Museums n'That
Museums n'That
Stuffed with a partridge – AHA!
Surprise! It's about time we treated you to another spesh, and when better to treat you than at Christmas.
Visitor Assistant Steve Scholey pulls out all the festive stops in this episode, which was recorded at the effortlessly Christmassy Temple Newsam. Find out what the rapscallions that lived there did to celebrate the season 500 years ago - yule logs were real logs, guys - and listen to us, the modern day rapscallions, eat some delicious Ecclefechan tarts. Ecclefechan.
We also get shouted at by around 30 young children. Merry Christmas, gang!
Listen, subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all the usual podcast suspects.
Moderator1: Welcome to this extra special Christmas episode of the Museums n'That podcast, where each episode we have a chin wag and serve you the steaming hot tea on the things that museum people love the most.
Moderator2: We're your hosts Meg and Sara from Leeds Museums and Galleries and we get to know the people behind the objects by asking them the questions that you really want to know.
Moderator1: I'm sorry I was just looking up at that painting over there, there's literally this painting of, like, someone's, like, inner trap door and you can see just like arms coming up.
Moderator2: Which one?
Moderator1: That's literally how I feel all the time.
Moderator2: Oh that one. Is that Jesus?
Moderator1: Is it, just, like, a pair of arms just, like, asking for help buried underground.
Moderator2: Yes.
Moderator1: Anyway, how are you? Happy Christmas.
Moderator2: Happy Christmas Meg.
Moderator1: Best Christmas festive greetings to you Sara.
Moderator2: Yes, I'm absolutely fine, you know, it's Christmas, here we are. (talking over each other 00.53).
Moderator1: Kids are coming in.
Moderator2: Yes.
Moderator1: We just have loads of little kids coming through, little ants. I find kids really funny.
Moderator2: Yes.
Moderator1: Oh big old doors in this place.
Moderator2: It's huge isn't it, I was just looking, that's wide door.
Moderator1: Anyway Sara where are we?
Moderator2: We are in Temple Newsam.
Moderator1: It's definitely the grandest room that we've ever recorded in.
Moderator2: Absolutely.
Moderator1: And very fitting, grand old time of year isn't it? We decide to record this basically because we have been a little bit delayed in getting out the new series.
Moderator2: Hey, we've been really busy.
Moderator1: We've been really busy and also, we've got some really, really good guests lined up and then, do you know the bloody rail strikes and all sorts just trying to get all over to them, so it's just been a bit delayed, so hopefully this is just going to tide you over because you've been craving us, you know.
Moderator2: Good tidings.
Moderator1: Good tidings, good tidings, very good. So normally we ask each other what the best thing from our week is but I feel like we need to put a Christmas spin on it.
Moderator2: Right, okay.
Moderator1: What in the last week have you done that's made you feel Christmassy?
Moderator2: Went to a, like, a Christmas market thing at Sunny Bank Mills.
Moderator1: Oh yes.
Moderator2: Yes, that was nice.
Moderator1: Get anything nice?
Moderator2: Yes, got some Christmas cards.
Moderator1: Get any presents for your secret Santa?
Moderator2: Nope, just bought things for myself.
Moderator1: Lovely.
Moderator2: What about you, what have you done recently?
Moderator1: I bought a Christmas tree yesterday.
Moderator2: Did you?
Moderator1: And I was really sad because normally I like getting a wonky one, I think they're funny and I got home and I was like, 'It's a bit straight, that's really annoying.' But then I put it up and turns out that it's my floor that's wonky, so actually every Christmas tree is wonky and I'm really happy about it so I'm going to go home and decorate it tonight.
Moderator2: That's nice.
Moderator1: Yes. Speaking of Christmas who have we got on today?
Moderator2: Today Meg we have Steve Scholey who is visitor assistant here at ye olde Temple Newsam.
Moderator1: Shout out to Temple Newsam, God, I literally love it so much, it's so Christmas isn't. Like, it's nice all the time but at Christmas when it's all decorated, like, we were walking up here and they've just got, like, there's Christmas trees, wreath. garlands, like, everything. It's definitely like Christmas energy, isn't it?
Moderator2: Properly is, it really lends itself to a little bit of Christmas foliage.
Moderator1: This time a year. So yes, we've got Steve on to come and talk about Christmas' at Temple Newsam, it's like 500 years old so there's probably been quite a few of them.
Moderator2: Quite a few stories.
