Here for the History

Have you ever stopped to think about the technological marvel that is the modern toilet?

Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson chart a course from a Roman fort in Northumberland via Victorian London to a council flat in 20th century Glasgow. All to find out - when did we get flushing loos? And what happened to all that waste?

Key Sources

Conversations with Dr Stephen Halliday and Lee Jackson

Do you ever feel like work is taking over your life? Well, society didn’t always place so much value on work ethic.

Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton uncover the surprising history behind our modern obsession with hard work.

First, medieval marriage reforms transformed people’s relationship with work. Then, monastic orders and the Protestant Reformation framed hard work as sacred. Finally, the industrial revolution kickstarted our modern fixation on productivity.

Key Sources:

The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous - Prof Joseph Henrich.

Time, Work-Discipline, and Industrial Capitalism - E. P. Thompson.

Blood, Sweat and Tears: The Evolution of Work - Richard Donkin.

The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism - Prof Richard Sennett.

Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution - Prof Maxine Berg & Prof Pat Hudson.

For centuries leaving the house without a hat would be like leaving the house without your phone or keys - you simply wouldn’t do it. But these days, headwear is an optional add on - a fashion choice, a weather protector, or found on the head of a wedding guest.

Alice and Ben look under the brim of history to find out what on earth happened to the ubiquity of the hat?

We’ll cover a parent’s desperate tactic to keep a son out of trouble, there are highwaymen, practical jokes, and a British supermodel.

Key Sources:

Dogs are man’s best friend - but has it always been that way?

Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton look into how humans and dogs first got acquainted, we’ll hear about the tough lives of medieval dogs, and we’ll reveal how the Victorians forged our modern relationship with our canine friends.

This episode contains a brief description of cruelty to animals. Listener discretion is advised.

Key sources:

Collared: How We Made the Modern Dog - Professor Chris Pearson.

Man and the natural world: Changing attitudes in England 1500-1800 - Sir Keith Thomas.

The Hardworking Dogs of Medieval Europe - Livia Gershon.

Dog, Natural Histories - BBC Radio 4.

It was the vicar that did it! In the billiards room! With a candlestick!

To many fans of a murder mystery, this is perhaps a familiar sounding phrase from a classic “whodunit”. But just how did this endlessly popular genre come to be?

Alice and Ben leaf back through the pages of history to uncover just where “whodunits” came from, who invented them, and how they’ve endured centuries of changing tastes.

They will discuss multiple lines of inquiry; from our historical appetite for the gruesome and thrilling; to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Agatha Christie; and even the impact of the World Wars.

Key Sources:

Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton explore how Renaissance books on courtly conduct inspired an era of civility.

They untangle the 18th century age of politeness, and we’ll find out how the Victorians shaped the way we behave today.

But are manners getting worse?

Key Sources:

Sorry! The English and Their Manners - Henry Hitchings.

Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson dig through the folds of time to understand how Tartan became so woven into Scottish history.

Just how did the material become so intrinsically linked to the nation’s image?

It’s a winding and dramatic story. There’s an exiled prince, a romantic writer, a pair of charismatic brothers and a young queen. It’s a tale of ancient tradition, war and fakery.

Key Sources:

Tartan: The Highland Habit - Professor Hugh Cheape.

How did the pub become so central to British culture?

Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton reveal how women ran medieval alehouses, how the Reformation led to a golden age of boozers, and how competition from gin produced the iconic Victorian pub.

Key Sources:

Dr Paul Jennings - The Local: A History of the English Pub.

Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson delve into the history of the Union Jack - the flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

It’s one of the most recognisable British icons, but just why does it look the way it does? What’s the story behind the pattern?

We’ll get into the saintly foundations, the Stuarts, and of course the age old question - where on the flag is Wales?

Key Sources:

The Union Jack: The Story of the British Flag - Professor Nick Groom

Modern buildings are ugly - that’s what opinion polls suggest - but if it’s true, what’s the story behind it?

Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton see how a Swiss architect turned the British establishment against traditional architecture, and how his followers rebuilt British cities in the hope of improving society.

For some, modern architecture is a crime against the public realm. For others, it’s iconic. Alice and Ben explore the debate over the decades.

Subscribe to the podcast on BBC Sounds and on Here For The History’s YouTube channel.

Key Sources:

A Short History of British Architecture: From Stonehenge to The Shard, Simon Jenkins