Welcome to the British History Podcast. My name is Jamie and this is Episode 3.5, a very

special BHP Valentine's Day episode. This show is ad-free due to member support, and

as a way of thanking members for keeping the show independent, I offer members only content,

including extra episodes and rough transcripts. You can get instant access to all the members'

extras by signing up for membership at the British History Podcast.com, for about the price

of a latte per month. And thank you very much to Bethany, Catherine, and Carrie for signing up

already. History is known for being a bit of a slog. Tracing events and people and social

movements through decades and even centuries is a huge task, and the results are usually

dense at the best of times. But every once in a while, in between all the battles and the

politics and the dynasties, the record cradles a story so short and sweet and so perfect that it

deserves to stand alone. And this Valentine's Day episode is just that sort of story. It begins in

November of 955. The weather was turning colder, the harvest season had passed, and people were now

spending more time indoors. This was a time to make the final preparations for winter. It was also

time for feasting. Thanks to the recent harvest, food was plentiful, at least for the powerful,

and at the royal residences. November was a time for mariment, a time for gatherings, a time for

large quantities of food and drink. But in 955, one man probably struggled to get into the spirit of

the season. King Edward of England's stomach pains had been getting worse with each passing day.

For quite some time now, he'd been abstaining from solid foods and living only on various liquids.

But nothing that poor Edward did would soothe his inflamed innards. But he was still king.

He still had duties. And one of the most important of his tasks was simply to be seen being the king.

And so, despite his declining health, King Edward and his court remained mobile.

They continued to visit the many corners of his kingdom.

...