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Fringe theatre upstairs. True crime downstairs. Sheep theft somewhere along the way.

In this episode, we head to Islington — the London borough that clearly never got the memo about moderation. First stop: The Old Red Lion, a pub-turned-fringe-theatre-turned-launchpad for BAFTA and Olivier winners. Also: the site of 16th-century sword fights, pint glass capers, and at least one suspiciously emotional fashion criminal.

Then it’s a short walk (and a long fall from grace) to The Castle, where in 2015, a group of retirees planned the Hatton Garden heist over beers and crisps.

It’s the kind of episode that makes you think, “You can’t make this stuff up”.

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Kennington. There’s nothing beige about pub history in this part of London. Today we kick back the saloon doors of Kennington, where pubs aren’t just buildings, they’re characters with backstories, secrets, and a scattering of taxidermy.

We’ll stumble through boozers that once stared straight at Bedlam, meet a pub magician who almost flambéed a flock of pigeons, and uncover how Charlie Chaplin’s dad made pubs his stage and possibly inspired Chaplin’s signature little tramp walk.

Expect Tudor urinals, circus origins, and a pub fight scene fit for Hollywood. It’s London history—unfiltered, slightly unhinged, and best served with a running commentary.

Cheers to the weird, the wobbly, and the wonderfully baronial.

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Get the essence of Episode 49 in under 8 minutes!

Chelsea Pub Crawl – Bohemians to Billionaires. Groovy!

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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This special Remembrance Sunday episode of The Historic London Pubcast takes us into the lesser-known wartime history of British pubs. From the cellars of London to the beaches of Normandy, discover how these beloved local landmarks became unlikely heroes during World War II.

We revisit The Black Horse in Marylebone, where D-Day plans were floated over pints, and tell the Spitfire beer story that led to the legendary Flying Drays - aircraft ferrying beer to troops during the Normandy beer run.

We hear how the Wenlock Brewery became a lifesaving shelter, and how pilots like Robert Stanford Tuck and Douglas Bader made The Chesterfield Arms/The Shepherd’s Arms in Mayfair their wartime HQ.

We also honor lost pubs - The Hare and Hounds in Hampstead and The White Horse Hotel in East Ham - and explore the enduring symbolism of pubs like The Douglas Bader Pub in Ipswich. With research drawn from Martin Cornell’s Strange Tales of Ale, this episode pays tribute to the resilience, spirit, and community found in pubs across the UK.

Whether you're a history buff, pub lover, or planning a walking tour of London, this is one episode you won’t want to miss.

Cover Image Source

https://www.spitfires.com/post/ale-delivery-spitfires

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com