The History Podcast – The Magnificent O’Connors: Episode 1 – The Saturday Girl

BBC Radio 4 | October 1, 2025

Overview

This inaugural episode introduces listeners to the extraordinary O’Connor family, focusing especially on Jimmy O’Connor, a small-time criminal convicted of murder in 1941, and his remarkable wife, Nemeni Lethbridge—a pioneering female barrister. Narrated by their son, Ragnar O’Connor, the episode weaves together personal family history, the British justice system, and the social backdrop of mid-20th-century London, all while setting up the family’s contemporary quest to overturn Jimmy’s conviction. The tone is warm, candid, and often wry, blending gritty details with familial affection and dry humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Murder of 'Donk' Ambridge and Jimmy O’Connor’s Conviction

• Ragnar recounts Jimmy’s arrest for murder in war-time Kilburn, London (00:39–02:27).
  • The scene is dark and chaotic, “the floor around him is covered in blood... The crime committed here will shortly become about as serious as it gets.”
• Jimmy always insisted on his innocence but was sentenced to death at age 24 (02:18), escaping execution by a narrow margin.

2. The Ongoing Shadow of Justice—and Injustice

• The conviction shaped Jimmy’s life and relationships, as well as his family’s (“the corrosive label of convicted murderer ate away at him, began to take its toll.” 02:58).
• Ragnar, his brother Milo, and their mother Nemeni strive to posthumously clear Jimmy’s name (“If we’re ever going to get Dad’s conviction overturned in her lifetime, we’re going to need a big breakthrough...” 05:49).

3. Introducing Nemeni Lethbridge: An Extraordinary Woman

• Nemeni is painted as a trailblazer: “One of the first Brits to set foot into Hitler’s bunker, and legal representative to the infamous Kray twins.” (03:42–03:57)
• She reflects on her work and reputation: “They were always as good as gold as far as I was concerned. And very polite, very correct.” (03:57)
• Her sharp wit and humor are clear: “He said, I wish she was my wife. And I said, in your dreams.” (04:16)

4. Family Ties and Legacy

• The sons’ brush with fame in the 1990s as members of the briefly famous band “FMB” points to the family’s knack for weaving into British cultural moments (“Our biggest hit, and I use the term in the loosest way possible, was a song called James. And funnily enough, it was about our dad.” 05:14)
• The family archive—a literal cellar of evidence, news clippings, and memorabilia—drives both the podcast and their quest (“If we really are going to give this one last crack, then we need to go through all of this... This archive is like a tangled web.” 06:25)

5. Nemeni’s Unconventional Upbringing and Early Brush with Morality

• Recalling a childhood story of almost poisoning a classmate, Nemeni demonstrates an early reckoning with guilt, shame, and justice (“I took a dislike to a girl in my class. I decided to kill her... She burst into tears and said, this is so kind... I remember... feeling terribly ashamed.” 09:44–10:09)
• Childhood during WWII was surreal: “If you hear the sound, go find a ditch and lie down... We thought this was so interesting.” (11:01–11:30)

6. Formative Experiences: The Post-war Berlin Visit

• Her father, Major General John Lethbridge, taught his kids history by taking them to Hitler’s bunker, exposing them firsthand to the aftermath of war and trauma (“At the end of the steps was a metal door... It stank of decay.” 12:51–13:01)

7. Nemeni’s Legal Career—Barriers and Breakthroughs

• Nemeni enters law at Oxford, undeterred by misogyny (“...one of only two women studying the subject in her year. Yet she was far from fazed by that...” 14:49–15:10)
• Her early campaign against the death penalty—years before Jimmy’s own brush with the noose (“I had a vocation to try and assist in the campaign to have the bloody thing abolished.” 15:25)
• Sexism in the profession is blatant—she’s excluded from work and even practical necessities like a toilet key (“...he had fitted Yale Locke to the lavatory and he cut a key for every member except me... I had to go up the road to Fleet street.” 18:56–19:12)
• Dock briefs and chance assignments become her bread and butter, including the case that makes her “the Saturday girl” (20:11–20:34).

8. Defending the Kray Twins

• Her recurring work with Ronnie and Reggie Kray—“They were my bread and butter.” (24:40)—and her first impressions: “They were immaculate, sitting at the back of a cell... very solemn, shiny black hair... very polite.” (22:21)
• Social navigation in both criminal and polite society—a vivid tea with the Krays’ mother, Violet, and a hilarious refusal of a bribe (“Mr. Cray, I can’t accept thee sooner... Let alone not in front of witnesses.” 23:32–24:32)
• Their relationship blossoms, with Nemeni repeatedly defending them and being welcomed into their family.

