11: Ely

Our guest for this episode is Amie Liebowitz, an Australian broadcast journalist living in the UK, who first met Ben a decade ago. Amie talks to us about learning British history in a Commonwealth country, her trip with Ben to Ely, its 'English Braveheart' and a cheese-inspired alternative landmark.

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Transcript

00:00:00 Ben

Welcome back to the Benjamin Britten.

00:00:01 Ben

Podcast The podcast where we.

00:00:03 Ben

Explore British history through its landmarks. I'm Ben Solomon and for the last five years I've been visiting every site in Clivus. Let's landmarks of Britain or 500 places that made our history, and on this blog asked me invites those who visited some of these sites with me to.

00:00:20 Ben

Have a chat about them.

00:00:21 Nicky

And I'm Nicky Pavitt. I am Ben friend. I've been to something like 75 landmarks.

00:00:26 Nicky

Someone other Kenos Ben, have we had any reviews of our last episode which we did with Sam Horton about Saint Pauls.

00:00:34 Ben

Yes, we have Nicky 1 review.

00:00:36 Ben

Yeah, had a funny moment at your expense Nicky.

00:00:40 Ben

We know that Sam had done his homework on Staples.

00:00:43 Nicky

He did not.

00:00:43 Ben

Key on that and someone told us they laughed out loud when Nicky said that Saint Paul said was never bombed but then got immediately contradicted by Sam and.

00:00:54 Ben

Back to it and stats and told you exactly why you went right?

00:00:57 Nicky

Didn't my defense of what I meant was it never really got like exploded properly?

00:01:03 Nicky

And yeah, I just muddled my words.

00:01:07 Speaker 4

What?

00:01:07 Nicky

It was funny.

00:01:07 Ben

We all wore podcast stripes for historical accuracy, so.

00:01:11 Speaker 4

Of course.

00:01:11 Ben

Thank you Sam.

00:01:13 Ben

Simon, who was a guest on our previous pods, was quite upset for Sam because it did more landmarks in a single day than he's visited in five years, and.

00:01:24 Ben

Yeah, and we got another with you asking us Nicky if we knew where the 2nd St Paul's Cathedral in London was.

00:01:24 Speaker 4

Yeah.

00:01:24 Speaker 4

00:01:32 Speaker 4

Oh

00:01:32 Ben

And then did you, did you know, did you?

00:01:33 Nicky

Know about this?

00:01:34 Speaker 4

Some.

00:01:34 Nicky

No, I didn't.

00:01:35 Nicky

I'm not aware.

00:01:36 Speaker 4

Well.

00:01:37 Ben

Listeners and Nicky on Vauxhall Bridge in London.

00:01:40 Speaker 4

Miller

00:01:42 Ben

Crossed by thousands of commuters every day there is South.

00:01:43 Nicky

Including myself.

00:01:44 Ben

Well, next time you're there, look over the side.

00:01:46 Speaker 4

Awesome.

00:01:46 Ben

Mission and you will find a.

00:01:48 Ben

Miniature scale St.

00:01:50 Ben

Pauls Cathedral on the side of that bridge.

00:01:52 Ben

Really apparently so.

00:01:55 Nicky

Would realize that a lot of a lot of listeners come from America, and we've got a few scattered.

00:02:00 Nicky

Around Europe as well and we're kind of fascinated to know like how you found us, what it is that is intriguing you about British landmarks.

00:02:09 Nicky

So if you've got something, say or you'd like to let us know where you heard us from, then drop us a message on our Instagram or Facebook page and we'd love to hear from you and we can read those out in a future episode.

00:02:20 Nicky

Then since the last episode, I went on a very short walk down offers dich, which was one of our episodes of season one.

00:02:30 Nicky

And I was wondering if you Sir been to any.

00:02:32 Ben

Yeah, I have of course I, I'm just.

00:02:34 Ben

I'm just so pleased to hear our podcast continues to inspire people to visit somebody.

00:02:38 Ben

Historic landmarks including.

00:02:40 Ben

1/2 an.

00:02:41 Ben

Hour walk up and down off his bike, but sorry Nicky, you if you're with me I'm not sure you could tick off offers like it.

00:02:48

No.

00:02:48 Ben

You need to spend at least at least a day on it I reckon.

00:02:52 Nicky

OK, OK, I understand.

00:02:53 Ben

No, I I took someone for their first ever landmark the other week.

00:02:56 Speaker 4

Go.

00:02:57 Ben

Relate birthday treat and with Martin Louder if he's listening we went to visit the Castle in Pembrokeshire, Manorbier Castle, a lovely Castle.

00:03:06 Ben

Lovely ruined Castle on the Pembrokeshire coast.

00:03:07 Speaker 4

So.

00:03:08 Ben

Beautiful sunny.

00:03:08 Ben

Say, uh, what I didn't know is that when we arrived, Martin pulled out for me a Golden Crown, a red robe, and a plastic sword, and which she made me.

00:03:17 Ben

What if you made me wear not really historic black, but a King never lived in this Castle, but I actually won't walk around this Castle and pose for a photo shoot looking like like a King from a a primary school Christmas concert.

00:03:32 Ben

Build budget medieval King.

00:03:33 Ben

The crowd will be coming with me small castles.

00:03:36 Nicky

Excellent, that's good to hear.

00:03:38 Ben

Thank you, Martin.

00:03:39 Nicky

OK, I think we should introduce our next guest.

00:03:42 Ben

Well, yeah, this is. This is an episode with Annie Leibovitz who was our first ever Australian guest on the pod. And yeah, fun episode. I was quite excited by where she was recording the episode from, which which you'll hear about shortly. So without further ado, let's go over to Amie's episode. Hope you enjoy.

00:03:54 Speaker 4

Huh?

00:04:01 Speaker 4

2nd.

00:04:04 Gav Penn (Music)

Many, many years ago, then bought a book.

00:04:08 Gav Penn (Music)

Landmarks of history and the challenge he up took, visit all the sides, tick off everyone, learn about the history and where it all begun.

00:04:18 Gav Penn (Music)

From England to  Scotland, Irelan to Wales.

00:04:21 Gav Penn (Music)

You can count the Benjamin to know the facts and tales.

00:04:27 Gav Penn (Music)

So come and ride along with Benjamin Britain and get to know the places in the spaces around you.

00:04:36 Gav Penn (Music)

And also there's Nicky Pavitt.

00:04:39 Ben

This week on the pod is our first ever Australian guest.

00:04:43 Ben

She's a journalist for the BBC, a real life actual professional, podcast producer, a connoisseur of Korean food in London, and someone I've known for almost a decade.

00:04:54 Ben

She's only done two historical landmarks, but don't hold that against her.

00:04:59 Ben

It's a little.

00:05:00 Ben

It's Amie.

00:05:01 Ben

Welcome to the pod.

00:05:02 Speaker 4

Hey hey.

00:05:03 Nicky

2nd.

00:05:06 Ben

Thanks for joining us.

00:05:07 Amie L

Thanks for having.

00:05:09 Ben

Amie, are you allowed to say where you're recording the podcast right now?

00:05:12 Ben

Or is it topsy?

00:05:13 Speaker 4

Correct?

00:05:14 Amie L

No, I I I can tell.

00:05:16 Amie L

You where I am recording from. I'm in Workshop 32 on Level 3 at the BBC World Service Area in new Broadcasting House.

00:05:28 Speaker 4

Maybe?

