Happened Here: Recent Episodes
Happened Here
At the heart of https://HappenedHere.com are 3-4 minute stories that transport you to another era, answering the wonderfully simple question: “I wonder what happened here?”. We help you imagine “what happened here,” in this very location, on this very ground, to imagine in whose footsteps you might be treading, to be intrigued by people and their stories from the very recent to the very distant past.
From humble beginnings in the American city of St. Louis to becoming a symbol of the French Resistance, Josephine Baker captivated the world. Her dance electrified audiences, while her bravery saved lives. Then after the war she fought for African American rights alongside Dr Martin Luther King. Discover the incredible life of this performer turned war hero, a true icon who defied convention. Written by James Rampton and performed by Aniya Picou.
Second Sleep explores the fascinating world of biphasic sleep through the eyes of a young girl in medieval Dorset. While her family tends to chores during ‘the watch’, the girl slips out of bed and embarks on a secret journey to a nearby nunnery, captivated by the soft chants that fill the night air. Written and performed by Olivia Bell. Sound editor Viel Richardson.
In this week's HappenedHere podcast, we take you to 1835 when Charles Darwin set foot on the remote Galapagos Islands during his voyage on HMS Beagle. His meticulous observations of the wildlife would later form the basis of his revolutionary Theory of Evolution. Written by Hamish Roberts, performed by Shama Rahman and hosted by Robbie Stamp. Sound Editor Viel Richardson.
This short podcast centres on a meeting in 1882 between renowned Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde and renowned American poet and essayist Walt Whitman. From different generations, one effete, one a realist, would they find common ground? Written by Harry Tucker, performed by Stephen Fry and hosted by Lulu Freeman. Sound Editor Viel Richardson
Our true short podcast story is about a Spanish journalist who suspected cheating would occur at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games. So he joined the Spanish intellectual disability basketball team to find out…
Written by Jon Champion, performed by Aniya Picou. Hosted by Robbie Stamp. Sound Editor Will Jacob
A short, true story about the Paralympics for our podcast. Commonly known as Murderball because of its vicious game play, in 2024 Sarah Adam became the first woman selected for Team USA in Paralympic wheelchair rugby. Written by Ben Jacob, performed by Joanna Lumley, and hosted by Robbie Stamp. Sound Editor: Will Jacob.
This short podcast is written by one of our writers recalling the day she and her friends went to see their favourite singer, Taylor Swift on her first UK tour in 2009. Written by Kate Reid and read by friend and fellow concert-goer, Olivia Stamp. Hosted by Joanna Lumley; Sound Editor Will Jacob.
This podcast comprises two true stories relating to 15,000 year old sculptures found in a cave system in France.
The first story describes the astonishment and wonderment at finding of the clay bison, the second how a century old mystery was solved with the help of experts from thousands of miles away.
Both are written by Robbie Stamp, performed by Cassius Konneh, and hosted by Lulu Freeman. Sound Editor: Will Jacob.
Another short podcast story from Olympic Games past. This one is about the perseverance of a novice swimmer from Equatorial Guinea given a wildcard to the 2000 Sydney Games.
Written by Sarah Fleming, performed by Shama Rahman and hosted by Kass Conneh. Sound Editor Will Jacob
Another Olympic story. This story considers the Black Power Salute given at a medal ceremony in the 1968 Olympics, its impact and its legacy.
Written by James Rampton, performed by Cassius Konneh. Host: Robbie Stamp. Sound Editor Will Jacob.
To celebrate the 2024 Olympic Games, a story about the Ancient games in Olympia, Greece and an unusual and worthy champion of the chariot race.
Written by Samantha Moody, performed by Lulu Freeman.
Host: Robbie Stamp. Sound Editor: Will Jacob
In the last of our Footsteps on the Moon series, it's 55 years ago, 20th July 1969 and Apollo 11’s Lunar Module, the Eagle, has landed on the moon. Six hours later the crew became the first people to make footsteps on its surface.
Written by Jessica Riches, performed by Stephen Fry. Sound editor Will Jacob.
In the fourth of our Footsteps on the Moon series, it is 1969. Tension is high in Nasa’s Mission Control room in Houston, USA, as Apollo 11’s Lunar Module attempts to land on the moon.
Written by Jessica Riches, performed by Stephen Fry. Sound editor Will Jacob.
