Hello and welcome to We Are History.

We're back with another vital, crucial bit of British history.

I'm sure you would have all done this from day one in school.

This is something that I vaguely heard about.

But Angela Barnes, my co-host on We Are History,

this is concrete. This is Cold War. This is right into your comfort zone. Oh yeah. What is it, Angela? I saw your face fall when I suggested this as a topic and I was like, no, bear with me, John.

It's meaty. And you went, how much is there to say about this? Yeah, well, it's basically, it's

Sealand, which is a concrete metal platform. If I could stop you there, John, it's the

principality of Sealand. The principality of Sealand. We're going to get on to explain what that is. But it's basically a World War II abandoned fort in the Thames S-3-stroke North Sea, which was occupied, declared an independent country by a very eccentric chap. And he sort of got away with it for decades and decades. And there's much to say about it.

And I take it back completely, Angela.

I know what I was thinking when I thought,

is there much to say about Rusty Old Fort and the North Sea?

There's lots to say.

It's hilarious.

To the point where we can't even cover it all in this episode.

There's so much.

And the story is so bonkers.

Because John and I both read the same book about it and John

you've got the book there. I have. It's called Sealand, the true story of the world's most

stubborn micronation by Dylan Taylor Lehman. The guy, Roy Bates, picture of his 16 year old daughter

clutching a couple of hand pistols pointing them at whoever comes near Sealand.

I mean, this is a story that's got, it's got royalty murder, espionage, teenagers with Molotov cocktails, pirate radio, fire theft, Nazis, UFOs and cockles.

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