James Gillray: life of the week

From Chess and Go, to Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly and the ancient Egyptian game of Senet, people have long had a fascination with games. But according to author and academic Kelly Clancy, these games...

13 Aug 202431min

From doublethink and thoughtcrime to coming face-to-face with our worst nightmares inside Room 101, few writers have had as much impact on the popular imagination as George Orwell. But what compelled ...

12 Aug 202441min

People have been drawing lines on maps as long as there have been maps to draw on – whether for political, geographical or sometimes completely arbitrary purposes. But, when it comes to borders, these...

11 Aug 202433min

We're all familiar with the checks and stripes of tartan. But, how much do you know about the colourful history of the textile famously sported by the Scottish clans? According to historian and tartan...

10 Aug 202441min

Over the past two weeks, we've witnessed spectacular sporting achievements in Paris. And for anyone who doesn't feel quite ready for the Olympics to be over just yet, we've got the pod for you. In thi...

9 Aug 202443min

If walls could talk, what secrets would those of a British royal palace whisper? Murder, debauchery, treason and more, says Professor Kate Williams. Speaking to Kev Lochun, she reveals how palaces mak...

8 Aug 202443min

Did constipation turn Henry VIII into a tyrant? For the third episode of our mini-series Toilets Through Time, David Musgrove revisits the luxurious surroundings of the royal Tudor water closet. To te...

7 Aug 202435min

Gulbadan Begum was meant to live a quiet life in a Mughal harem. Instead she set off on a daring pilgrimage to Islam's holy cities and, on her return, wrote an extraordinary account of her dynasty. In...

6 Aug 202427min