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  • 15 | How Pigeons Helped Win WWII: The Secret History of Wartime Messengers

    15 | How Pigeons Helped Win WWII: The Secret History of Wartime Messengers
    2025/05/04
    Few birds are as quintessentially British as the humble pigeon, but at best, they’re seen as comical, at worst, as vermin. But did you know that pigeons served as daring message carriers in the World Wars? In this episode, we’ll explore the contributions of these noble and under-appreciated birds who risked their lives to carry top-secret messages to the front-line in all weather conditions, frequently coming under fire.

    Operation Turtle Dove: https://www.operationturtledove.org

    Music:

    "March of the Spoons" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Sources:
    https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/homing-pigeons-contributions-world-war-2 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-17138990 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11400814 https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-incredible-carrier-pigeons-of-the-first-world-war https://www.rpra.org/pigeons-in-war/ https://www.rpra.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/national-pigeon-service.pdf https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/animal-awards-programme/pdsa-dickin-medal/gi-joe https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/poultry-101/heroic-pigeons-in-world-war-ii/ https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/poultry-101/the-sport-of-racing-pigeons/ https://www.onekindplanet.org/animal/pigeon/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-62362307 https://www.gchq.gov.uk/information/pigeon-takes-secret-message-grave https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/british-army-entrusted-its-secrets-birdbrains https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/past-times/1760047/winkie-broughty-ferry-homing-pigeon/ https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/british-army-entrusted-its-secrets-birdbrains “Birds”, Collins Gem British Birds: A Pocket Guide
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    25 分
  • 14 | The Drowned Village of Herne Bay

    14 | The Drowned Village of Herne Bay
    2025/05/01
    Hampton-on-Sea, a once-thriving Kent village, now lies beneath the waves—forgotten by time but not by history. Among its final residents was Detective Inspector Edmund Reid, famed for his role in the Jack the Ripper investigation. As the sea devoured homes, Reid waged a desperate, good-humoured battle to save his own. But could anything stand against nature’s relentless march? Join me, Prash, on Curious Britain as we uncover the lost village swallowed by the tide.

    📢 Get in touch & support the show
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    Your support means the world to us and helps keep the show alive. We truly appreciate it!



    Sources:
    https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/mystery-heartbreaking-remains-drowned-village-27041964 https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/hampton-sea-drowned-herne-bay-6321829 http://www.abandonedcommunities.co.uk/hampton.html
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    9 分
  • 13 | The Vanishing Heiress Violet Charlesworth

    13 | The Vanishing Heiress Violet Charlesworth
    2025/04/24
    Fraud, deception, a striking red cloak, and a crashed car on a lonely Welsh clifftop road. What was the enigmatic story behind this curious little-known incident, and why is this spot still known as “Violet’s Leap” today?

    📢 Get in Touch & Support the Show
    Have a story idea or just want to say hello? Drop us an email at curiousbritainpodcast@gmail.com – we’d love to hear from you!

    💡 Support Us on Patreon
    Enjoying Curious Britain? Help us keep the show going by becoming a patron at Patreon. Your support allows us to keep exploring Britain’s most intriguing stories.

    💰 Make a One-Off Contribution
    Every little bit helps! If you'd like to make a one-time donation, you can do so via PayPal here: [Donate Now]

    🙏 Thank You!
    Your support means the world to us and helps keep Curious Britain alive. We truly appreciate it!


    Sources:
    https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/welsh-woman-who-stole-2m-24779142 https://www.welshcountry.co.uk/january-1909-the-motor-car-mystery/
    Magazine Echo, 2 October 1954, British Newspaper Archive
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    12 分
  • 12 | The Hammersmith Ghost – A Strange Murder Defence

    12 | The Hammersmith Ghost – A Strange Murder Defence
    2025/04/17
    If you shoot a ghost that’s been frightening people to death, is it against the law? This could be one of the strangest murder defences in history, when Francis Smith armed himself with a pistol and went in search of the ghoulish apparition that was haunting Hammersmith in 1804.

    📢 Get in Touch & Support the Show Have a story idea or just want to say hello? Drop us an email at curiousbritainpodcast@gmail.com – we’d love to hear from you!

    💡 Support us on Patreon
    Enjoying Curious Britain? Help us keep the show going by joining us on Patreon. Your support allows us to keep exploring Britain’s most intriguing stories. https://www.patreon.com/CuriousBritainPodcast

    💰 Make a one-off contribution
    Every little bit helps! If you'd like to make a one-time donation, you can do so via PayPal here: https://paypal.me/curiousbritain

    🙏 Thank You!
    Your support means the world to us and helps keep the show alive. We truly appreciate it!


    Sources:
    https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/record/t18040111-79?text=Francis%20Smith
    Hull Packet, 17 January 1804
    London Courier and Evening Gazette, 9 January 1804
    The Lore of the Land by Westwood & Simpson
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    8 分
  • 11 | Hermits for Hire

    11 | Hermits for Hire
    2025/04/09
    Think modern fads are strange? Try the Georgian craze for having a hermit living in your back garden. Let’s explore this forgotten trend which saw a spate of advertisements for people to spend seven years living on country estates without washing or cutting their hair, while dispensing contemplative words of wisdom to visitors.


