The BackTracker History Show

Remembrance Day 2025

Season: 6 Episode: 34

Each November, as the nation falls silent, we remember them, the men and women who gave everything in the service of others. Their names are carved in stone, whispered in churches, and carried in the hearts of families across generations. But behind every name lies a story of bravery, sacrifice, and humanity in the darkest of times.

As we honour all who served and fell, we pause to reflect on their enduring legacy, and the simple truth that courage, in any age, is never forgotten.

This show is the first in the November Series, Lest We Forget, where we highlight the bravery of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.

CAST

Funeral - Steve Sheperd

Wife Tribute - Rose Hales

Parents Tribute - Molly Jefferies

Mother-in-law tribute - Andrea Reid

Headstone - 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

Sheffield Daily Telegraph 17 May 1917

Wardsend Cemetery Heritage Park

Western Daily Press - Monday 05 May 1941

Wardsend Cemetery

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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

Joe Rogers and the Royal Charter

Season: 6 Episode: 33

It was the night of 25 October 1859, when the wind began to howl across the Irish Sea. By midnight it had grown into a monstrous storm, one so fierce it would later be remembered as the worst of the nineteenth century. Waves rose like dark mountains, tearing at the coast of Anglesey and battering ships caught in its fury. Out there, struggling towards Liverpool, was the steam clipper Royal Charter, her decks heavy with gold, her passengers dreaming of home, and her fate sealed by the storm of the century.

CAST

Charles Dickens - Steve Sheperd

Mr W. Gilmour - Tony Allen

Joseph Rogers - Joe Wilson

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

SS Great Britain

Times Malta

The People - Sunday 12 September 1897

Hereford Journal - Wednesday 09 November 1859

Illustrated London News - Saturday 26 November 1859

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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

Halloween Special 2025

Season: 6 Episode: 32

Welcome to the Halloween edition of The Backtracker History Show, where we uncover the true origins of this haunting night. Long before costumes and sweets, Halloween was a sacred bridge between the living and the dead, when ancient Celts lit fires to keep spirits at bay.

Join us as we journey through centuries of folklore, from Samhain to All Hallows’ Eve. Light a candle and settle in — the story of Halloween is older, stranger, and far more fascinating than you might think.

CAST

Halloween Rhymes- Theo Jackson

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

BBC

Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian - Friday 09 November 1866

Ottawa Free Press - Saturday 27 October 1906

Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night . N. Rogers

"All Saints, Festival of"  . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.)

Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween. Lisa Morton

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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 Locked Bank Mystery

Season: 6 Episode: 31

The curious case of the Welshman murdered inside a locked bank. He was found shot dead, a bullet hole in the window, and a haul of cash and silver missing. This wasn’t a detective show plot — it was a real crime scene uncovered by detectives just over 100 years ago.

CAST

Abraham “Jack” Goldenberg - Joe Wilson

'M' Letter - Sam Roberts

South Wales Daily Post - 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

Londonderry Sentinel - Thursday 31 July 1924

British Executions

Western Morning News - Monday 07 April 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 2025

The Robber's Stone

Season: 6 Episode: 30

Discover the story behind The Robbers’ Stone, a Grade II listed memorial in West Lavington, Wiltshire. It marks a dramatic 1839 highway robbery and the capture of the culprits—a real-life tale of law triumphing over highwaymen. Tune in to hear how Mr. Dean of Imber was robbed, the pursuit that followed, and the legacy left in stone.

CAST

John Baish - Molly Jefferies

Ben Colclough - Joe Wilson

William Hooper - Marcus Kepple-Palmer

Coroner Whitmarsh - Tony Allen

Monument 1 - Sam Roberts

Monument 2 - Cerise Reed

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

English Chronicle and Whitehall Evening Post - Saturday 08 February 1840

Salisbury Inquests

Parish Council of West Lavington

Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette - Thursday 24 October 1839

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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 Looting of SS Ettrick

Season: 6 Episode: 29

In 1924, the SS Ettrick met a dramatic fate on the River Avon — she ran aground and refused to budge. As the tide turned and the crew gave up hope, the ship capsized overnight, belly-up in the murky waters. By morning, the riverbank was swarming with locals, not to rescue, but to scavenge: tobacco, cigarettes, sweets, and boots bobbed temptingly in the current, turning the wreck into an impromptu treasure hunt.

CAST

Captain Preston - Colin Ball

Russell Collins - Steve Sheperd

George Rush - Marcus Kepple-Palmer

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

Shepton Mallet Journal - Friday 03 October 1924

Western Daily Press - Thursday 25 September 1924

Western Daily Press - Tuesday 07 October 1924

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

Eric Harper: WW2 Life in the Royal Airforce

Season: 6 Episode: 28

At just eighteen, Eric Ronald Harper swapped the classroom for the cockpit. By May 1940 he was in uniform, training as an Air Observer—what we’d now call a Navigator—with 207 Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command. From Penarth to Melksham, then Bridgnorth in Shropshire, his journey into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve had begun.

CAST

Eric Ronald Harper - Joe Wilson

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

BBC

Ancestry

Humberside Council

International Bomber Command Centre

1921 England Census

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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

More Short Tales

Season: 6 Episode: 27

From an unusual change of mind to a woman with bizarre eating habits, here are just a few of the shorter tales in my archive. All interesting enough to share with you.

CAST

Dr. Hocking - Steve Sheperd

Mary Ann Carroll - Carrie Ball

Magistrates' Clerk - 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

Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer - Saturday 13 September 1902

Cornish Guardian - Thursday 18 August 1960

London Daily Chronicle - Thursday 01 May 1902

Daily News (London) - Tuesday 13 September 1904

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 Dickin Medal

Season: 6 Episode: 26

They call it the animals’ Victoria Cross—the PDSA Dickin Medal. Created in 1943, it honours the bravery of animals who served in war. Since then, more than 70 animals have received it, the highest honour for courage in the face of danger. And here are just a few of the 12 recipients buried at the Ilford PDSA Cemetery in London. Here's the story of just three, Irma, Simon and Mary.

CAST

Character - Actor

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

-

SOURCES

-

Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk 

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2025

The Cheltenham Torso Mystery

Season: 6 Episode: 25

The Cheltenham torso mystery, a chilling enigma that gripped the nation, remains one of Gloucestershire's most infamous unsolved crimes.

It made national headlines and sparked a massive police manhunt, but despite tantalising clues and relentless investigation, the truth was never uncovered.

CAST

Bradford Observer - Andrea Reid

Gardener - Colin Ball

Keith Newman - Steve Sheperd

London Friend - Tony Allen

Resident - Rose Hales

Yorkshire Observer - Joe Wilson

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

-

SOURCES

-

Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk 

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2025