Oh What A Time... - Best of OWAT Volume 3

Episode Date: September 1, 2024

It’s week two of our summer break and thus it’s time for our third-ever best-of compilation. This week you’ll be treated to the following: From #32 Escapes we’ve got the crazy story of how Alice Tankerville almost escaped the clutches of the Tower of London From #47 Criminals the true story of Bonnie and Clyde And from #57 Health & Safety, Peter Duncan cleaning Big Ben If you'd like to drop us an email while we're away, you can do so at: [e-mail] If you fancy a bunch of OWAT content you’ve never heard before, why not treat yourself and become an Oh What A Time: FULL TIMER? In exchange for your £4.99 per month to support the show, you'll get: - two bonus episodes every month! - ad-free listening - episodes a week ahead of everyone else - And first dibs on any live show tickets Subscriptions are available via AnotherSlice, Apple and Spotify. For all the links head to: ohwhatatime.com You can also follow us on:  X (formerly Twitter) at @ohwhatatimepod And Instagram at @ohwhatatimepod Aaannnd if you like it, why not drop us a review in your podcast app of choice? Thank you to Dan Evans for the artwork (idrawforfood.co.uk). Chris, Elis and Tom x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do stop losses work on Kraken? Let's say I have a birthday party on Wednesday night, but an important meeting Thursday morning. So sensible me, pre-books a taxi for 10 p.m. with with alerts. Walla's teltsu.vah.v. I won't be getting carried away and staying out until two. That's stoploss orders on Kraken. Gockn.com.s.lash.crahedlash.c.a.crow.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a. trading involves risk of loss. See crackin.com slash legal slash, CA-dash-pr-you-dash-dash-dash-dash-Ur-Dash-Dash-Dash-Ur-Dash-Dash-Dash-Ur-Dash-Dis, for info and the Craneckon's

to register in Canada. I'm going back-I'm With deals this good, everyone wants to be a student. Join for just $4.99 a month. Savings may three, eligibility and member terms apply. Looking for a collaborator for your career, a strong ally to support your next level's success? You will find it at York University School of Continuing Studies, where we offer career programs purpose built for you. Visit continue. York You.cue. It's a new day. How can you make the most of it with your membership rewards points? Earn points on everyday purchases.

Use them for that long-awaited vacation. Points never expire, so use them how you want. That's the powerful backing of American Express. On eligible cards, terms apply. Learn more at MX.CA. Hello and welcome to Oh What a Time. The History Podcasts tries to decide if life was worse in the pre-handhoover age. Have you got a handhoover? We got one recently and it's the greatest thing I've ever bought in my entire life, Skull. That's amazing because I've got a hand hoover and I would honestly say it's one of the worst things we have in our house.

It doesn't pick up anything. It's so it it makes the noise of a of a hand hoover and it looks like and when you open up the basket there's crumbs in it But you turn it to any spillage any mess. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. the the the the the the the the the the the the th. It. It. It. It. It. the th. It. the the the the th. the th. th. th. th. the th. th. the th. thi. th. th. th. th. th. the th. the the the th. the th. the the the th. the the the th. the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. the the the the the the the the the the the the th. the th. the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to. to. to. tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. toy. t. t basket there's crumbs in it, but you turn it to any spillage, any mess, it cannot suck anything up. That is a fair point. There is a situation where if my son has dropped a biscuit for example, I will have to crush the biscuit up more for it to be sucked up. So I'm briefly having to create far more mess with the original solid biscuit on the floor, I'll crush it up, like I'm making the base of a cheesecake and then it's suckableableableableableableableableableableableableableableableableable, to suckable, to suckable, the suck, to suck, to suck, the, I, I's suck, I's suck, I's suck, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, the, I'm, I'm, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, th. I's, thi, thi, thi, thea, to, too, tooome, the. I's, thea'''n'e. thea, thi, the, the, the, the, the floor. I'll crush it up like I'm making the base of a cheesecake and then it's suckable. But when it sucks up, oh what a feeling, love it. I think life is much harder pre the handhoover, that's my point. Now today guys is our second best of our second best of. today is our second best of. Once again it's the second best of. It's not the stuff that's second best. It's all good. It is number two in our run of three best. Best ofs, all of which are the equal level of best.

Do that make sense? Yes. There you go. You may notice we are missing the soft Welsh tones of Ellis James. Ellis James is on his honeymoon at the moment. You want to guess what he's doing at this point. Let's have a little guess. What do you reckon? I'm thinking walking hand in hand down a beach? Or maybe riding a white horse through the waves, that sort of thing. Thought swimming up to the hotel bar, making full use of the all-inclusive. From the moment it opens at 6 a.m. He hasn't seen Izzy in 24 hours. But free alcohol. the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's like. It's like. It's like. It's like. It's like. It's like. It's like. It's like. It's like. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's a really fun one as we talked about last week. These are literally our favorite bits from the past year or a bit on O'Wat a Time. We've picked them out personally because we think you're really enjoyed them. This week, Chris, what will they be listening to?

We've got Alice Tankerville's escape from the Tower of London. This is from our escapes episode number 32. We've also got Bonnie and Clyde from our criminals episode number 47 and also Peter Duncan cleaning Big Ben from our health and safety episode number 57. So it's another great vintage week and of course it is because it is let's not forget a series of best off episodes. So this is great. Again I'm reading this out going I can't wait to listen to this. Apparently Frank Skinner had a flat which was across the Thames from Big Ben and a comedian I this this th th the th the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their their their their their their their their their their the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their their their th. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. th. th. th. thea. thea. they. theymea. they. they. their their their theyn. their their their their their, I can't wait to listen to this. Apparently, Frank Skinner had a flat which was across the Thames from Big Ben, and a comedian I know went to his flat for whatever, I don't know, was, to hang out. He looked across the Thames through the window at Big Ben and said, wow, what a view? Why did you, why did he buy this place? And Frank said, because I don't have a watch. tha. tha. tha. thuu. thu. thu. to to to to to to to to to to to thu. to thu. thu. thu. thu. to thi. to to thi. to thi. thi. thi. to to to thi. thi. to to to to to to to to to to to to his to his to his to his to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to his to his to his the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their the. the. the. the. thean. theeean. theeean. the theeean. thean. thean. thean. thean. thean, it's good stuff. It's good clean, fun, humour.