Moderator1: Yes. Few going on here. Christmas objects it is just (talking over each other 03.07). Christmas food. Steve's also just FYI basically Alan Partridge.
Moderator2: Yes.
Moderator1: He literally makes Alan Partridge references all the time and he has got a radio show and I just feel like he's literally Alan partridge and I love it so much.
Moderator2: Yes, yes, yes.
Moderator1: And he loves Alan Partridge.
Moderator2: Yes, it's a perfect marriage.
Moderator1: Yes. So merry sweet Christmas to everyone, I hope you enjoy this little gift that we're about to give you which may or not be a gift, but enjoy this Christmas special episode of Museums n'That.
Moderator2: I think this is the nicest room we've recorded in.
Moderator1: I actually can't believe-, I'm having a bit of a moment I'm not going to lie, I feel like Temple Newsam was the first, like Leeds Museums and Galleries, like, site that I went to when I was at uni and I'm here.
Steve: Podcasting, who'd have thought it.
Moderator1: In a room.
Steve: Yes, it's beautiful isn't it.
Moderator1: Do you ever get tempted though, right this is one of those intrusive thoughts where I've just looked out the window and I've thought if there were people out there and you just, like, do a Jonathan Creek and be like, 'Ah, help me.' And pretend you were a ghost?
Moderator2: Steve, have you ever had an encounter with a ghost here?
Steve: That's a good question. There's been weird things that have happened, but I haven't seen a ghost.
Moderator1: Has anyone been murdered at Temple Newsam?
Steve: Yes.
Moderator1: Who?
Steve: 1704 there was a young girl that worked here called Phoebe Grey and she was a servant and this particular evening she'd been summoned by the nanny to fetch some milk to the children who were at the top of the house in the nursery and as she was walking back down the stairs, she encountered another servant called William Collinson and from all accounts he was a really loathsome character. We don't really know what lead up to this attack but what we do know is that he attacked her on the stairs, do you know the stone stairs at the other side of the house?
Moderator1: Yes.
Steve: And suffocated her to death on the stairs, dragged her body down into the scullery and he threw her down the well, disappeared, yes. So they found Phoebe the following day and I understand that they caught William in York and he was eventually hanged for the murder.
Moderator1: Gosh.
Steve: Yes, so yes there has.
Moderator2: Did he really just-,(talking over each other 05.16)
Moderator1: Very massive lactose intolerant really hated milk.
Steve: That must be it. It was one of the children yes, getting their revenge.
Moderator1: (talking over each other 05.22), I don't even like milk actually.
Steve: No. But whenever I tell the story to anybody people pre-empted the fact that there's going to be this incident, that they always assume that she got tipped over the railings and feel to her death which is almost a better story isn't it really. I might change it, humanely put to sleep on the stairs.
Moderator1: Sorry Steve, we've not even asked our first question of you which is really important, which is who the flip are you?
Steve: I've been asking myself the same question for years. I'm Steve and-,
Moderator1: I'm Steve, it's me.
Steve: This is the bit where I have to stand up and acknowledge my problems, I'm Steve and. Yes, so I'm a visitor assistant here at Temple Newsam, I've been here for ten years which is remarkable really, when I started working here, I was doing history degree at the time and it was just a part time job. And I'll be honest with you, you know, I never really visited places like this before, it wasn't my thing, I saw this advertised, I was actually a driving instructor at the time unbelievably and that was so hard to make money at that point. So I needed something else to supplement it and I saw this and thought, 'That's perfect.' About eighteen hours a week and realised that actually I much, much, much prefer working here than I did in anything else at all. So I've been doing that for ten years, sort of, full time now and doing various other duties, duty managing and things, but yes, so effectively a visitor assistant, I'm here to make sure people have a nice time when they come visit Temple Newsam.
Moderator1: Are you having a nice time Sara?
Moderator2: I'm having a wonderful time, thank you, thank you foe asking.
Steve: It's all subjective though isn't it, you know, it depends on what you-,
Moderator2: Well it is.
Steve: What would you be doing otherwise?
Moderator2: Do you know what my mum asks me that, 'What would you be doing if we weren't here?' This but not have you ask me.
Moderator1: This but I'd be much more relaxed.
Moderator2: No, no I do love it and I don't know I feel very fortunate to be able to be in a space like this in amongst this history, none of which I really understand but I enjoy it anyway.
Moderator1: What is Temple Newsam just for anyone who doesn't know?