00:05:30 Speaker 4

Oh

00:05:31 Ben

Yeah yeah, I mean, in terms of all of our guests, yeah, that's the best location that anyone recorded.

00:05:36 Ben

One of my episodes, yeah?

00:05:37 Ben

Uh, I think it starts saying.

00:05:39 Amie L

And actually, isn't this on the?

00:05:41 Amie L

List so am I the 1st guest that has?

00:05:43 Speaker 4

Oh

00:05:43 Amie L

Reported from a landmark.

00:05:44 Nicky

Yeah.

00:05:46 Ben

Yeah, I guess it is.

00:05:49 Nicky

O'clock that they're not disappointing.

00:05:53 Ben

Hey mate, you got so many landmark.

00:05:56 Ben

Brownie points right now.

00:05:57 Amie L

I notice.

00:06:00 Nicky

So Ben, I think you should also know that this was going to be a potential alternative.

00:06:04 Nicky

Landmark 'cause it would have been perfect.

00:06:06 Gav Penn (Music)

Oh, I see.

00:06:08 Ben

I see that's how you know it's in the book.

00:06:10 Nicky

Amie, am I right in thinking you said there's like a new and an old Broadcasting House?

00:06:14 Amie L

Yeah, the old Broadcasting House is the original building, and that's where Winston Churchill in World War Two used to do some of his radio recordings to the people.

00:06:14 Speaker 6

Yeah, the.

00:06:14 Speaker 6

00:06:19 Amie L

Right?

00:06:19 Amie L

00:06:24 Speaker 4

Nearly.

00:06:26 Amie L

But then you Broadcasting House with extended.

00:06:28 Amie L

Did and that's where most of our production is now.

00:06:31 Nicky

Kaucher

00:06:32 Ben

Didn't we do BBC Broadcasting House?

00:06:34 Ben

On a rainy evening one day, Nicky.

00:06:36 Nicky

Yeah, it was.

00:06:37 Nicky

We didn't even go inside or anything it was.

00:06:38 Nicky

It was a passing by rainy moment who really could have.

00:06:41 Speaker 4

Ah yeah.

00:06:42 Nicky

We could have done a lot more I think.

00:06:44 Amie L

I mean, to be fair security.

00:06:45 Amie L

Out front, when they've let you in so.

00:06:48 Nicky

That's true, yeah.

00:06:51 Nicky

Lately, some studios it's.

00:06:53 Amie L

Do you play your cards right?

00:06:55 Amie L

Then maybe once we can have some visitors, I'll let you in, I'll give you.

00:06:58 Ben

The tour Oh my gosh yes please what.

00:07:03 Ben

I really want to do.

00:07:03 Ben

Is record an episode of Benjamin Britten?

00:07:05 Ben

Of course in the BBC Studios recording booth.

00:07:09 Ben

So Amie, if you can.

00:07:10 Ben

Make that happen, you know.

00:07:12 Ben

It would be appreciated.

00:07:14 Amie L

See what I can do is.

00:07:15 Amie L

Didn't dare.

00:07:15 Amie L

00:07:16 Amie L

Smuggle you in all right.

00:07:20 Ben

OK, good right Amie.

00:07:22 Ben

I'm suitably impressed.

00:07:23 Ben

You wanna say from your perspective?

00:07:25 Ben

How we know each other?

00:07:26 Ben

Because by.

00:07:27 Ben

My calculations it's been almost 10 years since we met.

00:07:30 Amie L

Route.

00:07:31 Amie L

Taking me back alright and my first year of University in 2011 by GI know I joined the Australasian Union of Jewish Students and was president on my campus and then I was taken on a program.

00:07:38 Speaker 4

He's so old.

00:07:49 Amie L

Called LDP.

00:07:50 Amie L

Hey and I went to the States, London and Israel and in London that's where I met Ben because he was one of the professional staff members of Ujs Union through students.

00:08:00 Speaker 4

Yes.

00:08:04 Ben

Professional.

00:08:06 Amie L

Yeah, and that's how we know each other.

00:08:10 Amie L

Understand that we know each other quite well.

00:08:10 Speaker 4

Yeah.

00:08:13 Ben

Yeah, well, we we.

00:08:14 Ben

We we met up since in Israel didn't we?

00:08:16 Ben

Our World Union of Jewish Students Conference and.

00:08:19

Yes he did.

00:08:21 Speaker 4

Yeah.

00:08:21 Ben

Yeah, we see the world and then a few years ago you moved to London.

00:08:25 Ben

Yourself, didn't you, Amie?

00:08:27 Amie L

Yeah, so in September 2017 I moved to London. Now I've been here.

00:08:32 Amie L

3 1/2 years already you believe it?

00:08:35 Ben

Yeah, I mean you can apply to be a citizen soon, sooner or later.

00:08:38 Ben

Amie.

00:08:39 Ben

This is a British history podcast, but you of course grew up in Australia.

00:08:44 Ben

I went through the Strait Australian school system, so I'd love to know what bits of British history do you end up learning about in Australian?

00:08:52 Speaker 4

Cool.

00:08:52 Amie L

I we learn quite a lot as a part of the Commonwealth if besides Australian history we learned English history.

00:08:58 Speaker 4

Course.

00:09:02 Ben

To me in British history.

00:09:03 Amie L

British history

00:09:05 Speaker 4

Thank you.

00:09:05 Nicky

And they care about the.

00:09:06 Amie L

Well, I mean I didn't learn anything about Welsh citizens, I'm sorry.

00:09:11 Nicky

July in England.

00:09:14 Ben

Dude.

00:09:16 Amie L

Rude, but no.

00:09:18 Amie L

Actually we learned about like United Kingdom in general, so it would be very much a standard World War One World War Two.

00:09:26 Amie L

I did a bit on royalty.

00:09:27 Ben

Over.

00:09:28 Amie L

Me because we still have a quaint representation.

00:09:33 Amie L

We did a lot on British colonization and how the United Kingdom sucked up to developing wells.

00:09:42 Speaker 4

Talks.

00:09:43 Nicky

Price.

00:09:45 Nicky

Not Paul.

00:09:45 Ben

Yeah, we skip over.

00:09:48 Nicky

We have to work that one out for ourselves.

00:09:51 Amie L

We did a lot of that and we also did.

00:09:53 Amie L

Of course in how the British treated Indigenous Australians.

00:09:56 Speaker 4

Fights.

00:09:57 Amie L

Terribly so yeah.

00:09:59 Amie L

We actually learned a lot of.

00:10:01 Amie L

About British history, but was quite negative.

00:10:03 Nicky

I think that's fair enough to be on.

00:10:05 Nicky

Right, and that's probably how everyone else does perceive it.

00:10:08 Nicky

We just don't.

00:10:09 Nicky

We just don't get to all those those parts in the whole, or didn't.

00:10:13 Nicky

At least, you know, no.

00:10:14 Speaker 4

Yeah.

00:10:15 Ben

Way my school curriculum skipped, skips well and truly over the bad parts.

00:10:20 Nicky

Yeah, it was always like Henry eight.

00:10:22 Nicky

What a dude.

00:10:24 Nicky

Yeah, that's pretty much it, wow.

00:10:28 Ben

Yeah, so Amie.

00:10:29 Ben

So so were you aware of figures like Henry the Eighth, William the Conqueror you know?

00:10:34 Ben

Although Elizabeth the 1st?

00:10:36 Ben

These were these names on your radar tool.

00:10:38 Amie L

Yeah definitely.

