Hello, gentle listeners, and before we start, let me try to persuade you why becoming a subscribing member is a brilliant idea, or just as good that it makes the perfect Christmas presi.

First, your name will be honoured in your personal prestige rise, so that's good. Also, you'll be free of

adverts. But I want to focus on shedcasts. New shedcasts every single month, plus a whopping

150-hour library. As a history of Scotland, biographies long and short, Eleanor Vactein, Margaret

Beaufort, William Marshall, Thomas More, loads of them. There are series, prehistoric and Roman

Britain, British law and constitution, entire history of British political parties, I could go on.

And why not? There's English in their drink, London Clubland, the appearance of tourism, sandwiches,

Angloscience in England, religious toleration. Probably best, actually, to go to the history

of England.org, UK and find out more, also about how to give membership as a actually to go to the history of England. Dotco. UK and find out more.

Also about how to give membership as a gift.

That's The History of England.

Dotco.uk.

And now, on with the episode. Hello and welcome friends and fellow listeners of the history of England.

I'm Dirk Hoffman Becking from the History of the Germans.

Same concept, just without the sense of humour.

I want to congratulate you.

You have great tastes since you're listening to one of the greatest shows there is, period.

But I guess you know that already.

What you may not know is that David is not just a brilliant storyteller and historian.

He's also literally the nicest man in podcasting.

He gave my show a big leg up a few years ago when that was hugely important to me.

And he did that for many others as well, never asking for anything in return.

...