In the third episode of our Footsteps on the Moon special, Apollo 8 became the first manned spaceship to orbit the moon, and astronaut Bill Anders takes an iconic photo.
Written by Jessica Riches, performed by Stephen Fry. Sound editor Will Jacob.
In the second episode of our Footsteps on the Moon special, it’s 1967 and there are problems with Apollo 1 as it sits on the launch pad waiting to take off.
Written by Jessica Riches, performed by Stephen Fry. Sound editor Will Jacob.
On the day that Apollo 11 launched in 1969 we’re back with five stories about the 1960s American journey to get Footsteps on the Moon. HappenedHere’s fourth season starts with JFK’s rallying speech at Rice University, 1962. Written by Jessica Riches, performed by Stephen Fry. Sound editor Will Jacob.
For New Year's Eve, we present a story of the origins of a New York Perennial! New York’s Times Square New Year’s Ball Drop is an annual ‘must see’ event for people in the USA and beyond. Harry Tucker looks back at its origins.
Hosted by Robbie Stamp
Performed by Sarah Beebe
Sound Edited by Will Jacob
In this Christmas Story Single Story we hear a retelling of the famous Christmas Truce of 1914 - of kindness and compassion amidst the horrors of war.
In this Special Christmas Story Single Story, we learn a little about the making of Christmas Puddings in the Seventeenth Century and how the ‘Littlest Scullery Maid” saved Stir Up Sunday!
Bram Stoker worked for the charismatic actor and theatre manager Henry Irving in the 1890s. In gothic style, Becky Stamp considers how Irving’s overbearing presence inspired the character of Count Dracula.
In this special episode, recorded live in front of an audience at the Chalke Valley History Festival, we present three stories from our Anglo Saxon past.
This episode links events that happened in different eras; two actors perform Othello 100 years apart, two musical geniuses live next door, two centuries apart, and one murder leads to ghostly apparitions for over a century. Hosted by Neil Fleming:
- The Golden Earrings written by Milo Harries, performed by Stephen Fry [The Savoy Theatre, The Strand, and The Theatre Royal, Covent Garden]
- It’s the Messiah written by James Rampton, performed by Neil Fleming [40 South Moulton St and 25 Brook St, Mayfair]
- 193 Steps written by Robbie Stamp, performed by Kate Reid [Maiden Lane, The Stage Door of the Adelphi Theatre and Covent Garden Tube Station]
In this episode medieval monks try to make a heaven-sent garden, drugs drag a writer to hell, and Bob Dylan creates a now-iconic short film. Hosted by Kate Reid
- Gardening for God, written by Sarah Fleming and performed by Kate Reid [Covent Garden]
- Tales of the Odious Opium Eater, written by Zak Ghazi-Torbati and performed by Stephen Fry [4 York Place, and around Covent Garden]
- The Anthem of the Counterculture, written by James Rampton and performed by Robbie Stamp [The Savoy Steps, near the Savoy Hotel, the Strand]
In this episode, travel back to the seventeenth century and meet master-builder Inigo Jones, who has been summoned for a meeting with the Earl of Bedford. Performed by Stephen Fry, hosted by Lulu Freeman and written by Hamish Roberts, this episode charts the conception of the Covent Garden piazza.
- How would YOU change London [Bedford House, Covent Garden, London]
- Walking in the Air [The streets of London]
- Space [Bedford House, Covent Garden, London]
Sound editing by Jon Jardine.
In this week’s podcast, Dame Joanna Lumley introduces stories about punishment, prostitution and pugilism:
- Ritual Humiliation written by Joanna Clarke and performed by Lulu Freeman [Charing Cross, Central London]
- An Unlikely Purchase written by Sarah Fleming and performed by Olivia Bell [A Coffee House in Bedfordbury, Covent Garden, a Theatre in Lincoln’s Inn Field, and Holy Trinity Church, Wensley, Yorkshire]
- “The Celebrated Professor of the Fist” written by James Rampton and performed by Cassius Konneh [Moulsey Hurst in Surrey and Horse and Dolphin pub in Leicester Square]
Sound editing by Jon Jardine
In this week's episode of HappenedHere, hosted by Stephen Fry, we explore the life of the man who changed the face of clowning forever - Joseph Grimaldi, with three stories written by James Hampton and performed by Dame Joanna Lumley:
He Swung Joseph with the Utmost Velocity [Sadlers Wells Theatre, Roseberry Avenue, Clerkenwell, London]
Make ‘Em Laugh [Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London]
"I make you laugh at night, but I’m Grim-all-day" [Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]
Sound editing by Jon Jardine.
