Episodes
Britain’s First Nudist Beach
RETRO
Black Rock – a 200-yard strip of pebbly beach in Brighton – was first set aside for naked bathers on 9th August, 1979. It came after a campaign by the Central Council For British Naturism, who had previously petitioned 140 local authorities. When Conservative councillor Eileen Jakes responded positively to the call, she was accused …
The Shocking Debut of the Electric Chair
RETRO
Axe murderer William Kemler became the first person to be put to death by electric chair at Auburn Prison, New York on 6th August, 1890. It did not go smoothly. The first charge failed, and the second was abandoned only after two minutes, as smoke could be seen coming from his head. Despite the gruesome …
Houdini’s Last Escape
RETRO
Harry Houdini survived 91 minutes in an underwater coffin at the Shelton Hotel, New York on 5th August, 1926. The stunt had been arranged to counter the claims of Hindu mystic Rahman Bey, who said spiritualism was the only way to survive being buried alive. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly review the spat …
Dom Perignon Tastes The Stars
RETRO
Benedictine monk Dom Perignon is said to have discovered champagne on 4th August, 1693. 200 million bottles are now produced and sold every year. The sparkliness was originally considered a defect – because carbonated wine caused the fragile bottles of the era to burst. Until stronger glass was developed in the mid-19th century, mass-produced champagne …
The Fake Critic
RETRO
Eyebrows were raised when Dave Manning – a previously unknown film critic – was suddenly receiving star billing on Hollywood movie posters. He turned out to be fictional. This climaxed with a lawsuit, settled by Sony on 3rd August, 2005. Manning had been created by Columbia Pictures executive Matthew Kramer, who’d co-opted the name David …
Who Killed William II?
RETRO
William II, son of William The Conqueror, took a hunting trip to the New Forest on 2nd August, 1100 – and was shot dead by an arrow, which punctured his lung. But, whodunnit? Chroniclers laid the blame at the door of Walter Tirel, who quickly fled to France. But could it have really been fratricide, …
When Noel Gallagher Met Tony Blair
RETRO
The ‘Cool Britannia’ party – held at 10 Downing Street on 30th July, 1997 – quickly became one of the most iconic events of the New Labour era. Celebrities including Helen Mirren, Eddie Izzard and Lenny Henry were invited to Britain’s seat of power to sup champagne with Tony Blair, the youngest Prime Minister since …
The First Boy Scouts
RETRO
Robert Paden-Powell took twenty boys to Brownsea Island, Poole on 29th July, 1907, to embark on a ten-day camp. The trip was, essentially, a laboratory for his subsequent books – and, therefore, the global Boy Scout movement. Each day started with cocoa and exercises, and ended with campfire yarns. In between, there was a lot …
Fingerprints Go Legit
RETRO
William James Herschel, a British colonial magistrate in India, first used fingerprints as a means of identification on 28th July, 1858 – not to catch a criminal, but to implement two-step verification on a contract. In Britain, the technology was first used to solve the theft of some billiard balls in 1902. These days, it’s …
Raleigh’s Tobacco Adventures
RETRO
Sir Walter Raleigh brought tobacco back to Britain from Virginia on 27th July 1586 – and, in so doing, triggered a craze for smoking, which at the time was considered a tonic for halitosis, and even a cure for cancer. Despite Queen Elizabeth I being an advocate for the new drug, it didn’t take long …