The Kray Twins

Short History Of...

Noiser

History

4.7 • 4.9K Ratings

🗓️ 21 June 2026

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Ronnie and Reggie Kray were a vicious pair of gangsters who somehow cultivated an air of charm and 60s cool. They were criminals who attracted celebrities like Jackie Collins and Judy Garland to the clubs they ran; murderers who became folk heroes in London's East End. But how did two boys from poverty-stricken post-war London come to rule the capital's underworld? Who were Reggie and Ronnie to the people who knew them, and to each other? And what caused their carefully constructed criminal empire to come crashing down around them? This is a Short History Of the Kray Twins. A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. With thanks to Kate Beal Blyth, a documentary filmmaker and co-author of The Krays: The Prison Years. Written by Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow | Produced by Kate Simants | Production Assistant: Chris McDonald | Exec produced by Katrina Hughes | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design by Pascal Wyse | Assembly edit by Dorry Macaulay | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cody Reynolds-Shaw | Fact Check by Sean Coleman Unlock the next two episodes of Short History Of… right now by subscribing to Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network, including Real Survival Stories and Sherlock Holmes Short Stories. Just click the subscription banner at the top of the feed, or head to www.noiser.com/subscriptions to get started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	It is the 19th of April, 1965.
0:10.1	In Bethnal Green, in the east end of London, a light rain is falling, marring what might
0:15.3	have been a bright spring day.
0:20.1	Staring out of the clouds, a man named Frank Shea sits in the back of a sleek black car as it pulls up outside a church
0:31.1	He steps out onto the pavement and takes in the scene before him the church is like something from a story
0:36.4	Red brick walls contrasting with a gray slate roof and ornate white window frames.
0:44.4	A large crowd of guests dressed in their Sunday best mill around outside.
0:49.2	His eyes widened when a huge Rolls Royce pulls up next to him and blonde bombshell actress Diana Dawes
0:55.5	emerges and makes her way into the church.
0:58.8	He follows her inside,
1:00.2	exchanging nods with the two burly men flanking the doors.
1:05.1	Making his way down the aisle,
1:06.8	he smiles at the people he recognizes
1:08.4	before hurrying to join his mother in a pew near the front.
1:12.6	But there is another shock when he reaches her.
1:15.6	Why is she wearing a black mourning dress, today of all days?
1:20.6	Before he can say anything, the vicar of the altar steps forward.
1:24.6	Clearing his throat, he asks everyone to stand for the entrance of the bride.
1:30.3	Tears of pride already filling his eyes, Frank turns to watch his baby sister, Francis, walk down the aisle.
1:39.3	She is glowing in a simple white silk dress, her hair teased into an elaborate beehive. Her bright smile
1:47.3	only falters for a moment when she sees her mother, not just the pointed choice of color,
1:53.1	but the fact that the older woman is also loudly sobbing. Frank beams at his sister to make up
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 19 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Noiser, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Noiser and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.