So that's what is on today's episodes. I think they're all three great parts. So that's what's coming up in today's episode. If you want to get even more, oh what a time, if you want to get it, ad free if you want to get it a week in advance, if you want to pick up two bonus episodes a month, as well as all the bonus episodes we've already recorded. And there's loads of them waiting for you to listen to right now. For 499 month, you can become an O What a Time full timer. And if you ask me, that's a bargain. However, I am biased. Brilliant. So there you go. Go to O'Wat Time. For all Episodes. This is the second week of that. Some great parts coming up. Enjoy this. All right, so here comes Alice Tankerville.

And I heard this story, and the story of this escape absolutely blew my mind. This is a film script what I'm about to talk you through. It begins in October 1531. London was due to receive a shipment of 366 gold crowns, a sum worth almost one million pounds in today's terms. The money had come from Cologne. Crowns for the head or for like, gold coins. They call them crowns, are they? Coins. Oh coins, the crown crowns are, okay, neither. Yeah, okay, fine. The manny had come from Koloin, just transported by ship and stored in a locked chest

under a permanent guard. It arrives in London, they open the chest, and it is empty. Great twist. Yeah, exactly. This is the opening scene. This is the opening, the opening, the opening, the opening, the opening, the. T. T. T. T. T. T. the. the. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the the. the the the the the the the thoome. thi. thi. thoom. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. thi. thi. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the. It. It. te. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tean. tean. tean. thean. the opening scene. This is the opening gambit. Yeah. There's a two-year investigation and at the end of it, no one really knows what happened to the one million pounds of gold crowns. There is lots of circumstantial evidence knocking about and the fingers get pointed at a perpetrator who was a small time thief, a petty pirate and a Cologne gunpowder maker called John Wolf. Now there's lots of different versions of this story.

The version that I heard was that Wolf was arrested for this crime, but they couldn't prove any of it, so he was released and went back to Ireland. But then our historian Darrell seemed to think there was a different way this went. And this also has a bit more historical historical historical historical historical historical historical historical historical historical historical historical historical historical this this this this this this and this also has a bit more historical accuracy I would say this other version. So Wolf, this guy, John Wolf, great name, he's associated with those in Ireland flirting with open rebellion against the Tudor Crown, having worked as an arm specialist for the Earl of Kildare, but he had other things in his mind by the time it comes to 1533. So that summer, this is what we know of John Wolf in terms of his criminal enterprises. He began to conspire with his partner Alice Tankerville, together with unnamed accomplices,

to rob and murder two Italian merchants, Jerome de Georges and Charles de Bench, on a boat on the Thames. This is the plan, right? Alice is going to act as a kind of sexual bait. She was meant to be very, very attractive. She lured these Italian merchants onto her boat and then tell them to go to a specific piece for for a bit of a bit of action perhaps. And at this point, John Wolf jumps out with his compatrons and kills them, the Italians were stabbed. The other other, th.. th, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, th, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, the other one one one one one one one one one th, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, for th, Alice, for th, Alice, Alice, for tho, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, for thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, Alice is thi, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, th. Alice, th. Alice, th. Alice, th. Alice, th, th, th, th, th, th. Alice their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice is thi, Alice is thi. Alice is thi. Alice is thi. Alice is thi. Alice is thi. Alice is thi. Alice is thi. Alice is thi. Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, thi John Wolf jumps out with his compatriots and kills them, stabs them. One of the Italians were stabbed, the other one has their neck broken, they dump their bodies in the river, they robbed them, then they go to the Italian's lodgings and rob everything there before they make their way back to Westminster to safety. Now they went to Westminster, thrown, tho, the the the the the the same the the same toe, toe, the the woomk, the the woome, toe, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, thoomomorrow, thoomorrow, thoomorrow, thoombs, thoomorrow, thoombs, thoombs, thoombs, thoombs, thoombs, thoombs, thoombs, thoombs, thoomb, thoomb, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, thoometeeteeteeteeteen, thoome, thoome, thoombs, and toombs, and then, toge, toguuuoombs, tombs, tombs, toguoombs, tombsoombs, tombs, tombs, thoombs know until Darryl and historian pointed this out to me. So they went to Westminster to

escape punishment because it was possible to claim sanctuary within a particular precinct of Westminster. Kind of how like, kind of like how you hear that people would sometimes claim refuge in churches or something. Yeah. Well back in the day it used to be like a lot of people hiding out in churches wasn't there because that you couldn't get arrested in the church and things like that. Well apparently back. So whatever whatever you've done you could run to this place of sanctuary you could be a sanctuary in a particular precinct of Westminster and John had done this previously when he was a debtor and this imagine very briefly Chris

that still exists today what a dangerous loophole that would be to have the legal system today. Also. the the the they. Also. Also. Can they. they. Imagine they. Imagine they. Imagine th. Imagine th. Imagine th. Imagine th. Imagine th. Imagine th. Imagine th. Imagine th. Imagine thi thi thi to be to be their their to to to be to be to be to tho. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to be to be to be. to be. to be. to be. to be. to be. So. So. So. So. So. So, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the. the. the. the. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their to to to to to to to to to the What a dangerous loophole that would be to have an illegal system today. It would be Bedlam. It would be Bedlam. Terrifying Westminster would be. I think you've got to walk through it. No, I think I'll go round actually. Awful. Basically, anywhere that that place the sanctuary links up to on the tube line. Yeah. Either central, you're avoiding anywhere where people can get into it quickly. I know this isn't the same, but when Julian Assange claimed sanctuary in the Ecuadorian embassy, like there is modern versions of this, but again, it's like, what kind of life is that? Like, if you could only live in Westminster, you could commit whatever crime you wanted, but you are only allowed to stay in Westminster. You can eat at prep. Yeah.

Visit, visit the R.B if you wanted something to do. Terrific. He's a big Ben. That's true. That sounds quite good. So John had previously claimed sanctuary before when he was a debtor and they think this is why that perhaps he had this idea of like I can commit a terrible crime in the hideout in Westminster. Now he was seeking sanctuary for a felony. Alice, it seemed, was happy to live with John in this sanctuary precinct.

But this murder robbery caused such an international incident. The Italian community in London were outraged. And Wolf and his diabolical wife, as she was called, the King ordered that his minister, Thomas Cromwell, he gets involved and says, you got to capture and execute these people. So there was a parliamentary measure and John and Alice were stripped of their rights and they were arrested in the sanctuary and then they were stuck in the tower and then they were stuck in the tower. And now it really begins to get interested. Okay.

