The British Isles have thousands of years of history, so it's weird that all most people were taught at school was World War Two, how many wives Henry VIII had and that the Battle of Hastings took place in 1066 (always worth a try if you are trying to guess someones pin number). If you've always wanted to learn about all the bits between these events, but only if it can be done in a random and eclectic manner why not try Consistently Eccentric History? A podcast where each week you can listen in…
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We are focusing on local history this week to talk about the history of a unique and dangerous highway that was used to speed up journeys to Cumbria. In the middle ages crossing the sands of the Morecambe Bay could knock days off a journey, which convinced many people to risk it despite the ever present risk of drowning. And when you had hungry monks at the other side, it apparently suddenly…
This week we return from our summer holidays (having avoided the wildfires in France) with Pam narrating the life of Captain John Smith. A man from Lancashire who became both a key part of the British settling of the East Coast of America, and a Disney Character. From humble orphan origins, John embarked on the life of an adventurer which encompassed pretty much everything you could imagine. So…
For once we are releasing a timely episode as England are still (at time of release) in the 2026 world cup. Which is the perfect time to talk about how, 60 years ago, a team full of missing teeth, combovers and prominent knees, somehow managed to win the whole thing on home turf. The story of the 1966 world cup has everything. Death, controversy and even a potential international incident (not to…
This week (slightly delayed due to illness) we are discussing a man who found a way to profit from the upheaval of the English Civil War via the most partisan of journalism. Marchamont Nedham was a gifted writer who became the most influential journalist of his day. Though not the most reliable. Never one for consistency, Marchamont was willing to switch sides if he felt it would benefit him…
This week we are welcoming the youngest member of the Heathcote clan, Milo to his first episode! And as a result we are covering a subject that is currently rather close to his heart. The pseudoscience of Cryptids. Covering 10 questionable critters that span the entirety of the 20th Century we will answer the question, is there a Cryptid in the UK that is better than Nessie? As this episode is…
This week we are talking about how an imagined love triangle (which contained absolutely no love) resulted in the death of a sitting MP and nearly sparked both an international incident and mob-rule on the streets of London. Because in Restoration England any noble woman who had a fortune but no husband was in constant peril. Due to the way the law worked, any man she married would instantly take…
This week we are heading to the Mills of Bradford to meet a Yorkshireman whose unshakable self-belief led to one of the most longwinded self-destructions in history. Having survived the horrors of WWII (and the retail industry), a chance encounter with some Yogis set in motion a series of events that would see Maurice Wilson defy the British Government, and find himself 23,000 feet up the side of…
To celebrate international Midwifery day, Pam is back in the hosting chair to tell us the story of a pioneering Doctor who didn't let their lack of balls stop them from becoming one of the top medics in the entirety of the British Armed Forces. Originally only pretending to be a man in order to get through medical training, James Barry was planning to practice as a woman in service of Francisco de…
After a series of unfortunate events we are back with a spooky tale from the early 19th Century that resulted in multiple deaths. The Hammersmith Ghost was initially a local oddity, but as the winter of 1803 progressed it became a source of increasing fear for the local population. But as any good Georgian knew, the best way to protect yourself from the supernatural is with a bloody big gun! Guest…
This week we are heading across the channel to talk about how one of the many Anglo-French spats during the middle ages resulted in the creation of one of the most effective pirates who has ever sailed the high seas (of the English Channel). After her husband was executed (murdered) by the French king, Jeanne de Clisson swore revenge. However being an eminently practical woman, she ensured that…
