Here for the History

Afleveringen

1. Do Brits Have Bad Teeth?

   22 oktober 2026 · 28 min

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   British people have terrible teeth. That’s the stereotype - but is it true? And what’s the story behind it? Lees meer

   Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton explore how Brits got a reputation for bad teeth thanks to our love of sugar, and we see how British and American teeth took wildly different paths after the Second World War.

   Key Sources:

   June Thomas - Journalist.

   The Bad-Mouthing of British Teeth - Decoder Ring podcast.

   Drills, Dentures and Dentistry: An Oral History - BBC Four.

   Dr Irwin Smigel - The Times.

   Austin Powers bites back: a cross sectional comparison of US and English national oral health surveys - British Medical Journal.

2. Where Did The Modern Toilet Come From?

   15 oktober 2026 · 31 min

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   Have you ever stopped to think about the technological marvel that is the modern toilet? Lees meer

   Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson chart a course from a Roman fort in Northumberland via Victorian London to a council flat in 20th century Glasgow. All to find out - when did we get flushing loos? And what happened to all that waste?
   Does it surprise you how recently these things became the norm? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to hit like, hype and subscribe if you’re Here for the History.

   Key Sources

   Conversations with Dr Stephen Halliday and Lee Jackson

3. Why Are We Obsessed With Work?

   8 oktober 2026 · 37 min

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   Do you ever feel like work is taking over your life? Well, society didn’t always place so much value on work ethic. Lees meer

   Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton uncover the surprising history behind our modern obsession with hard work.

   First, medieval marriage reforms transformed people’s relationship with work. Then, monastic orders and the Protestant Reformation framed hard work as sacred. Finally, the industrial revolution kickstarted our modern fixation on productivity.

   Key Sources:

   The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous - Prof Joseph Henrich.

   Time, Work-Discipline, and Industrial Capitalism - E. P. Thompson.

   Blood, Sweat and Tears: The Evolution of Work - Richard Donkin.

   The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism - Prof Richard Sennett.

   Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution - Prof Maxine Berg & Prof Pat Hudson.

4. Why Don’t We Wear Hats Anymore?

   1 oktober 2026 · 31 min

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   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. Lees meer

   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

5. Why Are We Dog Obsessed?

   24 september 2026 · 34 min

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   Dogs are man’s best friend - but has it always been that way? Lees meer

   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.

6. Who Invented the “Whodunit”?

   17 september 2026 · 37 min

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   It was the vicar that did it! In the billiards room! With a candlestick! Lees meer

   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

7. Where Do Manners Come From?

   10 september 2026 · 35 min

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   Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton explore how Renaissance books on courtly conduct inspired an era of civility. Lees meer

   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.

8. Why Do Scots Wear Tartan?

   3 september 2026 · 36 min

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   Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson dig through the folds of time to understand how Tartan became so woven into Scottish history. Lees meer

   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.

9. Why Do We Love Pubs?

   27 augustus 2026 · 30 min

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   How did the pub become so central to British culture? Lees meer

   Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton reveal how women ran medieval alehouses, how the Reformation led to a golden age of boozers, and how competition from gin produced the iconic Victorian pub.

   Key Sources:

   Dr Paul Jennings - The Local: A History of the English Pub.
   Dr James Wright.
   Dr Peter Clark.
   Dr Mark Hailwood - Alehouses and Good Fellowship in Early Modern England.

10. Why Does the Union Jack Look Like That?

    20 augustus 2026 · 34 min

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    Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson delve into the history of the Union Jack - the flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Lees meer

    It’s one of the most recognisable British icons, but just why does it look the way it does? What’s the story behind the pattern?

    We’ll get into the saintly foundations, the Stuarts, and of course the age old question - where on the flag is Wales?

    Key Sources:

    The Union Jack: The Story of the British Flag - Professor Nick Groom

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