In this week's episode of HappenedHere, hosted by Stephen Fry, we go on three very different nights out:
- Ghosts written by Viel Richardson and performed by Olivia Bell [The Queen’s Theatre, Haymarket, London]
- A Horse in Your Lap, Madam? written by James Rampton and performed by Dame Joanna Lumley [Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London]
- Stormy Weather written by James Rampton and performed by Jasmine Elcock [The Café de Paris Nightclub, 3-4 Coventry St, Piccadilly Circus]
Sound editing by Will Jacob.
Our latest podcast finds Dame Joanna Lumley introducing three stories about a murder and a reputation restored:
- ‘Frenzy’ written by Joanna Clarke and performed by Stephen Fry [Covent Garden Piazza by the Floral Market Hall]
- The Master of Promotion written by Joanna Clarke and performed by Stephen Fry [The Thames by the Houses of Parliament, London]
- The Critic and the Long Shot written by Joanna Clarke and performed by Stephen Fry [3 Henrietta St, Covent Garden]
Sound editing by Will Jacob.
Robbie Stamp, co-founder of HappenedHere, introduces stories around this iconic London landmark:
- Why Seven? written by Joanna Clarke performed by Kate Reid
- The Black Loyalists written by Viel Richardson and performed by Jasmine Elcock
- An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman walk into a bar… written by Zak Ghazi-Torbati and performed by Stephen Fry
All these stories take place at Seven Dials, London.
Sound editing by Viel Richardson.
Robbie Stamp considers the rise and fall of an illegal 1930s LGBTQ+ club:
- The Caravan Clubwritten by Hamish Roberts and performed by Stephen Fry[Basement, 81 Endell St, London WC2]
- Hiding in Plain Sightwritten by Hamish Roberts and performed by Stephen Fry [Bow Street, outside the Magistrates Court, Covent Garden]
- “Cyril’s Fragmentswritten by Hamish Roberts and performed by Stephen Fry[81 Endell St, WC2 and The Old Bailey, EC4]
Sound editing by Viel Richardson.
Stephen Fry introduces three real forebears to the fictional Eliza Doolittle who were found over the centuries in Covent Garden’s iconic fruit and vegetable market:
- Corpses and Cucumbers written by Joanna Clarke and performed by Cassius Konneh [Covent Garden Piazza]
- Cleaning Strawberries written by Joanna Clarke and performed by Lulu Freeman [Covent Garden Piazza]
- Oi! You! Jollocks! written by Joanna Clarke and performed by Stephen Fry [Covent Garden to Elephant and Castle, London]
Sound editing by Viel Richardson.
This week’s episode, hosted by Robbie Stamp, looks at street entertainment throughout the centuries in and around Covent Garden:
- A Tom-Tom Player written by Sarah Fleming and performed by Shama Rahman [London’s West End and 55 Albany St NW1]
- The Sound of a Whole Orchestra written by James Rampton and performed by Lulu Freeman [Covent Garden Piazza]
- Busking Changes Everything written by James Rampton and performed by Zak Ghazi-Torbati [Trafalgar Square, London]
Sound editing by Viel Richardson.
A HappenedHere Single Story
A massacre on a 18th C British Slave Ship. An unlikely subject for master painter JMW Turner. An abolitionist, Turner used his fame to reignite the memory of this horrific, shameful chapter in British history. A Massacre first brought to the public eye by freedman Olaudah Equiano.
In association with The Barbican.
Jasmine Elcock hosts this week’s episode of our witty and enlightening podcast, we go there and back again with a very precious club in the 1960s:
- A Trip to Middle Earth written by James Rampton and performed by Stephen Fry
- A Painted Tear written by Hamish Roberts and performed by Zak Ghazi-Torbati
- “I could see everyone’s fillings falling out” written by James Rampton and performed by Jasmine Elcock
All these stories take place in The Basement, 43 King St, Covent Garden.
This week we look at Princess Diana and (more closely) her 18th Century forebear/ancestor, Georgiana, and reflect on what it is to be a woman in the full glare of the media and public view. Hosted by Shama Rahman.