    📢 Get in Touch & Support the Show Have a story idea or just want to say hello? Drop us an email at curiousbritainpodcast@gmail.com – we’d love to hear from you!

    💡 Support us on Patreon
    Enjoying Curious Britain? Help us keep the show going by joining us on Patreon. Your support allows us to keep exploring Britain’s most intriguing stories. https://www.patreon.com/CuriousBritainPodcast

    💰 Make a one-off contribution
    Every little bit helps! If you'd like to make a one-time donation, you can do so via PayPal here: https://paypal.me/curiousbritain

    🙏 Thank You!
    Your support means the world to us and helps keep the show alive. We truly appreciate it!


    Music:
    "March of the Spoons" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Sources:
    Campbell, Gordon, “The Hermit in the Garden: From Imperial Rome to Ornamental Gnome”
    London Courier and Evening Gazette, 10 April 1829
    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/ornamental-hermits-were-18th-century-englands-must-have-garden-accessory-180982469/https://www.historicmysteries.com/ornamental-hermit
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    14 分
  • 10 | McCaig’s Folly – Scotland’s Colosseum & Oban’s Hidden Gem

    10 | McCaig’s Folly – Scotland’s Colosseum & Oban’s Hidden Gem
    2025/04/02
    Did you know there’s a replica of the famous Colosseum of Rome in Scotland? Let’s find out where it came from, who built it, and why, in this episode of Curious Britain.



    📢 Get in Touch & Support the Show Have a story idea or just want to say hello? Drop us an email at curiousbritainpodcast@gmail.com – we’d love to hear from you!
    💡 Support Us on Patreon
    Enjoying Curious Britain? Help us keep the show going by becoming a patron at Patreon. Your support allows us to keep exploring Britain’s most intriguing stories.
    💰 Make a One-Off Contribution
    Every little bit helps! If you'd like to make a one-time donation, you can do so via PayPal here: [Donate Now]
    🙏 Thank You!
    Your support means the world to us and helps keep Curious Britain alive. We truly appreciate it!


    Sources:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCaig%27s_Tower

    https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/mccaigs-tower-p255141

    https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/oban/mccaigstower/index.html
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    6 分
  • 9 | The Headless Boggart of Longridge

    9 | The Headless Boggart of Longridge
    2025/03/27
    We explore the cryptic inscription on a stone slab which hints at the terror wrought by a boggart in the village of Longridge, Lancashire. Many people in the area have reported tales over the centuries of apparitions, misfortune, and mischievous invisible forces, which are often blamed on the local boggarts. One man was even chased by a headless figure down a dark lane on his way home at night…

    📢 Get in touch & support the show Have a story idea or just want to say hello? Drop us an email at curiousbritainpodcast@gmail.com – we’d love to hear from you!

    💡 Support us on Patreon
    Enjoying Curious Britain? Help us keep the show going by joining us on Patreon. Your support allows us to keep exploring Britain’s most intriguing stories. https://www.patreon.com/CuriousBritainPodcast

    💰 Make a one-off contribution
    Every little bit helps! If you'd like to make a one-time donation, you can do so via PayPal here: https://paypal.me/curiousbritain

    🙏 Thank You!
    Your support means the world to us and helps keep the show alive. We truly appreciate it!

    Sources:
    Westwood & Simpson, “The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England’s Legends”, 2005, Penguin Books
    https://ludchurchmyblog.wordpress.com/places-further-afield/the-boggart-stone/ https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Boggart https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/homes-and-gardens/places-to-live/22628672.lancashires-fairy-folklore/#:~:text=The%20headless%20boggart%20of%20Longridge,It%20was%20hers https://www.spookyisles.com/boggart-headless-lady/ https://from-bedroom-to-study.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-latter-day-legends-of-devilish-dogs.html
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    14 分
  • 8 | The Counterfeit Colonel and the Crown Jewels

    8 | The Counterfeit Colonel and the Crown Jewels
    2025/03/20
    Disguises, sword fights, kidnapping, and a band of 17th century rogues – they’re all here in this eventful episode of Curious Britain, as we explore this historic attempt to purloin every thief’s dream target…The Crown Jewels.

    📢 Get in touch & support the show
    Have a story idea or just want to say hello? Drop us an email at curiousbritainpodcast@gmail.com – we’d love to hear from you!

    💡 Support us on Patreon
    Enjoying Curious Britain? Help us keep the show going by joining us on Patreon. Your support allows us to keep exploring Britain’s most intriguing stories. https://www.patreon.com/CuriousBritainPodcast

    💰 Make a one-off contribution
    Every little bit helps! If you'd like to make a one-time donation, you can do so via PayPal here: https://paypal.me/curiousbritain

    🙏 Thank You!
    Your support means the world to us and helps keep the show alive. We truly appreciate it!



    Sources:
    Charles River Editors, “The Mysterious British Isles: A Collection of Mysteries, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena across Britain and Ireland”, Kindle Edition.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Blood https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Theft-of-the-Crown-Jewels/
    https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/Trails/the-crown-jewels
    https://cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/education/thomas-blood.pdf
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    15 分