00:10:39 Amie L

I mean, as a student I was very much interested in modern history, but we did learn about them through English texts and literature.

00:10:47 Amie L

But those names definitely were on my radar growing up.

00:10:51 Ben

I can say with confidence that we didn't study a single bit of Australian history.

00:10:56 Ben

Battle at primary School high school, not even University.

00:11:00 Ben

The word Australia wasn't even mentioned.

00:11:02 Nicky

I watched a TV show a couple of years ago that was based on the 1st prisoners that went to Australia and it was quite bleak.

00:11:11 Nicky

To be honest it wasn't.

00:11:12 Nicky

It was meant to be like a drama because I watched that.

00:11:15 Nicky

I then went back and read a bit about it and was like wow, Oh my God I know nothing.

00:11:19 Nicky

About this

00:11:20 Speaker 4

Yeah right yeah.

00:11:21 Amie L

The first lyrics that came to Australia uh super interesting there's a lot of written history about it.

00:11:29 Amie L

I think one of my favorite parts in Sydney Cove which was one of the first parts that were discovered by Cook.

00:11:35 Amie L

Let's be clear about that

00:11:36 Amie L

When you go into Sydney Cove.

00:11:39 Amie L

The first pub is next to the first hospital.

00:11:43 Ben

Oh wow.

00:11:45 Amie L

Yeah.

00:11:45 Speaker 4

Yeah.

00:11:45 Speaker 4

00:11:46 Nicky

What more could you want?

00:11:49 Amie L

And it's still operating.

00:11:50 Ben

Well, a purple hospital.

00:11:52 Amie L

Pods

00:11:55 Ben

Australians have their priorities, yeah?

00:11:58 Amie L

100%.

00:11:59 Nicky

I do have an interesting well, I don't know if this is fact or whether it's just a fiction, but I like it anyway, so I work at Chelsea College of Arts which is on the Milbank area in London, and there used to be a prison Millbank prison there which is knocked down.

00:12:14 Nicky

And that's where the college has now been built.

00:12:16 Nicky

Apparently the prisoners of Millbank were one of the first sets.

00:12:20 Nicky

The prison is to go to Australia and that's why people call English people palms.

00:12:22 Ben

Wow.

00:12:25 Nicky

POM prisoner of Millbank oh what yeah?

00:12:30 Speaker 4

Yeah.

00:12:30 Speaker 4

00:12:30 Amie L

I'm gonna have to look that up.

00:12:32 Nicky

I like to think that is definitely true and I can understand why it would be true so.

00:12:36

Wow.

00:12:38 Ben

Good good knowledge Amie.

00:12:39 Ben

There's a historical landmark in London.

00:12:40 Ben

You go and visit ASAP.

00:12:42 Nicky

Well, it's not there anymore, really.

00:12:45 Nicky

There's a Blvd with a little plaque on it.

00:12:46 Speaker 4

Earth.

00:12:48 Nicky

To be honest, it's about as good as some of.

00:12:50 Nicky

Your landmarks then.

00:12:51 Ben

Yeah, hold black wow.

00:12:54 Speaker 4

Yeah.

00:12:55 Nicky

That's something you can actually see.

00:12:57 Ben

Wow, I'm jealous actually.

00:13:00 Ben

Well, the only other thing to ask you, Amie, is what?

00:13:03 Ben

What do you think of the Benjamin Britten project?

00:13:07 Ben

What were your impressions of what I'm trying to do?

00:13:09 Nicky

So.

00:13:10 Amie L

I think it's really.

00:13:11 Amie L

Great, and finally enough, during lockdown it's the time when I saw the UK the most.

00:13:19 Gav Penn (Music)

How come?

00:13:20 Amie L

It's expensive to travel around the UK.

00:13:23 Speaker 4

Trip.

00:13:23 Amie L

You know, without a car in it, I mean with car, you still gotta pay for petrol and stuff.

00:13:27 Amie L

It's quite expensive when you can just like hop on a Ryanair flight 20 pounds and go to like run 12 Poland.

00:13:34 Amie L

I don't know like.

00:13:35 Nicky

So true, yeah.

00:13:36 Amie L

It's really expensive.

00:13:38 Amie L

I really enjoyed traveling around the UK in 2020 and hope to do a lot more of it in 2021, but I like this project for its.

00:13:47 Amie L

Originality and I guess going back to a sense of profound.

00:13:53 Amie L

History that we do generally see in a negative light, but there's so much positivity in really like interesting stories that should be told.

00:14:04 Ben

I agree, I also agree.

00:14:07 Ben

It's expensive to travel inside the UK and I never want to know how much money I've spent on Benjamin Britten.

00:14:14 Speaker 4

Yep.

00:14:15 Ben

Member, I'm not interested in working out.

00:14:18 Ben

Because I think I might cry as a result.

00:14:20 Nicky

All that petrol money.

00:14:22 Ben

Train tickets overnight state.

00:14:24 Speaker 4

PayPal.

00:14:25 Speaker 4

2nd.

00:14:26 Gav Penn (Music)

But it's worth.

00:14:27 Amie L

It it's 100% worth it.

00:14:29 Ben

Yeah, everyone has a hobby that we spend loads of money on and.

00:14:33 Ben

This is mine.

00:14:34 Amie L

I mines jewellery so I get it.

00:14:40 Ben

Amie, we have invited you to come.

00:14:43 Ben

Well, you've.

00:14:44 Ben

Only been to two.

00:14:46 Ben

Historical landmarks with me, which is something we have to change for us, but of those two we asked you to choose one of them for us to chat about today.

00:14:50 Speaker 6

Obviously.

00:14:56 Ben

And which one have you chosen me?

00:14:58 Ben

And tell us why?

00:14:59 Amie L

A healing cathedral and I chose it because one, the cathedral is great and two the town is really cute.

00:15:08 Ben

It's a good reason.

00:15:14 Nicky

Love that is it in Norfolk or Suffolk.

00:15:17 Ben

It's it's actually in Cambridgeshire.

00:15:20 Ben

Ah, around that it's a little bit.

00:15:20 Speaker 4

Oh

00:15:22 Nicky

OK.

00:15:23 Ben

Outside Cambridge but yeah in East.

00:15:24 Ben

Anglia Amie we visited that in October 2018.

00:15:28 Amie L

Did we? Are you serious?

00:15:30 Ben

I'm serious, I looked up earlier.

00:15:31 Amie L

Oh yeah, this is.

00:15:32 Amie L

Definitely pre kovid that's so wild.

00:15:35 Ben

Yeah, it was quite a bit before covid.

00:15:37 Ben

And did we?

00:15:38 Ben

Did we drive or take the train?

00:15:39 Ben

I can't remember.

00:15:40 Amie L

We drove and when I say we, I mean you, you drove.

00:15:44 Amie L

You had Diana in the car and we had Andrew in the car.

00:15:47 Ben

Diana, who's been on a previous episode.

00:15:49 Speaker 4

Yeah.

00:15:50 Ben

And and if I remember, it was a day which was pouring with rain.

00:15:54 Ben

It was a miserable wet weather day.

00:15:55 Amie L

I'm right.

00:15:57 Ben

Good day for that month.

00:15:58 Speaker 6

Yeah, I mean at the.

00:15:59 Amie L

Start though it was all right, but then the weather turned like Super South and I believe all of the photos of us are just in like massive raincoats and like walking through mud.

00:16:10 Amie L

But it was good.

