Consistently Eccentric History

This week we are embarking on the story of one of the most famous medical men of the 20th Century. And also one of the most controversial.

Little Bernard Spilsbury did not show any particular interest in becoming a doctor. But as his father James wanted to live vicariously through his firstborn son, his wishes could be ignored.

It was not an easy process, but through a combination of dressing to impress, being willing to do the jobs other people disliked and sheer dumb luck, Bernard was able to find a niche within the medical community...

... unfortunately that niche was forensic pathology, meaning that Bernard would literally hold the lives of accused murderers in his hands.

What could possibly go wrong?

Guest Host: Tom Heathcote

(Part 1/3)

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This week Pam is taking us back to a time when UK prisons were a cause of concern for parliament (imagine).

However luckily for the Late-Georgians there was a serious Quaker who was ready to do some serious reforming.

Elizabeth Fry was a workaholic idealist from Norwich who was not afraid to get her hands dirty in the stinking cells of Newgate. She was determined to prove that by treating prisoners as humans, you might actually be able to demonstrate their humanity, a concept that Georgian men (not least of all Jeremy Bentham) apparently had never considered.

Guest Host: Pam Loetterle

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This week we rejoin Gordon Cummins as he rapidly escalates in his frenetic killing spree.

But while you might think the chaos of wartime would provide good cover for criminality, Gordon was immediately being hunted by a dream team of criminal investigators who would be able to take advantage of even the slightest slip-up...

...Which was unfortunate for Gordon, as he seemingly could not help but leave evidence practically everywhere.

How long could Gordon manage to evade capture? And how many other women would he target on the dark streets of the capital in the meantime?

Guest Host: Oliver Green

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This week we are starting the tale of Gordon Cummins, a man who would become notorious for his actions in WWII London....

...but first we need to explore how his childhood and teenage years formed him into a man obsessed with sex and status, and who was willing to lie, cheat and steal in order to get them.

From a transient school career, to time as a leather man, to his decision to join the RAF and get married, Gordon seemed to be seeking an answer to his profound sense of emptiness.

And it was very unfortunate for at least three women when, in the February of 1942, he did finally find what he had been searching for.

Guest Host: Oliver Green

(Part 1/2)

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We are focusing on local history this week to talk about the history of a unique and dangerous highway that was used to speed up journeys to Cumbria.

In the middle ages crossing the sands of the Morecambe Bay could knock days off a journey, which convinced many people to risk it despite the ever present risk of drowning.

And when you had hungry monks at the other side, it apparently suddenly became vital that someone was hired to ensure that the loss of supplies (and I suppose... people) was minimised.

Via the unforeseen impacts of a series of national events, this ad hoc system eventually led to the establishment of a Royal Post that still exists to this day, even if the amount of traffic has reduced somewhat.

This is a tale that features a Roman General, a French noble who became King of England (no, not that one), a Scottish King (yes, that one) and a man from Morecambe who was able to reinvent a position that had existed for over 500 years.

Guest Host: Emma Heathcote

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This week we return from our summer holidays (having avoided the wildfires in France) with Pam narrating the life of Captain John Smith. A man from Lancashire who became both a key part of the British settling of the East Coast of America, and a Disney Character.

From humble orphan origins, John embarked on the life of an adventurer which encompassed pretty much everything you could imagine. So strap in for a tale of Crusades, duels, slavery, disasters, double-dealing, slanders, pirates, exploration, life or death struggles and cartography!

With special guest appearances from Pocahontas and (potentially) a pug called Percy.

Guest Host: Pamela Loetterle

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For once we are releasing a timely episode as England are still (at time of release) in the 2026 world cup. Which is the perfect time to talk about how, 60 years ago, a team full of missing teeth, combovers and prominent knees, somehow managed to win the whole thing on home turf.

The story of the 1966 world cup has everything. Death, controversy and even a potential international incident (not to mention ransom demands) whic formed the backdrop to a tournament where everything conspired to allow the English to achieve something which they may never manage again.

Guest Host: Tom Heathcote

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This week (slightly delayed due to illness) we are discussing a man who found a way to profit from the upheaval of the English Civil War via the most partisan of journalism. Marchamont Nedham was a gifted writer who became the most influential journalist of his day. Though not the most reliable.

Never one for consistency, Marchamont was willing to switch sides if he felt it would benefit him personally, or at least keep him out of prison. A pragmatic approach that eventually resulted in him being welcomed into the innermost circles of the new Republican leadership...

... which was perfect as long as the Republic didn't suddenly implode.

Guest Host: Oliver Green

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This week we are welcoming the youngest member of the Heathcote clan, Milo to his first episode!

And as a result we are covering a subject that is currently rather close to his heart. The pseudoscience of Cryptids.

Covering 10 questionable critters that span the entirety of the 20th Century we will answer the question, is there a Cryptid in the UK that is better than Nessie?

As this episode is recorded in 2 locations with 2 children the audio quality is at times a bit iffy, but that is a small price to pay for how much they enjoyed it, and we hope you will too!

Guest Hosts: Milo, Evie and Emma Heathcote.

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This week we are talking about how an imagined love triangle (which contained absolutely no love) resulted in the death of a sitting MP and nearly sparked both an international incident and mob-rule on the streets of London.

Because in Restoration England any noble woman who had a fortune but no husband was in constant peril. Due to the way the law worked, any man she married would instantly take possession of whatever she owned and could do with it as he pleased. So marriage carried much more risk...

Especially if you were only 14 years old.

This is a tale of murder, scheming and gossip, all hidden behind the veneer of courtly propriety. Proving that, just because someone is posh it does not mean that they know how to behave.

Guest Host: Pamela Loetterle

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