The BackTracker History Show

The Tintagel Miracle

Season: 7 Episode: 4

High above the roaring Atlantic, Tintagel clings to the rugged north coast of Cornwall, a place where sea mist wraps itself around ancient stone and legend never feels far away. Dominated by Tintagel Castle, inseparable from the myths of King Arthur, it draws travellers, dreamers and romantics from around the world. Yet on 6 July 1979, this storied village found itself at the centre of a very different tale, when a pilotless RAF Hunter jet slammed into the seaside resort, and villagers and holidaymakers survived by sheer good fortune.

CAST

Jim White - Guy Irons

Dan Irons - Simon Criddle

Robert Jack - Oli Coleman

Bill Walton - Steve Sheperd

John Garwood - Jon Locke

Rev. Ivan Gregory - Tony Allen

THIS PODCAST

This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England.

If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to support the show with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

TINTAGEL WEB

Liverpool Daily Post - Saturday 07 July 1979

Daily Express - Saturday 07 July 1979

Daily Mirror - Saturday 07 July 1979

Coventry Evening Telegraph - Saturday 11 August 1979

Burton Daily Mail - Wednesday 24 October 1979

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026

Murder at Two Mile Hill

Season: 7 Episode: 3

In February 1869, a young widow was trying to get home after a few too many drinks at her local pub in Two Mile Hill, Kingswood, Bristol. She never made it and what happened next shocked her local community

CAST

Mr. W. Gaisford (Coroner) - Marcus Kepple-Palmer

Mr. Nurse - Julian Kendall

Isaac Wiltshire - Simon Criddle

Jane Cottle - Mili Beniams

Emma Rogers - Sam Roberts

Mr. T. W. Fryer - Tony Allen

Charles Wiltshire - Jon Locke

John Milsom - Martin Palmer

The Judge - Steve Sheperd

THIS PODCAST

This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England.

If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to support the show with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026

The Staple Hill Tunnel

Season: 7 Episode: 2

Bristol’s hunger for coal sparked a bold idea, drive a railway straight from the pits at Coalpit Heath into the city. With Royal Assent granted on 19th June 1828, the Bristol & Gloucestershire Railway was born.

One of the line’s most ambitious features was the Staple Hill Tunnel, begun in 1834. In this episode, we look at a few tales behind this local landmark

CAST

F. A. Hemmens - Steve Sheperd

Mr G Lane - Julian Kendall

THIS PODCAST

This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England.

If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to support the show with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Forgotten Relics of an Enterprising Age

Bristol Mercury - Tuesday 13 December 1887

Bristol Mercury - Friday 02 November 1888

Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Tuesday 31 March 1903

Bristol Times and Mirror - Wednesday 01 April 1903

Western Daily Press - Tuesday 02 December 1924

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026

Bristol's King David Hotel

Season: 7 Episode: 1

This time, we’re stepping inside the story of the King David Hotel. Built in 1893 on the site of the original King David Inn, this striking three-storey building of yellow and red brick spent a century welcoming drinkers, travellers, and locals alike. By the 1990s, its role had changed completely, taken over by the Hospital, but its walls had already seen more than their fair share of life. In this show, we’ll be uncovering just a few of the people and stories woven into this fascinating slice of Bristol’s history.

As you can imagine, featuring all the proprietors of the King David would make this an extremely long episode but they should still be remembered, so here's a list of them.

1. c.1791: Joseph Stephens (1791 Universal British Directory).
2. c.1793-1794: William Pritchard (Matthews New Bristol Directory 1793-1794).
3. c.1814-1817: George White.
4. c.1818: Mrs. White. (Evans, 1818 Directory).
5. c.1822: William Hooper (Pigot's 1822 Bristol Directory).
6. c.1825: Thomas Watson (Pigot's 1825 Bristol Directory).
7. c.1826-1830: James Highman.
8. c.1831-1836: Ann Highman. (daughter Ann married Edward Willey 1836)
9. c.1836-1866: Ann Willey & Mary Lockley (1859 pub for sale with the sisters as yearly tenants).
10. c.1838-1839: Matthew Pomphrey (manager?).
11. c.1841-1858: Robert Adams (and excise officer).
12. c.1859-1866: Mary Lockley & Ann Willey.
13. c.1866-1880: Ann Willey & William Cates.
14. c.1880-1889: William Cates.
15. c.1889-1891: Rose Elizabeth Cates.
16. c.1891-1892: William Thomas West (manager).
17. c.1892-1893: Hotel rebuilt.
18. c.1893-1895: Walter Franklin (manager).
19. c.1895-1899: Robert Gibbons.
20. c.1899-1942: Stephen George Gibbons.
21. c.1 June 1942-27 July 1942: Hartie Nellie Eastburn.
22. c.27 July 1942-7 June 1943: Clarence Clifford Gardiner.
23. c.7 June 1943-7 March 1944: William G. King.
24. c.7 March 1944-17 April 1944: Ernest Sellick Burrell.
25. c.17 April 1944-1963: Alfred William McGill (d.1963).
26. c.1963-1976: Alfred William McGill junior.

CAST

William Cates - Julian Kendall

George Arthur Cates - Steve Sheperd

George Townsend - Mili Beniams

Police Officer - Tony Allen

Newspapers - Sam Roberts

THIS PODCAST

This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England.