00:16:10 Amie L

Like I had a good time.

00:16:12 Nicky

That's a classic British look, right?

00:16:14 Ben

Yeah yeah zipster all.

00:16:15 Ben

The way up to the chin.

00:16:18 Ben

Big big smiles for the photo and then.

00:16:20 Ben

Trounson easily afterwards.

00:16:22 Nicky

Stays out in England.

00:16:23 Nicky

Look just like that and it's always.

00:16:25 Speaker 4

All.

00:16:25 Ben

Yes, well yeah.

00:16:27 Ben

In the cathedral I have to say there are a lot of cathedrals in Plattsburgh and no complaints from me because I absolutely love exploring a good different role.

00:16:37 Ben

And I think you do too.

00:16:38 Ben

Darling Nicky.

00:16:39 Nicky

Yeah I do.

00:16:40 Nicky

I like it for like the more the architecture than the religious part of it though.

00:16:44 Ben

Ah, nice.

00:16:46 Nicky

Yeah, I'm all about like stained glass and like funky columns.

00:16:51 Nicky

Big towers flat surface.

00:16:53 Ben

I think that's.

00:16:54 Ben

A great flying buttress and well, you know Ely is one of those this absolutely massive massive medieval cathedral which just dominates the town and except on Ely.

00:17:05 Ben

It's at the top of the Hill so it literally it's you're like in the cathedral shadow at all times you can't lose sight of it.

00:17:11 Ben

It's it's quite amazing.

00:17:12 Ben

Do you remember that Amie I?

00:17:14 Ben

I mean, we really explored the chlidren not much else in dealing today.

00:17:18 Amie L

Ah no, I think I could grab food.

00:17:20 Amie L

I remember there being some sort of like folk dancing in the street.

00:17:27 Amie L

I don't know what was going on.

00:17:28 Nicky

Sound off.

00:17:28 Amie L

It would be whole mini.

00:17:31 Ben

Right, right?

00:17:33 Speaker 6

Yes, yes it was that it was bad.

00:17:33 Ben

In some kind.

00:17:35 Speaker 6

Of nerd.

00:17:35 Speaker 6

00:17:38 Speaker 4

Yes.

00:17:40 Nicky

That is authentic experience.

00:17:42 Nicky

You know you're out in the sticks and some weird town.

00:17:45 Nicky

But if that's what you come across, as long as it's not racist, which sometimes it is.

00:17:47 Amie L

It was so weird.

00:17:51 Ben

Yeah, they can be a bit racist.

00:17:53 Ben

You know what?

00:17:54 Ben

Well, we we offended by these guys.

00:17:56 Amie L

And no, I don't remember being offended, but I did take some sweet video and they were out there out a lot.

00:17:56 Amie L

Ah no.

00:17:56 Amie L

00:18:04 Amie L

Believe he also went shopping.

00:18:05 Ben

What or a landmark trip?

00:18:07 Ben

I would never have allowed such such activities.

00:18:11 Amie L

I mean, I went shopping and I made you go into the shops with me.

00:18:15 Amie L

That's essentially what happened.

00:18:16 Ben

That sounds more like it.

00:18:17 Amie L

If we're like super clear, yeah, but no.

00:18:19 Amie L

We did check out the cathedral.

00:18:21 Amie L

We had a good time.

00:18:22 Amie L

Really big and we weren't the only ones in there I believe.

00:18:24 Speaker 4

Reading this.

00:18:28 Amie L

They were going through.

00:18:30 Amie L

Mass or something.

00:18:32 Amie L

So we had to wait for them to finish up.

00:18:34 Amie L

Actually no, we went in whilst people were praying.

00:18:39 Amie L

That's right and we just hung out at the back.

00:18:39 Speaker 4

Oh

00:18:41 Ben

Yeah, we we did.

00:18:43 Ben

Yeah is.

00:18:43 Ben

That it's actually worse than that.

00:18:45 Ben

Amie and we actually discussed this Nicky on a previous podcast episode, but we discussed sleep.

00:18:49 Ben

Also fiegel, but the cathedral was.

00:18:51 Ben

Really expensive because it is to turn out too.

00:18:53 Nicky

I'm.

00:18:54 Ben

But I mean.

00:18:54 Speaker 4

After that.

00:18:55 Ben

But but we found out, like insane pools, you can actually get into free.

00:18:59 Ben

They're turning up for service, so we snuck in when there was a service happening and.

00:19:02 Nicky

It's just a bunch of Jewish people.

00:19:05 Ben

Four Jews turned up, turned up for service.

00:19:07 Speaker 4

And even could be drawn.

00:19:09 Nicky

Love it.

00:19:10 Amie L

It looks great.

00:19:10 Amie L

Looks great.

00:19:10 Nicky

It's like a interfaith meeting.

00:19:12 Ben

Dead cat.

00:19:13 Nicky

You know you're you're going to understand and explore other.

00:19:17 Nicky

You know other religions?

00:19:20 Amie L

I see, yeah, that's what you came forward.

00:19:20 Nicky

It's off.

00:19:22 Ben

I I know I felt extremely guilty because the guy leading the service was only the Bishop of Ely and he blessed us.

00:19:30 Nicky

Call the big man.

00:19:32 Ben

We bought jeans were blessed by the Bishop of Ely.

00:19:35 Ben

Sitting at a bit awkward leading up to.

00:19:38 Nicky

I would feel exactly the same as someone known as a non religious person.

00:19:42 Nicky

I think I'd feel exactly the same.

00:19:43 Amie L

I don't know, I quite enjoy it like actually combust or something when that kind of thing happens.

00:19:49 Ben

Well, we weren't struck down by lightning.

00:19:51 Nicky

So what I want to know is why it's in the book?

00:19:54 Nicky

What is the significance?

00:19:55 Nicky

It's not just 'cause, it's a nice cathedral, is it?

00:19:57 Nicky

There's something something went on there.

00:19:59 Ben

Like Amie said, it's nice to be going there.

00:20:01 Ben

Nice town.

00:20:01 Ben

What more do?

00:20:02 Nicky

You want Nicky, yeah sure.

00:20:04 Ben

Any kid can you?

00:20:05 Ben

Remember, any of history whatsoever?

00:20:08 Ben

I'm.

00:20:08 Ben

Sure, I would have talked about it on the day.

00:20:10 Amie L

You did, you definitely told me things 2 1/2 years ago. Do I remember detail about a cathedral in the middle of nowhere 2 1/2 years ago?

00:20:22 Ben

Yes, yes.

00:20:25 Amie L

No.

00:20:26 Amie L

I'm even surprised I remembered the maristan.

00:20:30 Nicky

There, Sir.

00:20:30 Amie L

Yeah, enlighten us.

00:20:32 Amie L

Ben tell us what's up with this Pedro?

00:20:34 Ben

Well, I'll tell you first of all and but this is not why it's in the book, but you two are like this.

00:20:39 Ben

This cathedral was founded by a woman.

00:20:40 Amie L

Well, hey.

00:20:41 Ben

Yeah, I think it's quite unusual in terms of big old cathedrals kinda man game Cathedral founding.

00:20:44 Nicky

Definitely.

00:20:47 Ben

This was founded by a woman named Anglo-Saxon made Etheldreda in the six hundreds.

00:20:54 Ben

She was a daughter of a local King and she got married to a guy, but she wanted to remain a Virgin against her husband's wishes, which I think you can read that, but she just didn't want to sleep with him.

