With literacy on the rise, the printing presses of the early 1800s were stuck in the 15th century. Surely there's a better way to put ink to paper.Join me as we explore the subterfuge in the creation of a new method of printing, or tune in to find out all about the Penny Dreadfuls on the main podcast : https://open.spotify.com/episode/35SMqWvg7eHQiiEPlSU7cg?si=h2lG2uxQRL6aCKC5KOEziw

Step right up, dear reader, to the grisly, ink-stained chambers of Toffs and Toolers!

In this week’s expedition into the literary underworld, we peel back the layers of the Victorian era’s most notorious indulgence: the Penny Dreadful.

For the price of a single copper, the working classes of London were transported from the soot and squalor of their tenements into a realm of heart-stopping terror and high-octane villainy.

We began our journey with the terror of the fog: Spring-Heeled Jack. Was he a man, a demon, or a devil-may-care aristocrat with a taste for mayhem? We dissect the urban legends that turned this bounding menace into a bogeyman who stalked the night, leaving a trail of fainted maids and frightened watchmen in his wake.

Next, we descended into the basement of Fleet Street to encounter the "Demon Barber" himself, Sweeney Todd. We explore the evolution of this blood-curdling tale—from its humble origins in The String of Pearls to the legend of the meat pies that kept the hungry crowds of London lining up for more. It is a cautionary tale of greed, steel, and a recipe that truly deserves to be buried.

Finally, we turn our gaze to the progenitor of the modern blood-sucker: Varney the Vampire. Long before the glitter and romance of later generations, Varney was a terrifying, decaying creature of the night. We examine how this sprawling, chaotic serial defined the gothic tropes that would haunt the dreams of readers for over a century.

But a Dreadful is only as sharp as the mind that pens it. We pull back the curtain on the "Penny Blood" industry, introducing the unsung scribes—often working in desperate, deadline-driven squalor—and the cutthroat publishers who peddled these lurid tales of vice and virtue. We investigate how these "hack" writers created a new form of mass-market escapism that the Victorian establishment viewed with utter disdain, yet secretly devoured with relish.

History is written by the winners, but we prefer the legends who wrote their own rules. From the clatter of the printing presses in Grub Street to the screams echoing in the dark, this is the true, unfiltered chronicle of the Victorian imagination at its most unhinged.

Step into the shadows with us—but mind the blade, and keep your purse-strings tight.

Follow Toffs and Toolers for your weekly criminal Victorian adventure.

#PennyDreadfuls #VictorianGothic #SweeneyTodd #SpringHeeledJack #VarneyTheVampire #ToffsAndToolers #CriminalVictorianAdventure #DarkHistory #GrubStreet #UntoldHistory

Institutions of control under the guise of benevolence - the Victorians used both movement and restraint to occupy parts of society that they'd rather not have directly in sight.

Join me as we explore their historical use, or tune in to find out all about the Asylum and Workhouse on the main podcast : https://open.spotify.com/episode/6dGt3GI2LmckvxiRPg5yCg?si=ya0VpDwQSvCHNhZD6I526w

Think your landlord is bad? Try being a Victorian pauper. This week, we’re diving into the 'charm' of the Victorian workhouse and the terrifying ease of being locked away in an asylum.

We’re dissecting the Vagrancy Act, the infamous Andover workhouse scandal (where the conditions were quite literally bone-chilling), and the true story of Georgina Weldon—a Victorian powerhouse who decided that being called 'insane' was merely a suggestion.

It’s a masterclass in how to stay sane in a system built to break you.

Do not fret, all the regulars remain.

Mr Hugh returns with yet another tale of how Charles Dickens is connected to every Victorian everywhere, and Shaun tries his hand at something which somewhat inevitably may involve poop.

Love the grime and the glory of the Victorian underworld?

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When the Metropolitan Police were founded, they didn't have tasers and radios to deal with criminals. They had far more humble equipment. Join me as I explore the Police Rattle and Bullseye Lantern, or stop by the main podcast and learned about the formation of the Metropolitan Police : https://open.spotify.com/episode/2elgAorEOyJQdEFoJGf6q0?si=s0HPPIZ1QhiywYjXr1lIyg

Grab your top hats and button up your blue coats—this week we’re hitting the historical beat with the birth of the modern police!

In this episode, we’re unpacking the chaotic early days of Robert Peel’s Metropolitan Police. From how a bunch of raw recruits ended up being mocked as "The Blue Lobsters," to the high-stakes drama of the very first officer to tragically die on duty, we’ve got it covered. Plus, we’ll take a look at the shadowy beginnings of the very first Met detectives (back when the public thought "detecting" was just a polite word for state spying!).

