Hey, well, welcome to Downs Knows History. On this episode of the podcast, we've got a

total treat for you. Tobacco and coffee arrived in Britain in the 16th century, and they

were wildly popular. Coffee was described as black as hell, strong as death, sweet as love.

Today, I've got an episode of Professor Ciesano Lipskum's Brilliant Podcast, not just

the tutors, it's one of our sibling podcasts, and it's all about coffee and tobacco. She

talks to the very brilliant Dr Matthew Green. He's just a fantastic communicator. He's

going to love him. He knows all about how nicotine and caffeine change the British way

of life, and there is not one second as part of it. It's not crammed with utterly breathtaking

facts and information and insight. This is how new substances transformed Britain and

its people. If you want to listen to more episodes of Not Just the Tutors without the

ads, you can do so at history.tv. It's our new digital platform. It's like a TV channel,

but with audio as well. So you get all of these podcasts, mine and Susie's and everybody's.

You also get hundreds of hours of history documentaries. It's a pretty sweet deal to

be honest. You should go and check it out. It's a good month for free if you sign up today.

You're going to history.tv. But in the meantime, everyone, pour yourself a strong, strong

coffee. Forget your travels and disappointments and enjoy this part. Matt, we really all

would be sitting in some sort of dark, smoky pub or at least some sort of dark, smoky

coffee house, shouldn't we? Yes. Well, either of the two would be fine by me. But the

smokers long gone. Imagine us there, listeners, but actually in practice we're on Zoom. And

we are talking about two psychotropic drugs that we don't necessarily associate with the

tutors and with the stewards, but indeed actually originate there. So let's take them

each in turn. Let's start with the fags. When did Europe first learn of tobacco?

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