We’re taking a summer break for 3 weeks, so while we’re off sunning ourselves, please enjoy our second ever ‘Best of’ episode. This week you’ll be treated to the following: From #26 Blunders we’ve got: the demise of Frederick Barbarossa From #28 Nightlife: Boza (a lovely drink which isn’t custard) And from #39 Survival: the nightmarish story of Alexander Selkirk If you'd like to drop us an email while we're away, you can do so at: [email protected] If you fancy a bunch of OWAT content you’ve...
Aug 25, 2024•51 min•Ep. 64
We’ve got a bonus episode for you and once again, your correspondence has proven absolutely sensational. In this episode, Chris questions whether this is the golden age of hot drinks, Elis is hauled over the coals in corrections corner for several horrendous mistakes and we learn about the REAL museum of failure. PLUS Elis pitches his idea for a circus, someone helps us correct something previously described as an ‘Oh What A Shame’ moment in our #50 Presidential Inventions episode. AND if you’d ...
Aug 25, 2024•48 min•Ep. 63
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! This week we’re dwelling in the podcasting pits of utter humiliation. We’ll be finally looking at the specifics of the infamous stocks and pillory, shaved heads as a punishment, the dunces cap and the humiliating act of ‘white shirting’. Humiliation is of course the specialist subject of Tom Craine who once lost a kebab stained shirt to the roof of a cab. Do you have any humiliating stories to share? And also, what can you offer to the m...
Aug 19, 2024•28 min•Ep. 62
This week we’re dwelling in the podcasting pits of utter humiliation. We’ll be finally looking at the specifics of the infamous stocks and pillory, shaved heads as a punishment, the dunces cap and the humiliating act of ‘white shirting’. Humiliation is of course the specialist subject of Tom Craine who once lost a kebab stained shirt to the roof of a cab. Do you have any humiliating stories to share? And also, what can you offer to the museum of failure? Let us know here: [email protected] I...
Aug 18, 2024•33 min•Ep. 62
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! Ready, set.. and go for this week’s episode which is on: The Olympics. We’ll be chatting about the ancient Olympics, McDonalds infamous mid-80s marketing campaign for the Los Angeles Olympics and a certain Welsh Olympian known as ‘the human torpedo’. And the world has a new BEST podcast feature: The Museum of Failure. What can we put in it alongside Woolworths, the zeppelin and betamax? Please present your exhibits to: hello@ohwhatatime....
Aug 12, 2024•31 min•Ep. 61
Ready, set.. and go for this week’s episode which is on: The Olympics. We’ll be chatting about the ancient Olympics, McDonalds infamous mid-80s marketing campaign for the Los Angeles Olympics and a certain Welsh Olympian known as ‘the human torpedo’. And the world has a new BEST podcast feature: The Museum of Failure. What can we put in it alongside Woolworths, the zeppelin and betamax? Please present your exhibits to: [email protected] If you're impatient and want both parts in one lovely g...
Aug 11, 2024•30 min•Ep. 61
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! This week on the show we’ve got a selection of historical yarns to share; the great British supermarket baked bean war of the 90s, how Sweden swapped sides of the road in the 60s, and the many incredible instances where entertainers took percentages of profits instead of a one off payment (and the infamous occasions where they didn’t). And this week we’ve been mainly discussing the oft-repeated rumour that cinemas make the bulk of their ...
Aug 05, 2024•24 min•Ep. 60
This week on the show we’ve got a selection of historical yarns to share; the great British supermarket baked bean war of the 90s, how Sweden swapped sides of the road in the 60s, and the many incredible instances where entertainers took percentages of profits instead of a one off payment (and the infamous occasions where they didn’t). And this week we’ve been mainly discussing the oft-repeated rumour that cinemas make the bulk of their profit not from showing films, but from selling sweets and ...
Aug 04, 2024•21 min•Ep. 60
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! This week on the show, it’s a veritable feast as we discuss some of the most infamous dinner parties from history. We’ve got the super-sweet suppers that the teenage Emperor Elagabulus loved to throw, the horrendous story of the Black Dinner at Edinburgh Castle in 1440 and finally, we’ll hear what spectators saw when they gathered round to watch Louis XIV eat his massive daily dinner. Lots of chat this week about stocks, pillories and th...
Jul 29, 2024•31 min•Ep. 59
This week on the show, it’s a veritable feast as we discuss some of the most infamous dinner parties from history. We’ve got the super-sweet suppers that the teenage Emperor Elagabulus loved to throw, the horrendous story of the Black Dinner at Edinburgh Castle in 1440 and finally, we’ll hear what spectators saw when they gathered round to watch Louis XIV eat his massive daily dinner. Lots of chat this week about stocks, pillories and the nature of Rod Stewart’s massive train set. If you’ve got ...