- Parallel Lives written by Holly Harland and performed by Dame Joanna Lumley [Kensington Palace and Devonshire House, Central London]
- She Had to Sit on the Floor written by Holly Harland and performed by Zak Ghazi-Torbati [Tavistock Street, Covent Garden]
- Votes for Kisses written by Holly Harland and performed by Kate Reid [Henrietta St, Southampton St, Tavistock Street and the Piazza, Covent Garden]
In this week’s episode, hosted by Stephen Fry, discover how Covent Garden adapted to the trials and tribulations thrown it’s way by Britain’s fight against Nazi Germany:
- Put on Your Dancing Shoes written and performed by Joanna Clarke [The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden]
- Mrs Smith’s Coffin written by Joanna Clarke and performed by Stephen Fry [Dawlish, Devon and Covent Garden, London]
- Keeping Calm and Carrying On written by Joanna Clarke and performed by Jasmine Elcock [The Piazza and Bow Street, Covent Garden]
In the first episode of our second season, hosted by the celebrated Dame Joanna Lumley, we look at Covent Garden's vice industry in the eighteenth century:
- Haddock Hogarth and Harlots written by Jasmine Silk and performed by Lulu Freeman [Covent Garden Piazza]
- Mrs Jenkins' Flogging House written by Joanna Clarke and performed by Stephen Fry [27 Catherine Street]
- Carnal Pleasures written by Robbie Stamp and performed by Kate Reid [The Shakespeare Tavern, Covent Garden Piazza]
Warning, these stories contain adult themes.
Three percent of London’s population was black in the eighteenth century. Your host Stephen Fry introduces:
- An Enslaved Child and His Two Inheritances written by Milo Harries and performed by Cassius Konneh [17 Gough Square, Holborn, London]
- A Genius in Bondage written by Sara Fleming and performed by Jasmine Elcock [the Tower of London]
- Beethoven Could Not Believe His Ears written by James Rampton and performed by Stephen Fry [Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Covent Garden, London and The Augarten Concert Hall in Vienna]
“The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius”. This week we look at the downfall of Oscar Wilde with host Dame Joanna Lumley:
- Intrigue for Intrigue’s Sake written by Jasmine Silk and performed by Stephen Fry [Mayfair, Picadilly and Covent Garden]
- Still the Sight to See in London written by Jasmine Silk and performed by Stephen Fry [Holding Cell, Magistrate’s Court, Bow Street]
- From Gaol to Exile written by Jasmine Silk and performed by Stephen Fry [31 Upper Bedford Place, Bloomsbury]
“Fame will go by and, so long, I’ve had you, Fame”. Host Dr Shama Rahman looks at people who were famous in their time, but have faded from memory, with:
- The Diva and Her Diamonds written by Sarah Fleming and performed by Dame Joanna Lumley [Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London]
- Not a Page in Petticoats written and performed by Kate Reid [Theatre Royal, Vere Street, London]
- I Have Been a Slave, I Know What Slaves Feel written by James Rampton, performed by Jasmine Elcock [7 Solly Terrace, Pentonville, London]
For this week’s episode we journey back in time with host Dame Joanna Lumley to Anglo-Saxon London, with:
- Wattle, Wyrms and Wyrd Sisters written by Robbie Stamp and performed by Shama Rahman [under the foundations of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London]
- The Lay of Nine Herbs written by Robbie Stamp and performed by Olivia Bell [Maiden Lane, Covent Garden]
- Run For Your Life written by Robbie Stamp and performed by Lulu Freeman [earthworks under the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London]
This week’s episode does exactly what it says on the tin, as host Stephen Fry bobs about with:
- Go On Then, Impress Us written by James Rampton and performed by Cassius Konneh [Peckham Manor School, south east London and the Lyceum Ballroom, Wellington Street, Covent Garden, London]
- Not Your Usual Busker written by James Rampton and performed by Dame Joanna Lumley [near Covent Garden tube station, London]
- The Bob That Changed the World written by James Rampton and performed by Shama Rahman [108 Bond Street, London]
In this episode, with host Dame Joanna Lumley, we look at seventeenth and eighteenth century celebrity criminals, with:
- The Highwayman of Hearts written by Ms Olivia Bell and performed by Dame Joanna Lumley. [Hampstead Heath, Chandos Place and St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden]
- The Pregnant Pickpocket with Four Hands written by Ms Olivia Bell and performed by Ms Lulu Freeman. [Lodgings in Long Acre and in and around Covent Garden]
- Somone’s Sneakin’ Round the Corner written by Ms Olivia Bell and performed by Mr Zak Ghazi-Torbati. [The Black Lion Pub, Drury Lane, various London gaols and Tyburn]
In this episode, hosted by Mr Robbie Stamp, we look at the history of the Covent Garden Piazza, with:
- This Beautiful Fruitful Rectangle written by Mr Robbie Stamp, performed by Mr Stephen Fry [Covent Garden Piazza, London]
- A Much Tidier View for the Duke written by Ms Joanna Clarke, performed by Ms Jasmine Elcock [Covent Garden Piazza, London]
- Concrete Garden Anyone? written by Ms Joanna Clarke, performed by Dame Joanna Lumley [Covent Garden Piazza, London]
Your Host Ms Shama Rahman looks at the artistic side of Covent Garden in this week’s episode, with:
- Black Swans written by Mr Viel Richardson and performed by Ms Jasmine Elcock [Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London]
- Theatre of Blood written by Ms Becky Stamp and performed by Mr Stephen Fry [The Lyceum Theatre, Wellington Street, Covent Garden, London]
- Jane Austen Sees a Portrait written by Ms Sarah Fleming and performed by Ms Kate Reid. This story contains adult themes [Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London]
Notes:
Several scholars write about speculation that Mrs Quentin (known as Georgina and sometimes Harriet) was the inspiration for Jane Bennet.
