’s favourite, Piers Gaveston; and this episode explores why he became one of the most contentious people in England and how the national factions began to impact upon London. Above all, how three mayors in quick succession (a goldsmith, a pepperer and a mercer) all tried to keep London balancing on a tightrope…
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Edward I was dead… a new era was about to begin in the story of London. But to understand what was to come we need to go back in time a decade or so. Because under the surface, deep political divisions were brewing in London; the city was at odds with itself over how it should be ran. This episode we go back a few years to examine the events that had taken place over the last 5 episodes, but in a new light; as we focus on a series of growing political issues that were to cause savage bloodshed on the streets of the city. And this episode? A small, much overlooked and utterly forgotten document that was to drive the cities politics into violence…
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One of the most famous executions in London during the medieval period was that of William Wallace, the great hero of Scottish indepedence. And yet, there was more to his execution… why was he dragged all the way TO London to be killed? And why were the great and the good of the City so heavily involved in seeing him to his grisly fate? These questions, plus the building of medieval Southwark’s most famous inn, the White Friars being the victim of a vicious smash and grab robbery and the death of King Edward I, all coming up in this episode…
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The Great Robbery of the Crown Jewels and the entire Royal Treasury of Westminster had been discovered and the culprits found… or had they? This episode we look at the FULL circumstances behind the robbery, follow the story of the vast cabal of criminals who pulled off this most daring raid and discover that London and many of its most important citizens (as well as many of its poorer ones), went to extraordinary lengths to cover up London’s role.
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A saga within a saga; in 1303 a daring band of robbers raided and plundered the royal treasury of King Edward I, making off with a fortune in gold, silver, precious items and jewels. What was worse was that the robbery seemed to have been an open secret known by dozens in and around London… but no one seemed to have bothered to tell then king for weeks. The story of the circumstances, the people and the events involved in this epic tale begin the first part of this, the story of ‘The Westminster Job’.
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We take a break from the recent events by looking at London’s behind the scenes economic situation; and the rise of the importance of what was for a while one of cities most important places- the lost street of Soper’s Lane. Why did dozens of merchants move here and what has this to do with the sudden and dramatic changes in the fortunes of London’s merchants? And why did the rope-makers of London go from craftsmen to multi-faceted merchants with powerful import/export businesses? All of this in a bumper issue all based around that most golden of rules… follow the money!
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In the final years of the 13th Century, England was gripped in a crisis caused by a series of ongoing wars all around them; economically, socially, as well as militarily, the country was being pushed to its limits. And in this episode, which details a lot of what was going on around it, the City of London, and a former mayor of London, saw an opportunity to exploit this situation for their advantage… and to try and blag from the brutal Edward I the return of something long thought lost…
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The Story of London returns with England slipping into a huge war with Scotland (and Wales, oh and France) and the circumstances behind this. In London we see the circumstances behind the rising of Charing Cross (and its sister Cheapside Cross) and the city continue under the Wardens, but we also have Vikings (no, honestly, they still around), 4 year old Scottish queens, Gascony pirates, and why someone fortified the Savoy. All of this and more…
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