00:21:06 Amie L

Yeah, yeah.

00:21:07 Ben

So she ran away, became a man, and with all the money she has as a Princess or founded a monastery on the site of the present day Cathedral.

00:21:15 Ben

In 673, doesn't a bit of a cool intro to the building, but the actual story that Clive throws is a bit a nice bit of English history, which I have absolutely no idea of whatsoever. Quite quite fun story. It's a, it's a bit of a.

00:21:30 Ben

It's about like a Robin.

00:21:31 Ben

Hood esque English.

00:21:32 Ben

Folk legend named Hereward the wake.

00:21:35 Ben

The condensed story is.

00:21:37 Ben

The time period within is 1070.

00:21:39 Ben

Which is just.

00:21:40 Ben

After William the Conqueror has invaded England.

00:21:44 Nicky

OK, yeah.

00:21:45 Ben

And he's killing off all the Saxon Anglo-Saxon leaders is replacing them.

00:21:51 Ben

There's people were bearing against him.

00:21:53 Ben

Basically, Williams just stamping his authority and building massive castles everywhere and easily became the center of Anglo-Saxon resistance against William the Conqueror.

00:21:57 Speaker 4

Yeah.

00:22:04 Ben

But this is a film.

00:22:06 Ben

And the third act would be nearly where it was.

00:22:08 Ben

The last stands the Anglo Saxons against the Mormons.

00:22:11 Ben

That one last chance had pushed them out, and that Amie can you wanna join her, say the next big story?

00:22:17 Amie L

Uhm?

00:22:18 Amie L

I think you should continue since you're such a good storyteller.

00:22:21 Ben

Thank you baby.

00:22:23 Ben

So in comes the hero of our story is his name.

00:22:26 Ben

Harold is an Anglo Saxon guy.

00:22:28 Ben

He was in France.

00:22:29 Ben

He came back to England and then new.

00:22:32 Ben

The movie Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves from the 90s.

00:22:35 Nicky

Yes, Kevin Costner.

00:22:36 Ben

Worked with Kevin Costner, Kevin Costner's, Robin Hood comes back at the beginning of the film. Is like it's like villages burnt and he's really ****** That's like Harold here so he's like lands being seized. His his sisters being raped, his brothers being killed and his brother heads being stuck on the gate like.

00:22:54 Ben

It's bad her words.

00:22:57 Ben

The legend years doesn't bit of revenge killing spree.

00:23:00 Ben

Kill some Mormons chops off their heads.

00:23:02 Ben

He's angry and he sets himself up in Ely Monastery and gathers, loaded Saxon leaders around him and they have one big final fight against William the Conqueror.

00:23:13 Ben

Ely Cathedral isn't actually technically behind markets.

00:23:16 Speaker 4

The book.

00:23:16 Speaker 4

Book.

00:23:16 Ben

The crystal the Isle of Ely.

00:23:18 Ben

Because back then he was an island in the middle of marches, mid of the fence.

00:23:21 Nicky

Really.

00:23:22 Ben

Yeah, it was just surrounded by marshes.

00:23:25 Ben

It was practically an island, so to get them actually had to sail it through the marches and let him know exactly where you were going and as a result, William the Conqueror and his troops, they just didn't stand a chance.

00:23:33 Ben

So harrowed kept coming out and raiding them and burning their boats and killing them.

00:23:38 Ben

You know the films coming to a climax, a lot of dead Normans all over the place and so eventually he's the trade.

00:23:43 Ben

Per month is betrayed by a monk and has to run away and he runs away from the story and out of history.

00:23:48 Ben

And as we know William the Conqueror very much conquers comes in ultimately destroys the cathedral, fills with Anglo-Saxon resistance, and carries on happily as the King of England and English history.

00:24:00 Ben

That's what Clive loves.

00:24:02 Ben

Is this story of this English folk hero who's kind of passed into legend.

00:24:05 Speaker 4

Is it?

00:24:06 Nicky

Into bit Braveheart etomi.

00:24:08 Ben

It's like the English.

00:24:09 Ben

Braveheart and England needs a breaker and it's it's heroin.

00:24:11 Nicky

Did we?

00:24:13 Ben

Ever worth the wait?

00:24:14 Amie L

Yeah, I don't know.

00:24:15 Nicky

Yeah, I think we're OK.

00:24:16 Nicky

We've got enough going on, haven't we?

00:24:19 Ben

You put local people are really proud of them.

00:24:20 Ben

So when we ask.

00:24:22 Ben

One of the priests who commands Cathedral about this guy.

00:24:24 Ben

I don't Remember Me, but he was getting visibly emotional and this this this prayer this priest told us yes, this cathedral is the last piece of England.

00:24:28 Nicky

Really.

00:24:34 Ben

That's what he called it.

00:24:35 Amie L

Yes, yes, I do remember this.

00:24:38 Nicky

As in how it was before?

00:24:40 Ben

Basically yeah, thousand years ago.

00:24:42 Nicky

Right, but didn't.

00:24:43 Nicky

They didn't.

00:24:44 Nicky

You say you destroyed the cathe?

00:24:45 Amie L

Jobs.

00:24:46 Ben

Yeah, they so when you destroy the cathedral and the cathedral we see today is, you know it's Norman successor.

00:24:51 Ben

They built this massive Wapping Diffusional to show their power on top of the Anglo-Saxon site.

00:24:56 Ben

That's that's the people.

00:24:57 Ben

At least that's that.

00:24:58 Ben

It's not.

00:24:58 Ben

It's not with story time about heralded the wake.

00:25:00 Nicky

Story time with Ben.

00:25:04 Nicky

So there were there were four of you on this trip.

00:25:06 Nicky

If it is that right, was it just like drive?

00:25:07 Ben

For all of us, yeah.

00:25:09 Nicky

They have a little look around, have some lunch, go home.

00:25:12 Amie L

Well, there were markets on their markets.

00:25:14 Speaker 4

Huh?

00:25:15 Speaker 4

List.

00:25:17 Amie L

We had some food.

00:25:18 Ben

He has stood by the.

00:25:19 Ben

Visitor's uh oh nice.

00:25:21 Amie L

It was really not.

00:25:22 Nicky

Even not raining at this time, I'm assuming.

00:25:25 Amie L

No, this is pre rain.

00:25:27 Ben

The train is still to come, yeah?

00:25:29 Ben

He's he's got lovely cobbled historical streets to have a have a good wander around, doesn't Amie?

00:25:33 Amie L

Yeah, and I'm definitely took some really nice photos and just so like quaint shops.

00:25:35 Speaker 4

Phone.

00:25:40 Amie L

And yeah, it's.

00:25:41 Amie L

It was really enjoyable.

00:25:42 Amie L

It was just for the day.

00:25:44 Ben

I don't know if you remember.

00:25:44 Ben

The cathedral itself, Amie, but.

00:25:47 Ben

The thing that I remember.

00:25:48 Ben

Substance inside the cathedral and look up the ceiling is covered in paintings.

00:25:53 Nicky

I think so.

00:25:53 Ben

Yeah, yeah, they're really impressive and they like they depict 12 different biblical scenes.

00:25:59 Ben

It was I think we have an attempt to try to guess which biblical scenes they were.

00:26:02 Ben

They were re enacting starting and Adam need the easy one when it gets to Jesus.

00:26:06 Ben

So my guess is users where we let the less knowledgeable yeah.

00:26:09 Nicky

Yeah.