Jocelyn Harris’s book Satire, Celebrity, & Politics in Jane Austen (Bucknell University Press, 2017) is a great starting point for more information on this story. As well as Mrs Quentin, Harris also suggests another of George IVs mistresses as a possible reference for Jane Bennet.
There are many reviews of the book online too eg https://janeausteninvermont.blog/2017/11/05/reblog-the-inexhaustible-jane-austen-an-interview-with-jocelyn-harris-and-bucknell-university-press/
You can find the William Blake etching of Georgina (also known as Harriet) Quentin eg here https://www.themorgan.org/collection/drawings/144074 or https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1867-1214-710
Read about Georgiana/Harriet Quentin in Memoirs of the Life of the Celebrated Mrs Q-
https://books.google.co.uk/books?redir_esc=y&id=NvUxAQAAMAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=henrietta+street
Read Jane’s letter to Cassandra (24 May 1815, letter No:44 or XLIV) at eg gutenberg.com or pemberley.com
In this episode, with your host Dame Joanna Lumley, we look at ebullient Covent Garden with:
- Giant Haystacks Meets Giant Cableknit written by Mr James Rampton and performed by Mr Zak Ghazi-Torbati. [Covent Garden Piazza, London]
- The Trial of Iron-Foot Jack written by Mr Hamish Roberts and performed by Mr Stephen Fry. [81 Endell Street and The Old Bailey, London]
- Mrs Phillip’s Condoms written by Ms Jasmine Silk and performed by Dame Joanna Lumley. This story contains adult themes [Bedford Street, London]
In our very first full episode, the Curtain Rises on Covent Garden with:
- The Strange Tale of a Discovered Corpse written by Mr Robbie Stamp and performed by Mr Cassius Konneh. The Jubilee Market.
- A Theatrical Diva's Autobiography written by Mr Yak Ghazi-Torbati and performed by Dame Joanna Lumley. Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
- The Sad Tale of What Happened Next to a Heroic War Nurse written by Mr Viel Richardson and performed by Mr Stephen Fry. Tavistock Street.
Twelfth Night - written by Jasmine Silk, performed by Cassius Konneh with additional music composed by Minima Hughes and performed by Shama Rahman. A story about Elizabeth the First, Shakespeare and yellow stockings.
Performed by Olivia Bell, written by Hamish Roberts, Hosted by Lulu Freeman - a story about the London land beneath your feet and a landscape that becomes a cityscape..
A story about a young woman in the cold clasp of an Anglo-Saxon winter. Performed by Olivia Bell. Sound editing by Will Jacob.
The story behind a famous Christmas Dinner. Written by Viel Richardson, performed by Lulu Freeman, introduction by Stephen Fry. Sound editing by Viel Richardson.
The story of one family’s visit to Covent Garden during the festive season. Written and performed by Robbie Stamp. Sound Editing by Will Jacob.
The story behind Trafalgar Square’s famous annual guest. Written by James Rampton, hosted by Shama Rahman and performed by Stephen Fry. Sound Editing by Will Jacob. Thanks to Westminster City Council for their audio of the 2022 ceremony.