Don't Dream It, Be It: Rocky Horror, from London Stage to Cult Classic

Providing up to 5 million passenger journeys a day, the London Underground is integral to the city's infrastructure.  It's impossible to imagine how the city would function without it.
But why would something built for purpose become a source of admiration and entertainment?  A Transport for London style guide provides powerful evidence: "Every Underground station should include at least one moment of delight and surprise, to improve customers' journeys and the working environment for staff."
A-ha!
Let's meet some Tube superfans.
Jen tells a story about Underground trainspotters and highlights the Tube in pop culture, while Mares looks at people who attempt the citywide Tube Challenge. 
We'll think about the nature of challenge, the history of tube spotting and racing challenges, and some of the unique and engaging personalities for whom the Tube (and Overground) truly is a constant delight and surprise.
See our SHOW NOTES for photos, links, sources, and more.

At Yesterday’s London Times, we are all about inquiry, questions and stories, particularly stories that are new to us or that we just want to know on a deeper level. We seek out people, places, and facets of history that are lesser known, quirkier, or even downright strange. We also like to shine a spotlight on those who really do - or have done - amazing things, but perhaps have been forgotten over time, or lost in the shuffle of a typical news cycle or history text. We especially love discovering stories about people who contribute to the collective good of humanity in some way. 

Early on in our  partnership, we (Jen and Mares) immediately recognized our common love and admiration for the London Underground, or Tube, for the Tube is something more than just the transportation system beneath our feet. It supplies life to the city of London, and with up to 5 million passenger journeys on any given day, it is the veins and arteries that allow all of the movement that keeps the city going and makes it such a special place.

Join us throughout the following year as we randomly choose destinations across the city to “visit”. We will virtually hop on the Tube and bring the city to your ears as we search for adventures around the stations of the iconic Underground map.  We will ask ourselves:

• Who lives here now? 
• Who has lived here in the past? 
• What are the stories that live within the streets of this area?
•  What do the people -  or perhaps the ghosts of former inhabitants - of this area want to teach us?
• What are some places to visit, what might I eat? 
• What is quirky or unique about this part of London? What can I learn from this area? 

The journey begins today. Where do you think the Tube will take us today?

As you listen, we invite you to follow along in our show notes to enhance your experience with us. 

A little romance?

What began as a fluff piece about an eccentric romance novelist turned into a snapshot of a century through the eyes of someone who lived it to the fullest.

Meet Barbara Cartland: extravagant, exaggerated, and … pink. As author of 723 books, she remains the most prolific romance novelist of all time. If you’ve ever seen her, you won’t likely forget her, dripping in jewels, layered in make up, clad in fuchsia, and riding in her classic white Rolls Royce.  

We’ll follow Barbara through the Great War, to 1920’s London with the Bright Young Things, to writing, motherhood, political involvement, and World War II.  And she’s just getting started, hitting the peak of her career in the 1980s, in her eighties. 

Along the way, we’ll rub elbows, (well, maybe more than elbows) with movers and shakers of many decades.  For example, have you ever heard of Lord Beaverbrook? Also, you won’t believe who joins the family in the 1970s!

We wrap up with a game you can join in at home.  It’s called Oh, Barbara.

While we have little in common with Barbara, and share few of her opinions, we have to respect someone who called her own shots and refused to be sidelined as an octogenarian. 
See our SHOW NOTES for photos, some quite rare, sources, and such.

Bears. Cute. Cuddly. 

But when we looked at them through the long lens of London history, it got complicated pretty quickly.

Join us as we take the ursine plunge, and think about….

• the bears that roamed Britain 7000 years ago 
• the Tower menagerie,
• blood sports such a bearbaiting, especially popular during the Elizabethan period,
• the invention of the stuffed bear and its significance in the Great War, 
• Pooh and Paddington, two special bears with London ties, and share unexpected commonalities

Plus, to kick off our exploration of underground and rail stations this year, we’re going to Paddington!

Our SHOW NOTES round out your listening experience, with photos, drawings, clips, links, sources, and more.

It's a Yesterday's London Times tradition - the Boxing Day episode!
Relax along with us as we look back at some of the people and places we met on the podcast this year. Half of our episodes sent us time traveling throughout the Sixties in different centuries of British history, and the other episodes were our regular mix of quirky yet thoughtful takes on the city we love.
We  present our annual YLT awards to some people who are unforgettable.  And not always in a good way.  The final award is always our Defender of the Collective Good Award, presented to the character(s) that most made a positive impact on their community.
Jen and Mares share some of their favorites: those pieces that make life just a bit better.
And we'll close with a look forward at our plans for 2024 at YLT. We're excited.

See our SHOW NOTES for referenced in the episode, plus links and drinks.

WELCOME TO OUR 50th EPISODE!

In the final stop of our ‘60s YLT Time Machine, we touch down in the 1560’s just in time for a Tudor Christmas. In a deeply divided nation in which religion is politicized, we’ll see how the young Queen Elizabeth finds her own path.

The Tudor Christmas was a respite from work and from unrelenting poverty. It was a time of revelry and a loosening of societal roles.

