Yesterday's London Times

Living in Paris during the Revolution and Reign of Terror might not seem like the right place at the right time, but if your job is to make wax sculptures of heads, it’s kind of perfect. In this episode we meet Marie Tussaud, and follow along as she creates a London institution. Follow along as we: Meet little Marie, living with a doctor who makes wax anatomical models,Rub elbows with royals and rabble-rousers in Paris before and during the Revolution and Reign of TerrorHit the road with Mada...

In this episode, we journey through the fascinating and often surprising history of Scotland Yard, the iconic home of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). Inspired by last week’s episode about the haunting tales of the Tower of London, we shift focus to uncover the evolution of law enforcement in London. From the chaotic days of watchmen during the 18th century gin craze to the formation of the Bow Street Runners and ultimately Sir Robert Peel’s revolutionary vision for modern policing, we ...

“And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how we deal with vampires in old London Town,’. - Ben Aaronovitch in Rivers of London We start this episode in the London neighborhood of Highgate. It’s famous cemetery, exuding Victorian design and extravagance, is the setting for our first story, about a potential paranormal experience and the long term metaphysical feud that resulted. We’ll delve into mainstream horror cinema of the 1950s and 60s from London’s own Hammer Films, with special ...

In this episode, Jen and Mares take a moment to reflect on their journey as podcasters, and take a look back at episodes in their catalogue that both examine and celebrate London over time during the hottest months of the year. For both new listeners and veterans of the community alike, there’s something for everyone this summer in the city. We will highlight: virtual walking tours of past episodes, featuring the East end as sung in “Oranges & Lemons” and a “choose your own adventure” sty...

Wildlife on the Tube: it’s not just on the Northern Line at night. It’s everywhere. Throughout the Underground, flora and fauna show up intentionally - and unintentionally - in the most surprising places. In this episode, we will: explore the gardens maintained voluntarily by TfL employees discuss the history of the London Underground In Bloom competitionlearn about a subspecies of mosquito that dwells in the Underground tunnels meet pigeons who seem to intentionally and int...

Providing up to 5 million passenger journeys a day, the London Underground is integral to the city's infrastructure. It's impossible to imagine how the city would function without it. But why would something built for purpose become a source of admiration and entertainment? A Transport for London style guide provides powerful evidence: "Every Underground station should include at least one moment of delight and surprise, to improve customers' journeys and the working environment f...

A little romance? What began as a fluff piece about an eccentric romance novelist turned into a snapshot of a century through the eyes of someone who lived it to the fullest. Meet Barbara Cartland: extravagant, exaggerated, and … pink. As author of 723 books, she remains the most prolific romance novelist of all time. If you’ve ever seen her, you won’t likely forget her, dripping in jewels, layered in make up, clad in fuchsia, and riding in her classic white Rolls Royce. We’ll follow B...

It's a Yesterday's London Times tradition - the Boxing Day episode! Relax along with us as we look back at some of the people and places we met on the podcast this year. Half of our episodes sent us time traveling throughout the Sixties in different centuries of British history, and the other episodes were our regular mix of quirky yet thoughtful takes on the city we love. We present our annual YLT awards to some people who are unforgettable. And not always in a good way. Th...

In our 2021 episode, “Here is Vogue, In Spite of it All!”, we explored how the British edition of the iconic fashion magazine evolved into an outlet for groundbreakingVogue wartime journalism. As we studied the reasons behind that seemingly unlikely transformation, we met some strong, creative, and intellectually brilliant women, among them the complex and multitalented Lee Miller. In this episode, we examine her fascinating life of contrasts more deeply, and: - consider the impact of i...

Let's do the Time Warp... it's the Rocky Horror episode! Though many people have seen the cult classic film, few people know about its origins in a 63 seat London theatre. In this episode, we : delve into the creative team and cast responsible for its deviant mayhem, sharing their back stories and how they all converged in time and place in early '70s London,take a trip back in time to its first performance,follow the Rocky Horror road to Hollywood, pinpoint when this movie ...

In this 60’s time travel event, we explore deep! We’re in the 1060s, further, in history than we’ve ever gone on YLT. How can a simple craft help us to think about a complex, political and military event? We examine the Norman conquest, the battle of Hastings, through the Bayeux tapestry. You’ll meet the major players and dig deeper to discover some of the incongruous and enigmatic characters on the art piece. We’ll think about how the embroidery has survived a millennium while being threaten...

Are you ready for a break? Do you just need to get away? YLT understands, so let’s escape for a bit and go on holiday together! In this episode, we will: - examine the history of leisure in Britain and the evolution of paid leave from work - consider how public transportation increased mobility and accessibility to the seaside from Victorian era onward - take a look at the Victorian trend of “dark tourism” - study the legislation and cultural shifts that gave working class people opportu...

It’s that time of the year in certain places around the world. The ending of a school year sometimes comes with yearbooks, collections of formal and informal photos that capture memories. Often, yearbooks have awards. Who will be Most Likely to Succeed? Who’s the Most Athletic? Who will be dubbed Class Clown? In this episode, Jen and Mares each nominate two Londoners from any time in history, for yearbook awards, and tell stories behind the nominees. We don’t want to spoil the sur...