It's 1858, It's Victorian Bradford, and 'Humbug' Billy is about to sell a batch of boiled mint lozenges ten-thousand times stronger than a Fisherman's Friend.  

In what Victorian Newsmen recount as a most woeful and melancholy episode of the CB Wallop Podcast, join Phil Jerrod and Phil Lucas as they discuss The Bradford Sweet Poisoning - the dreadful and unhappy event that poisoned hundreds of children, baffled The Peelers, and made the Mint Humbug about as popular as a Rose's Coffee Cream.  

Should they have stored their arsenic in the sugar bowl? … no, no they probably shouldn't. 

Trigger warning! - please be aware that this episode does involve the death of children, along with a frank discussion of the effects of arsenic poisoning and also an unfortunate attempt by the two Phil's to write a musical called, "Sh#ting Blood - the Humbug Billy Story". So, you know… sorry about that.

Title music by Steve Adam

Production by Mike Sandeman - http://www.northbrightonrecording.co.uk/

Hidden Killers of the Victorian Home

©BBC4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhJOul3n978&t=2569s Presenter Suzannah Lipscomb Produced & Directed by Suzanne Phillips Executive Producer Griff Rhys Jones, Liz Hartford, Sarah Broughton