00:26:09 Nicky

00:26:10 Ben

I think this whole time Amie was just kind of getting lost in the.

00:26:13 Ben

Cathedral, which as well as getting.

00:26:14 Ben

Blessed by the Bishop, there was there was lots of scene.

00:26:16 Amie L

Yeah.

00:26:19 Nicky

How do you go about getting blessed by the bishops?

00:26:21 Amie L

Polifly didn't actually like do anything necessarily, but he cannot fly.

00:26:26 Nicky

Ah.

00:26:26 Ben

Today he could tell there were full Jews in his presence for non believers who needed a good blessing.

00:26:33 Nicky

Out of all the Jewish people in the world, I feel like you must be up there in terms of how many Christian places you've been to.

00:26:41 Speaker 4

Right?

00:26:41 Ben

Yeah yeah yeah, thank you.

00:26:42 Ben

Thank you.

00:26:43 Nicky

What's your what's your church to synagogue ratio?

00:26:43 Nicky

I'm not sure.

00:26:43 Nicky

00:26:47 Ben

Oh, I think I've been to way more churches.

00:26:50 Ben

I've got a lot more.

00:26:52 Amie L

I like thinking about it.

00:26:53 Amie L

I think also the same with me in terms of like in terms of travel.

00:26:55 Ben

Oh

00:26:58 Amie L

Although I do love a good like Sephardi like Middle East and synagogue or get me wrong but I do love going to churches and hanging out.

00:27:04 Speaker 4

2nd.

00:27:11 Nicky

So Amie, we ask every guest to rate the landmark they visited and there's three categories and the first category is the historical significance.

00:27:22 Amie L

Considering the female participation.

00:27:25 Amie L

And leadership, so look I would give it like a strong nine.

00:27:29 Ben

Wow wow hot higher than I was expecting.

00:27:33 Nicky

Yeah, I think when you when you throw William the Conqueror in there, that's quite big riffee.

00:27:37 Ben

I think if you if you beat him, William the Conqueror, fine, but ultimately didn't so.

00:27:43 Ben

But you know what it means you're generating?

00:27:45 Amie L

Wow, the amount of shading when it comes out of bends now.

00:27:49 Nicky

I know it's very very just.

00:27:50 Amie L

All right Bud all right.

00:27:52 Nicky

Very very subtle.

00:27:53 Nicky

Are you then?

00:27:54 Ben

I can't when it comes to landmark.

00:27:56 Nicky

I've got this horrible feeling.

00:27:57 Nicky

Ben is going to in our final bonus of the series is going to come back to this, but you know.

00:28:04 Nicky

Luckily it's not his rating, it's yours.

00:28:06 Nicky

So anyway, yes, second rating is its fun factor.

00:28:11 Amie L

I mean, I'd probably give it like a 5.5 to 6 nice, yeah?

00:28:18 Amie L

As in there were things to see.

00:28:21 Amie L

I did enjoy the food, but in reality.

00:28:25 Amie L

If it was like.

00:28:26 Amie L

It was very much like 1/2 day.

00:28:29 Nicky

Yeah.

00:28:29 Nicky

00:28:29 Nicky

Yeah, you know, it sounds like the markets.

00:28:31 Nicky

Are fun, the cathedral is quite nice, but uhm.

00:28:34 Amie L

Yeah, like the townie bit is not yeah exactly.

00:28:36 Ben

There was Boris Johnson.

00:28:37 Ben

You don't get Morris dancing at every landmark.

00:28:40 Amie L

Nice.

00:28:41 Nicky

Maybe that would push up to six and then the final category we have is it's in store worthiness, which is something a word that we obviously made up basically saying is it picturesque?

00:28:54 Nicky

Is it something you would take a nice photos at?

00:28:57 Amie L

Inciweb is definitely a word I probably like between A6 and A7.

00:29:03 Amie L

You know when it wasn't raining towards 7?

00:29:08 Amie L

When it was raining more like a sick.

00:29:08 Nicky

But it was, yeah.

00:29:08 Nicky

But it yeah.

00:29:12 Ben

I would I would agree with that.

00:29:14 Nicky

Then have you been hearing the math?

00:29:14 Amie L

Then the Max, yeah well.

00:29:14 Amie L

Then Max yeah well.

00:29:16 Ben

There's lots of them, kind of half points and rounding up there, but I reckon I reckon on by the averages you've given that 21 and a half at 30 it's I think any big cathedral.

00:29:27 Ben

Look would look like this.

00:29:28 Ben

It's definitely worth a visit, it's a.

00:29:30 Ben

Nice day trip from London.

00:29:31 Ben

I'd recommend it.

00:29:32 Ben

Would you recommend to visit me?

00:29:35 Amie L

Yeah, I'd recommend it.

00:29:36 Amie L

For like half a day, yeah.

00:29:39 Nicky

OK, let's move on to our final section, which is the bit that Ben doesn't know about.

00:29:42 Speaker 4

Ooh.

00:29:45 Nicky

I think secretly he really loves this section because it's a surprise.

00:29:49 Ben

It's it's good fun.

00:29:50 Nicky

Yeah, and as you know, we did originally discuss Broadcasting House, but as it's already in the book, we've gone for something else.

00:29:58 Nicky

So Amie, what have you chosen as your alternative landmark today?

00:30:02 Speaker 4

Thus.

00:30:03 Amie L

All right, I thought of Gordon's wine Bar in London because it is London's oldest wine bar.

00:30:11 Ben

Oh cool, I'm missing you.

00:30:15 Ben

You are a frequent customer Amie.

00:30:17 Amie L

Oh yeah, Oh yeah.

00:30:18 Amie L

Even though I don't drink alcohol.

00:30:20 Amie L

I'm just there for the cheese.

00:30:22 Nicky

Oh the cheese.

00:30:23 Nicky

Yes of course.

00:30:24 Amie L

He he.

00:30:25 Nicky

Then have you been?

00:30:28 Ben

I've never even heard of it. Where is Gordon's grinder?

00:30:30 Nicky

2nd.

00:30:32 Amie L

You've never been on a date Gordons wine bar.

00:30:34 Nicky

Oh my God I used.

00:30:36 Speaker 4

Hello.

00:30:36 Nicky

It in a day in Blindfire.

00:30:40 Ben

No where is it?

00:30:41 Amie L

It's riots establishment.

00:30:43 Amie L

It's across from you, know heaven, the club.

00:30:46 Ben

Wow.

00:30:47 Speaker 4

Wow, wow.

00:30:49 Nicky

Hello she how long did you live in London?

00:30:54 Ben

You know, uh, well.

00:30:56 Ben

Heaven wasn't my scene.

00:30:57 Ben

Clearly I was.

00:30:59 Nicky

Adjusting is your thing.

00:30:59 Ben

I was more.

00:31:02 Amie L

And I mean, it's a really fun guy club.

00:31:02 Speaker 4

Thank goodness traveling.

00:31:04 Amie L

But

00:31:05 Amie L

Yeah, it's like establishment charring cross.

00:31:08 Nicky

Yeah it's right by the tube station.

00:31:09 Ben

Gotcha gotcha, gotcha.

00:31:10 Nicky

So good.

00:31:12 Ben

That feels like historical London nice.

00:31:15 Nicky

Shall I give you a bit of a background on Gordon's wine car?

00:31:18 Speaker 4

Yeah.

00:31:19 Ben

How old is?

00:31:20 Ben

How old is this place?

