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The Story of London — Government
The Story of London

Welcome to The Story of London, a podcast dedicated to telling the history of London as a single narrative tale; from its birth until the present day.

Each episode takes us along that tale, a chronicle of the most fascinating and vibrant city on Earth.

There is a lot of content in here and each listener can enjoy it in a variety of ways. You can listen to an episode by itself for a slice of life from London’s past; or, if you have a favourite period of time you want to explore, find the era and follow the Chapters in that section.

Or maybe you want to join us on the grand journey, starting at the beginning and following along? Whatever option, welcome to the chronological tale of this amazing place.

The Story of London covers events as they happened, from the actions of the great and the good, down to those of the poor and marginalised. We try to be as historically precise as possible, sometimes stumbling upon little gems of history that change the way we see the past, and never take ourselves too seriously.

Feel free to join us… new episodes every week.

Copyright: © Saul Boyle 2022

Latest Episodes:

Chapter 86- “A king from their own land…” (1216-1219) (End of Book 3) Mar 13, 2024

Show notes

The wild, violent and crazy few years were coming to a close… London stood defiant; most of the country was within the regime of it’s French Prince, and their enemy was a 9 year old boy. And yet, somehow Henry III secured the English throne and London’s part in this great usurpation attempt is forgotten about. Why? Well, in this final episode of the Third Book of the Story of London, we explain how.

Chapter 85- “The commune of all the realm…” (1215- 1216) Mar 06, 2024

Show notes

The Magna Carta had left London virtually independent as a city, beholden only unto the Committee of 25 signatories of the document. But the game was not over yet, and the political skill of King John soon drove London into taking its boldest move ever… inviting a French Prince to cross the sea and come take the throne of England. As the nation descends into utter chaos, what motivated the city in these amazing few months…

Chapter 84- “The Barons came to London…” (1215) Mar 02, 2024

Show notes

May 17th, 1215: the day London was taken by an armed force for the first time. This being said, powerful forces within London helped them do this, and the city was to not just be under military occupation. The Mayor of the city was staging a putsch, and by his acts, not only was the city to see a score of arrests as political opponents were rounded up… by this act the regime of King John collapsed. Presenting a fresh insight into the creation of the Magna Carta from London’s point of view.

Chapter 83- “…render him their slave.” (1214-1215) Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

The story begins to examine the crucial role London was to play in the political saga that led to the Magna Carta, as King John goes from being on the verge of glory, to being cast down into the pits of weakened despair. Who was the new faction who seemed to be in charge of the city, and what was their relationship to the Barons? And how did London find itself starting a civil war…

Chapter 82- “The land kept silent…” (1212-1214) Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

We return to a London in the middle of a wild few years… the Great Fire of Southwark; the destruction of Baynard’s Castle; a plot to kill King John; an invasion by the French; three crusades and the death of the cities first Mayor, all conspire to make London in these few years, a very intense place to be.

Chapter 81- “…all I have lost.” (1199-1211) Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

We arrive at the first dozen years of the reign of ‘Bad King John’; and enter a decade where the principal focus of the Kingdom was the disintegration of the great Empire of Henry II. But who was John? What drove this King? And how did events in these years dictate the events to come?

Chapter 80- The Dancers in the Shadows (1196-1199) Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

The story takes a moment to reflect… there has been a lot going on over the last few years, but for all the events happening elsewhere, what can we work out was going on ‘behind the scenes’ in London itself? How did economic and societal factors drive London politics; and were the actions of the oligarchs of the city driven by greed… or survival? An in depth look at trade, the relations with the crown, and the arrival of a new King.

Chapter 79- The Shade of William Longbeard (1196) Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

A very special episode of the Story, as we examine the circumstances around one of London’s most overlooked but important characters; William FitzOsbert aka William Longbeard, who man who appears to have briefly almost took over the city and defied the highest powers in the land… so who was he? And what did he do? And why does his tale complete the story of the First Mayor of London? Let’s find out shall we…

Chapter 78- The London Stone (1192-1196) Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

The story of the First Mayor of London continues as we cover 4 intense years of English political history; the King’s Crusade rages across the Holy Land; the King of France seeks to destroy the Angevin Empire; Prince John is endlessly trying to take the throne, and the Mayor of London is to find the city called upon to do a most ancient duty… and in the distance, something terrible was coming to the city.

Chapter 77- The London Podestra (1191) Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

The story finally reaches the pivotal moment in London’s history; the arrival of the first mayor. But what exactly WAS a mayor in this era? Where had this idea come from? How did this new post in the city come about? And above all, just WHO was this first mayor and what was his remarkable background? A detailed look at this most remarkable of circumstances that changed the way the city would be run forevermore…

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