
News of the Times - Unlocking the vaults of historical crime
Welcome to News of the Times!
Step into the shadowed alleyways and gaslit parlours of the 18th and 19th centuries with News of the Times — a meticulously curated journey through historical crime. Each episode draws from authentic reports and court records, bringing you the darkly fascinating tales that gripped Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian Britain.
With over 500 episodes and counting, we explore true accounts of mischief, murder, and mayhem from days gone by — all delivered with a wry nod and a love for the curious corners of the past.
🕵️ For those with a taste for the peculiar, you may also enjoy our new side project: Volume 1: Slightly Unreliable Memoirs — a whimsical collection inspired by the lives (and occasional misadventures) of our research team. Think cravats, crumpets, and the occasional cactus on the lam. Intrigued? Find it here:
👉 https://ko-fi.com/s/b406f6f11e
News of the Times - Unlocking the vaults of historical crime
Scotland Yard Casebook: Harold Jones – The Boy Killer Who Fooled a Town
Scotland Yard Casebook: Harold Jones – The Boy Killer Who Fooled a Town
News of the Times | Episode 550 |1920
📺 SPECIAL EXTENDED EPISODE — TWISTS, TRAGEDY & A TOWN DECEIVED
In this gripping extra-long episode of News of the Times, we explore one of Britain’s most chilling true crime cases: the 1921 murders committed by 15-year-old Harold Jones, a boy so charming he was celebrated as a hero — after his first acquittal.
But just two weeks later, another child vanished.
🕯️ Discover how a small Welsh town was led astray by appearances… and how Scotland Yard unraveled the truth behind a killer hiding in plain sight.
📌 Includes:
✔️ The shocking trial that ended in applause
✔️ A second murder — closer to home than anyone dared imagine
✔️ Harold Jones’s own handwritten confession
✔️ A look at how modern psychology views this disturbing case
💡 If you enjoy true crime with deep research, historical flair, and just a hint of dark humour, this is the one to watch.
👇 Don't miss this special entry in our Scotland Yard Casebook series.
🕯️ Further Particulars: The Curious Case of William Willoughby, Pewter Pirate of Holborn
In today’s Further Particulars, we bring you a man with strong views on trousers, public transport, and the correct way to be reintroduced into society after a spell in Wormwood Scrubs.
Meet William Willoughby, a 72-year-old pewter pot thief with a theatrical streak, a battered coat, and a mission to expose the indignities of post-prison fashion.
Within two days of his release, Willoughby was back in court — not just for theft, but for delivering what may be the most accidentally brilliant one-man show in Clerkenwell Sessions history.
👤 Hosted by Robin Coles
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📖 New! *Slightly Unreliable Memoirs* (Vol 1 & 2)
Humorous 24-page PDF curiosities in the tradition of Wodehouse and Saki — available here:
https://ko-fi.com/s/b406f6f11e
🕯 About the Channel
We’re an independent team of historical researchers and narrato
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Fancy a chuckle between corpses? Discover our first lovingly illustrated volume of wildly unreliable memoirs.
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