00:31:21 Nicky

So technically, the bar itself was started in 1890, so it's not super super old, the bar itself, but bearing in mind it's the first wine bar, but the actual building itself has been around for a very.

00:31:34 Nicky

But I'm very brief. History is that Angus Gordon, hence Gordon's wine bar set off, and he was a free vintner, which I'll come back to. Which is basically I could kill one of the oldest Guilds of London, dealing trading and wine. They set this set up this bar, and it was.

00:31:41 Ben

Sound Scottish.

00:31:54 Nicky

Basically passed down through generations of gordans and then.

00:31:58 Nicky

When they stopped being the owners of the bar, someone called Lewis Gordon purchased it completely randomly, had the sense he he felt no not related, he thought, oh that's funny that that's my name. I'm going to buy that so it then went through another cycle of Gordon's as well. There's quite a lot of history here, but one of my favorite things.

00:32:06 Ben

So not related.

00:32:09 Speaker 4

Right?

00:32:18 Nicky

Uh, historically about it is that.

00:32:21 Nicky

When you go to Gordons wine bar one of those sort of famous things about it is it's basement of the of the building.

00:32:28 Nicky

Is that right Amie?

00:32:29 Nicky

If I remember rightly it's like you go down the steps and there's like an alley that you can sort of drinking and.

00:32:35 Amie L

Yeah, it's underground.

00:32:36 Amie L

It's super cool.

00:32:37 Nicky

Yeah, and the front of it is where you can talk, sit and have drinks outside as well. 'cause it's not very big inside and it's approximately 100 and 150 meters away from the River. But back in the day it was actually on the riverbank. There's like a big stone gate there, which is called the Watergate.

00:32:57 Nicky

Which is in the park.

00:32:59 Nicky

And that would have been the way to get onto your boat so you could get onto the boat and sort of sail away. But when they built the embankment, hence it's around the corner from Embankment tube station. It then took away this kind of marshy, watery bogginess and the push the buildings 150 meters away.

00:33:02 Ben

Nice.

00:33:05 Ben

Wow.

00:33:15 Ben

No.

00:33:19 Nicky

In the River, Sir.

00:33:20 Gav Penn (Music)

Ah, how how good?

00:33:21 Ben

Would a date be you, could you know?

00:33:23 Ben

Get on a little boat with your wine and just see all the way off the.

00:33:26 Amie L

Bar, no idea.

00:33:26 Amie L

Bar.

00:33:27 Amie L

I had no idea.

00:33:28 Nicky

Navid and I until I started researching it.

00:33:31 Nicky

But now if you go on Google Maps and you look at it, you're like oh that's the gate and it's still there.

00:33:35 Nicky

You can see it.

00:33:36 Nicky

It's like right next to the bar at the bar.

00:33:39 Ben

Wow, Amie, I want to know why why you chose this site?

00:33:42 Amie L

I think because I've had so many good times.

00:33:45 Amie L

At Gordon Weiner.

00:33:47 Amie L

Essentially, and whenever I have Australians.

00:33:49 Amie L

Come visit, I always take them there.

00:33:52 Speaker 6

'cause when you walked in right, it's just filled with newspaper clippings.

00:33:52 Ben

Yeah, nice.

00:33:56 Speaker 6

Also, something to do with World War Two.

00:33:59 Speaker 4

Yeah.

00:33:59 Speaker 6

It's got some really cool stuff.

00:34:01 Nicky

Yeah, there's like memorabilia all over the place I think isn't there?

00:34:03 Amie L

Yeah, yeah yeah, this is memorabilia everywhere.

00:34:07 Amie L

And yeah, I've just had some really good memories like lots of farewells, states bringing people over.

00:34:14 Amie L

A man you could just like become absolutely ill with how much cheese you consume.

00:34:20 Amie L

Like you could like cheese like I have like.

00:34:20 Speaker 4

Thanks.

00:34:23 Amie L

Fresh bread and then salads and smoked salmon.

00:34:26 Amie L

And like all this kind of stuff.

00:34:27 Ben

As as a me as someone who doesn't drink Amie when when you're in a wine bar you need to, you have to be creative with what you order.

00:34:34 Amie L

Oh yeah, that's why I like lots of people like.

00:34:36 Amie L

Have a good luck.

00:34:37 Amie L

I mean I could complete burning Golden swine, but I'm like, I know.

00:34:40 Amie L

But the cheese is lazy.

00:34:42 Nicky

Yeah.

00:34:44 Nicky

I'm looking at the menu actually at the moment it looks pretty good.

00:34:44 Speaker 4

What?

00:34:47 Amie L

It's so incredible, honestly.

00:34:48 Nicky

I've only ever had wine.

00:34:50 Amie L

And you can like if you 2 full, you've ordered too much cheese.

00:34:54 Amie L

They like pack it up for you and you can.

00:34:55 Amie L

Take it away. Oh wow.

00:34:56 Gav Penn (Music)

Oh gosh.

00:34:56 Gav Penn (Music)

Gosh.

00:34:59 Speaker 6

Hey.

00:34:59 Ben

Hey, how much how much we talking about?

00:35:01 Ben

You know how much?

00:35:02 Ben

How much is a glass of wine at Gordons wine bar?

00:35:04 Ben

It's I mean I guess it's on the expensive end of the scale.

00:35:07 Amie L

I have no idea.

00:35:09 Amie L

I'm the one that sits at the table and make sure no.

00:35:11 Amie L

One steals our spots.

00:35:12 Amie L

That's my job orders.

00:35:14 Ben

That is useful.

00:35:15 Nicky

That is needed as well, because if you go there, it's like the space is a premium and if you've got a table you're like a King basically.

00:35:22 Amie L

Oh yeah, Oh yeah, it's so difficult.

00:35:26 Amie L

And you should never go to the big group, but you can book.

00:35:30 Amie L

And that helps yet that you can book, and there's a couple of spaces that are like cornered off or bigger bookings which I've seen people do and I think that's something I'm going to do once we keep.

00:35:31 Speaker 4

I will text you.

00:35:31 Speaker 4

I will text.

00:35:43 Ben

Amie Amie, there's the secrets.

00:35:43 Ben

It at it.

00:35:43 Ben

00:35:44 Speaker 6

Oh yeah, oh.

00:35:46 Amie L

Yeah, and then after Gordon's you either go to bar salsa.

00:35:50 Amie L

Or you go to Madison's. It depends on your vibe.

00:35:54 Ben

I've been, I've been medicines.

00:35:56 Ben

The ones that.

00:35:56 Ben

Overlook Saint Paul's right, yeah?

00:35:57 Amie L

Yeah.

00:35:57 Amie L

00:35:58 Nicky

We talked about that in our last full class episode.

00:36:01 Ben

Keeps coming up.

00:36:02 Ben

Hey Amie, what I like about your historical knowledge is you know about the first pub in Sydney and you know about the first wine bar in London I mean, this is clearly what interests.

00:36:13 Ben

You, it's terribly.

00:36:13 Amie L

Oh yeah, 100%, considering I've never consumed alcohol, yes.

00:36:18 Nicky

Mine is quite funny man.

00:36:20 Nicky

It's just that atmosphere.

00:36:21 Amie L

It is I love going out. I love having a good time. I'm the last one on the dance floor while everyone's locked up.

00:36:27 Amie L

Fast, you know.

00:36:30 Speaker 6

Suits me.

00:36:31 Ben

I also love.

00:36:32 Ben

Nicky Nicky and I both enjoy historic landmark, where you can eat and drink because because of the history of the place scene.