So they're stuck in the tower. They've got no hope really of escape. The only way they're escaping is in death, right? Alice is imprisoned in cold harbour where she found herself in a small cell. And when you read the stories about her state, her incarceration in the tow of London, it's only got the tiniest slither of light. She is in darkness most of the time, but she does have some interactions with the guards, and one of the guards is a guy called

John Bord. Remember the name, he's a guard, and remember that Alice Tangoville is meant to be quite attractive, he becomes enamored with his prisoner, much in the same way Italians had been. And very soon, Alice is a... How attractive is she? I've never met anyone this attractive in my life. Of course, Alice eventually convinces him to help her to escape. Right. Imagine that. This is the, and I'm sure you can tell where this story is going, but the risks involved at a time

like this, it just blows my mind. Well, L. Very briefly to go back to Alcatra's, we talk about how you'd break out of there, maybe that would be the answer for you maybe rather than try to my eyelashes exactly yeah doing some stuff and being coquettish around one of the guards but you pull that off maybe that's your answer you got a good jaw line you're handsome yeah yeah can you imagine the levels of charm necessary like this woman Alice must have been incredible good jawline, you're handsome ma'am. Can you imagine the levels of charm necessary? Like this woman Alice must have been incredible. Incredible. I know what I'm doing with my one day time machine now. Yeah, I'm going back to meet Alice. This I've got to see. I actually did Google her

image. The millennium's most attractive woman. After this, after this story that I read, I had to Google there because I was like, what does she look like? But the palette, I've seen some sketches of her, but it's not particularly flattering. You've got no idea, but she was apparently a great beauty. So, John Bord helps Alice escape. He buys her a rope which she then used, he gets duplicate keys made. He bought her a set of men's clothes as a disguise. He is in love. He is deeply in love. How was she doing this? How have I never done this? At 10 p.m. on the two. I've never got the free coffee that baristas in Pratt are allowed to give to people that they fancy. Yeah, me neither. Like you read about it in the paper, that's never happened to me.

Alice Tankerville would have been drinking, she'd have been drinking 20 to 30 free coffees a day, I reckon. I once got 50% off an almond cross on, but it was very close to the end of the fact that I was fancy, or maybe just simply... You eat it or it's gone in the bin. Is that the same as the kind of sort of impact? Alice Tankerville would happen people? So what happened?

10 PM, the 23rd of March, 1534. Board helps Tankerville make her way out of the prison. As the night watch is going around the top of the tower, she is darting in the dark to make her way out. She goes on to the roof of St Thomas's Tower. Board cast the ropes over the wall and the pair shimmy down to a wharf near Traytator's gate. I've read some accounts that they get in a little boat, they go up the river and they get on the ground again. The plan is they're going to a friend's house where John Bord has got a couple of horses waiting. They're going to escape into the countryside and live a whole new life. Alice will be his wife, they'll live in obscurity, happy days. Well they'll live in obscurity, they're living with the planet's most beautiful woman. I'm going to be honest, I worry for this.

It's like saying, do you know what, I'm going to escape with Taylor Swift and live in obscurity and it'll be absolutely fine. Now this is, so they go down the river, one account I've read is that they go down the river a little bit and there's a path up over Tower Hill which is the way they're heading, right there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, the the the their their their their their their, their, their, thi. There's their, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the, to to to to to to to to to to to to to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to to th........ is th.. is, th. And, th. And, the thi, the the they, they. they. they. they. they, they's, they's, they's, they's, they's, they's, they's, they.a. they's, they is the. We's, to, the. I's, th Tower Hill, which is the way they're heading, right? There's one main kind of little path. And I'm sure we've all been for like, had a drink around Tower Hill. This is always going to be on my mind now. So that one little path up Tower Hill, the pair of them, they get off their boat, they start walking up here.

And as they're walking walking back down the path that specific moment. No! Obviously John knows them and what he does apparently... They all immediately fall in love. She's dressed as a man, she's wearing like a man's disguise, but he grabs her and kisses her okay like they're two drunk lovers just in a dark alleyway. But the guards recognize John Bord. They pull them apart and then of course they recognize Alice Tancerville

because she's been a prisoner. And they're busted. She's the world's most attractive prisoner. Yeah. I know. Sounds like a glue-ru program I'd watch. The thing... Absolutely. The thing that's been bothering me, why go up the main drag? Like, don't go up the main path. This is the most, this is the weakest point of the whole plan.

Don't be walking up that bit. But also they're, how unlucky that the other guards were walking down the path at that moment. Oh. Unless, Chris, as you say, she's so attractive, maybe he wanted to show off that he was with her a bit. So he's actually actively going down the most populated parts of London. We do need to go down Oxford Street.

We also, also we need to go past my ex's house as well. Do you mind if we just walked the the the the the the the the th. I I I I I I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I was th. I was th. I was th. I was th. I was th. I was, th. I was, th. I was, th. I was, thi, that, thi, tho. I, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th.. Oh, th... Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, thi. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, thi. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th ex's house as well. Do you mind, do you mind if we just walk past, sorry, there's a few people I was at school with lived on there. I really would love to walk that way, I don't know. A few school bullies, I'd really love them to see this. Just know that I had the last laugh. You don't need the disguise. It's fine. they were were th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho- tho that thate. tho' tho' tho' tho' tho' tho- tho- tho- tho- tho- tho- tho------------a. tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho-a tho-a. tho-a. thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo now. It's fine. Hold my hand. They were so close to freedom. But the guards recognize them. Right. You you're both going back to the tower. And John Bord must have known straight

away the guard in that moment. What's going to follow is going to be absolutely horrific. The governor, Edmund Walshingham, apparently flies into a rage once he learns about the escape attempt. Partly they think to cover his own back and straight away what he does is like right I'm gonna dish out the worst possible punishment to John Bord to just prove that this was nothing you know I know nothing about this so he puts them in the the worst cell in the Tower of London which is called Little Ease. Together? No no no, no. That's it.

I was going to say John Bord would be delighted, right? All night together. You need to be in a small cell with the world's... In this four post of bed. All these lick handles. So, little Ease? Yeah, so obviously they're separated, just to be clear. And John Bord is thrown in this cell called Little E's, and it's because it's small, tiny cell. You can't stand up or lie down in, so you're kind of stooped and you're increasing pain.

You can't lie down. You can't stand up. Then after that, this is just so bad. John Bord gets put on the rack, he's stretcheded. thaged. thaged. thired, he's stretched out, he's stretched out, he's stretched out, he's stretched out, he's stretched out, he's stretched out, he's stretched out, he's stretched out, he's stretched out, he's stretched out, he's stretched out, he's stretched out, he's stretched out, he's th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi, thi, thi, thi, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. th th th th th th thee. th thee the the the the the the the the the the the thi. thi. the thi's stretched out. I mean, that's awful until your sinews are pop in, your joints, you can well imagine. And then he is executed by hanging in chains outside the Tower of London, and his death is recorded as death by exposure. So he's just tied up in chains, slung over the wall, see you later.