9. A Fateful Evening: Meeting Jimmy O’Connor

• The famed Star Tavern forms the backdrop for Nemeni meeting Jimmy—a hub where “high society and the underworld meet.” (25:57)
• Vivid cast of characters present: Christine Keeler, Bob Hope, Lord Lucan (26:44–27:04)
• Nemeni is introduced to Jimmy—a man who, despite his dark reputation, was charismatic and magnetic: “I want you to meet the most fascinating man in London.” (27:34)

10. Setting Up the Series Arc

• The episode leaves us anticipating Jimmy’s side of the story, and the family’s continuing quest (“She didn’t know it then, how could she? But Jimmy O’Connor was going to take my mum’s life and completely tear it apart.” 27:40)
• A tease for Episode 2: “You’re gonna meet my dad and get the whole story of how he ended up at the centre of an investigation into murder.” (28:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I don’t murder people.” – Nemeni Lethbridge (02:26)
• “I’m a thief. And a fucking good one. That man was Jimmy O’Connor, my dad.” – Ragnar O’Connor (02:27)
• “He was by no means a saint but always categorically denied any involvement in that murder.” – Ragnar O’Connor (02:45)
• “He said, I wish she was my wife. And I said, in your dreams.” – Nemeni Lethbridge (04:16)
• “Everybody knew your dad was stitched up.” – Nemeni Lethbridge (05:49)
• “It would mean everything, because it was a miscarriage of justice and I hate injustice.” – Nemeni Lethbridge (06:08)
• “I took a dislike to a girl in my class. I decided to kill her. I don’t know why. Just pure wickedness.” – Nemeni Lethbridge (09:44)
• “People regarded the death penalty as part of the scenery in those days... I had a vocation to try and assist in the campaign to have the bloody thing abolished.” – Nemeni Lethbridge (15:25)
• “I remember the case I did about a fraudulent fitted kitchen company... I wanted the other geese to see I’d got the dolly bird in my cell.” – Nemeni Lethbridge (19:51)
• “The morning I arrived, there was a chapter working the corridor and he had fitted Yale Lock to the lavatory and he cut a key for every member except me.” – Nemeni Lethbridge (18:56)
• “Their mum had been down to court early and brought them clean shirts and shoe polish and brill cream... They were very solemn, shiny black hair... very polite.” – Nemeni Lethbridge (22:21)
• “I want you to meet the most fascinating man in London.” – Lionel Thompson, introducing Jimmy to Nemeni (27:34)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:39] – Opening: Jimmy O’Connor’s arrest and conviction.
• [02:26] – Nemeni’s defiance: “I don’t murder people.”
• [03:38] – Nemeni Lethbridge introduction; her CV.
• [04:25] – Family legacy, the sons, and their band FMB.
• [05:49] – Family’s fight to clear Jimmy’s name.
• [09:44] – Nemeni’s childhood anecdote: childhood ‘murder plot.’
• [11:01] – Memories of the war: dogfights and childhood.
• [12:20–13:39] – Family trip to Hitler’s bunker in post-war Berlin.
• [14:46] – Nemeni at Oxford, choosing law.
• [15:25] – Motivation against the death penalty.
• [17:00] – Nepotism and entering a barrister’s Chambers.
• [18:56] – Sexism in the legal profession (“no lavatory key”).
• [20:21] – Becoming the “Saturday girl”; assigned to the Krays.
• [22:21] – First impressions of the Kray twins.
• [23:32] – Tea with Violet Kray and refusing a bribe.
• [25:57]–[27:34] – The Star Tavern: meeting Jimmy O’Connor.
• [28:48] – Preview for Episode 2.

Conclusion

The Saturday Girl is a rich, atmospheric introduction to the saga of the O’Connors—mixing mystery, family warmth, British legal history, and gangland glamour. The episode establishes the stakes for the series: the urgent quest to clear Jimmy O’Connor’s name before Nemeni Lethbridge’s time runs out. In the process, listeners are treated to vivid firsthand stories that both entertain and illuminate, leaving a lingering curiosity about what—and who—might be uncovered next in the O’Connors’ extraordinary tale.