Pantomimes, pleasure gardens, bare-knuckle boxing and political upheaval. Christmas in the 18th and early 19th centuries was a very different affair from the peaceful family celebration of the Victorian Age. Georgian Christmas was raucous, rowdy and time for a bit of fun before heading back to work.
In this seasonal episode, Dan delves into the festivities of London's working classes with Footprints of London tour guide Rob Smith who has a fascinating anecdote for just about person who's called the city home. From an 18th-century showman who would put two joints of beef under his arms and walk into an oven - cooking them and miraculously not himself - to Joey Grimaldi, the world's first clown and the men who tried to start a revolution at a cake shop, Christmas in Regency London was surprising, lewd and quite extraordinary.
You can book one of Rob's tours here: https://footprintsoflondon.com/live/guides/rob-smith/
Produced by Mariana Des Forges, Rob Smith and edited by Dougal Patmore
Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial
We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.
You can take part in our listener survey here.
3. Hitler's Third Reich
2. The Rise of Hitler
1. Hitler's Early Years
Pocahontas: The True Story
Hunting Pablo Escobar
Babylon
The Salem Witch Trials
James Beckwourth, Conquering the American Frontier
Tutankhamun: The Valley of the Kings - Signal Award Gold!
Reburying the Dead of America's Revolutionary War
The Murder of Christopher Marlowe
The Arab- Israeli War: Yom Kippur War 1973
Mary, Queen of Scots
Israel, Gaza and the West Bank: A History
WWII Britain's 'Missing' Sailors
HMS Terror: Cursed Arctic Expedition
Scottish Kings' Sex Lives
The Hundred Years' War
Alexander The Great: The Siege of Tyre
Alexander The Great
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
History Extra podcast
Battleground
Gone Medieval
Key Battles of American History
WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk