Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

<p>This November marks 60 years since President John F Kennedy was assassinated. </p><br><p>His name is associated with history defining events, but it’s also connected with a dynasty, known for their celebrity and notoriously for being ‘cursed.’</p><br><p>The Kennedy family, thought of as American royals by many, have a fascinating and tragic history - especially the women in JFK’s life and family line.</p><br><p>Today we're exploring the story of JFK's sister Rosemary. Following a failed lobotomy which left her unable to walk or talk, she was hidden from public view for fear of jeopardising the pristine image of the family dynasty.</p><br><p>This is the second instalment in a mini-series, The Kennedy Women, which started with their great-grandma Bridget, and will also cover Jackie, JFK's affairs, and the so-called Kennedy curse.</p><br><p>The senior producer was Charlotte Long. The producer was Stuart Beckwith.</p><br><p>Archive courtesy of NBC.</p><br><p>You can read Kate Clifford Larson's book, Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosemary-Clifford-Kate-Larson/dp/0544811909" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><br><p>Don’t miss out on the best offer in history! Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts.</p><br><p>Get a subscription for £1 for 3 months with code BETWIXTTHESHEETS1 sign up now for your 14-day free trial <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://historyhit/subscription/</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>It can be hard to comprehend the magnitude of historical events, with World War Two a prime example of this.</p><br><p>By 1945, some 3 million British people had served. As such, the rich diversity of masculinity and sexuality of those men is often reduced or hidden from the history books.</p><br><p>With Remembrance Day approaching, we've spoken to Luke Turner, author of <a href="https://www.weidenfeldandnicolson.co.uk/titles/luke-turner/men-at-war/9781474618861/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Men At War: Loving, Lusting, Fighting, Remembering 1939-1945</em></a>, to look beneath the buttoned up uniforms and shine a light on the different kinds of men who served.</p><br><p>Who was the D-Day hero who later transitioned to live as a woman? Were the 1940s more of a sexual revolution than the 1960s? And what does our sidelining of much of this history tell us about our shared remembrances of the Second World War? </p><br><p>This podcast was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p><em>Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. </em><a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code </em>BETWIXT <em>sign up now for your 14-day free trial.</em></a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>This November marks 60 years since President John F Kennedy was assassinated. </p><br><p>His name is associated with history defining events, but it’s also connected with a dynasty, known for their celebrity and notoriously for being ‘cursed.’</p><br><p>The Kennedy family, thought of as American royals by many, have a fascinating and tragic history - especially the women in JFK’s life and family line.</p><br><p>Today we’re going right back to the start, to a farm in Ireland to meet JFK’s great-grandma, Bridget, who overcame tragedy and poverty to forge the foundation of a dynasty.</p><br><p>This is the first instalment in a mini-series, <em>The Kennedy Women</em>, which will look into the lives of Bridget, Jackie, Rosemary and the so-called family curse.</p><br><p>The senior producer was Charlotte Long. The producer was Stuart Beckwith.</p><br><p>Archive courtesy of NBC.</p><br><p>You can read more about Neal Thompson’s work <a href="https://www.nealthompson.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.</a></p><br><p>Don’t miss out on the best offer in history! Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 for 3 months with code <em>BETWIXTTHESHEETS1</em> sign up now for your 14-day free trial <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>https://historyhit/subscription/</em></a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>They’re famously thought of as a buttoned up prudish bunch, but we all know they loved to bump uglies as much as anyone today. </p><br><p>Were the spanking punishments of boarding schools really the origins of flagellation brothels? Who were the pin-ups of Victorian women? And what did the saucy portrait Queen Victoria gave to Prince Albert look like? </p><br><p>Today we go Betwixt the Victorian Sheets with Dan Snow, from History Hit sister podcast Dan Snow’s History Hit, to find out all about Victorian Sex. </p><br><p>This podcast was edited by Tom Delargy. The producers were Charlotte Long and Freddy Chick. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>It’s that time of year again, Halloween. A word which conjures up images of pumpkins, ghosts, and of course…witches.</p><br><p>But have you ever wondered what the ancient origins of witchcraft is? How did the black-hat-broomstick stereotype emerge? And what causes the waves of witch trials throughout history, right up to the present day?</p><br><p>Kate is Betwixt the Sheets with Ronald Hutton to discuss the history of the witch.</p><br><p>This podcast was mixed and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code<a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout?code=patented&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>AFTERDARK</u></a> Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a></p><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Josephine Baker was one of the most extraordinary people of the 20th century - and the first black woman honoured in the French Panthéon in 2021.</p><br><p>From an early life of poverty in St. Louis, America, to being a superstar singer, actress and dancer, to being a spy as part of the resistance against the Nazis. </p><br><p>For today’s episode, we’re sharing an episode from our sister podcast Dan Snow’s History Hit, where Dan is in conversation with Monique Y. Wells to discuss the life of Josephine Baker. </p><br><p>Monique is the co-founder of Entrée to Black Paris and a contributor on Paris’ Black history and culture. </p><br><p>This podcast was edited by Stuart Beckwith and Dougal Patmore. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>We live in a hyper-sexualised world. But what if you don't take a sexual interest in anyone?</p><br><p>Asexuality makes up roughly 1% of the population, and even though it will have been around as an identity since humans have been around, the language for it has a relatively recent history.</p><br><p>Joining Kate today is Tony Bogaert, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/UNDERSTANDING-ASEXUALITY-Bogaert-Anthony-1963/dp/1442201002" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Understanding Asexuality</a>. Do people who are asexual enjoy romance still? Do they masturbate? And what role did the internet have in establishing it?</p><br><p>Let's go Betwixt the Sheets to find out.</p><br><p>This podcast was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>We all know how the song goes, the one about Hitler having one testicle.</p><br><p>And whilst it's disarming to poke fun at someone so evil, there's an interesting and serious conversation to be had about how Hitler's relationships and sexuality could have shaped him.</p><br><p>Today Kate is joined by Norman Ohler, author of <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/294543/blitzed-by-ohler-norman/9780141983165" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany</em></a><em>, </em>to find out more about Adolf Hitler's personal life, his views on sex, and whether there's any truth to the rumours.</p><br><p>Did Hitler have a testicle bitten off by a goat? Was his interest in coprophilia true, or anti-Nazi propaganda? And who was the love of his life?</p><br><p>Let's go Betwixt the Sheets to find out.</p><br><p>This podcast was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>If you happen to be a Spectrophiliac, then October must be a particularly exciting time for you.</p><br><p>What is a spectrophiliac? Well, it's a fetish for ghosts (as well as mirrors), so being turned on by anything lurking in the non-physical realm. After all, as the old adage goes, the most important sex organ is the brain.</p><br><p>What are the historic origins of this fetish and phenomenon? And what real life stories can be told of it?</p><br><p>Today features an interview Kate did with Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney on our sister podcast, After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal.</p><br><p>Head to their feed <a href="https://pod.link/1705694900" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> to find brand new episodes already out on such mysterious and unsettling topics such as HMS Terror, the origins of Halloween and Murder in Ancient Rome.</p><br><p>This podcast was edited by Siobhan Dale and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>There’s not much good to come out of a plague, <em>especially </em>a bubonic plague in the 14th century. A pandemic which <em>definitely</em> didn't involve zoom quizzes and a video montage of celebrities singing 'Imagine' by John Lennon (actually, maybe they were better off in the 1300s).</p><br><p>But something extraordinary happened after The Black Death, which killed around <em>half</em> of the population in England. Because of a shortage of men, women had more autonomy and opportunities; from work and apprenticeships, to being able to rent land in their own name.</p><br><p>Kate is Betwixt the Sheets with Philippa Gregory to talk about how women's lives were impacted by the plague.</p><br><p>Philippa's new book: Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History, is out on the 26th October.</p><br><p>This podcast was edited by Tomos Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>What made a working class woman from Edinburgh become such a threat to British intelligence services during the Second World War, that they tried her as a witch?</p><br><p>In today's episode, we're telling you the story of Helen Duncan, aka Hellish Brown, a medium who lays claim to being the last woman in England to be tried as a witch, culminating in her trial in 1944 under the 1735 Witchcraft Act.</p><br><p>Joining us is Jess Marlton, manager of Bodmin Jail where all sorts of paranormal events take place.</p><br><p>What made Duncan's performances so memorable? Why did her trial capture the public's imagination? And how does the 1735 Witchcraft Act live on today?</p><br><p>Let's go Betwixt the Sheets to find out.</p><br><p>This podcast was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>While the age of consent has fluctuated over time, it reveals some fascinating and enlightening things about how we view sexuality in society.</p><br><p>Today's guest, Laura Lammasniemi, professor at Warwick School of Law, takes us back in time to explore the many ways these laws have changed, and why they have just as much relevance now as they ever have done.</p><br><p>How did Medieval England interpret ideas of consent? Which Victorian scandal led to consent laws we keep in place today? And why have girls consent laws historically differed from boys?</p><br><p>Let's go Betwixt the Sheets to find out.</p><br><p>This episode was edited by Siobhan Dale and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Given that the medieval period covers the best part of 1000 years, there's a fair amount of sexual myth and beliefs to get through.</p><br><p>How kinky were people in those times? Was the chastity belt just a Victorian myth? And did women really put live fish into their vaginas and then feed them to their husbands?</p><br><p>All of these questions and more will be answered in today's episode of Betwixt the Sheets, which is from a conversation Kate had with Eleanor Janega recently over on History Hit's Gone Medieval podcast.</p><br><p>This podcast was edited by Siobhan Dale and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>"I came. I saw. I conquered".</p><br><p>Perhaps <em>the</em> most famous Julius Caesar quote of all time. But after hearing all about his bedroom antics, it takes on a slightly...different meaning.</p><br><p>From Cleopatra, to his three wives, to male lovers, to mistresses - Julius Caesar definitely slept his way round Rome.</p><br><p>Today Kate is Betwixt the Ancient Roman Sheets with Emma Southon, to find out all about his rampant sex life.</p><br><p>This podcast was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>It's a credit to the resilience of the gay community that when society tried to outlaw and silence them, they just created a language of their own to keep conversation (and gossip) alive. </p><br><p>The language, polari, was born out of prejudice, and while it's now classified as endangered, many of its words are still used by us today.</p><br><p>What were its many origins? When was it at its peak? And why did some of the gay community eventually start to turn its back on it?</p><br><p>Kate's joined by Paul Baker, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fabulosa-Polari-Britains-Secret-Language/dp/178914132X" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Fabulosa!: The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language</em></a>, to find out more.</p><br><p>This episode was edited by Tom Delargy, and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>From Catherine Howard’s affairs whilst she was with Henry VIII, to Charles II’s mistress staging a lesbian wedding as part of a threesome… Hampton Court has seen it all. </p><br><p>Today’s guest is Gareth Russell, historian and author of <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-palace/gareth-russell/9780008436988" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors, 500 Years of History at Hampton Court</em></a>, to explore a selection of the sex and scandal that’s taken place there at the hands of its royal residents. </p><br><p>Who were some of the most popular and powerful mistresses to live there? What was Catherine Howard’s downfall with Henry VIII? Why was it more beneficial for James I to have mail mistresses? </p><br><p>Let’s go Betwixt the Sheets to find out. </p><br><p>This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>As taboos go, sex between two consenting adults should not be up there as one of them.</p><br><p>And yet! When we talk about sex in old age many people have an awkward reaction to it. Ask yourself this - is there an age when you intend on stop having sex?</p><br><p>Joining Kate today is senior sex author and advocate of ageless sexuality, Joan Price, to tackle the myths and challenges that come with sex as you get older, and explore how this has been depicted historically.</p><br><p>For more information on Joan’s work, visit her website <a href="https://joanprice.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><br><p>This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith and the senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>From tip-off letters about the gun powder plot to village quarrels that lead to jail time - today we’re going Betwixt the Sheets to find out about the history of hate mail. </p><br><p>Joining Kate is Dr. Emily Cockayne, author of <em>Penning Poison</em> and consultant on the forthcoming film <em>Wicked Little Letters</em>, starring Olivia Coleman, based on a famous case of anonymous letters from the early 20th century. </p><br><p>This episode was edited by Stuart Beckwith and produced by Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscribe." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe.</a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey here: <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Holywell Street, just off London's Fleet Street, was the hidden epicentre of Victorian pornography.</p><br><p>The Daily Telegraph described it as "the vilest street in the civilised world," so naturally, we wanted to know all of the smutty details.</p><br><p>Joining Kate to take us into this hidden world is Dr. Matthew Green, author of Shadowlands: A Journey Through Lost Britain.</p><br><p>What does this tell us about Victorian society as a whole? What went on upstairs in these shady bookshops? And what were some of the most popular titles of the period? Let's go Betwixt the Sheets to find out.</p><br><p>This episode was edited by Siobhan Dale and producer by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey here: <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK</a> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Why did Cleopatra soak the sails of her ship in jasmine? How did Queen Elizabeth smell? And why was perfume an essential tool of power for women across history? </p><br><p>Whilst it’s hard to research the history of something that leaves no physical trace, we actually know a great deal about how some of the most iconic women in history would have smelt. </p><br><p>Joining Kate to evoke these scents and what they stood for is award-winning fragrance journalist Suzy Nightingale.</p><br><p>Here are the perfumes listed in the episode:</p><br><p><strong><em>Cleopatra: The Merchant of Venice Queen of the Night</em></strong></p><br><p><strong><em>Joan of Arc: Histoire de Parfums Encens Roi</em></strong></p><br><p><strong><em>Elizabeth I: Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady</em></strong></p><br><p><strong><em>Jane Austen: Commodity Book (Personal strength) </em></strong></p><br><p><strong><em>Cora Pearl: Robert Piguet Fracas </em></strong></p><br><p>This episode is edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey here: <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK</a> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>When sex between two humans can be many things, how do we define bestiality - that is, sex between a human and a non-human? </p><br><p>Especially when the farming industry relies on certain sex acts on animals - or ‘animal husbandry’ to use the correct term - to function. </p><br><p>These are an uncomfortable but important question, and we’re joined by academic Joanne Bourke, author of <em>Loving Animals: On Bestiality, Zoophilia and Post-Human Love, </em>to discuss these topics and more. </p><br><p>This podcast was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer is Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt the Sheets please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards here: <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey here.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Today we’re looking into self sacrifice in ancient India. Why did people do it? How did people think about death and the afterlife? Who were the gods people would sacrifice themselves for? And why would a widow sacrifice herself by sitting on top of her dead husband's funeral pyre? </p><br><p>Kate is Betwixt the Sheets with Mary Storm to find out all about it.</p><br><p>You can find out more about Mary’s work <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/43489798" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.</a></p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://%20https//www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here.</u></a> It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>This podcast was produced by Charlotte Long and mixed by Siobhan Dale.</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Many people claim sex work to be the oldest profession, but we can likely put that down to being midwifery or medical professionals of some sort.</p><br><p>However, since money has changed hands, it has also done so for sex.</p><br><p>In today's episode of Betwixt the Sheets we're going back to a conversation I had with Dan Snow on <em>Dan Snow's History Hit</em>,</p><br><p>How have attitudes to those who sell sex changed through history? What might you find in a Roman brothel? And were the Victorians really as prudish as we think them to be?</p><br><p>This podcast was edited by Dougal Patmore and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards here: <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT.</p><br><p>Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscribe." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe.</a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey here: <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK</a></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>What scares you? Some of humankind’s most common fears and phobias include fear of heights, flying, spiders, snakes, injections, germs, public speaking and….death.</p><br><p>When you think about it…fear, and the panic it produces ,has long been driving forces — perhaps the driving force — of world history: fear of God, of famine, war, disease, poverty, and of other people. </p><br><p>So how did it shape history? Fear not Betwixters - Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets by Robert Peckham to find out.</p><br><p>You can find out more about Robert’s book <a href="https://profilebooks.com/work/fear/#:~:text=Fear%20(Hardback)&text=In%20Fear%3A%20An%20Alternative%20History,a%20shadow%20history%20of%20fear." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.</a></p><br><p>This episode was produced by Charlotte Long and mixed by Tomos Delargy & Stuart Beckwith.</p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https:// https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.</a> It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p><br></p><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Berlin in the early 1930s was a place of incredible liberation for its queer community. </p><br><p>There were over 100 gay clubs, and Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institute for Sexual Science - the first sexology research centre in the world - developed pioneering gender assignment surgery. </p><br><p>Sadly, with the Nazis rising to power, dark days were to come. </p><br><p>What was it like for the gay community during this time? How did the Nazis react to a high ranking officer being openly gay and part of this community? And what was the legacy of Magnus Hirschfeld’s work?</p><br><p>In today’s episode, Kate is joined by Robert Beachy, historian and author of <em>Gay Berlin: Birthplace of a Modern Identity</em>, to find out. </p><br><p>This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards here: <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT.</p><br><p>Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscribe." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe.</a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey here: <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Many of them pre-date modern religions and defy what science tells us about the world - from saluting magpies, to wearing lucky pants. Yet why do superstitions still have such a strong hold on our lives?</p><br><p>Today we’re joined by Sally Coulthard, author of <em>Superstition - the History of Common Folk Beliefs</em>, to find out the origins and meaning behind some of our most common ritualistic behaviours.</p><br><p>Why do we touch wood? And what does crossing our fingers say about the crossover between superstition and religion? Let’s go Betwixt the Sheets to find out.</p><br><p>This episode was edited by Siobhan Dale, and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards here: <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT.</p><br><p>Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscribe." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe.</a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey here: <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The polyamory movement has a long and interesting history. It takes in Pilgrims meeting Native American Indians, Mormons having their take on it, and a modern version born from 60s counterculture and the civil rights movement.</p><br><p>But what beliefs underpin this lifestyle choice? And who are the figureheads who have defined it historically?</p><br><p>Today we’re joined by Glen Olsen, author of <em>50 Years of Polyamory in America</em>, to find out more.</p><br><p>This episode was edited by Siobhan Dale, and produced by senior producer Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards here: <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. </p><br><p>Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey here: <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>A good old smooch. It’s something that we do on a daily basis in one form or another (if we’re lucky), and yet have you ever stopped and wondered <em>why</em> we do it? </p><br><p>Wonder no more. </p><br><p>On today’s Betwixt the Sheets we’re joined by Emmy award-winning scientist and author of The Science of Kissing, Sheril Kirshenbaum, to find out answers to questions such as, why has the letter X has come to mean a kiss? What role has the colour of our lips played in our evolution? And why do men prefer kissing with more saliva? </p><br><p>This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards here: <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p><br><p>Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Most of us present ourselves with some form of cosmetic, so it’s strange that historically there’s been so much judgement around the use of it.</p><br><p>It’s something that’s been there from the Ancient world to the present day, and speaks to so much of the human experience.</p><br><p>Today we’re joined by Susan Stewart, author of Painted Faces - A Colourful History of Make-Up, to answer questions such as, how did religion shape beauty trends? What does make-up tell us about different social standings through time? And what were the effects of Queen Elizabeth’s lead-based face powders? Spoiler: it wasn’t the most beautiful result.</p><br><p>This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>You would think that a woman who was queen several times, commanded armies and was possibly the most powerful woman in medieval Europe would need no introduction…yet here we are.</p><br><p>On today’s show we’re joined by author and new co-host of the History Hit podcast Gone Medieval, Eleanor Janega, to learn more about this most badass medieval woman: Eleanor Aquitaine.</p><br><p>Did she really have an affair with her own uncle? What was her relationship with her cousin? And how did medieval society take to such a powerful and influential woman?</p><br><p>This episode was edited by Siobhan Dale. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>From the seaweed-strewn shores of Ancient China to the American army camps in the Middle East, lube has been on a long and slippery journey. </p><br><p>Wherever it’s been derived from, the history and importance of this substance is as fascinating as its ingredients. </p><br><p>What does its marketing tell us about our own prejudices? Did the Ancient Greeks really believe it was a contraceptive? And why is there such shame around the use of this wonderful product? Kate is joined by author Hallie Lieberman to find out. </p><br><p>This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>We’re connected to the past in more ways than you might think. </p><br><p>For example, the 1861 Offences against the person Act is an abortion law that is still largely in place today. What does this Victorian law dictate? How does it still effect our lives today? And who were the brave pioneers who challenged it? </p><br><p>Today we’re joined by historian Lesley Hall to find out more about what abortion meant in the 19th century, and learn more about the contraceptive options available, too. </p><br><p>This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?utm_campaign=Podcast&utm_source=promo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Barbie is many things: an astronaut, a robotics engineers, a judge, and now a movie star! But can she be considered a feminist icon? </p><br><p>For a toy with such incredible appeal around the world, especially to young children, it’s an important question to ask. </p><br><p>Today we’re joined by Lenore Wright, author of <em>Athena to Barbie: Bodies, Archetypes, and Women’s Search For Self</em>, to find out what this global icon really represents. </p><br><p>This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?utm_campaign=Podcast&utm_source=promo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>One thing royal families strive for is the common touch. Whilst some have struggled with it, King James IV and V in the 15th and 16th centuries excelled in it. </p><br><p>It could be said, however, they took the term ‘common touch’ too literally, as it wasn’t uncommon for them to have sexual liaisons with their subjects. </p><br><p>Who were some of the women they had their many affairs with? And what does this tell us about how liberal life north of the border was back then? Today we’re joined by author Linda Porter, to find out. </p><br><p>This episode was edited by Siobhan Dale, and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?utm_campaign=Podcast&utm_source=promo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.</p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The world of tennis in the 1940s wasn't made for someone of Althea Gibson's background.</p><br><p>She was the descendent of slaves, and grew up in South Carolina with the nearest tennis courts available to an African American at that time being hundreds of miles away.</p><br><p>How did Althea Gibson go on to become the first African American to win a Grand Slam title? What challenges did she face on and off the court? And what's her legacy today?</p><br><p>Kate is joined by Ashley Brown, author of <em>Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson</em>, to find out.</p><br><p>This episode was edited by Stuart Beckwith, and produced by Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>When we think of the biggest pop icons of all time, we might reach for Madonna, Elvis, or yes, even Michael Jackson. </p><br><p>One name that’s not thrown into the pot is Mozart. But why? His music was undoubtedly the pop music of his day, and as we’ll find out today, he had all the stardom and groupies of anyone in the modern day. </p><br><p>Joining us is Judith Grohmann, author of <em>The Real Mozart: The Original King of Pop</em>, to provide answers to questions such as what was he really like as a person? What influence did his relationship with his father have? And why did he write a song about eating excrement?!</p><br><p>This episode was edited by Tom Delargy, and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In Victorian Britain, there was no formalised state adoption. Instead, desperate mothers paid other families to take their newborns. This tragic system was known as baby farming.</p><br><p>As we’ll find out in today’s episode, Amelia Dyer was a notorious serial killer who saw this as a money-making opportunity, cruelly deceiving mothers and killing infants over a 30 year period.</p><br><p>How did she get away with it for so long? What was society’s reaction to these shocking revelations? Kate is joined by Angela Buckley, author of <em>Amelia Dyer and the Baby Farm Murders, </em>to take us back to Victorian Britain and find out.</p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>How has our relationship with breast milk changed through history? Why are there associations of shame with this most natural act, of us consuming humanities first food? And what does the formation of our galaxy have to do with it?</p><br><p>Joining Kate today is <a href="https://www.joannawolfarth.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joanna Wolfarth</a>, art historian and author of <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/milk-joanna-wolfarth/5026294?ean=9781474623216" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Milk: An Intimate History of Breastfeeding</em></a>, to unpack all of this and more. This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>As the UK’s second person to go through gender reassignment surgery, April Ashley was a trans trailblazer, breaking new ground fearlessly and with humour and grace.</p><br><p>She wowed the crowds of Le Carrousel as a showgirl in 1950s Paris, graced the pages of Vogue and, when accepting her MBE for services to transgender equality in 2012, she stood every bit as gracious and regal as the Queen herself.</p><br><p>April's achievements seem even more remarkable in the context of a life story replete with real hardships, from an extremely tough upbringing in post-war Liverpool to her public outing in a national newspaper by a friend.</p><br><p>Behind the demure glamour she presented, who was April Ashley? And why is it so vital that her story his heard today? Kate is joined by author and journalist Charlie Craggs to find out.</p><br><p>This episode was produced by Stuart Beckwith, and edited by Tom Delargy. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>From Boudicca to Ukrainian snipers, battlefields have always contained a surprising number of women.</p><br><p>Today Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets by Sarah Percy to get to the bottom of why women were allowed to be astronauts a full thirty years before they were allowed to fight in combat.