We return to the story with a chapter that unashamedly bases itself deep in the heart of daily life; a few years filled with accidents on the Thames; massive stock takes of wine; crimes big and small and much more. From burning heretics to banning people trying to avoid public office; from punishing housewives for overcharging chickens, to a failed attempt to reform debt obligations, this is London filled with the awesome events that made the medical city such an exciting place. Welcome then to the Affairs of the city…

A special episode to celebrate our 150th Chapter, with a look at the rather seedy side of London in the 15th century- its sex life. This is a city where the sheer bewildering variety of events in this field leave us wondering what to focus upon. Threesomes with Franciscan monks; respectable political figures profiting from the sex trade; women pimping out their daughters; and what appears to be the first recorded case of a transwoman sex worker; all come along in a remarkably fluid era where many of the ideas of how we imagined sexuality in the Middle Ages was conceptualised seem to run into a city whose intent was to break as many rules as possible. Obviously, this episode contains adult content.

behind and weaving in and out of the Story of London for many chapters now, had been the seemingly endless war with the French. But now, Henry V was to march to France, take the port of Harfluer and then accidentally walk into the greatest battle of his life… The story of the Battle of Agincourt and above all, the wild and wild celebrations that took place in London to celebrate it are told in this weeks chapter of the Story.

In January 1414 a small bunch of religious extremists came together to enact the plan of their leader, a veteran solider and captain; a small group of assassins would, posing as actors, attend a Christmas party of the young King Henry V, kill him and as many members of the Royal Family as possible, and then three days later lead an armed force to purge London and then the rest of the country of those Christians who opposed them… the story of the Lollard rebellion of Sir John Oldcastle and the role of the heretics of London is often overlooked, but the brutal judicial killings of dozens of members, many of whom were hung and burnt at the same time, is one which would haunt London for years.

Henry V had just been crowned; but the first crisis of his reign was an attempted insurrection against him in London; a group of religious extremists banded together to kill him… but why? Who were the Lollards and how did events get so serious? In this, the first of two episodes on the rebellion, we look at the secret history of the group, and see that for decades, they had existed hidden in plain sight within London’s streets, growing in number but seemingly ignored by the city authorities…

The reign of Henry IV was coming to an end, and London shivered through tough times; a decrease in population, a wave of bankruptcies, a spike in anti-social behaviour, and a growing desire to avoid civic leadership plays out as the King sickens and his eldest son quietly takes the reigns of power briefly. But across in France, events were spiralling out of control just as the kings health begins to fail…

Five years of London history that crams a surprisingly large amount into it… from desperate battlefield surgery, to why the Guilds of London are called ‘worshipful companies’; from open marriages for cash, to never ending economic troubles; this chapter covers a busy period, filled with rebellions, battles, piracy, dodgy latrines, and of course the rebellious fishermen of Barking.

Henry IV was king; a new start, a new hope, a new world… and quickly, very quickly indeed, everything started to fall apart. London found itself in the front row as the regime was assailed on all sides and an intense few years followed. A fast-paced chapter focusing especially on life in the city, and featuring a couple of riots, many executions, the screams of men being burned alive, urban renewal, the death of poets and visiting foreign dignitaries. Welcome to the 15th century, things are getting wild…

In 1398 King Richard II of England was all-powerful and seemingly all secure upon the throne of the land. Two years later he was dead, wasted away in a dark, dismal cell, and England had a new king. In this episode we examine how the King fell from power and also how London managed to avoid being involved in almost all of it. The fall of the “White Hart’ (the white stag which Richard used as his personal symbol) was swift and opens a new century and new era for London going forward…

The Story returns with an episode that examines one of London’s loveliest folklore tales- the tale of Dick Whittington and his cat; beloved of pantomimes and children’s books, This week we peer behind the scenes to look at the actual events in London behind the elevation of this man to Mayor of the City… and the dangerous political climate he found himself in.

A tale of an increasingly erratic king, members of the royal family being smothered to death with a mattress, a shocking wedding, show trials in Westminster, a royal posse racing across the English countryside in the middle of the night and more; welcome to the harsh truth behind the myth.