From frozen festivals to royal polar bears, from wartime recovery to medieval merchants.The River Thames has been the stage for some of Britain’s most extraordinary moments. In this episode, Sarah Castagnetti explores this rich history—from the 13th-century king who kept a polar bear in the river, to a Dutch naval attack that brought war to London’s doorstep, and the legendary Thames frost fairs.Three very different Thames stories, all revealing how central this river has been to London’s history. Download the full episode transcript here.
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Trailer: 700 years of the Thames
In our next episode of On the Record, we explore three very different stories—each revealing how central the River Thames has been to London’s history.
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LGBTQ+ Histories
In this episode, we bring you four stories that span two hundred years of British history. Two women leave their families to make a new life together in Wales in 1780, a Manchester drag ball in 1880, a secret gathering space for gay men in 1920s London, and a community archive collected by Black LGBTQ+ Londoners. For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNALGBTQ1 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. Visit: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/
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Victory in Europe Day (VE Day)
On Tuesday, May 8th, 1945, the Allies who had been fighting the Second World War formally accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender. May 8th became known as Victory in Europe Day, or VE Day, and is still marked every year. In this episode, host Chloe Lee is joined by Will Butler, a specialist in British society during the First and Second World Wars, to explore what that first VE Day was like, from the soldiers and medics who’d been at the frontline, to the folks at home who wanted peace — and for butter to be easily available again in British towns and cities.
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Trailer: Victory in Europe Day (VE Day)
In our next episode, we explore what Victory in Europe Day (or VE Day) was like, from the soldiers and medics who’d been at the frontline, to the folks at home who wanted peace — and for butter to be easily available again in British towns and cities.
1000 years of history, 1000 years of stories to uncover.
The National Archives presents On the Record, a podcast that unearths the real life stories found in our vast collections.
Join our experts and special guests as we dig deep into the people behind the paper and bring fascinating stories from more than 11 million records to life. Discover tales of forbidden love, spies, protest, and the everyday people of the past.
Follow us on Twitter @UkNatArchives
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