It’s a tale of public outrage, fashion choices, and the rocky road to keeping the Victorian peace.

We'll also be dropping in to ask 'What the Dickens!' with Mr Hugh and discover if Shaun has finally found a vocation in life that doesn't involve crime, disease or borderline destitution.

Follow Toffs and Toolers for all your criminal Victorian needs!

Shaun usually spends his time wading through the muck of various Victorian jobs literally no-one would really want to do if they had a choice; but today we’re taking a break from the fog and grime and allowed Shaun to wander off on his own devices. 

We're certain this has nothing to do with his latest hobby: Mesmerism. We certainly wouldn't be falling for that malarkey.

Before we had actual therapy, the Victorians were convinced that all you needed to fix your problems was a weird guy in a frock coat staring at you intensely while waving his hands around. We’re diving into the absurdity of "Animal Magnetism," asking if it was a genuine scientific breakthrough or just the 19th-century equivalent of a pyramid scheme, and wondering how anyone managed to keep a straight face while doing it.  

We look forward to all of Shaun's future shows. Watch this show. Look closely. Look closer. Listen to his hypnotic voice. Now you want to watch all of his shows as well.

Is a Prig Casing your Crib? Unsure what I mean? Perhaps you need a Flash Dictionary to give you some guidance. Alternatively, if you haven't yet learned about Thieves Cant and Voker Romany - head over to the main podcast to find out more : https://open.spotify.com/episode/2RDsCaOrzO2wozPBTteDL4?si=Vfu88aWAQ7K8LXuXM4u2Ew

Toffs & Toolers — Episode 3: Voker Romany & Thieves' Cant

Uncover your ears and sharpen your wits, gentle listeners, for today we are inducting you into the most exclusive, lawless, and utterly baffling secret society of the Victorian underworld.

Welcome back to Toffs & Toolers, the audio-chronicle of nineteenth-century high-life and low-crooks. This week, we aren't just looking at the crimes committed on the cobblestones—we are learning how to talk about them without the peelers catching wise. We are exploring the cryptic sub-languages of the street: Thieves’ Cant and Voker Romany.

If you were a "tooler" plotting a midnight robbery or a "cove" trying to fence a pocket watch, standard English simply wouldn't do. From the code-switching substitution of Thieves' Cant to the deep linguistic roots of Angloromani slang, the criminal underworld constructed an entire verbal fortress. This week, our full panel dissects the fascinating lexicon that kept the Victorian police entirely in the dark. We will untangle how ordinary words were twisted into complex codes, explore how Romani vocabulary heavily influenced the street slang we still use today, and discover how a conversation about a simple afternoon stroll could actually be a blueprint for a diamond heist.

To ensure we do not lose ourselves entirely to the linguistic underworld, our full quarters are assembled to deliver your two favourite recurring diversions:

🎩 What the Dickens!Our weekly bout of shameless historical gymnastics. Today, the team tries to construct a remarkably shaky bridge of association between the grand literary moralizer himself, Mr. Charles Dickens, and another notable figure of the Victorian age. Are we uncovering a genuine historical thread, or are we just spinning webs out of thin air? Listen in as we attempt to make the pieces fit.

💰 Filthy Lucre!The segment where our dear co-host, Shaun, learns the true meaning of hard labor. Once again, Shaun has been stripped of his modern privileges and sent back to apprentice in one of the most back-breaking, stomach-turning, and completely undignified occupations the 1800s could offer. He reports back from the frontline of historical drudgery to share how our ancestors scraped a living. Let us just say he's very glad to be back in the studio.

Secure your purses, mind your "bone-box," and join the full crew for an education in the language of the shadows.

YOUR HOSTS: Alex Hudson, Alex Sweetman, Mr Hugh, and Shaun—Your Humble Servants.

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• A Necessary Notice: This broadcast contains historical discussions of criminal subcultures, theft, and underground operations. Listener discretion is warmly advised.*

Baby Farming was hiding just below the surface in Victorian England, but the other side of the coin was thrust into the limelight. Today we examine the Victorian Baby Incubator, and the spectacle that went along with it. If you haven't listened yet, find out all about Baby Farming on the main podcast : https://open.spotify.com/episode/7347n4ntzxjpSchWNllQd0?si=IwYlo-uiSMyUR0ARK56lBw