79 episodes
My Love Letter Time Machine - Victorian History Ingrid Birchell Hughes
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- History
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5.0 • 18 Ratings
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Shortlisted for both the Independent Podcast Awards 2023, and the International Women's Podcast Awards 2023 + 2022. "Ingrid Birchell Hughes presents a charming take on family history via the love letters of her great-great-grandparents Fred and Jane, who exchanged 200 of them between their meeting and their marriage in Victorian Yorkshire. It’s a terrific insight into the lives of two witty working-class people and the times they lived in." — The Times. This is a true story, a love story, a family drama, all contained within Victorian social history. Ingrid has both sides (extremely rare) of a correspondence spanning 1878 to 1882 that her great great grandparents sent one another. They were ordinary folk, trying to make their way in the world, first in the city of Sheffield and later in the town of Middlesbrough. There is a whole 'cast' of characters too from Fred's industrial innovator of a boss who advanced the steel making process - and took Fred with him, to Jane's sister Emma, who had her life splashed across the newspapers through no fault of her own. Against the background of the dramas going around them, Fred and Jane overcame family objection to their match and through their own will and determination, made a new life together.
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Q&A Bonus Episode (Season 5, + Janie's story returning in Spring)
Season 5, bonus episode. Ingrid answers listeners' questions, talks about the future of My Love Letter Time Machine, and introduces her Grandfather Owen's memoirs, (who was a nurse in the Royal Navy during WW2). Ingrid will come back with Janie’s story in the Spring in a new season of the podcast, and then lead into story of her family getting through the first world war, the depression, the second world war and out the other side, as well as taking a look at history through the eyes of a very ordinary working class family in Sheffield.
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...till death do us part.
Season 5, episode 12. 1893 to 1894. I’m so sorry to break your hearts, but mine is broken too. In 1894, after a protracted chest infection, Fred started coughing up blood + with horror, he + Janie would have realised that they were staring tuberculosis in the face.
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Happily Ever After...
Season 5, episode 11. 1890 to 1893. Janie and Fred move to the seaside in Redcar, North Yorkshire, we get to have rather a lovely snapshot of their life together with financial security, social mobility and even some balls and banquets. However back in Sheffield, Tuberculosis rears its ugly head.
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Krakatoa (75th Episode!)
Season 5, episode 10. September 1883 to August 1889. We follow Janie and Fred's growing family, catch up with their family and friends back in Sheffield, and the goings on at the North Eastern Steel Company in Middlesbrough, as well as take a look at the impact of the first globally reported disaster.
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Mr & Mrs Fred Shepherd
Season 5, episode 9. October 1882 - November 1883. We follow Janie and Fred's first year of as newlyweds as they settle into married life in Middlesbrough, but back in Handsworth, Sheffield, all is not well. 1883 proves a year of highs and lows, of birth, marriage and death.
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“I Fred Shepherd, take thee Jane Warburton”
Season 5, episode 8. 7th - 12th October 1882. It's Fred and Janie's wedding! We have the last of the letters, and Ingrid tries her best to recreate the wedding of her Great Great Grandparents. Grab your tissues.
[Wedding March Pipe Organ royalty free music standard license purchased from audio jungle/ Envato]
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Customer Reviews
How fortunate we are!
How fortunate I am to have this podcast in my life! I came across it when I first had covid, I got hooked and have listened to every episode since. Ingrid has achieved something amazing - this is a real story of love, laughter, learning, heartache and sadness. Thank you for this journey.
Great podcast
This is not the type of podcast I normally seek. What a great basis for a historical story and the way Ingrid has weaved in history of the time to give more context and meaning to the letters. Professionally produced. Looking forward to listening to season 2, thanks.
Personal
This is a very personal podcast. You feel like you get very close to the two main characters. Ingrid’s relaxed humour comes through as she is following along with the story of her great great grandparents.
It is just lovely.