18. The North South Divide

Who was Lieutenant Napier, the man set out to rescue the European hostages held by Emperor Tewodros II? How did he plan to attack the emperor’s fortress, Magdala? And, did they manage to successfully escape Abyssinia? Join Dominic and Tom as they conclude the story of one of the ...  Show more

Who was Emperor Tewodros II, the colourful and controversial Emperor of Abyssinia? Why did he brutally imprison a number of British emissaries, and how did Queen Victoria respond? And, how would this spark one of the most ambitious expeditions undertaken by the British Empire…? J ...  Show more

What's the difference between the North and the South of England? And when does the "North" end and the "South" start? In this episode, we'll explore these questions, and touch on differences in accents, lifestyles, and even what people call their evening meal. The origins of the ...  Show more

With Donald Trump’s Mexican wall back in the news, Tom Holland and Iszi Lawrence follow history’s lines and linkages to discover how Britain’s borders have been used to separate communities.Tom travels to Offa’s Dyke to find out how the 176-mile-long, 8th century earthwork divide ...  Show more

From the glories of early medieval Northumbria to the urban powerhouses of the industrial revolution, northern England has long had an identity of its own. In his book Northerners, Brian Groom traces the story of the North from the Ice Age to the present day. He tells Ellie Cawth ...  Show more

The UK may have a divide north and south, but how about east and west? Chris Mason takes a virtual journey from Whitby in the east to the Lake District in the west to find out. Chris was born and brought up in the Yorkshire Dales, straddling the centre of the country, so he has h ...  Show more