</p><br><p>From women who disguised themselves as men in order to be allowed to fight, to the Soviet all-female regiments who Nazi Germany learnt to fear, they'll be discussing fearless women warriors on the frontline.</p><br><p>You can find out more about Sarah's book<a href="https://app.asana.com/0/1203297368601616/1203929898030638/f" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> here</a>.</p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards <a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In 1969 America, it was illegal to be gay in 49 out of 50 states. You could be fired from your job and evicted by your landlord if you were found out to be gay. </p><br><p>Whilst protests from the gay community and its allies had happened before there, anger against this oppression was reaching boiling point. </p><br><p>As we move past the 54th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, we take a look at the significance of this fateful night. The Big Bang moment of a large-scale civil rights movement and what now marks Pride in our calendars each year. </p><br><p>Who were the heroes who fought for LGBTQ+ rights in the years prior to what we now know as Stonewall? Why were the mafia so heavily involved the night of the riots? And what’s been the legacy of that courageous stand for civil rights in the years and decades since? </p><br><p>Joining Kate today is Ann Bausum, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stonewall-Breaking-Out-Fight-Rights/dp/014751147X" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights</a>, to delve into the details of this pivotal moment in civil rights history. </p><br><p>Find out more details here: <a href="http://www.annbausum.com/stonewall.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.annbausum.com/stonewall.html</a></p><br><p>This episode was produced by Stuart Beckwith, and edited by Tom Delargy. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>As the old adage goes, attitude is everything. And if there’s one attitude that stands proud above the rest it’s the utterly fabulous, camp. </p><br><p>Whether it’s embodied in Disney villains or Oscar Wilde, there’s a charm and defiance to camp that is both powerful and fun. </p><br><p>In today’s episode, Kate is joined by Paul Baker, author of <a href="https://footnotepress.com/product/camp/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Camp! The Story of the Attitude that Conquered the World</em></a><em>, </em>to discuss the origins of this fantastically outrageous trait.</p><br><p>*Trigger warning: This episode features language which some listeners may find offensive.*</p><br><p>This episode was produced and edited by Stuart Beckwith. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Depictions of dicks have been an obsession in art for as long as art has been around, but the act of sending a real life image of ones penis is a cultural phenomenon all of its own. </p><br><p>Additionally, the implications of receiving a dick pic nowadays isn’t just the image itself, but the context of it being one that you maybe didn’t ask for - a form of sexual harassment and violence in and of itself. </p><br><p>So why do men send them? Is there an equal culture of a female equivalent? And what have images of dicks meant to different cultures historically? </p><br><p>Today Kate is joined by Andrea Waling, researcher and author of <em>Exploring the Cultural Phenomenon of the Dick Pic, </em>to look long and hard into all of these questions and more. </p><br><p>Senior Producer Charlotte Long. Edited and mixed by Tom Delargy.</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BETWIXT</a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The Bard’s work featured many references to sex and sexuality - some more obvious than others. But what does the work reveal about the sexuality of Shakespeare himself? </p><br><p>Despite being married with three kids to Anne Hathaway in the sleepy suburbs of Stratford-upon-Avon, there’s much to suggest he lived a more extravagant life during his visits to London. </p><br><p>Joining Kate today is author of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Author-William-Shakespeare/dp/1119605210" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Life of the Author: William Shakespeare</em></a>, Anna Beer, to unpick the hints and clues to the playwright’s sexuality that lay within his work. </p><br><p>Produced by Stuart Beckwith & Sophie Gee. Senior Producer Charlotte Long. Mixed by Tom Delargy. </p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>It’s a rare thing to hear first hand the experiences of marginalised people in history. So often their voices are silenced, and their histories erased. </p><br><p>Which is why Anne Lister’s diaries, which tell us in intimate details what it was like to be a proud lesbian in 19th century Yorkshire, are such an important resource. </p><br><p>What was grobbling? What is Anne Lister’s legacy? And what do her coded diaries tell us about life as a lesbian during the industrial revolution? Join us today as we delve Betwixt the Sheets on the legacy of Anne Lister, with historian Anne Choma, the lead adviser on BBC One’s series of Anne Lister, Gentleman Jack, and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gentleman-Jack-Lister-Official-Companion/dp/1785944045" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">‘Gentleman Jack - The Real Anne Lister’.</a></p><br><p>Produced and edited by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer Charlotte Long. </p><br><p><em>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more.