Jul 28, 2024•26 min•Ep. 59
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! On the show this week we’re discussing some of the most absolutely disastrous ideas that history has to offer; we’ve got airships, the infamous Sinclair C5 and various attempts at creating ’smell-o-vision’ (which sometimes involved a ‘smell-brain’). Plus, we’re still struggling to get over the concept of trifle, especially with the possible inclusion of veal. If you’ve got any more of trifle, savoury trifle or anything on the worst exces...
Jul 22, 2024•28 min•Ep. 58
On the show this week we’re discussing some of the most absolutely disastrous ideas that history has to offer; we’ve got airships, the infamous Sinclair C5 and various attempts at creating ’smell-o-vision’ (which sometimes involved a ‘smell-brain’). Plus, we’re still struggling to get over the concept of trifle, especially with the possible inclusion of veal. If you’ve got any more of trifle, savoury trifle or anything on the worst excesses of Victorian cuisine, you know what to do: hello@ohwhat...
Jul 21, 2024•35 min•Ep. 58
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! On the show this week we’re going mad for health and safety. We’ll be discussing what health and safety looked like in Ancient Rome, the various procedures in place in medieval monasteries and also, we’ll be talking about Peter Duncan cleaning the clockface of Big Ben in 1980 armed with only a mop, a plank and a rope. Lots to discuss elsewhere this week too: does buying a single toilet seat mean you’ll be buying toilet seats constantly f...
Jul 15, 2024•30 min•Ep. 57
On the show this week we’re going mad for health and safety. We’ll be discussing what health and safety looked like in Ancient Rome, the various procedures in place in medieval monasteries and also, we’ll be talking about Peter Duncan cleaning the clockface of Big Ben in 1980 armed with only a mop, a plank and a rope. Lots to discuss elsewhere this week too: does buying a single toilet seat mean you’ll be buying toilet seats constantly forever? Was landfill the golden age of rubbish? And what an...
Jul 14, 2024•37 min•Ep. 57
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! This week we’re off the leash and talking about some of history’s most noteworthy animals. We’ll have Joséphine Bonaparte’s vertically challenged pet dog Fortune, Britain’s first zebra of note and the incredible story of the mayor of Texan town Lajitas (who just happens to be a goat called Clay Henry). Following on from our music episode, there’s lots of chat about our favourite non-lyrical aspects of songs. And in an OWAT first, Elis ta...
Jul 08, 2024•26 min•Ep. 56
This week we’re off the leash and talking about some of history’s most noteworthy animals. We’ll have Joséphine Bonaparte’s vertically challenged pet dog Fortune, Britain’s first zebra of note and the incredible story of the mayor of Texan town Lajitas (who just happens to be a goat called Clay Henry). Following on from our music episode, there’s lots of chat about our favourite non-lyrical aspects of songs. And in an OWAT first, Elis takes his place in the inaugural Plaudits Corner. If you want...
Jul 07, 2024•37 min•Ep. 56
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! Fire up the orchestra because this week you’ll be listening to us talk about: Music. We’ve got for you the ancient music of Antiquity, Richard the Lionheart and his banging tunes and the history of songs being sung on the terraces. Lots and lots of chat this week about what it would be like to be trapped in a prison made of trifle. If you’ve got anything to add to the conversation, you can email us at: [email protected] If you're imp...
Jul 01, 2024•34 min•Ep. 54
Fire up the orchestra because this week you’ll be listening to us talk about: Music. We’ve got for you the ancient music of Antiquity, Richard the Lionheart and his banging tunes and the history of songs being sung on the terraces. Lots and lots of chat this week about what it would be like to be trapped in a prison made of trifle. If you’ve got anything to add to the conversation, you can email us at: [email protected] If you're impatient and want both parts in one lovely go next time plus ...
Jun 30, 2024•25 min•Ep. 54
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! Cut a couple of holes in your newspaper and have a butchers at this week’s episode which is: Spies. We’ll be checking out how sophisticated spies were in Britain during the 1600s, we’ll be peeping on the secret police in Ancient Rome and we’ll be trying to spy on the spies of the BBC. And we’ve got more listener blunders this week to make Tom feel better. Have you done something as silly as accidentally packing a duffel coat thinking it ...
Jun 24, 2024•22 min•Ep. 53
Cut a couple of holes in your newspaper and have a butchers at this week’s episode which is: Spies. We’ll be checking out how sophisticated spies were in Britain during the 1600s, we’ll be peeping on the secret police in Ancient Rome and we’ll be trying to spy on the spies of the BBC. And we’ve got more listener blunders this week to make Tom feel better. Have you done something as silly as accidentally packing a duffel coat thinking it was a sleeping bag? If yes, you can email us at: hello@ohwh...