Good grief, and that's after being on the rack. Can you imagine? In his confession, John Bord said, knowing for what heinous offense she, Alice, was prisoner, and what dangers were imminent upon the same, I answered that the very love and affection I bared to the woman moved and constrained me to do it and nothing else. It just loved that. Wow. What happened to her? Right.

Can you believe it? It was worse. The judge fell in love with her. She's free. He had six kids. Lovely life actually. They moved to sorry. She worked as a model.

Then ended up going into TV presenting. What happened? Yeah, I'm terribly what happened. So, Alice is executed on the first of April 1534, and it is unbelievably worse than John Bord. I don't think I've heard of this kind of execution. Right. I don't know about being executed on April, Thursday as well. I know your friends or family would believe it. I mean, this is crazy.

Until 12 or 1,000. This is crazy. This is crazy what I'm about to tell you. So do you remember John Wolf from the one million pound theft. So what's happened is that they're chained up on a tree overhanging the tems at low tide. And then the waters slowly rise over the course of many hours and they both die. It's a pirate's death. But what's interesting is, it's a spectacle for the crowd.

One of Cromwell's heavies, a guy called Thomas Hennage, rented a boat for the day so he could get a really good view. And there's also contemporary images of the execution of Alice Tankerville, and there are flotillas of little boats, water taxis, vehicles all present. People came out to watch this horrific scene hanging from a tree low tide and then they sped the pair of them slowly drowned in front of a crowd some of whom would hide boats to go to see it. It never feels to amaze me the cruelty of people of humans and what we're, as a race, what we're capable of.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it happens now, but when you read about things happening, you know, in wars and all sorts of stuff, it never fails to shock me. And so sadistic pleasure of that well. The voyeurism, the people, yeah, absolutely. It's so crazy, the idea that that would be sanctioned by the state. Yeah, but don't forget, she murdered a couple of,

well, the Italian merchants, she also tried to escape from the towel. Like, if they, she had a good case for the worst punishment of the time. Yeah right also people are always jealous of of of Hans of Hans men and pretty women. Last thing I'll leave you with on this what happened to the gold crowns and he guess they know that's in that's interesting I don't know what happened nobody knows even to this day they've never been recovered and it was worth a million a million a million a million a million a million a million a million a million a million a million a million a million a million a million a million. a million.. a million. a million. they they they they they they they they they they they they they they th. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're the the their their the even to this day, they've never been recovered. And it was worth but a million quid, isn't it? A million pounds.

There you go. Good grief. That is fascinating and also the worst thing I've ever did. Yeah. Breaking news coming in from Bet 365 where every nail biting overtime win, breakaway, pick six, three-point shot, underdog win, buzzer beat her, shootout, walk off, and absolutely every play in between is amazing. From football to basketball and hockey to baseball, whatever the moment, it's never ordinary at Bet365. Must be 19 or older, Ontario only. Please play responsibly.

If you or someone you know has concerns about gambling, visit Connects Ontario.CA. C. So this week on the show, I'm going to be talking about Al Capone a notorious Chicago gangster. I will be talking about Arnold Brain Rothstein. And first of all, I'm going to be talking to you about the infamous duo, Bonnie and Clyde. This is one of my favourite things I've researched since we've started this show. But were they real? I don't even know that much. So they were real. So Bonnie and Clyde were a real duo, a pair of gangsters essentially, or became gangsters,

who created havoc across the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. So they are, of course, in movies and in stories and books, and all these sort of stuff stuff but they were real people. So I'm going to start with a little bit about who this pair were. So Bonnie Parker was born in October 1910 in Texas and she grew up in Cement City which is a suburb of Dallas in the home of her mother, her mother was called Emma, and as a child she developed an interest in poetry, photography, this is a sort of vibe she had, but otherwise was a frustrated and lonely individual who wasn't even five foot tall. Now Ellis, have you found being unusually small has

left you feeling frustrated and lonely out of interest? How do you feel about that? Yeah, I, in a charity football match on Saturday, I missed a header and the whole crowd went, ooh, and I felt like saying, what could I have done about that? Incidentally, very briefly, that was in front of 5,000 people, is that right? Yeah. What was that like? We haven't talked about this. It's an anxiety dream.

Awful. It's an anxiety dream. . Yeah, miss, it was, it was a cross from deep, the ball bounced over me awful. Yeah, okay. Never again. Would you want to do it again to sort of like rectify the wrong? Yeah, yeah, but I'm, and I, a training begins tomorrow. Okay. And I will not let Saturday, what happened last Saturday, become the prevailing narrative.

What Mr. Klazi is you're doing a ball juggling on your right foot. So Bonnie first met Clyde, whose full name was Clyde Barrow, around January 1930 when he was just a small time criminal. Clyde, as a teenager, he hadn't sort of started out with his criminal intent. He'd attempted to enlist in the US Navy, but lingering effects from a serious boyhood injury resulted in his medical rejection, which was particularly tough for him and this is quite a choice on his part because he'd already had USN as a US Navy tattooed on his arm. Now you have to be pretty sure you're going to get a job to get the name of the company tattooed on your arm. The idea of lifting that up in an interview. Okay I'm sure you're going to give a a job in Starbucks, check this out. Football funds now for clicks will get, you know, I don't know, Tottenmotspur, Premier League

winners 2223 tattooed before the season has ended so confident they that their team is going to win the league and that obviously it doesn't happen. And they end up with lots of likes on Instagram, etc. He was doing that in the pre-click age. That was just hubris. If you had to have the name of a company that you work for and a point in your life tattooed on your arm, what would it be? What are you going for? I've actually done it, technically.

Have you? I do have a West Ham tattue. technically an employee. Yeah, what do you think? I go Safeway, who no longer, which is a supermarket chain that no longer exists in the UK. So I think it's got a sort of nostalgic quality to it. Tandy. Tandy. Wherever you work for a pipe company, didn't you, El? What was it called? Yeah, independent pipe plans limited. I didn't get the tattoo. I actually worked for two pipe companies and then I then had a bit of time at Transco and got sacked for not fitting in which I stand up in a tribunal. Yeah, but still.