</em></p><br><p><em>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code </em>BETWIXT<em>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at </em><a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>historyhit.com/subscribe</em></a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p><br></p><p>Why did Victorian doctors recommend women to lie still in solitary confinement for days after giving birth? What was the 'sit up and cough' method of contraception? (not the most reliable) And what was the level of infant mortality in the 19th century?</p><br><p>Today Kate is Betwixt the Sheets with Jessica Cox to talk about the hidden history of maternal bodies in the Victorian era, everything from fertility and contraception, to labour and child loss.</p><br><p>You can find out more about Jessica's book <a href="https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/confinement/9780750998574/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here.</u></a></p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsely, Mary Beard and more.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout?code=betwixt&plan=monthly " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>BETWIXT.</strong></a> Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p><strong>The Pre-Raphaelites: Art & Sexual Liberation</strong></p><br><p>If there’s one thing we like to embrace on this podcast, it’s a slice of controversy. Which is why today’s topic of the Pre-Raphaelites movement is such a joy to explore: this was the swinging 60s of the Victorian era. </p><br><p>A time when a group of artists, including Dante Rossetti and John Millais, refused to conform to the artistic norms at the time, and instead embraced sexuality and nature in a style that was more luscious and medieval than modern. </p><br><p>What exactly did they stand for? Who were the women that inspired them? And why did the establishment’s feathers become so ruffled? </p><br><p>Today, Kate is Betwixt the Sheets with legendary art historian Jan Marsh to find out. </p><br><p>Senior producer: Charlotte Long. Producer: Sophie Gee. Mixed by Stuart Beckwith. </p><br><p>We’re trying to understand our audience a bit better. You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>One thing’s for certain, queer people have always been a part of society. The language may not have always been there to describe them in all of their wonderful forms, and the history books may not have always told their stories, but they have always been there. </p><br><p>To celebrate the start of Pride month, Kate is joined by author Kirsty Loehr, who’s book <em>A Short History of Queer Women</em> is here to shine a spotlight on some of the marvellous people and their lives. </p><br><p>From the woman who’s thought to be the OG lesbian in Ancient Greece, to more modern intersectional gay black feminists via a runaway lesbian pirate in the 18th century, it’s important their stories are heard. </p><br><p>Produced and edited by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer Charlotte Long. </p><br><p>Lyre music provided by Michael Levy: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelLevyMusic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelLevyMusic</a> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Any of us who have happened to see a celebrity in the wild can admit to the strange thrill you get. </p><br><p>It doesn’t matter if it’s C, D, or Z-list celebrities, even, they all count! </p><br><p>But why are we as a society so obsessed with celebrities? From Ancient Greek Gods to Kim Kardashian, our obsession has endured. And what does it say about us, when most young people just want to be famous when they grow up? Without a thought for what they might be famous <em>for</em>. </p><br><p>Kate is joined by Landon Jones, former managing editor of People Magazine and author of <em>Celebrity Nation: How America Evolved Into A Culture Of Fans And Followers. </em>He’s here to take us back through history to where it all began, speculate what the future of celebrity may hold, and share tales of his own, such as why Princess Diana refused to dance with him.</p><br><p>Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer Charlotte Long. Mixed by Stuart Beckwith.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Picture a serial killer in your mind’s eye. What do you see? More often than not it will be a man.</p><br><p>Statistically that’s accurate, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Whilst it’s perhaps not the most worthy feminist cause to jump behind, the issue of gendered narratives is a fascinating one - and what better way to look at it than through the lens of serial killers?</p><br><p>Kate is joined by Tori Telfer, author of <em>Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History </em>to explore the story of one of America’s most notorious female serial killers: Nannie Doss, aka the Giggling Granny. She killed 11 people, four of which were husbands, leading to her also being known as the Lonely Hearts Killer, due to her supposed search for love.</p><br><p>Nannie Doss interview clip courtesy of Pea Hicks. View the full interview and more on their YouTube channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@peahix" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@peahix</a></p><br><p>Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer Charlotte Long. Mixed by Stuart Beckwith.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>