Gangster - The Black Widow: 1. Spinning the Web
Download The Black Widow: 1. Spinning the Web
Linda Welford was raised in London's East End in the 1960s; a tight and tough community with a reputation for a thriving criminal underworld, ruled with an iron fist by gangsters like the Kray twins.
One of nine children, Linda lived a sheltered life with her family in Stepney until she met armed robber Mickey Calvey. This was the so-called golden age of armed robbery and Mickey was making a fortune sticking up banks and Post Offices with a sawn-off shotgun.
When Mickey and Linda got married, she was allowed a front seat to Mickey's 'work,' as his gang begin planning robberies around their kitchen table. Not content with just making the teas, Linda starts to make suggestions and finds she has a taste for a life of crime.
Credits
Presenter: Livvy Haydock
Series Producer: Kate West
Producers: Patrick Kiteley and Matthew Bone
Journalism Assistants: Tim Fernley and Ellie Dover
Drama Writer: Paul Jones
Sound Design: Richard Hannaford
Assistant Commissioner: Lorraine Okuefuna
Commissioning Editor: Richard Maddock
Editors and Executive Producers: Carl Johnston and Clare Fordham
Published on Friday, 8th August 2025.
Available Podcasts from Gangster
We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Gangster webpage.