The Weird and Wonderful History of the Olympic Games

The rise fall and rise again of the Great British Phone Box

Absolutely nothing to do with the Olympics. An hour long in depth journey looking at the historic and iconic British phone box, how it went from being everywhere to being consigned to the dustbin of history, and how people around the UK are now bringing them back to life. 

Episode 20 and final - Paris 2024 and the Future

Our last part of an amazing journey. In this final part we look at what is to come - the new sports, what Paris is offering and where the Olympic movement will go from here.
 
This is the final part of a 20 part short nugget series charting the strange and fascinating people, sports, cheats, boycotts, doping and so much more that have happened in the Olympic Games since 1896. 
Each episode is stuffed full of the quirky and the crazy and in their no more than 15 minutes make your eyebrows raise, your head scratch and your lips smirk. 

Episode 19 - When the Olympics aren't really the Olympics

The Olympics - every four years featuring the best of the best athletes from all round the world. Or is it? Well. Not really. The Olympics all too often aren't every four years or with all the planet's athletes. How, why, what, who, when? 
This is the last but one of a 20 part short nugget series charting the strange and fascinating people, sports, cheats, boycotts, doping and so much more that have happened in the Olympic Games since 1896. 
Each episode is stuffed full of the quirky and the crazy and in their no more than 15 minutes make your eyebrows raise, your head scratch and your lips smirk. 

Episode 18 - Cycling in All Its Very Strange Forms

Cycling sounds so....normal. But the events in the Games have been incredible, boring, weird and kooky. Here we look everything from the 12 hour nonstop dull but arduous event through to the blind tandem.
This is a 20 part series that coincides with the run up to Paris 2024.
This series charts the strange and fascinating people, sports, cheats, boycotts, doping and so much more that have happened in the Olympic Games since 1896. 
Each episode is stuffed full of the quirky and the crazy and in their no more than 15 minutes make your eyebrows raise, your head scratch and your lips smirk. 

Episode 17 - Mr Thompson and his Silly PE Events

It was meant to be a Games that had all sorts of sports that pushed an athlete to the nth degree.  Yet some just seemed to be designed by a nasty bored PE teacher - like my old one at school - Mr Thompson. Here are just some of those he would have taught at school and which had, or has, featured in the Olympics.
A twice weekly series of podcasts in the run up to the 2024 Paris Games. 
We chart the strange and fascinating people, sports, cheats, boycotts, doping and so much more that have happened in the Olympic Games since 1896. 
Each episode is stuffed full of the quirky and the crazy and in their no more than 15 minutes make your eyebrows raise, your head scratch and your lips smirk. 

Episode 16 - How the Games Went From Amateur to Professional

The founders wanted the events to be amateur only with anyone being paid for being professional being banned or DQ'd. Yet now only one sport in the Games is not professional. How did we get here? Why did we get here? This episode delves into this change of heart. 
Part 16 of a 20 part short nugget series charting the strange and fascinating people, sports, cheats, boycotts, doping and so much more that have happened in the Olympic Games since 1896. 
Each episode is stuffed full of the quirky and the crazy and in their no more than 15 minutes make your eyebrows raise, your head scratch and your lips smirk. 

Episode 15 - Golf, Tennis and Cricket at the Games

The first couple of Games astonishingly featured golf, tennis and cricket. For decades after though they never featured again. Yet, like a Hollywood zombie, all three sports are now back in the modern day Olympics. Here we look at how they originally featured, why they were removed and how they are allowed to return. 
A twice weekly 20 part short nugget series charting the strange and fascinating people, sports, cheats, boycotts, doping and so much more that have happened in the Olympic Games since 1896. 
Each episode is stuffed full of the quirky and the crazy and in their no more than 15 minutes make your eyebrows raise, your head scratch and your lips smirk. 

Episode 14 - Golds for Town Planning. Yes Really

Golds for Town Planning? For Poetry? For Painting, Sculpture, Music? Surely not. Here we look at the numerous Olympics where these featured, some of the best of the entrants and what caused their eventual demise.
A twice a week (Monday and Thursday) 20 episode podcast series charting the strange and fascinating people, sports, cheats, boycotts, doping and so much more that have happened in the Olympic Games since 1896. 
Each episode is stuffed full of the quirky and the crazy and in their no more than 15 minutes make your eyebrows raise, your head scratch and your lips smirk. 

Episode 13 - Youngest and Oldest Competitors

Who were the youngest to take part and who were the oldest? How do these incredible sports people fit into the ideals and stereotypes of the Olympics? 
This is a twice weekly 20 part short nugget series charting the strange and fascinating people, sports, cheats, boycotts, doping and so much more that have happened in the Olympic Games since 1896. 
Each episode is stuffed full of the quirky and the crazy and in their no more than 15 minutes make your eyebrows raise, your head scratch and your lips smirk. 
 

Episode 12 - The Rise of the Para Olympics

The Para, Parallel or Paraplegic Olympics. How they started, how they merged with the Olympics themselves and the fab world of Goalball.
New episodes every Sunday and Thursday for you to enjoy/
We look at the strange and fascinating people, sports, cheats, boycotts, doping and so much more that have happened in the Olympic Games since 1896. 
 
Each episode is stuffed full of the quirky and the crazy and in their no more than 15 minutes make your eyebrows raise, your head scratch and your lips smirk.