In what way did he not fit in? You just hated pipes? What was it? I hated the work and my line manager's friend came into the to the toilet and I was leaning my face and I was leaning my face against the mirror muttering no no no no no to myself and he saw that turned out to my boss and within an hour I was at the door doing the same in your bathroom mirror in your own home yeah so incidentally Bonnie also had a tattoo hers was above her right knee where she had Roy and Bonnie tattooed, which was commemorating

her first married to her teenage sweetheart Roy Thornton, who by that point, if you're interested, was in prison on a murder charge. Imagine seeing that on a new suitors knee going, who's who's that? Whose name is that? Oh is your ex? Where's he? Prison for murder? Okay. Nice Nice. I think that would be the parting bit the part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part part the part the part the part the part that that that that that that. that that. that. that that. that that that. that. that. that. that that that that to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to Okay, nice knowing you. Nice. I think that would be the parting bit of information I'd need as I head for the door. Clyde, his early crimes were relatively slight. He got rejected from the Navy, started going to petty crime. He was first arrested in 1926 for car theft. After failing to return a car, he'd rented in Dallas when he was visiting in a strange high school girlfriend so small things then three weeks later he was arrested again alongside his older brother Ivan Buck Barrow for being in possession of a truck full of stolen goods do you want to try and guess what are you're the

least cool crimes what are you this so this is in 1926 is when it's happening. Cakes. What have you gone for, Chris? Cakes. Cakes. No, not cake. Something less charm in that. Pork chops.

Not far off. It was just loads of turkeys. That's what I was. You know what? I'm bizarrely almost said tookies. That would have been an incredible guess. that. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. their. their. their. th. thi. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to be. to be. to be. to be. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. What. What. What, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. C. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. What, what, what, what, what, he was in the run-up to Christmas. So that's not a joke. They were planning on selling them. But yeah, he's found with all these turkeys. That's sort of the vibe at the beginning of his criminal career.

However, he meets Bonnie. theymea. They fall for each other immediately. And when Barrow decides to form his own gang in 1932, Bonny joins. Now a brief side note on this and I think this is one of the most annoying things it could possibly happen to anyone. This is mind-blowing, okay? In January 1932, Clyde is sentenced to 14 years at East Ham prison in Texas for robbery and car theft. There prisoners had to do brutal work on notoriously tough Eastern Prison Farm. So in an effort to get himself off this work

and transfer to a less harsh prison, he intentionally severed his big toe and a portion of the second one with an axe. Okay? He cut off his own toe to get out of work? Thoughts on that? Yeah, I mean, do the time? Would you? Would you do the work on the land? Yeah. God. Especially then as well when it's, they, they, they, they, they, they, you, they, you, they, they, you, they, they, they, they, they, you, they're, they're, they're, they're, you, they're, you, you, they're, you, you, they're, you, you, they're they're they're not, the time. Would you? Yeah, would you do the work of the land? God. Especially then as well when it's like, you know, they're not popping that back on, are they? No, it was gone forever. He had a limp for the rest of his life. Thoughts on that, L?

A strangely high proportion of people saw that as a solution slash way out of things around that time. During the First World War, people shooting themselves in the foot to get out of the trenches. I just can't imagine bringing myself to do that. Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think if it was man who would work, I would just get on with it. Maybe First World War, I might actually. Now you mention it. That's prefera preferable. Preferable? You could say it was an accident? Yeah, I think I'd rather lose a toe than fighting the Somme. I think that's probably fair, isn't it? I'm too much of a natural optimist. I think I'd be like, oh, I'll be, I'll be alright though. Charge! I might win the Somme. I would go, I'm not going to chop my toe off. I'd go and fight in the soom and I'd tow tow tow tow tow tow to go. I'd to go. I'd to go. I'd to go. I'd to go. I'd to tow to tow to to tow to tow to to to to to tow to to to to to toe to the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the to the the the the to the the the tow tow tow tow tow tow tow. I tow. I to to to to to to toe to toe to tow. I toe tow tow toe toe toe toe toe. I go and fight in the some, I get trench foot and my big toe would fall off. Now I'm in the some and I don't have a big to.

Double whammy. Worst of both worlds. Now I said this is one of the most annoying things that can happen to someone. I should explain why. Because this is the bit, this is the real kicker. Without his knowledge, Barrow's mother's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo's mo' their's mo' their's mo' their's mo' their's mo' is their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. Wo'. W. their. their. the worst. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. the the the worst. the worst. the the worst. their. the the the worst. the the worst. the worst. the worst. the worst. the worst. the worst. the worst. the worst. W. W. W. W. W. W. the worst had already successfully petitioned for his release and he was paroled six days later. Oh my god. So he chopped off his toe and he didn't realize he was already up for parole it was going to be fine. That's so embarrassing. That's so embarrassing for him. That is so embarrassing for him. Terrible. It's the kind of thing you made to, your first drink as a free man after doing your time is the kind of thing you mate, your first drink as a free man after doing your time, it's a kind of thing, all your mates would say, you fucking twice. It's a great pub story though for the rest of your life, isn't it? Yeah, it is a good pub, Aichtol, actually. However, prison left him a change man and not just in the tow department, his sister Marie said something that s' have happened to him because he wasn't

the same person when he got out. And his fellow inmate, Ralph Fultz, said he watched Clyde change from a schoolboy to a rattlesnake, as a way he described it, which was definitely true. Just two years later, in 1934, when Bonnie and Clyde were killed in a final fatal shootout, they had racked up at least a dozen murders and countless other violent crimes. So they went from this petty, sort of turkey stealing thing. He goes to prison within two years, they've killed 12 people and they've gone on shootouts around the country.

It's funny how prison's like a bad system for that, isn't it? Yes, I think there was less of a rehabilitative sort of quality to prison. It's like a meeting-a-a-'s a workshop for criminals. Yeah, it's like crime finishing school. It's a place of rehabilitation but also it's a place for let's put all the worst criminals together and just see if they can inspire each other. Yeah, give each other tips. I don't think there was any real feeling for rehabilitation back then either that's the thing as well. It's also worth mentioning he had a very bad experience in the way he was treated, being assaulted and stuff like that in prison. He was found it really, really difficult. And I think that really affected him, obviously, he came out and then they committed a dozen murders in two years. But two of those

murders act as the real turning point for Bonnie and Clyde and they ensured that the days were numbered. On the first of April, 1934, at an intersection near Great Fine in Texas, two highway patrolmen stopped to aid what they thought was a motorist in need. In fact, it was Bonnie and Clyde's gang. They were lying in ambush, both officers were killed. A reward was put on the bodies of the gang members after that, not just a capture, with a thousand dollars offered and another five hundred dollars for each of Bonnie and Clyde. Now normally, as Westerns of things will show us, it's normally wanted dead or alive. You know you've screwed up when it's just wanted dead. That's what it was.