Moderator2: What is it, to any of these mugs who don't know, no I'm joking.
Steve: Get yourself here. Well a lot of people perhaps don't know what Temple Newsam, a lot of people are really familiar with Temple Newsam as a park and farm, maybe they've got fond memories of visiting the farm when they were little and maybe aware that there's this great big house stuck in the middle of the park. So I work primarily in the house, so it's a Tudor Jacobi and country house really, the oldest part of the house, the central wing of the house goes back to about 1500 and the chap that actually built it in about 1500 he was quite close to King Henry the 7th and Henry the 8th. But he was a Catholic so obviously things didn't fair too well for Catholics during Henry the 8th's reign.
Moderator1: Gosh he loved a disillusion didn't he?
Steve: There you go. Clang, she's dropped that, perfect, yes dissolve those monasteries. And he rebelled against the disillusion of the monasteries and various other things and for that he was taken to the farm.
Moderator1: Did you just say he was put to sleep?
Steve: He was put to sleep, he was taken to the farm and humanely destroyed.
Moderator1: My favourite in Temple Newsam is that bit of brick.
Steve: The bits of brick, (talking over each other 08.36). You're telling me something I don't even know, I've never seen this though.
Moderator1: You know the brick.
Steve: Do I?
Moderator1: Yes, the brick that's got the stag head on it.
Steve: Oh yes, yes that is amazing. Well that yes, that's great because when you're walking through those bedrooms, they look very much like this, you know, sort of, Georgian rooms and then you get the section which has been removed to reveal the old brick world and literally pencilled onto the wall there's a stags head and the stag is the crest of Darcy family. So it just reminds visitor as they're walking round that it is super old, there is a lot of history to it. And then after he was executed by Henry the house was actually taken by the crown and it was given to Henry the 8th's niece who was Margaret Lenox and she had two children, Charles Stuart and the most famous person connect with Temple Newsam Henry Darnley. You do get a lot of visitors that walk in and go, 'I didn't know Darnley was born here.' So he married Mary Queen of Scots and the father of King James, so super connected.
Moderator1:
It's the best thing. (talking over each other 09.39)
Steve: It is a good thing, I wish I'd thought of that actually yes, it is a good one, yes. The wallpapers crazy though in that room isn't it.
Moderator1: Speaking of other things that have been found so my best thing, you know, how everyone has little things that the geek out about museums my thing is, like, things like that that are, like, hidden in the walls or like hidden messages. You know sometimes you have, like, witches' marks, (TC 00:10:00) I think Angela came on series two or three to talk about that on Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust and there's another one at Temple Newsam, like, maybe in the room before under the wallpaper, like, the paper who papered the wall in the Victorian times left a note or something like that, is that right?
Steve: Yes, that's right there's a lot of that little marks and notes and things, so I think the one you're referring to is in the blue striped bedroom and it was under the wallpaper, and it was a note from I think it was like the 1820s where they were talking about what they'd done, the name of the company that had actually papered the room. And then maybe 50 years later the same company but obviously different generation had come along, and they said, 'I'd wish they'd done this job back in the 1820s because it's an absolute bugger of a job.' So that's there, sort of, underneath the wallpaper which is really sweet.
Moderator1: Isn't that so nice?
Steve: Yes, and then if you go into the roof voids there's things scratched into the wood, like in the old beams because I mean up there it's a whole warren of, sort of, like the attic and all the original beams and it's amazing. So people have scratched their names into that and the dates and there's all kinds of things hidden away.
Moderator1: Can we go up there?
Steve: Absolutely, I wouldn't advice it dressed as you are though it's dusty.
Moderator1: I am wearing white jeans.
Steve: It's the worst thing.
Moderator2: I'm alright.
Moderator1: yes, I reckon I'd be alright. (talking over each other 11.12)
Steve: I tend to when I've been up-, when I started working here, I went up there and I'm thinking, 'This is amazing.' But I could hardly walk when I got out because there's so many beams and various and these little fire doors you've got to try and squeeze through, it's like an assault course.
Moderator1: Oh okay, not good for claustrophobia then?
Steve: It'll cure your claustrophobia. If you make it to the other side, you're fine, your sorted.
Moderator2: I'll do it, it's fine.
Steve: But I go up and I come out looking like I've been detonated in an explosion.
Moderator2: It's the authentic experience.