Jun 23, 2024•24 min•Ep. 53
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! This week we’re darting around folk festivals from history to learn their strange traditions; we’ll be heading to Lincolnshire to learn about the Haxey Hood, to Gloucester for the Cheese Rolling and finally off to America to learn of the once enormously popular phenomenon of Horse Diving. And was telly better when it ended around midnight and signed off with the national anthem? The answer is yes, so don’t add to that debate. But if you’...
Jun 17, 2024•29 min•Ep. 52
This week we’re darting around folk festivals from history to learn their strange traditions; we’ll be heading to Lincolnshire to learn about the Haxey Hood, to Gloucester for the Cheese Rolling and finally off to America to learn of the once enormously popular phenomenon of Horse Diving. And was telly better when it ended around midnight and signed off with the national anthem? The answer is yes, so don’t add to that debate. But if you’ve got anything else you can email: [email protected] I...
Jun 16, 2024•28 min•Ep. 52
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! This week on the show we’re discussing the magnificent inventions invented by early US Presidents! For you we have George Washington’s threshing barn (not a pub), Thomas Jefferson’s wheelie chair (as exciting as it sounds) and Benjamin Franklin’s lightning rod (not as rude as it sounds). When exactly was the golden age of parking? We can’t decide if it was the coin-based or app-based eras. If you have anything on parking, inventions or a...
Jun 10, 2024•28 min•Ep. 50
This week on the show we’re discussing the magnificent inventions invented by early US Presidents! For you we have George Washington’s threshing barn (not a pub), Thomas Jefferson’s wheelie chair (as exciting as it sounds) and Benjamin Franklin’s lightning rod (not as rude as it sounds). When exactly was the golden age of parking? We can’t decide if it was the coin-based or app-based eras. If you have anything on parking, inventions or anything else, you know what to do: [email protected] If...
Jun 09, 2024•31 min•Ep. 50
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! It’s our first ever sequel episode and this week we’re looking at one of our favourite subjects: Blunders. We’ll be discussing a man often regarded as one of the worst US Presidents ever, Andrew Johnson (not the striker or Elis’ old flatmate), the Swiss Army and how they accidentally invaded another country and how the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II got soundly beaten on the battlefield. This week we found out that Tom literally once hit t...
Jun 03, 2024•24 min•Ep. 49
It’s our first ever sequel episode and this week we’re looking at one of our favourite subjects: Blunders. We’ll be discussing a man often regarded as one of the worst US Presidents ever, Andrew Johnson (not the striker or Elis’ old flatmate), the Swiss Army and how they accidentally invaded another country and how the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II got soundly beaten on the battlefield. This week we found out that Tom literally once hit the headlines and that headline was ‘IDIOT’. We also heard o...
Jun 02, 2024•28 min•Ep. 49
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! Let’s point our ears in the direction of some of the greatest oratory from history, because this week we’re discussing: Speeches. Henry V’s St Crispin’s Day speech (both in fiction and non-fiction), Elizabeth I at Tilbury and the campaigning of John Petts. We found out this week that Tom Craine’s favourite speech was performed by THAT guy from Come Dine With Me. Can you name a better speech? On this and anything else, you can email us at...
May 27, 2024•31 min•Ep. 48
Let’s point our ears in the direction of some of the greatest oratory from history, because this week we’re discussing: Speeches. Henry V’s St Crispin’s Day speech (both in fiction and non-fiction), Elizabeth I at Tilbury and the campaigning of John Petts. We found out this week that Tom Craine’s favourite speech was performed by THAT guy from Come Dine With Me. Can you name a better speech? On this and anything else, you can email us at: [email protected] If you're impatient and want both p...
May 26, 2024•32 min•Ep. 48
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed from yesterday! It’s time to take a look at some of the most infamous criminals history has to offer; the story of Bonnie and Clyde, the infamous Al Capone and American crime boss Arnold ‘The Brain’ Rothstein. Also.. What were you doing during the great storms of the past? If you’ve got anything on that or anything at all! Do send us an email at: [email protected] If you're impatient and want both parts in one lovely go next time plus a whole lot mo...
May 20, 2024•33 min•Ep. 47
It’s time to take a look at some of the most infamous criminals history has to offer; the story of Bonnie and Clyde, the infamous Al Capone and American crime boss Arnold ‘The Brain’ Rothstein. Also.. What were you doing during the great storms of the past? If you’ve got anything on that or anything at all! Do send us an email at: [email protected] If you're impatient and want both parts in one lovely go next time plus a whole lot more(!), why not treat yourself and become an Oh What A Time:...
May 19, 2024•27 min•Ep. 47
