141: Mocked in London Part 1: Umbrellas

London is a city shaped by its traditions—and just as much by those brave enough to break them. In this episode, Hazel Baker uncovers the comic, sometimes outrageous history of umbrella-toting pioneers in London: from Jonas Hanway dodging cabbies’ missiles, to satirical cartoons by Gillray, to the Duke of Wellington’s battlefield bans. Explore four millennia of social resistance, ridiculous trends, and eventual transformation—when Londoners moved from mocking umbrellas as foreign folly to embracing them as city essentials. Discover why every innovation in London seems, at first, scandalous, and how mockery drives progress. Tune in for real tales of Georgian gentlemen, Victorian entrepreneurs, royal umbrella endorsements, and cheeky street urchins—and meet the original Londoners who changed the city, one soggy stroll at a time.

You can listen to 141: Mocked in London Part 1: Umbrellas online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

141: Mocked in London Part 1: Umbrellas is an episode from London History by londonguidedwalks.co.uk.

This episode is 00:30:55 long.

This episode was published on Oct 17, 2025.

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