If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to support the show with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Archaeology Data Services

West Country Bottles

Glasgow Evening Post - Thursday 19 November 1868

Frome Times - Wednesday 25 November 1868

The Western Daily Press

Bristol Mirror

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2025

Somerset Artist & Suffragette

Season: 6 Episode: 40

Welcome to the show, where we step into the vivid world of Ivy, a celebrated artist and passionate suffragette who championed gender equality. Part of the pioneering generation of women finally able to study art, she launched a dazzling career creating Christmas cards, postcards and calendars that soon became treasured favourites and are now highly collectable. Today, we explore the life of Ivy as she comes of age at the dawn of the 20th century, uncovering the artistry and spirit that shaped her remarkable journey.

CAST

Henry Williamson - Oli Coleman

THIS PODCAST

This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England. 

If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to support the show with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Weston Museum

Ancestry

Country Gazette March 9th, 2023

Bank of England

Evening Post 27th July 1988

Post Office Museum

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk 

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2025

Francis Eaton's Adventure

Season: 6 Episode: 39

Francis Eaton was born ca. 1596 in Bristol, England, and died in the autumn of 1633 in Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He, with his wife and son, were passengers on the historic 1620 voyage of the Mayflower. His signature appears on the Mayflower Compact

Francis Eaton’s story begins long before the Mayflower set sail, and when woven together, his early life and later journey form a striking portrait of resilience.

CAST

William Bradford - Steve Sheperd

Plymouth Court - Tony Allen

THIS PODCAST

This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England. 

If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to support the show with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Mayflower Museum. Plymouth

American Ancestors

Ancestry

Find-A-Grave

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk 

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2025

The Mystery In The Village

Season: 6 Episode: 38

Unearth the astonishing tale of how the tiny North Dorset village of Gussage St Michael, home to only a few hundred souls, suddenly found itself splashed across front pages around the world in 1913. From Britain to Australia and New Zealand, its story raced across continents, turning a quiet rural corner into an international sensation. Step into the mystery that transformed a sleepy village into global news.

CAST

William Walter Burton - Jon Locke

The Coroner - Steve Sheperd

Mrs Mitchell - Kate Kendall

Head of Jury - Tony Allen

Winifred May Bailey - Rose Hales

South Australia’s Adelaide Advertiser - Andrea Reid

THIS PODCAST

This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England. 

If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to support the show with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Bradford Daily Argus - Monday 26 May 1913

Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Wednesday 04 June 1913

Find-A-Grave

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk 

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2025

Filton's War Heroes

Season: 6 Episode: 37

Nestled in the quiet churchyard of St Peter’s in Filton, Bristol, stands a solemn granite memorial, its rough-hewn Latin cross reaching skywards as a tribute to local men who gave their lives in the First World War. Later additions commemorate those lost in the Second World War and subsequent conflicts, a poignant reminder of the sacrifices woven into the fabric of the community. Modest yet elegant, this Grade II listed memorial not only honours the fallen but bears witness to the enduring spirit of remembrance in Filton.

In today's show, we looked at just a few of the names carved in stone, reflecting the many roles people held in a world torn by war.

CAST

Edith Cavell - Rose Hales

Mr M. Pulliblank - Tony Allen

Murray Phelps - Steve Sheperd

THIS PODCAST

This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England. 

If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to support the show with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

cwgc

Ancestry.co.uk

findmypast.co.uk

Forces War Records

Aircrewmen Remembered

International Bomber Command

Bristol Evening Post - Friday 25 March 1988

Western Daily Press - Wednesday 23 March 1988

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk 

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2025

Bristol's Code Breaker: Gordon Welchman

Season: 6 Episode: 36

Dive into the extraordinary mind behind the unseen machinery of Allied codebreaking. In this episode, we explore how Gordon Welchman’s quiet brilliance reshaped the war effort, the birth of traffic analysis, and why his ideas still echo through modern intelligence work. If you’ve ever wondered how the hidden architecture of Bletchley Park truly worked, this one’s a treat. Tune in and meet the strategist who changed everything from behind the curtain.

CAST

Gordon Welchman - Marcus Kepple-Palmer

Alastair Denniston - Tony Allen

Sir Stuart Milner Barry - Steve Sheperd

THIS PODCAST

This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England. 

If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to support the show with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Bletchey Park

Western Daily Press - Monday 22 March 1937

GCHQ

L Field, Gordon Welchman and his Contributions to Breaking the Enigma Code (Honours Project 2013-14, University of St Andrews, 2014).

Trinity College. Cambridge

Ancestry

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk 

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2025

The Captain With Two Victoria Crosses!

Season: 6 Episode: 35

As part of our Lest We Forget November series of show, we visit the story of Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse, a doctor, a soldier, and one of only three people in history to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice. His compassion on the battlefield and his courage under fire remind us what true heroism looks like, not just in grand gestures, but in quiet acts of mercy amid chaos.

CAST

London Gazette - Andrea Reid

Bishop of Liverpool - Steve Sheperd

THIS PODCAST

This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England. 

If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to support the show with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Runcorn Examiner - Saturday 28 October 1916

Bromsgrove & Droitwich Messenger - Saturday 28 October 1916

Warrington Guardian - Saturday 22 September 1917

Morning Post - Thursday 09 August 1917

Derby Daily Telegraph - Wednesday 05 September 1917

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Ancestry

Wigan Examiner - Saturday 03 July 1920

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk 

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2025