Steve: Dust everywhere, cobwebs hanging from my ears. Ian Martin the ASDO he's pristine at all time, well-manicured, well turned out, I've literally followed him through, I've followed the same path and he comes out absolutely spotless and I'm just filthy.
Moderator1: Maybe Ian's a ghost?
Steve: Maybe he is a spirit.
Moderator2: Are you feeling Christmassy Steve?
Steve: I love Christmas it's my favourite time.
Moderator1: Is it?
Steve: Yes, I love it. I'm really bizarre in as much I really don't like the summer, when it gets to autumn, I always love this time of year and working somewhere like this it's super atmospheric, you know-,
Moderator2: It suits Christmas doesn't it Temple Newsam?
Steve: Yes, oh absolutely.
Moderator2: So many Christmas trees all over.
Moderator1: I mean I just love a season, but I am a summer, spring, summer.
Steve: Yes, yes, yes it's good to have the mix that's why I like living in this country for all its faults.
Moderator1: I'm not big on Christmas, you're going to have to sway us this episode Steve.
Steve: Can I ask what is it about Christmas you don't like then, has this been something from when your sister told you there was no Santa, has it stemmed from that?
Moderator2: Bitter.
Steve: Yes, really bitter.
Moderator1: Yes, no well I think for me, so my parents are divorced and then my dad's-, I've got just lots of different facets of family, so I have to have like three Christmas' within my own family and it's just it gets a lot around that time of year, it just feels a bit like it shouldn't be because it's nice to see everyone but it's a bit like a chore really.
Steve: There's a lot of obligation isn't there at Christmas time I get that.
Moderator2: I think that's it.
Moderator1: During COVID I think the Christmas of 2020 when you could, like, only pick one other group of people to have Christmas with that ended up being my friend Tim from uni who does our theme tune for the podcast, we went to his house and it was just, like, the best Christmas because it was just, like, getting drunk all day long not having to worry about it, just friends Christmas.
Steve: What's the earliest you, sort of, think it's acceptable to start drinking Christmas day?
Moderator1: 9am, bucks' fizz. (talking over each other 13.26) Champagne all day, you get a hangover at, like, 3pm have sleep.
Steve: Right, but that's the Queen's, well the King's speech isn't it.
Moderator1: Oh God.
Moderator2: All the more reason.
Steve: You need to be upstanding for the King.
Moderator2: Or lying down.
Moderator1: What are they going to do are they going to have, like, the King's speech and then have the film The King's Speech on?
Moderator2: I hope so, if someone hasn't programmed that in.
Moderator1: Tuning in to the wrong one.
Steve: He may stammer all the way through it in homage.
Moderator1: I watched the England game on Sunday, actually I watched half of it because I fell asleep, but at the beginning I was watching them singing the national anthem-,
Steve: Had you been drinking all day Meg?
Moderator1: No, the day before. And I watched them singing the national anthem and Phil Foden sang god save the Queen and I was like, 'Dude come on, it's been a while now.'
Steve: It's engrained though isn't it, it's in there.
Moderator1: Anyway, maybe to help us feel Christmassy we should have some of these treats you've brought us?
Steve: Yes, let's do it, okay.
Moderator1: Okay, we've been recording for such a long time we haven't even got on to half of the stuff.
Steve: It's ridiculous isn't it.
Moderator2: Right, but you need to pronounce them.
Steve: Oh we're going for those first? Okay, let's do this first of all, okay. So these are taste the difference, other brand are available aren't they, Ecclefechan Tarts.
Moderator2: Yes, I'm not having that, what is that?
Steve: It's filled will currant, almonds and cherries. Ecclefechan it sounds German.
Moderator1: It does, yes.
Steve: Can we Google it?
Moderator1: Sure.
Steve: It sounds like an awful lot of noise being made through these headphones.
Moderator1: I like it though.
Moderator2: It's authentic, it's crunchy.
Moderator1: Crunchy noise.
Moderator2: Do you know what I'm 100% not going to like this but I'm going to try it anyway.
Moderator1: Is it marzipan, you don't like marzipan.
Steve: I don't think there's marzipan.
Moderator2: I'll try it, I'll try it.
Moderator1: Wait hang on here we go, here we go.
Moderator2: I can't say I don't like it if I haven't tried it.
Moderator1: Cheers.
Steve: (talking over each other 15.07) do you have any allergies?
Moderator1: No.
Steve: Just Ecclefechan?
