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196 episodes

Chapter 192- The Dance of Evil May Day (I: The Beginning of the Grudge) (1514-1517)
2026-04-01 | 55 mins.
May. 1517. London is rocked by a riot directed towards the foreigners living within its walls, an orgy of violence forever known as the ‘Evil May Day’. But just how bad were these riots? Were they as savage as the authorities made them out to be… or is the memory of them influenced by the response of a capricious and vengeful king?
The Story of London examines the background and events of this event to try and work out why the city found itself plunged into a sea of violence that summer, most of it done by men in uniform. This chapter we explore the context- the background of events in Europe, England and London that fed into the riots themselves…
Cover contains detail of ‘The Taking of Christ’ by Caravaggio, 1602
Chapter 191- The Fire of Westminster (1410-1415)
2026-03-26 | 58 mins.
Henry VIII began his new reign with a desire to earn glory in war- and plunged the nation headlong into an unexpected and large scale war with France, all seemingly driven by his fiery passion to show his prowess in battle. But around him, much was happening. To the north, the rules of naval conflict were changing forever, to the south, his Father-In-Law was showing how untrustworthy he was; across Europe the fortunes of nations rose and fell dependant upon politics, and here in London? We see a city continuing old traditions of faith, leading protests against the war, and witnessing a fire that was to change the Palace of Westminster forever.

Cover shows a detail of portrait of Henry VIII as a young man, c. 1515-1520; Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire.
Chapter 190- …and the boy from Putney (A Tale of Two Toms 2) (1500-1512)
2026-03-18 | 46 mins.
Continuing the fascinating tale of the early lives of two of London’s most infamous residents of the time- Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell. Picking up with More a trainee barrister in Lincolns Inn, with a growing academic reputation, and Cromwell being a soldier in a French army invading Italy, we follow the two men as they ride the waves of passion of the age, and complete their journeys to bring them to the centre of their story… the city of London.

Cover features ‘Portrait of a man in a red cap’ by Titian (c.1510)
Chapter 189- The Boy from Cripplegate… (A tale of two Toms 1) (1478-1503)
2026-03-12 | 50 mins.
We take a pause in our narrative to go back a few years to look at the childhoods, and backgrounds of two men from London- both called Thomas, both growing up in and around London (even if their experiences were very different) and both would go onto have huge impacts into the story of the city and the politics of Henry VIII.
This then is the story of Thomas More, and Thomas Cromwell, whose stories were to illuminate life in the city; its passions, its shadows, the smallness of it all, and also how experiencing it could shape a young mans life. This then is the tale of the two Toms…
Cover shows ‘A laughing boy’, by Guido Mazzoni, c.1498.
Chapter 188- Volo (‘I Will’) (1508-1509)
2026-03-05 | 56 mins.
The opening years of the reign of Henry VIII were quite paradoxical; for a king who would become known as a radical, a man who changed the nation so completely as he did, the first years of his reign represented something else- a return to more traditional ways of doing things. This week we examine why London would have felt that especially so, while also covering the first major policy decision of the young kings long reign- why he suddenly decided to marry Catherine of Aragon, when by all accounts he was under no obligation to do so.
Cover includes detail from ‘Portrait of Lady Margaret Beaufort’

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About 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.

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