The School for Dumb Women

Caroline explores Norway this week with an ancient tale and some political truths, and Hannah investigates sunsets, genetics and reindeers in a segment on optimism. Finally Alex thinks about how to have a famous child in the Smart Lesson.

Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.com

Produced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...

In episode 76, we invited stand-up comedian and animal expert Roddy Shaw to the studio to answer every stupid question we ever had about lizards. In this fully extended bonus episode, Roddy tells us about 'sneaky fucker' lizards, and we have some bat chat for good measure.

Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.com

Produced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day.

...

Alex gets vertigo learning about urban climbers this week, before inviting bubble buddy (and animal expert) Roddy Shaw to answer every question Caroline has ever had about lizards. Lastly Hannah reports back from taking up knitting, and evaluates whether starting a new hobby is the salve that we want it to be.

Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.com

Produced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day.

Caroline examines the life-changing* magic** of self-help books in this episode, looking at where the genre came from and what on earth is happening as it evolves. Meanwhile Hannah gets on her high horse about the 1994 film Black Beauty, its creator Anna Sewell and how Alan Cumming became obsessed with delicious oats. Finally Alex leads a Smart Lesson on how we can all pretend we're having a fun, sitcom Christmas with our pals when...

Hannah uncovers the real pandemic silently infecting our homes - The Rug that everybody has and nobody can get rid of. Elsewhere in the house, Caroline examines the rise of conservatories in the late '90s and what it told us about the sex lives of the O'Callaghans down the road. Lastly Alex presents a Smart Lesson on skincare and how to ensure the clearness of your pores remains your healthcare priority right now.

Contact: ...

Alex goes retro this week to investigate the wild successes of teletext (aka Ceefax), the text information service that haunted her youth. Meanwhile Caroline goes to space (again!) to think about how much she doesn't like it, and why many Americans were actually not that interested in it either. Finally Hannah leads a Smart Lesson session on how to have a new feminist icon, when the old one is not dead or cancelled yet.

Contact...

Alex enters the bull ring this week to investigate the whys and wherefores of professional bull riding, while Caroline takes her beaver to visit its namesakes and find out what they're actually doing in those dams. Finally Hannah stokes up some generational divides with a smart lesson on why millennials have it hard and why Gen Z will probably show us all up.

Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.com

Produced by Hannah Varrall, mu...

Saddle up your mule, folks, because this week we're going to North-West Canada to look at the Klondike gold rush of the late 1800s, and Hannah's sickly ancestors are coming with us. Meanwhile Alex is transported to a small metal box in Mumbai to go undercover with the dabbawalas and their lunch delivery system, and Caroline delivers a Smart Lesson on how to shop now that some stores are open again.

In other news, Caroline's new...

Caroline gets down and dirty with 'Typhoid Mary' this week, looking at how and why she became a disease super-spreader. Hannah takes a trip to the Swiss mountains to find out the origin story of hotelier César Ritz, and Alex leads a Smart Lesson on how to best spend your time in the park during lockdown.

Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.com

Produced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded remo...

Hannah gets Mr Plow's phone number this week and goes deep into 555- numbers in American films and TV shows, discovering some bizarre connections to a Canadian gold rush and Gilmore Girls. Meanwhile Alex's TV nostalgia is more garden-based, focusing on Ground Force, our new hero Charlie Dimmock's brilliant norks, and the water features she couldn't live without. Finally Caroline has two pints of Guinness and crowns herself Birthday...

World’s longest toothbrush Alex Haddow finds out about the birdy past of the Guinness book of world records this week, and invites special guest Gavin Day to tell us about his world record experience at Kilburn swimming pool. Meanwhile world’s prettiest pony Caroline O’Donoghue becomes a crooner to regale us with the complex history of fake flowers, and world’s most haunted worm Hannah Varrall does her civic duty by advising the go...

Hannah gets fully waxed this week with a visit to Madame Tussaud, while Caroline goes full Bush by looking into former First Lady Laura Bush. Meanwhile Alex gives us all tips on how to be horny during pandemic lockdown.

Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.com

Produced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded remotely by Soho Radio Studios.

Hosted on Aca...

Was your childhood hamster part of the great lineage of Syrian hamsters abducted on the great hamster expedition of 1930? This week, Caroline goes deep on what goes in Richard Gere’s bum hole, Hannah withers on about fade outs in songs and Alex gives us tips on staying useless during a pandemic.

Contact: dumbwomenpod@gmail.com

Produced by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gav...

* This episode contains a huge spoiler for the show Mad Men at around 22 minutes in! *

The team goes back in time this week to a period when staying in hotels, creating a rebel army and eating sweets from drawers were all socially acceptable pastimes. Caroline looks at how the US Senate keeps its sugar levels up with a ‘trough’ of candy kept in a desk, Hannah digs into how Pantone managed to put a branded mug in every wannabe-de...

We're back from the dead and not only alive but also LIVE this week on Soho Radio as part of their International Women's Day programme. Alex charms the socks off a suspiciously quiet Daniel Craig, Hannah wonders where Free Willy got to after he jumped that harbour wall and Caroline talks about her big hole (in her mouth) and why she went on a training montage with some tooth floss. We also learn about how to turn your company into ...

Before we get back to new episodes, we'd love it if you could take our survey about the podcast and tell us what you think of it! Here's the link: https://goo.gl/forms/kgVbNVq5rJ26g6FI2

Thanks pals. Anyway, this week we've got another goodie!

Alex places the future of the podcast in peril by delving into the murky history of the richest family on the planet, while Caroline examines two things that have been on her chest latel...

Caroline has thrush again (of course!) and there's a new royal baby on the way, so now's a good time to revisit this episode!

What’s that itchy feeling, and why has it nested in Caroline’s underwear? This week she investigates the yeasty world of thrush, while Hannah ventures out for some fresh air and asks some silly questions to Emily Read, co-founder of Eve Women’s Pro Wrestling, and Rhia O’Reilly, wrestling champ and head tr...

We've all got a year older since this one first aired (all of us apart from Helen Mirren, of course) so now's a good time to peel the Werther's Original off it and use it upside down by mistake.

Hold onto your Ordnance Survey, listeners, because this week we're delving into your dad's glove box with lessons on buttons, maps and umbrellas! Caroline says the word button so much it loses all meaning, Hannah teams up with some sea m...

A true classic from the vaults this week, with Caroline's now famous exposé on goop.

This week, Alex learns that our hair is just lots of whiskers, Hannah finds out that prosecco fizz is a bit like Schrödinger's cat, and Caroline lifts the veil on Gwyneth Paltrow. We also discuss how coding can help us pull in our Women Who Code mixer, and finally, practice how to be good mentors in our smart lesson. If you can understand it all...