Jun 24, 2026 · 2 min · 3 segments
In the fifth series of the award winning Inside Forensic Science podcast, we travel to 1883 to hear how a series of explosions in Glasgow city shaped how we investigate terrorism today.
Pennie StuartHostForensic Science ExpertGuestCounterterrorism ExpertGuestI have held an inquiry into the circumstances attending three explosions which occurred in Glasgow during the night of Saturday 20th January and in the early morning of Sunday 21st January 1883.
Three devices, three locations, three attempts to cause maximum panic, mayhem and disruption to the city of Glasgow.
Because improvised explosive devices aren't just a frightening component of 21st century terrorism.
There's deep planning.
There's strategic thought.
Attacks are coordinated.
They create a panic.
There's a thorough police investigation.
There's media sensationalism.
It's all there.
It's all the things that we would expect today.
The wall was blowing in when I was sitting beside the fire and I saw a great light.
It blew in the windows and all.
I saw a mass of flame around me.
I rushed out into the street with my clothes on fire.
If they had been successful, that would have been as impactful an attack to such an important city as Glasgow as a 9-11 or 7-7 style attack.
I have held an inquiry into the circumstances attending three explosions which occurred in Glasgow during the night of Saturday 20th January and in the early morning of Sunday 21st January 1883.
Three devices, three locations, three attempts to cause maximum panic, mayhem and disruption to the city of Glasgow.
Because improvised explosive devices aren't just a frightening component of 21st century terrorism.
There's deep planning.
There's strategic thought.
Attacks are coordinated.
They create a panic.
There's a thorough police investigation.
There's media sensationalism.
It's all there.
It's all the things that we would expect today.
The wall was blowing in when I was sitting beside the fire and I saw a great light.
It blew in the windows and all.
I saw a mass of flame around me.
I rushed out into the street with my clothes on fire.
If they had been successful, that would have been as impactful an attack to such an important city as Glasgow as a 9-11 or 7-7 style attack.
The rest of this transcript — segmented and speaker-labeled, so you land on the exact moment something was said
Search every transcript — by keyword, by phrase, or by meaning, across every show Radar indexes
Trends — what is surging across podcasts, measured against its own baseline
Alerts — when a name you follow appears in a newly indexed episode
No account is needed to search Radar.
