Here for the History

For centuries leaving the house without a hat would be like leaving the house without your phone or keys - you simply wouldn’t do it. But these days, headwear is an optional add on - a fashion choice, a weather protector, or found on the head of a wedding guest.Alice and Ben look under the brim of history to find out what on earth happened to the ubiquity of the hat? We’ll cover a parent’s desperate tactic to keep a son out of trouble, there are highwaymen, practical jokes, and a British supermodel. Key Sources: The Cultural, Social, and Ideological Role of the Hat in Early Modern England - Professor Bernard Capp Dress for Deference and Dissent: Hats and the decline of Hat Honour - Professor Penelope J. Corfield Hats - Fiona Clark

Dogs are man’s best friend - but has it always been that way? Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton look into how humans and dogs first got acquainted, we’ll hear about the tough lives of medieval dogs, and we’ll reveal how the Victorians forged our modern relationship with our canine friends. This episode contains a brief description of cruelty to animals. Listener discretion is advised.Key sources:Collared: How We Made the Modern Dog - Professor Chris Pearson.Man and the natural world: Changing attitudes in England 1500-1800 - Sir Keith Thomas.The Hardworking Dogs of Medieval Europe - Livia Gershon.Dog, Natural Histories - BBC Radio 4.

It was the vicar that did it! In the billiards room! With a candlestick! To many fans of a murder mystery, this is perhaps a familiar sounding phrase from a classic “whodunit”. But just how did this endlessly popular genre come to be? Alice and Ben leaf back through the pages of history to uncover just where “whodunits” came from, who invented them, and how they’ve endured centuries of changing tastes. They will discuss multiple lines of inquiry; from our historical appetite for the gruesome and thrilling; to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Agatha Christie; and even the impact of the World Wars. Key Sources: Agatha Christie: A Very Short Introduction - Professor Gill Plain The TV Crime Drama - Professor Sue Turnbull Forever England: Femininity, Literature, and Conservatism Between the Wars - Alison Light Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen - BBC / Lucy Worsley Caught in the Web of Words: Whodunit - Ken Liss

Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton explore how Renaissance books on courtly conduct inspired an era of civility.They untangle the 18th century age of politeness, and we’ll find out how the Victorians shaped the way we behave today.But are manners getting worse? Key Sources:Sorry! The English and Their Manners - Henry Hitchings. In Pursuit of Civility: Manners and Civilization in Early Modern England - Keith Thomas. Thomas Hoby’s translation of Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier - Mary Partridge, The Historical Journal. The Duel in Early Modern England - Markku Peltonen. In Our Time, Politeness - BBC Radio 4.

Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson dig through the folds of time to understand how Tartan became so woven into Scottish history. Just how did the material become so intrinsically linked to the nation’s image? It’s a winding and dramatic story. There’s an exiled prince, a romantic writer, a pair of charismatic brothers and a young queen. It’s a tale of ancient tradition, war and fakery. Key Sources: Tartan: The Highland Habit - Professor Hugh Cheape. National Museums Scotland. West Highland Museum.