They just wanted them dead. That's what the posters were. Wanted dead. Normally there's the second option. Just the line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line. the line. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the. the. the. to. to. the. to. to. to. to. the to. the the the the. the the. the. tho. the. the. ththere's the second option. Just the line through or alive. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, screw up that. And then on the 23rd of May, 1934, which is 90 years ago this week, they were ambushed by a posse led by Texas Ranger Frank Hamer in Gibson and Louisiana. And Bonnie, this is how they described her after she been killed, she was riddled with bullets, holding machine gun, a sandwich and a pack of cigarettes.

I think it's quite impressive to be shot loads of times and still be holding your sandwich, isn't it? Quite incongruous, isn't it, among that list of items. How do you not drop your sandwich? If you're getting out of the trouble to note down she had a sandwich? Yes, good point. Imagine if it was plain ham. Plain ham, no butter. And an egg mayonnaise sandwich. Briefly, I have thought about this.

What would you want to be holding if you were killed in a shootout with the police? Uh, just a big box of milk tray, I think. People thinking, was he the milk tray, man? What a rumor? On his most dangerous mission yet. Exactly. Now, things are going to get a little bit dark now. And Bacabra, addition to this,

and one that shows quite how infamous they'd become, because they had become these huge names as they went on this spree. In the minutes after the killing, members of the scene and tried to leave with souvenirs from the bodies of the outlaws. According to Jeff Gimm's book, Go Down Together, one man tried to cut off Clydea with a pocket knife and another attempt to sever his trigger finger before the lawmen intervenes. So people come to try and lop off bits of these guys' body to keep us crinkets or probably sell on or whatever happens to be. It never fails to to to to to to to me to me to keepers crinkets or probably sell on or whatever happens to be. It never fails to amaze me how weird people can be. This is actually something that I've been thought, I've thought a lot about through history, it's like people grabbing souvenirs from bodies.

I remember reading about when Charles I was executed, when they chopped his head off, people rushed to the executioner's platform and were dabbing handkerchiefs in his blood to keep his even if it was because they thought it would bring them good luck. Really? So what's you going to do is trick a finger? Stick it on the mantelpiece. In defense of modern people, 21st century people, a common complaint you hear now on social media is when there's some awful crime being committed and say in public like in the street and it's being filmed

you'll always get thousands of comments saying oh god it's awful isn't it? So and so is happening and yet there's just a load of people filming it for social media why aren't they getting evolved it's such odd behavior chop it off someone's trigger a criminal's trigger finger as soon as he's died with your pocket knife.???? th. th. th. th. the th. th. th. th. the th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. thi, thi' thi' thi' thi' thi' thi' thi' thi' thi' thi' thi' thi, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, th. th. And, th. And th. And th. And thi's thi's thi's thi's thi's thi's thi's thi' the thi'''i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'a'a'a'a'er's thi'eped off someone's trigger, a criminal's trigger finger. As soon as he's died with your pocket knife. What sort of maniac thinks like that? I will say in their defence this was pre-Netflix and podcast, so it's got less to do. So at least you can look at the finger, give you something to look at an evening, put it in the corner of the room, the TV would be.......... Yeah, put in, put in, put in, put, put in, put, put, put, put, put in, put, they they's, they's, they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what their, what their, what their, what their, what their, what their, what their, what th... What, what th. What's, what th. What's, what's, what's, what's sort. What's sort sort sort sort sort sort. What's th. What's sort sort sort sort. they're they're they're their. they're their so somee. they're they're their some. they're sort sort sort sort sort they're so, some. they're some. they're their some. their, what's sort sort. th. the corner of the room where the TV would be. Gather the family around after supper. Should we go and look at the finger? Well, I suppose it's better than just sort of staring into the middle of distance.

Let's do that farther. That's great. People come around the house. Sometimes there are some thought processes that I just cannot relate to at all, and that is one of them. This wasn't wasn't wasn't wasn't wasn't wasn't the only wasn't wasn't the only wasn't wasn't wasn't the only wasn't the only wasn't the only wasn't the only wasn't the only wasn't the only wasn't the only the only the only the only their their their their the pair after death, it's worth saying, by sort of taking their body parts and hoping to sell them on. The Louisiana sheriff attempted to claim the bullet riddled Ford V8 sedan that they'd been killed him for himself. However, a federal judge ruled that

it has, as it had been stolen by Bonnie and Clyde, it should be returned to its former owner, someone called Ruth Warren of Topeka in Kansas. Interestingly, Warren then leased and eventually sold the car to a guy called Charles Stanley, who was an anti-crime lecturer, who then toured fairgrounds with, as he called it, the death car with the mothers of Bonnie and Clyde, into our side shows. No. Bonnie and Clyde's mums went around the country with this bullet-ridden car. And that became their job afterwards.

Their job? Yeah. So what are they doing a talk or are they just literally just... It doesn't say out. I imagine they probably would have spoken to the visitors. What, a Q&A, like I used to do do a stand-up gig because I'd run out of material. Still covered in bullet holes, the death car is now, if you're interested, on display, a whiskey, pizz resort and casino near Las Vegas in Nevada. So you can still go and see the death car now. And to finish, I think it's worth asking, did Bonnie have any sense that this might

be her fate? Well, we said she was into poetry. Two weeks before her death, she handed a poem that she'd written to her mum entitled, the trails end, which finished with this verse. Someday they'll go down together and they'll bury them side by side to few it'll be grief to the law relief but it's death for Bonnie inclined. So she did see this coming. However, that's five minutes for her mum at the Q&A. I'd absolutely kill that, that's 2019 McHuntleth Comedy Festival. Exactly.

But she was wrong and they weren't buried side by side, and this is the final point, because Bonnie's mother, who had always disapproved of her relationship with Clyde, which I can kind of see why. Had her daughter buried in a instinct. You have an instinct, do you as a parent? You just have an instinct. She had her daughter buried in a separate Dallas cemetery, he didn't want them side by side. So while Clyde was buried next to his brother Marvin, underneath a gravestone with his handpicked epitaph gone but forgotten, Bonnie, as I say, was buried elsewhere. So this dream that she had, they'd be buried side by side, did not happen because of her mother, who was

probably busy making loads, going around fairgrounds, stood like bullet-run, and riddle-all-out. What a weird life that is. Noo and Noo and Noo to no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no to the social distance sports bar and I know for a fact that Chris has seen I don't know if Thomas seen it on the 25th of September 1980, viewers of the BBC's long-running children's television programme, Blue Peter, which I was a big fan of Duncan, joined a team of Steeplejacks as they said about giving the clock face of what is now the Elizabeth Tower, formerly St Stephen's Tower, Big Ben basically, at the houses of Parliament a deep clean. Now you've seen it Chris, it is absolutely petrifying.

