That Time When

Barnaby gets a bit frustrated at how little we know about one of the most important figures in European, and possibly world, history. You may know already of Johannes Gutenberg, but did you know that he had a side hustle before he made his printing press? Or how a lawsuit possibly stopped him from being well known in his lifetime? Or why for many years we could call him Mr Gooseflesh? Find out here.

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I think we all know the stories of sailors in history getting shipwrecked or stuck at sea and having to make the horrible choice to resort to cannibalism. In the 19th century this was such a problem that it caused decades of legal headaches until the courts finally decided to settle the matter with the case of Dudley and Stephens. There was Brooks too, but everyone seems to just forgive him the cannibalism for... reasons?

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Is it possible that Robinson Crusoe was inspired by a goat-man? This week on That Time When, Amelia tells us about Alexander Selkirk, a real life Robinson Crusoe who managed to survive for years on a deserted island thanks to the timely intercession of some sea-lions, a pack of friendly cats, and some cabbages that had no rightful business being there. No, I'm not making any of that up.

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This week on That Time When we continue with the story of Joseph Grimaldi, the Father of Modern Clowning. Last week we looked at his early life and ascent to the part of The Clown, this week we look at his prolific career and how he came to become the icon of the clown for years to come. We also have Amelia explaining a pun to Barnaby that he completely missed... he is still a little annoyed about it. *Content Note: there is a brief discussion of suicide toward the end of the episode, in case it is a topic you might find sensitive.

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Joseph Grimaldi can be remembered as the Father of the Modern Clown. But before you have traumatic memories of Pennywise and turn off, you should listen to his story, because Grimaldi's life is a fascinating study of a struggling artist who transformed theatres of the day. You'll also find out why clowns of the 18th century were more like silent movie performers, and why you shouldn't swing your young child on a chain on stage.

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This Week on That Time When we listen to the most dramatic and powerful music to accompany the Entry of the Gladiators. After that, Amelia tells us about a Dutch hero who is famous for pirate murder, delivering quips, and causing one very large explosion.

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This week on That Time When we continue the story of the lost Roanoke Colony, and actually get to the point where the colonists have gone missing! Now the mission becomes finding these poor people. Will the weather let up and actually allow someone to complete their mission? Will people back in England care? Will Sir Walter Raleigh actually look for them, or is he too busy thinking of gold? We'll also talk about some more modern theories which range from the very plausible to the outright conspiracy theory nonsense of Secret Protestant Cabals!

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The mystery of the Missing Roanoke Colony is a pretty good story by itself, but it turns out that everything that led up to it was a mad comedy of errors. This week on That Time When, Barnaby tells us about the two expeditions that set the stage for the attempt at a first permanent colony in North America. Expect ridiculous storms, a lack of basic diplomacy, and the utter failure to keep a hold of ships with food supplies. Next week: the mystery itself!

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Amelia has managed to find a very obscure French story that may well have... *ahem* inspired Alexandre Dumas to write The Count of Monte Cristo. This has everything: romance, betrayal, false imprisonment, vengeance, elaborate murder, and parrot slaying. You'd think it was all made up!

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Imagine getting a knock at the door only to discover hoards of people who tell you that they've come to deliver various goods and services that you never asked for, and they probably want paying for it too. That was the experience Mrs Tottingham of 54 Berners Street had in 1810. In this episode of That Time When, we look at the Berners Street Hoax, the man behind it and why he was just the worst, and question whether or not the whole story ever happened.

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