Britain's Worst Airship Disaster

Britain's Worst Airship Disaster

Author: History Hit July 20, 2026 Duration: 50:02

"It's like the Titanic, except you've never heard of it. And in a way, it's even weirder."


So says today's guest, Cautionary Tales' host, Tim Harford, about the disastrous story he's taking Anthony and Maddy through.


Airships were the ocean liners of the skies, and in the 1920s, Britain had ambitions to connect the Empire in this way. Until it all went tragically wrong.


Listen to more of Tim's Cautionary Tales here: https://timharford.com/etc/more-or-less/


Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards. Click here to place your vote for After Dark! Thank you! https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting


Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.


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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards. Click to place your vote on the Spotify mobile app: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJa


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There’s a side to history that doesn’t make it into the standard textbooks, one filled with unexplained events, chilling folklore, and criminal acts that defy easy explanation. That’s precisely the territory explored in After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal. Hosted by historians Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling, this series from History Hit ventures into the shadowy archives of our past every Monday and Thursday. Each episode feels like a deep dive into a long-forgotten case file or a whispered campfire tale, treating these subjects with a historian’s rigor and a storyteller’s flair. You’ll hear them dissect everything from infamous witch trials and the enigmatic legacy of Harry Houdini to accounts of haunted locations and perplexing aerial phenomena. The conversation is engaging and thoughtful, never sensational, even when the topics are inherently sensational. It’s a podcast for anyone curious about the intersections of fact, fear, and folklore, offering a compelling listen that proves the past is rarely as simple or as settled as it seems. By focusing on these overlooked narratives, Delaney and Pelling provide a unique and fascinating lens on human culture and our enduring fascination with the mysterious.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal
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