The American actress Ilda Orme knew a thing or two about being cancelled, a long, long time before social media put the cancel button in the hands of the public at large. Her cancellers, she suspected were two hateful former in-laws and a theatre manager in their pocket.

Her cancellation was nearly literal - culminating in an assassination attempt.

What does one do when cancelled? If you’re Ilda Orme, you seek revenge in the most public way possible.

Trigger warnings: Gun violence and false accusations leading to incarceration.

Note: This fortnight’s episode is a little shorter than usual in the hope that doing a quick firebreak episode will get me back on a two-weekly schedule. Next fortnight should be back to around half an hour again.

Sources Include:

The Battered Body Beneath The Flagstones and Other Victorian Scandals by Michelle Morgan

The Madness of Ilda Orme by Dr Nell Darby

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On, or around 11th June 323 BC Alexander the Great died in Babylon. While there are mysteries surrounding his passing - did an Indian holy man prophesy his passing a year prior while self immolating in Alexander’s presence? Was he poisoned? Did somebody entomb him while still alive? - He is just a cameo in this Tale.

This week we travel to Athens - then chafing under the Macedonian yoke - as they make a bid for freedom.

Trigger warning: some swearing, talk of three suicides. We discuss the fall of two mighty empires and one despot.

Sources Include:

Ghost On The Throne by James Romm A History of Greece To 322 BC by N.G.L Hammond

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Please leave Tales a like and a review wherever you listen. The best way you can support us is to share an episode with a friend - Creative works grow best by word of mouth. I post episodes fortnightly, Wednesdays.

Tales of History and Imagination has ‘X-it-ed’ from Musk’s hellsite, sorry Twitter folk. But I can be found on…

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On May 18th 1926 the evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson took a trip to Santa Monica Beach, California to work, seek inspiration and have a little fun in the sun. However, the day would end in tragedy when Aimee disappeared without a trace.

Was her disappearance all it appeared?

Sources Include: The Vanishing Evangelist by Lately Thomas

Support Tales on Patreon for $2 US a month and get access to exclusive content, or Try our 7 Day Free Trial.

Please leave Tales a like and a review wherever you listen. The best way you can support us is to share an episode with a friend - Creative works grow best by word of mouth. I post episodes fortnightly, Wednesdays.

Tales of History and Imagination has ‘X-it-ed’ from Musk’s hellsite, sorry Twitter folk. But I can be found on…

| Facebook |TikTok | Threads | YouTube | Bluesky |