Moderator2: Alright so Ecclefechan it meant small church, but when Gaelic swept through the area it derived from 7th century St Fechan of Fore.
Moderator1: Oh I'm into that it's like-,
Steve: You need some champagne to wash that down at this time don't you.
Moderator2: They're Scottish.
Steve: A bit dry.
Moderator1: It's like a Stollen in a tart.
Moderator1: Mate I'm actually well into that.
Steve: Not bad at all, there are mice pies if you want a mince pie.
Moderator1: I'm into this actually for now.
Steve: Do you want a mince pie chaser perhaps?
Moderator2: A mince pie chaser.
Steve: I've also got Christmas crackers as well.
Moderator2: Oh Steve.
Moderator1: I'm excited, does that mean we get to wear a hat.
Steve: Yes.
Moderator2: Aww let's put our hats on.
Steve: Ready?
Moderator1: Okay, one, two, three. Woo.
Moderator2: Aww I didn't get any.
Steve: God that sounded amazing in the headphones.
Moderator1: Right Steve's the winner of Christmas cracker (talking over each other 16.00).
Steve: Really because I believe and there's something to colour in if you want.
Moderator2: Aww I'm feeling Christmassy now. Wait what was the joke?
Steve: Is there a joke, oh yes.
Moderator2: What do angry mice send to each other at Christmas?
Steve: Something to do with cheese.
Moderator2: Cross mouse cards.
Moderator1: That's good.
Moderator2: That's actually really funny, cross mouse cards.
Steve: That's actually the best one I've heard actually, I like that.
Moderator2: Really good.
Steve: How did Mary and Joseph know that Jesus was seven pound six ounce when he was born? They had a weigh in a manager.
Moderator2: Oh yes, really good, where's yours?
Moderator1: I don't know.
Steve: This is the sort of quality you get from Sainsbury's.
Moderator1: What do snowmen wear on their heads?
Moderator2: I was literally about to say hat.
Moderator1: Ice caps. (inaudible 16.46)
Steve: Do you think there's a stigma attached to people that guess the punchlines before the punchline's delivered?
Moderator1: I think the stigma is (talking over each other 16.55).
Moderator2: Steve, 500 years of Christmas' at Temple Newsam which one would you go to?
Steve: I would probably go to the Christmas of 1745, very specific year.
Moderator2: Extremely specific, yes, wow.
Moderator1: I couldn't even tell you what happened in 1745, do you know what happened in 1745?
Moderator2: I have no idea, no, enlighten us.
Steve: Well, enlighten you, well the big news is that the picture gallery at Temple Newsam has recently been completed that year, the 7th Viscount has pulled his finger out, he's pulled his wallet out and he's spent big, and he's created the beautiful picture gallery. So before 1745 it was one long room, it had wood cladding, it was falling down. There's a letter in the archives where he's describing this room because he's just inherited the house, it's a huge drain on finances (talking over each other 17.47) I know, and he's talking about, you know, the ceiling's caving in, the floor's falling apart and he's going to have to spend money and create what you see today. So what a place for a party, so I'm thinking the Christmas of 1745 would be a good one or something in the 20s would be nice as well, I imagine the 20s would be really good.
Moderator1: I reckon in 1745 it would be pretty chilly.
Steve: It would be, but yes, you could wrap up though to a lot of wool I would imagine, probably.
Moderator1: Some safe fires.
Steve: Do you think they had Christmas sweaters back in the 1740s?
Moderator1: Sara's wearing a really good one today.
Steve: I have clocked it, it's really nice.
Moderator1: Go on Sara, tell everyone.
Moderator2: It's inspired by Peep Show, it is Merry Christ Mark because they make a joke about the fact that they forget a Christmas turkey but it is just a joke and-,
Steve: It is an amazing scene.
Moderator2: And Mark get's really, really wound up that Jeremy-,
Moderator1: It was a Christmas joke. (talking over each other 18.42)
Steve: There's a lot of expletives in that scene which we can't-, (talking over each other 18.44) yes, but it's amazing. I love the bit when Jeremy's presenting the present to Mark on the bed and he's just not (talking over each other 18.51) he says, 'Well in our family we, sort of, try a little bit.' You know, (talking over each other 18.54) to quite a lot of effort.
Moderator1: If we're going back to 1745 or there thereabouts what sort of thing would be eaten at Temple Newsam at Christmas, what do you reckon? I reckon lots of meat.
Steve: Meat heavy.
