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No Such Thing As Lily Allen In The Hellespont

November 20, 2025·54 min·4 clips

Joseph Bazalgette's great-great grandson was the lead guitarist of The Vapors, who sang Turning Japanese.

This episode features hosts Dan Schreiber, James Harkin, Andrew Hunter-Murray, and guest Cariad Lloyd, a comedian and author. They share obscure and interconnected facts in their signature trivia style. Cariad reveals that Joseph Bazalgette, the Victorian engineer who designed London's sewer system, is the great-great-grandfather of Ed Bazalgette, lead guitarist of the 1980s band The Vapors. The Vapors are best known for their hit single "Turning Japanese," which was released in 1980. Ed Bazalgette later became a TV director, even directing an episode of "Seven Wonders of the Industrial World" about London's sewers. The hosts detail how Joseph Bazalgette's sewer system transformed London by ending the "Great Stink" of 1858 and combating cholera epidemics. Bazalgette famously doubled the system's planned capacity to accommodate future population growth. His legacy includes creating the Thames Embankments, which essentially act as caps for the underground sewers. James shares that 26 new bacteria species were recently discovered in NASA clean rooms designed to be completely sterile. These rooms use ultraviolet light, dry heat, and chemicals to prevent contaminating spacecraft destined for Mars. Some of these bacteria appear to enter a hibernation state to survive the sterilization process. One such bacterium, *Theomargarita magnifica*, discovered in 2022, is visible to the naked eye and comparable in size to an eyelash. The conversation touches on a 1984 incident where a child accidentally ingested gonorrhea bacteria from a petri dish containing chocolate agar. Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin is also discussed, including the anecdotal role of a colleague named Merlin. James explains that Lord Byron's epic poem "Don Juan" was inspired by a pantomime version of the story called "Shadwell's Libertine." Byron's poem, written in cantos over six years, uses the story to satirize his literary rivals like Wordsworth and Coleridge. The poem's second canto features a dramatic shipwreck based on the real-life experiences of Byron's grandfather, Admiral John "Foulweather Jack" Byron. A surprising connection is drawn between the scandalous, autobiographical nature of Byron's work and modern singer Lily Allen's songwriting. The hosts note that Byron privately referred to his character as "Donny Johnny." They also highlight that Byron's poem remains unfinished, much like the "Game of Thrones" book series. The tone is conversational, humorous, and digressive, with the hosts playfully building on each other's facts. The style is educational but lighthearted, filled with witty banter and pop culture references. Listeners who enjoy historical trivia, bizarre connections, and comedic tangents will love this episode. Those preferring tightly focused, single-topic narratives might find the constant topic-hopping less engaging.

As heard by us

Cariad Lloyd leads Fish through bacteria, penicillin, and a brisk chain of comic detours.

Cariad Lloyd leads Fish through bacteria, penicillin, and a broader change in how people die, while Dan and Andy keep the mood light as each idea spills into the next.

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Cariad Lloyd, bacteria, and penicillin.

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