It's also exactly what I imagine the 70s were like. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So viewers were anxious. I watched it on YouTube quite recently because we covered it on distant pod because he's 96 meters up in the air with no safety harness of any kind and he's sat on this tiny little, a tiny small little wooden flank attached by ropes to the roof above, right? So one wrong move and Peter Duncan and his mad cameraman Butch Calderwood who doesn't get the credit he deserves, I don't think, or any of the other workers could have fallen to their death, as Duncan told reporters, it was a really hairy experience and something I wouldn't like to do again. I thought I was going to die, but it was safe really.

Wow! When I looked down, I froze. I was amazed it moved so easily. Imagine being so keen to make good telly that you're thinking I thought I was going to die but still sticking with it. Well him and John Noakes the 70s one because Noakes cleaned Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square and like just goes up a ladder in a pair of platform boots and flares and he's like yeah fine I'll clean that and it's you know hundreds of meters up it is absolutely it's down right and so this is what Duncan goes on fortunately I didn't have my own watch with me so I put it to what I thought was the right time I was surprised to see it was running four minutes slow on the dial I was on I must say I found the whole thing a bizarre sensation. I'm Bud with Heights anyway. There's a great bit when like the minute when like the

hour hand goes up his bum. It's really, really good stuff but it is great television. Is that true by the way? It's like it does brushes but it's it is honestly worth watching because the lack of safety equipment is to modernize it, chilling. It is absolutely chilling. And the thing with... It gives me the sensation of falling. You know that feeling you get? When you watch it? Yes, me too. Yeah, yeah, I had a stomachache when I was watching it. I just thought. Yeah. On the plus side, and I hope this was some solid. If he did fall, you would know the exact time of death. Yeah, the exact time of death is about four minutes before what

Big Ben says because Duncan had been fiddling with it. I'm constantly by the way, whenever anyone mentions Big Ben, try to suppress my urge to say my Big Ben fact that everyone knows about Big Ben, which is that Big Ben is actually the bell. It's the name of the Tower. But everyone, everyone calls it Big Ben. Come on! You're not getting implored its corner for that. No. I would at a primary school. If I, if I went to visit a primary school and give a talk of London, they would love that. That's my knowing. Only that guy knows that. Actually, yeah, kids. Does anyone know what Big Ben actually is it the bell? Is it. Is it. Is it. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It's. It's. It. It's. It. It. It. It. It's. It's. It. It's. It's. It's. It. It's. It's. It's. It's. Yes. Yes. actually is? Is it the bell? Is it the bell? Yes, it's the bell? All right, fine. Do your own bloody talk then. Sorry. Sorry. I won't say bloody again. Sorry, but sorry. Now, the technique involved had not changed since the early

20th century when it was first decided that the clock faces should be clean. So at that time, decision was taken not to erect scaffolding, so steeped, so steeped, so steeped, so steeped, so steeped, so steeped, so steeped, so steeped, the the to be a a a to be a to be a to be a to be a toaken not to erect scaffolding, so steeplejacks with the agility of sailors, had to use the innovative Palmer's travelling cradles instead so they were servicing the clock from above rather than below, so one of the workmen involved in installing the system recall later. With my second in command I was going below one clock face when the rope run through his hand, he lost control of his end of the cradle. When I looked at my end, I found there were just two feet of rope between us and fall of 160 feet. What? This is a thing. They're lowering Duncan down. He's enormously trusting. So, just as in the heart's going. I find that, I find height difficult to even just hear about.

So just as in 1980 with Blue Peter, newspapers were endlessly fascinated by the sight of fly-like figures on the clock face, adding that. Stiff-necks of the rule at Westminster Bridge just now for almost every passerby stops and tilts his head to a painful angle so as to watch the face of a big bend being cleaned. Small, almost fly-like figures swing in mid-air in a traveling cradle, for the train-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-up-up-up-up-up-up-up-up-up-oer-oer-oer-oer-oer, to-oer-oer-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-n. So-n. So-n. to-night-nigh-nigh-nigh-nigh-nigh-nigh-nigh. So-nigh. So-nigh. So-nigh. So-nigh. So-nigh. So-n figures swing in mid-air in a travelling cradle about the size of a matchbox, so it seems. They make tiny dabs with invisible brushes at the 400 square feet of opal glass, bear of the left, hour hand, and the 16-foot minute hand, which have been swung up and away from

the west face now being cleaned by a roughly constructed crane. Now and then they're watching crowd see the cradle swing across the great pendulum. This is not due to the wind, but to the men's own adjustment of the cradle as they shift it to another part of their work. So yeah, he's sort of kicking himself across Duncan to clean other bits. It is just mad. Yeah, bloody hell. You know, nooks is the when everyone remembers as being crazy. Duncan did some mad stuff. The one where he's on a bobsled. He's got down a bobslead about 70 miles an hour and he's trying to imagine Biddy Baxter the producer saying Peter will you go down a bobsled with only like a jumper for

safety protection? Yes. Good well you're doing it tomorrow so if you die you die. Now the steeper jacks works works on the clock to the steeper jacks who works on the clock faces in the run-up to the First World War. Servicing took place every two years, soon got used to the heights and the maneuvers involved, so much so, that they became quite adept at having their tea break and eating their lunch on the cradle. No chance.

Absolutely no chance. Wow. This is what thah. th. th. th. thi. th. they. th. th. th. th. th. thu. th. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu's. the thu's. tho. the tho. tho. their their tho. their their their to their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. too. too. too too too too too too. too too. too too too t up there all day, because it was too much of a faft to come down to eat lunch and come back. So he'd eat his whole lunch up there. He's having his lunch up there, he's smoking cigarettes up there. Although as one observer noticed, when there's a strong wind, the men have to dodge, the toware drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops drops of to to to to to their to to to to their to to to to to to to their, nothing's holding me on, there's no safety harness to speak of, and now Jeff, who's six feet above me, is dropping scalding hot tea on me. Come on!