Moderator2: Yes, yes.
Steve: Because they've got the money this is the thing, I mean obviously you've got to remember meat and sugar these are luxurious so you'd only be having these if you've got the money.
Moderator2: Yes, yes yes, they genuinely are as well, they're so good.
Steve: Thing about Christmas is a lot of the things that we enjoy, and we do today have got their origins in the Tudor period and earlier than that as well there's loads of things, I mean like the Yule Log for example.
Moderator2: Oh God it's good isn't it.
Steve: A good chocolate Yule Log, of course it wasn't originally chocolate.
Moderator1: I'm not mad about chocolate Yule Log I wouldn't take it I'd leave it.
Steve: No, because I think it goes back to, like, Viking times way back, but certainly from the Tudor period people used to chop down a tree Christmas Eve, drag it inside, lay it on the hearth.
Moderator1: Don't eat that.
Steve: Don't eat the log. Hard times though, you know, anything for fun.
Moderator2: Wait, when you say Yule Log?
Steve: Yes, literally a log.
Moderator2: Well like an actual log?
Steve: Yes, big old hunk of wood.
Moderator1: And then someone went, (TC 00:20:00) 'This would be better in chocolate.'
Steve: Yes.
Moderator2: Oh really?
Steve: yes, well yes, this is the other interesting thing so even during the Tudor period 90% of people lived and worked in the countryside, so a lot of these traditions really stemmed from that period of time. But then during the industrial revolution and afterwards people started to move towards the cities and the towns, and they were expected to work longer as well, these traditions really fell. So I suppose really the idea of bringing a log from the sticks and you bring it into your house I something you'd associate with the countryside I would imagine, so maybe as time goes on they're like, 'Well we'll still keep the tradition a live but we'll just turn it into a big old chocolate log.' I imagine that's where it comes from yeah.
Moderator2: Yes, I actually never knew that it was a real log.
Steve: Yes.
Moderator2: No.
Steve: And they dressed it with ribbons, and I think maybe foliage and things like that.
Moderator2: Really?
Steve: Yes, yes.
Moderator2: But then they set it on fire?
Steve: Set it on fire, it was, sort of, to keep the-, you've got to remember, sort of, like, the darkest period of the yea, middle of December, you've got the winter solstice and especially if you're living in the country as well it must feel very remote and disconnect from people, so having something to remind you that there's light and that there's some hope and that actually the spring will return it's a nice thing to have. So it's all very symbolic as a lot of these things really are, but of course, they're really Pagan traditions before Christianity came along, there's a lot of things which we're Pagan.
Moderator2: Yes. Would the house of been-, so like today it's really decorated very beautifully with, like, Christmas trees and stuff and everything that we would recognise as Christmas decorations, would it have been decorated as heavily as this, like, by the Tudors?
Steve: No, I don't think so, the Christmas trees would have been much later, so they really came really in the Victorian period into this country, so it was a German tradition. And I think it was 1844 I believe there was a newspaper in London that published an image of Victoria and Albert and the children dressing the Christmas tree and it was really from that point on that people caught on to that idea of a Christmas tree. But the idea of bringing foliage and bringing greenery into your house again goes way, way back I mean probably predates Tudor period, probably, sort of, more like your Pagan stuff again the idea of having something to remind you of the life outside and that there's going to be a return to that. So they have, like, the kissing bow which is a bit like a wreath it had like, you know, the holly and the ivy and mistletoe and that idea of kissing underneath the mistletoe originates from that as well. So it probably wouldn't look quite as festive as this in the Tudor period, but big on food which was your question wasn't it actually, I completely yes.
Moderator1: Yes, yes (talking over each other 22.28). I did a little bit of research and I want to know if everyone knew what was in a Tudor pie?
Steve: Oh that's a good one. Do you know the answer to this because I thought I did.
Moderator1: Yes.
Steve: Right you tell me if I'm correct. So my understanding of the Tudor pie is that you've got a turkey stuffed with a goose, stuffed with chicken, stuffed with partridge, aha, stuffed with pigeon.
Moderator1: Yes.
Moderator2: Mate I was watching him tick those of then like, 'Wow, Steve knows his stuff.'
Moderator1: That's really good, also sounds absolutely horrendous.
Steve: You're going to get the sweats.
Moderator1: I just don't know that you ever need that many meats stuffed into other meats.
Steve: It's decadent. Wouldn't you just have sprouts?
Moderator2: Yes.
