Never mind world wars or revolutions, it's time to do the really important history - how did Christmas singles become a thing in the UK, and when was the golden age of of the festive hit. Warning; includes John doing dad singing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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It is compulsory or a man of John's age to do one episode on the Second World War. But fascists being useless is always worth revisiting - and the farcical and disastrous leadership of Benito Mussolini between 1940-45 is that rare thing in modern history - a bit of World War 2 that hasn't been done to death. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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How a few hungry wolves hanging around outside the caves led to Paris Hilton's embarrassed chihuahua wearing a tiara and sitting in a chintzy handbag. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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With the BBC celebrating it's centenary, we explore how the corporation came into existence, out of a chaotic broadcasting free-for-all. (This podcast was originally submitted as a programme idea to the Home Service in 1927, but we gave up waiting for a response) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Angela has read yet another book about East Germany (this one by Philip Oltermann) and explains how it was believed that loyalty to the Communist regime could be secured, not just by suppressing dissent and spying on your neighbours, but also with encouraging pro-government poetry . (Includes a hastily-penned socialist limerick written by John.)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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The incredible story of Ray Hill who in the 1970s underwent a massive change of heart and switched from fascist rabble-rouser to secret informant undermining the British Far Right and preventing a racist terrorist attack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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How are group of clever young graduates working in a shed in Cambridge discovered a powerful new weapon that became known as 'satire'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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How self-inflicted economic disasters and endless sleazy scandals made a Conservative government massively unpopular. Imagine it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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The women-only peace camp that became the focus of the anti-nuclear movement of the 1980s and inspired a whole new generation of feminists. (Contains walk on parts for both of John's parents.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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In a life that began in the Weimar Republic and outlived the Berlin Wall, Ursula Kuczynski spied for Communism all around the world, and not even her own children suspect anything.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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