Georgian Christmas

Pantomimes, pleasure gardens, bare-knuckle boxing and political upheaval. Christmas in the 18th and early 19th centuries was a very different affair from the peaceful family celebration of the Victorian Age. Georgian Christmas was raucous, rowdy and time for a bit of fun before heading back to work.In this seasonal episode, Dan delves into the festivities of London's working classes with Footprints of London tour guide Rob Smith who has a fascinating anecdote for just about person who's called the city home. From an 18th-century showman who would put two joints of beef under his arms and walk into an oven - cooking them and miraculously not himself - to Joey Grimaldi, the world's first clown and the men who tried to start a revolution at a cake shop, Christmas in Regency London was surprising, lewd and quite extraordinary.You can book one of Rob's tours here: https://footprintsoflondon.com/live/guides/rob-smith/Produced by Mariana Des Forges, Rob Smith and edited by Dougal PatmoreDiscover 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. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.