00:36:36 Nicky

Hey hey.

00:36:38 Nicky

That was in my favorites.

00:36:39 Nicky

Yeah, yes, agreed.

00:36:42 Nicky

So I've got the history open here and the history that they have on their website, which is really quite detailed for so you know just.

00:36:50 Nicky

Uh, a wine bar

00:36:50 Ben

Trimba

00:36:52 Nicky

But according to this Samuel Pepys used to live in the building above.

00:36:57 Gav Penn (Music)

Woah woah woah woah.

00:36:59 Nicky

I don't know how.

00:36:59 Nicky

00:36:59 Nicky

I don't know how true that is and I I couldn't find any other reference to it, but he did live in lots of places and so he probably you know the bar wasn't there at the time, but you know we've had a had a glass himself.

00:37:10 Nicky

Wrote it about, wrote about it in his diary.

00:37:13 Ben

You know London, London must have, you know at 10,000 pubs, even by this one or something. So being the first wine bar, you must have stood out quite considerably, you know? Because.

00:37:23 Ben

There are a lot of.

00:37:25 Ben

Pubs, probably 10 within 100 meters.

00:37:26 Speaker 6

Yeah.

00:37:28 Nicky

So the the bar is in an area that was well known for being like the.

00:37:33 Nicky

It's called the Vintry Ward.

00:37:36 Nicky

Which I guess the name comes from Vin like the the Latin and it was set up by this guy or whatever his name was someone Gordon who was part of the worship full company of vintners.

00:37:36 Ben

OK.

00:37:40 Ben

Abline

00:37:50 Ben

Good company to be a positive.

00:37:51 Nicky

Which dates back to the 12th century and is one of the great 12 livery companies.

00:37:59 Nicky

And in London, so it's wine. It was a big deal back in like the 12th century and they it was essentially their Guild and they had a Royal charter from like the 1300s where they had a monopoly over wine imports from us from certain regions so.

00:37:59 Speaker 4

The question.

00:38:05 Speaker 4

Wow.

00:38:14 Ben

I can't believe it took them so long to set up the first wine bar.

00:38:18 Nicky

I think I think the reason is because you didn't.

00:38:21 Nicky

If you were in this livery company.

00:38:24 Nicky

You didn't have to have a license to just sell wine wherever you were up until 2006. They retained the right to sell wine without a license. In certain areas, such as the City of London and all the the route along the Great North Road, which runs all the way from like London up to the North of England.

00:38:28 Speaker 4

Be nice.

00:38:42 Nicky

So thank you.

00:38:42 Nicky

Recently stopped.

00:38:42 Nicky

Stopped

00:38:43 Speaker 4

Stopped

00:38:43 Speaker 4

00:38:44 Ben

Me if you remember more history about Gordon Wine bar then you do Ely Cathedral.

00:38:50 Ben

I'm going to be based off.

00:38:53 Ben

Second, I mean. I mean, I'm gonna wait 2 1/2 years and then ask you about about why not.

00:38:55 Amie L

I mean.

00:39:01 Amie L

Alright done, done.

00:39:03 Nicky

The most recent facts they have about their history was from 2020.

00:39:09 Nicky

Very very cool and it they cut titled it Calamity Strikes Again.

00:39:09 Speaker 4

OK.

00:39:13 Speaker 4

Oh dear.

00:39:13 Nicky

The border risks losing its license and the outside terrace and a new agreement is struck with Westminster Council to allow seated customers outside.

00:39:22 Nicky

'cause when I went there I don't know when you at last went Amie but when I went there.

00:39:26 Nicky

And last, and you could sort of stand outside and sort of mill about.

00:39:30 Nicky

In the end the outside bit, but apparently you can't anymore and you have to be seated, but you can get table service, so that's a real new piece of their history.

00:39:31 Amie L

Yeah, yeah.

00:39:40 Amie L

Yeah, last time I went you still hold where you sit but you don't go up to the bar and water and then come back it's table service.

00:39:50 Amie L

So someone comes to you and they bring the food to you and that was to stop people from like just creating absolute chaos.

00:39:58 Amie L

I really enjoy it.

00:40:00 Amie L

To have table service, I like the change.

00:40:03 Nicky

Yeah, I think that would be good.

00:40:05 Amie L

Yeah, but I do think you should be able to stand outside so I'm never that.

00:40:09 Amie L

Yeah.

00:40:09 Amie L

00:40:10 Amie L

But after you know when all the things open and spend I could take you.

00:40:15 Ben

OK yeah, I was thinking why hasn't?

00:40:19 Ben

Amie goes there with her friends all the time and she's never invited me.

00:40:22 Ben

How rude.

00:40:23 Amie L

I mean, you did **** *** to white.

00:40:26 Ben

Yeah, that is true.

00:40:28 Speaker 4

While

00:40:29 Nicky

You did our whole summer.

00:40:30 Ben

Yeah, I mean, I'm sure Cardiff has some old wine bars, maybe not old.

00:40:34 Speaker 6

Actually, to be fair.

00:40:36 Amie L

Ben, you did visit me on my birthday.

00:40:38 Amie L

We went to the beach.

00:40:40 Amie L

Hang on, Oh yeah, right right, right.

00:40:45 Ben

Wait, that wasn't.

00:40:49 Ben

So yeah, I came. I came and met you, that's right. Was your birthday in Devon? Amie, there's there's. There's one question there which you're adding Gordon's wine bar to a list. It'll turn it historical landmarks, which is great.

00:41:00 Ben

But if we went there to take a picture of Benjamin Britten style picture, what would we be doing?

00:41:05 Ben

And I think I know what the answer should be.

00:41:07 Amie L

Oh, we definitely.

00:41:09 Amie L

Well.

00:41:09 Amie L

You'd definitely be drinking, and I'd definitely be eating.

00:41:14 Nicky

I don't think you could.

00:41:14 Speaker 4

Love it.

00:41:15 Nicky

Go wrong with that to be honest, that's what it's for.

00:41:17 Ben

Let's let's make that happen when.

00:41:19 Amie L

Yes.

00:41:21 Ben

Ban restrictions allow us.

00:41:23 Amie L

Be great.

00:41:23 Nicky

That's definitely one you can do for sure.

00:41:26 Nicky

Yeah.

00:41:26 Ben

Amie, thanks so much for joining us this evening chatting about history.

00:41:31 Ben

Ili wine bars.

00:41:32 Amie L

Thanks for having me.

00:41:33 Ben

Come on me.

00:41:34 Ben

You only need two landmarks.

00:41:35 Ben

Where in the UK which you've never been before, do you want to go potentially for your next landmark?

00:41:40 Amie L

So I've been to say, Scotland.

00:41:43 Amie L

And I've done South England, but I haven't really done anything North England.

00:41:44 Speaker 4

Lasted.

00:41:48 Ben

Now are not let's let's make that happen.

00:41:51 Amie L

Yeah, like I would like to at some point hang out in Manchester and just have a really sloppy night.

00:41:57 Amie L

So if there's any landmarks around there

00:42:00 Amie L

That would be great.

00:42:01 Ben

Yeah, yeah yeah we can make that happen.

00:42:03 Amie L

Excellent.

00:42:04 Ben

Thanks Sam, thanks so much for joining us Amie.

00:42:07 Ben

Thanks Amie

00:42:09 Speaker 4

2nd.

00:42:18 Speaker 4

2nd.