History with H

In this special episode we sit down with Daphne to hear her memories of life during World War II. From leaving home as a child evacuee to adapting to life in the countryside, Daphne shares her experiences of growing up in Wartime Britain.

Daphne now volunteers at the RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre which educates and preserves the memory of those who served at Suttons Farm and RAF Hornchurch. 

Website - https://rafhornchurch.com/heritage-centre/

Instagram - @rafhornchurch

Facebook - RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre

For this episode which was recorded on 23 December 2025, I tell the voice of Castles on Tour my ten guests from history who I would invite to my Christmas dinner party.

Let me know what you think of my selection, or who you would invite to yours!

Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!

There is a brief reference to sexual content due to the context of the history around one of the guests.

For this episode, I was joined by my fiancé, Gary, for the launch of our new children's book, Little Bean & Little Egg's Historical Day Out: The Collection, which is due for publication on Friday 25th April 2025.

In this episode we talk about the inspiration behind our book and characters, the publishing process and future events to promote our book.

To view the trailer, please visit: https://youtu.be/2Mmbxmr9AvI?si=AzSqSY4LkSxffQ1T

To order a copy of our book, please visit: https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/little-bean-and-little-eggs-historical-day-out-the-collection

Our book is available as a paperback or e-book from booksellers such as Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith and Barnes and Noble.

For any questions, please email: [email protected].

You can follow us on:

Instagram: @little_bean_and_little_egg

X: @Bean_Egg_Book

We hope you enjoy reading our book and as our characters say... History is fun!

For this episode, which was recorded on Monday 3rd March 2025, I was delighted to be joined by Paul, who has supported the podcast and been a regular listener. It was lovely to speak to Paul and discuss the history of Banqueting House with him. Although it is currently closed for restoration, we hope this episode inspires you to visit when it opens in Summer 2025.

For this episode, which was recorded on Saturday 1st March 2025, I was joined by Clemmie (who first appeared on Season 1). It was great to catch up again with Clemmie and hear about her experience of visiting Thornbury Castle ( now a hotel) in Bristol, South West England.

Clemmie spoke about the history of the castle and the Dukes of Buckingham who lived there as well as about how the hotel has kept true to the castle's origin.

For this episode, which was recorded on Wednesday 12th February 2025, I was joined by Natalie from the podcast If It Ain't Baroque. It was great to chat to Natalie about her 2019 visit to Scotland which covered Edinburgh, Glasgow and Glencoe - and the weather, of course! Get inspired for your trip and let me know how your travels go!

For this episode, which was recorded on Sunday 2nd February 2025, I was joined by a regular on the podcast, Kerri, who shared her experience of visiting Pembroke (Penfro) Castle in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. It was great to welcome Kerri back again and hear about her experience as well as discussing the Greatest Knight, William Marshall.

For the opening episode of Season 3, which was recorded on Sunday 26th January 2025, I was joined by a regular on the podcast, Rob, who shared his experience and passion for Warwick Castle, Warwickshire, England. It was great to welcome Rob back and hear about his experience as well as discussing the Earl of Warwick and our thoughts on what it takes to run a castle now.

For Episode 10 which was recorded on Thursday 18th July 2024, I was joined by Laura who shared her experience of volunteering and visiting Southchurch Hall in Southend, Essex, England. It was great to speak to Laura and hear about the history of the house and key people associated with it. I enjoyed speaking to Laura about a hidden gem and hopefully this episode encourages you to explore your local area's history as well.

You can read Laura's blog here and her first book, Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII's Sixth Queen, is available from Amazon and Pen & Sword Books