The Smog That Stopped London

[00:00:00] As a parent, finding big adventures without big prices can be tough. Unlock savings on days out, cinema trips, meals and more with Kids Pass. I've used it myself, it's been a lifesaver at times, so why not give it a go? To get started with Kids Pass, tap the referral link in the show description and make your next family day out go further.

[00:00:21] What if you woke up one morning and the world around you had disappeared? Your home covered by a cloud so thick you couldn't see past your front door? What stopped London in its tracks all those years ago? Keep listening, because Dexplorers starts now.

[00:01:09] Hello, welcome back to another history mystery adventure. Reporting in for duty today is... Er, why? Fog protection. Goggles may not help, you know. That's what someone without goggles would say. Today's mission takes us to London in December 1952. The 50s? Ooh, interesting.

[00:01:39] It is, and this is fairly modern history, if you're of a certain age. And it's a story about one of the deadliest environmental disasters in British history. What happened? Well, London was covered by thick, toxic smog. Smog? Yeah, it's smoke plus fog.

[00:02:06] Picture London on Friday the 5th of December 1952. It was cold. Really cold. People were burning coal in their homes to keep warm. Factories were burning fuel. Power stations were pumping out energy. And traffic was moving through the streets. Meanwhile, above the city, the weather did something dangerous. The weather did something? Yeah. A layer of warm air trapped cold air underneath it.

[00:02:35] Like putting a lid on London. Exactly. Yeah. Like a giant invisible lid. And under the lid was all the smoke. It was, yeah. Cold smoke. Mixed with soot, sulphur dioxide. All those dirty particles and exhaust fumes. Basically all trapped really close to the ground. So London became a soup? You might have heard this expression before, Dexplorers. It was coined during the 1950s.

[00:03:04] Thick London fog, also known as pea soupers. Ew. That's the worst soup. Was it green or like tomato? Actually, it was often described as yellow, brown, greyish or greenish. But Londoners were already used to fog. It had been part of city life for years. So people weren't worried? Not at first. But this one just kept getting thicker and thicker. By night time, visibility had dropped so low

[00:03:33] that people struggled to see where they were going. Could they use torches? Some did, but the fog was so dense the light bounced back at them. Like shining a torch into a cloud. Exactly, yeah. Time for an echo check. Listen up, ladies and gents. This bus ain't going any further. Driver can't see the bonnet. Can't see the end of the road. Everyone off.

[00:04:02] And be careful out there. Fog's about. The driver couldn't see the bonnet. And that's a good example of just how thick the smog was getting. For a long time, London had been powered, heated and lit by burning things. There were coal fires in homes, coal was in industry, power stations. And after the Second World War, Britain was still getting back on its feet.

[00:04:29] So good quality coal was often exported to earn money, while some people at home burned lower quality smoky coal. So people needed heat. They did. The problem with heat is it often generates smoke, and that smoke was trapped. The fog itself wasn't the only danger. And now fog is basically tiny water droplets hanging in the air. So the deadly part became what was mixed into it. The smoke.

[00:04:57] Soon, London closed down. Theatres shut their doors. Cinemas had to stop performances. All because the smog was getting inside. It seeped into buildings, homes, hospitals, public spaces. What did it smell like? Well, if you've got a fire at home, or you've been in an old museum, you might know this smell. It's kind of damp, sulphury. Sort of a sharp, dirty smell that can occasionally catch in the back of your throat.

[00:05:26] And you can taste it too. A bit like the early pollution from London Underground trains. Dex, will the pollution affect the Time Talker? It shouldn't, no. I mean, Time Talkers are hermetically sealed. It's airtight. Even to tiny particles of soot, which, for many people back in the 50s, made them ill. I can't see the pavement. All right. OK. Don't panic.

[00:05:54] Stay very still. I can't see you. I haven't moved. I'm still here. Oh, the fog is too dense. Hang on. It's no good. I can't track you on my Time Talker. I'm right here. I'm right next to you. Dexplorers, talk to me.

[00:06:34] It's no good. I can't track you on my Time Talker. Next to you. Put out your hand. Dexplorers, talk to me. Dex! Can anyone see a flashing pelican crossing? No. Great. Both of you, head towards it, and then don't move.

[00:07:06] Oh, Dexplorers, I'm so glad I found you. You're both OK? Yeah. Come on. Let's get out of here. This fog isn't safe. I never thought I'd be afraid of the weather. Right. Yeah, me too. Come here. Yeah. In the Great Smog, people helped each other.

[00:07:35] They guided strangers, walked slowly, stayed close to walls, because going outside, as we've just seen, is very dangerous. Did doctors know what was happening? They knew some people were struggling to breathe, but the full scale of the disaster only became clear afterwards. We cannot call this normal any longer. London has always had fog, but not fog like this. This was smoke.

[00:08:04] This was poison. And people have paid for it with their lives. The law must change. So what did London do? Well, in 1956, Parliament passed the Clean Air Act. This created smoke control areas and reduced the burning of smoky coal in towns and cities. Homes began switching to cleaner fuels, while power stations moved away from central London.

[00:08:33] So London clean its own air? Not all at once, but it was a start. If you've ever been into London in a car, or maybe on a bus or a taxi, you might have seen signs for the congestion charge. That effectively stops high-polluting vehicles from entering the city of London, which keeps Londoners and London's air safe and clean. But here's the mystery. Next time you're in London, take a look at the chimneys, buses, trains and buildings.

[00:09:01] Ask yourself what you can smell, what you can hear, what you can see clearly. Maybe listen out for some electric vehicles, although they are pretty difficult to spot with your eyes closed. And what are your best and worst smells, and why? My best smell is freshly baked chocolate cake with buttercream icing.

[00:09:24] My favourite one is caramel chocolate with chocolate sauce and honey on the top. What about your worst smells, your stinkiest smells? My least favourite smell is when I have to do the bins at school and look at the rotten bananas and I smell them and it's bricky.

[00:09:53] My worst smell is... My worst smell is... ...because they're really gross. Good answers. Love it. Before we go, it's time for Dexplorer's 5 Fab Facts. Fog edition. One. The Great Smog lasted five days. From December 5th to December 9th, 1952, London was trapped under a dirty blanket of fog and smoke.

[00:10:22] Five days doesn't sound too long until you realise your whole city can't see properly. Two. It wasn't just fog. It was smoky fog. Nate called it smoke pretending to be weather and honestly, that's pretty accurate. Three. Some cinemas had to close because the fog got indoors. The smoke was so thick it seeped into buildings. Imagine going to watch a film and not being able to see the screen because London's air followed you inside.

[00:10:52] Four. The official death estimate was too low. At first, around 4,000 deaths were linked to the smog. Later research suggests around 12,000 and the danger continued even after the fog lifted. Five. The Great Smog helped change the law. The disaster helped London introduce the Clean Air Act which reduced smoky coal burning and pushed London towards cleaner air.

[00:11:25] Next time on Dexplorers, we're going further back than ever before. How far back? To the time of the Vikings. Hurrah! Cool, Annie. New sword, Dex. Until then, Dexplorers, stay curious because the past is never as far away as you think. See you on the next mission!

[00:11:47] This podcast is part of Podomity Kids, the Podcast Comedy Network.