Our visit to the Tudor Christmas will ignite our senses.  Along the way, we’ll …

• Share a dramatic moment with Queen Elizabeth at her first Christmas service as sovereign,
• Spruce up the place with seasonal décor,
• Experience 12 full days of partying, including games, plays, carols, wassailing, and feasts,
• Run into some unique roles: a boy bishop, a Lord of Misrule, mummers, and masque players,
• See how ancient magic influenced and remained with the holiday.

We’ll end up at Greenwich Palace and spend Twelfth Night with Good Queen Bess herself.  The activities, the exotic and sometimes disturbing feasts, and the political minefield of royal gift giving.

Our SHOW NOTES are FULL of artwork, videos, links to eBooks, recipes, and much more. 

In our 2021 episode, “Here is Vogue, In Spite of it All!”, we explored how the British edition of the iconic fashion  magazine evolved into an outlet for groundbreakingVogue wartime journalism. As we studied the reasons behind that seemingly unlikely transformation, we met some strong, creative, and intellectually brilliant women, among them the complex and multitalented Lee Miller. In this episode, we examine her fascinating life of contrasts more deeply, and:

- consider the impact of intense childhood trauma in her art and writing 

- learn of her contributions to the surrealist art movement 

- celebrate her photographic inventiveness

- reflect on the importance and legacy of her career as a war correspondent during the Second World War

- marvel at the intensity and depth of creativity that characterised  the many endeavors Miller pursued and subsequently mastered  throughout the course of her life 

She was well known for her beauty, and yes - she did bathe in Hitler’s private quarters just hours after the dictator fled his quarters,  defeat finally imminent - but there is so much more to the that  story and her legacy as a whole. Join us, as we examine this iconic woman  on a deeper level, for Lee Miller lived an  incomparable life, indeed.

Don’t forget to visit our SHOW NOTES  for  bonus content!  You'll find:

• the photographic journey that Jen & Mares describe in the episode
• images of Miller as a Roaring 20s Vogue model
• examples of her photographs, as well as evidence of her role as a muse to the prominent surrealist artists of the time 
• some of her most iconic WWII images, many of which proved the existence of the Holocaust to the world  
• a list of source citations 
• and the recipe for this episode's cocktail: The Ode to Lee!

It’s getting all wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey at YLT as we celebrate a huge milestone in British culture: the 60th anniversary of the iconic Doctor Who!

In this episode, we : 

• look at the unlikely-for-the-time trio who launched Doctor Who back in 1963
• discuss the basic premise of the show
• examine its importance as a British cultural phenomenon
• reflect on the symbolism and deeper messages within the series
• consider the discourse surrounding the show and how it contributes to progressive society
• explore the show’s legacy and importance in 2023

For some, Doctor Who is a campy romp that provides an occasional escape from reality, while for others, it’s a community with which to deeply connect.  Whether you’re a dedicated Whovian for whom the show is a lifestyle, or a complete newcomer to the series, there’s something here for everyone in the time and space continuum. Join us, as we celebrate this iconic moment in British pop culture history!

Don’t forget to visit our  SHOW NOTES  for fun bonus content!  You'll find:

• photos of the BBC employees who founded the show
• images of all 15 official doctors and a few of the Doctor’s most iconic enemies (and frenemies!)
• links to several websites to help you continue your journey down the DW rabbit hole
• a bibliography to begin to build your own Doctor Who library 
• and this episode's two Who-inspired drink recipes, the Doctor No. 1 and the Banana Daiquiri! 

Let's do the Time Warp... it's the Rocky Horror episode!
Though many people have seen the cult classic film, few people know about its origins in a 63 seat London theatre.  
In this episode, we : 

• delve into the creative team and cast responsible for its deviant mayhem, sharing their back stories and how they all converged in time and place in early '70s London,
• take a trip back in time to its first performance,
• follow the Rocky Horror road to Hollywood, 
• pinpoint when this movie became a new creation based on a fan-conceived and fan-scripted interactive experience,
• consider Rocky Horror Picture Show as a cosplay pioneer,  and
• mark its legacy as young adult rite of passage, opening up ideas about identity, gender, and sexuality.

For some, Rocky Horror was a fun and raucous night out, for others, it provided a safe and dependable community for creativity and a sense of belonging.  Come along for the ride!

And come over to our SHOW NOTES for such fun bonus content!  You'll find:

• rare photos from its original London run (spoiler: Tim Curry as a blonde?), 
• a ticket to a performance 2 weeks into its initial run (costing 80 p - oh, the longing), 
• original program, 
• a link to the full original script, articles, and interviews,
• and this episode's drink recipe, the "Hot-Pa-Toddy, Bless My Soul."

Hop in the YLT time machine, we are on the move once again, but brace yourself: 1666 awaits.

How do everyday people survive constant war, devastating plague, and raging destruction all within the span of a very short window of time? In this episode, we examine the perseverance of Medieval Londoners, and explore many themes of life in the 17th century that surprisingly overlap with some of the lived experiences of many in contemporary society. We question if these somewhat hidden connections can provide us with education and insight into our current world.

Many 17th century Londoners believed the end times must be near. Join us as we dive into their world and imagine what it must have been like to live in such an incredibly tumultuous and chaotic decade of catastrophic calamities.
 
Photos, link, sources, and more at our show notes can be found HERE