I'd be really pushing just like orange juice with your lunch. If I think, I'm thinking it's got to be a cool drink. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. that this is a hot drink freezer. I have a fruit shoot. Do you remember that picture of the workers I think it's the Rockefeller building in New York or having their lunch? Everyone had that in like the nauties from IKEA. Yes. But I guess for them if you don't have a fear of heights, that's just a lovely way to have lunch. Yeah, as someone who does have a fear of heights, it is an anxiety dream. Now in the thirty 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30, the decision was taken to us a scaffold instead of the travelling cradles. This time to get rid of years of soot, dirt, pigeons, dead, alive or decomposing,

and to paint the hands of the clock back, to slow down discoloration of the original blue, they've since gone back to blue again. And to paint the hands of the clock blacked, to the to the the to their, their, their, to their, their, their, their, their, their, to, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, theirms, theirms, their, their, theirse. And, theirms, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, the, the, toge, toge, toge.a, toge, toge, toge, toge, toge, toge, toge, toge, toge, toge, toge, t since gone back to blue again. So the scaffold allowed the team to welcome guests to the servicing work including Prince George, the Duke of Kent, he went up and had a look. From a modern health and safety perspective this was no less anxiety-inducing than the traveling cradle used by Peter Duncan's was a journalist for the newspaper put it. During the ascentcentcentcentcentcentcentcentcent, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the toe of toe, the the toe, toe, toe, tooom, tooom, tooom, their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their te, te, te, te, te.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e. te.e.e.e. te. te. te. te. te During the ascent the printer to climb up steep ladders from which when glancing down he could see nothing between himself and the ground. In many places the scaffolding upon which he had to walk consisted only of a couple of clanks. Get out of it. Wow. You're the bloody, you're Prince George, you're the Duke of Kent.

You know, say you've got to go to a corporate event., a corporate event. You've got to open a little. Yeah. It's self-bought. So are you saying within Big Benet is essentially just planks, you know, that's all it is, but just saving you from a drop. It's as simple and rude of entry as that. Yeah, yeah, very simple scaffolding. Oh my goodness, may. So fast forward to 1980 then. So by this the work the work the work the work the work the work the work the work the work the work the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, the, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's. that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, th. th. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. to to the. to the. to to the. to that's the. that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's the. to 1980 then. So by this time the work was undertaken by Terry and Reg Dossal of Harlow in Essex. They are on Peter Duncan's video. They'd come back to the traveling cradle system and were able to clean all four clock faces in just five days, for which they were paid. As the Daily Mirror report at the time, 800 quid, or 3,328 pounds today, that's not enough. Not enough. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah The fee had been a mere 30 quid in 1906 or

735 pounds in 1980 or 3,057 pounds today, so it's gone up slightly even when you account for inflation Imagine cleaning I know obviously it's inflation, but imagine cleaning big bear in the clock face and then be given 30 quid. Thank you. I'd go up there and make it dirty again. I'd be so livid. I would take my lunch or whatever I hadn't finished and Ken's tea and I'd throw it across the clockface. Hang on it. Has he been rubbing kick-cuts into the clockfist of Big Ben? What is that? I've ever told you I used to work in an office and the guy who ran the office was like it was quite tight so like

the cleaner wouldn't come like before everyone would start working the office, he would turn up in the middle of the day and the cleaner's name was Keith and we used to call him a dirt and we used to call him a dirtier because he would turn up turn turn turn turn turn turn he turn turn he he he he he he he he he he he he w turn turn turn turn turn turn turn turn turn the the the to to the to to to the to to to to to to the to to to the the the the the to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th tho thooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. to the the the the the the the with these dirty rags and wipe everything down but he would leave more dirt after the wiping than was there prior to it. And we just say, we must be the only company to have hide a dirtier. Keith a dirtier. And he'd have a catchphrase which was, you're alright, it's the rest of them every day. I like that. I like that. I quite like that. Still, the feet of Peter Duncan, the title of Daredevil and he readily established himself as the worthy successor to his predecessor, Christopher Wenner, who had sailed down the side of television centre May 1979 and then went off to become a war correspondent and to

Brup Peter's original Action Man. original action man, I mean, made such entertaining television, but my God, he had nerves of steel, John Knox. Mad. Absolutely incredible. And I guess I still clean it now, don't they? Yeah. It's controversial. It's a lot of work cleaning those hands and all the numbers and stuff.

Is it time to change it to a digital thing? Which could be sprayed from the ground with a hose. Yeah, and then it's the the the then it's the the thiiii thi thi thi thi's thi's thi's thi's thi's thi. thi's thi. thi's thi. thi. thi's thi. thi's thi' thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the thiiiii. the the the the thi. thi. the thi. thi. thi. thi Which could be sprayed from the ground with a hose. Yeah, and then it's done. It's like a big iPhone. It's mad that Blue Peter could have been the first big health and safety incident in TV and maybe Bobby Davro wouldn't have fallen off the story from those stocks or a few years later. Crazy to think. That Bobby Davaro video still being used in health and safety videos of the BBC. That is, I think, the most nightmarish example of health and safety. Oh, terrifying. I mean, they put the man in stocks. If you haven't seen it, don't go watch it. Yeah. It's on YouTube, if you really see it. But Bobby Davor put in stocks and at a TV show, had his trouser, and at TV show, had had had had had had had had plunges off the stage headfirst because the stocks, like he's literally in stocks that are not well put together.

It's the way Lionel Blair goes, oh Bobby, oh Bobby, no. Oh Bobby. Oh no, Bobby, no. If you've always wondered what Lionel Blair would look like in a crisis. There's your answer. There's your answer. There you go, that's the end. Part two of our best ovs, we'll be back next week for the third and final part in the trilogy, in our best of trilogy.

That's coming up next week and then we're back properly the week after that, having been refreshed by a little break. So, if you want the the the the to to to to to thu more more more more more more more more to th. thu more thu more thu thu thu thu thu thu thu thu thu that thu that that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's th. that's that's to to to that. that. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's th. that's that's th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. the. the the the th. the the. the the. theananan. th. th. th. the. that's that's the. that having been refreshed by a little break. So if you want even more O What a Time and we've just put out right now in the past week or so we have released our massive fourth part mega bonus mammoth episode so you might remember for months and months we'll be doing fourth parts for subscribers of every episodes all all those parts been mashed together into one massive long episode. And if you want to get that episode, you can become an O'Water Time full-timer, just go to O'Water Time. to the.com and you can subscribe and get that. It's like basically like it's like an audio fatberg, isn't it? That's a massive blob, but it's a massive blob but it's not full of horrible th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's thi. It's thi. It's thi, it's not thi, it's not thi, it's not thi, it's not thi, it's not thi, it's not thi, it's thi, it's thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's thi, thi, thi, thi, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. It's thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. It's thi. It's thi. thi. thi. thi. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi 't want, it's just full of gold and sweet loveliness.

A gold. It's the world's best fat work. Also, if you have any ideas for episodes you'd like us to do when we return in proper form, do email the show on Hello at What Time. And we look forward to seeing you guys soon. Bye. and we look forward to seeing you guys soon. Bye! I the