Steve: Did they not know sprouts were just as good?
Moderator1: I have sprouts all year long, like, I literally have them, like, at least twice a week (talking over each other 23.22), they're so delicious.
Moderator2: They are good.
Moderator1: Sprout salad.
Steve: Sprout salad, yes. I'm going to try the Marmite thing. And then a lot of sweets as well, I would say, sort of, sugar would have been typically more expensive and harder to come by than meat would have been, so anything marzipan that type of thing would have been-,
Moderator2: Do you like marzipan, I feel like it's a love or hate type of thing?
Steve: A huge cake covered in marzipan no. A friend of mine baked the most amazing pudding the other week we had a little dinner party at mine, and we had it was a fruit cobbler and she'd hidden little bits of marzipan in it so then every now and again you got the marzipan hit.
Moderator1: Yes, no that sounds great actually.
Steve: It was good, so it was subtle but it was there.
Moderator1: Yes. Are there any good, like, Christmassy stories from Temple Newsam?
Steve: Well this is the Blue Lady story that I thought I would mention because this was a Christmas story and a lot of people that are familiar with Temple Newsam may know of the Blue Lady, we get visitors all the time that ask about the Blue Lady, a lot of children that ask about her too. So the story and it's a true story, I mean obviously there's a ghostly element to it, but it is routed in fact. So Mary Ingram was the granddaughter of Sir Arthur Ingram, Sir Arthur Ingram his family were from this area, from Rothwell, they weren't a noble family, they weren't a hugely wealthy family, but they'd moved down to London and made a fortune in the 1600s down in London. And Arthur Ingram moved back north in 1622 and purchased Temple Newsam for £12,000 in 1622 and he lived here so it's his family. So his granddaughter visited frequently, Mary, and one particular weekend, this I you know, sort of, in the early December she'd been visiting a party at Barrick not too far from here and she was returning back to the house, sort of, middle of winter, dark, rain was lashing down. And she was coming through the trees, so if you stand with your back to Temple Newsam and you look across the field you see all the trees and you see that little avenue, the east avenue and she was on the east avenue and all of a sudden from out of nowhere burst a highwayman and robbed her of her jewellery, her pearls, her diamonds, everything. And she was quite a nervous young girl, and she was only fourteen at the time, very, very badly shaken and her servants and her maids were around her, they picked her up and they cleaned her down, brought her back to the house and put her to bed. And the next morning when she woke up she had absolutely no memory at all as what had happened the previous evening, she couldn't really remember the party, she couldn't remember the journey back and she certainly did not remember being attacked by these highwaymen. But what she did know is that her jewellery was missing, her pearls and her diamonds and things, so she accused the servants of stealing from her and they said, 'No, no, of course, you were robbed last night, you must remember?' And she didn't remember so she began to search high and low for these pearls, and she was pulling the floorboards up and unpicking the stitching in the cushions to try and find these of course to no avail. And this went on for about three weeks, as I say it was, sort of, over the Christmas period and she sadly died age fourteen.
So we don't really know what she died of it could have been, like, a post-traumatic stress or it could have-, she had a bang on the head like a slow haemorrhage who knows. And that was the end until about 110 years ago when the last owner of Temple Newsam was sitting in one of the bedrooms, in the gothic room in fact where the painting is of Mary. And again, sort of, middle of winter and he was sitting, fire was roaring away, and he was reading a book by the fireplace, and something caught his eye and he looked up and he saw the ghost of Mary Ingram walking through the wall searching for these pearls and just disappeared out the other side and he christened her the Blue Lady of Temple Newsam. It's where the origins are from Edward Wood, Lord Halifax a that point, so that was a Christmassy one, so.
Moderator2: I never knew that was Christmas.
Steve: A lot of people seem to report strange goings on, sort of, this time of the year, sort of, connected with the Blue Lady, so yes I've yet to see her, but.
Moderator1: Poor Mary. How do you find out stuff like that is it just from, like, reports of like he would have told someone or he would have written it down in a diary or something?
Steve: I think Edward Wood actually published a book of ghost stories, he was quite keen which, you know, you could think, 'Is he just making these stories up?' Which is quite possible he is.
Moderator2: I'd buy it.
Steve: Absolutely, as everybody is, but a lot of things do get handed down, sort of, orally, the oral tradition there's no question about that. And there are stories about visitor assistants and, sort of, museum staff in the early days when the house was first bought by the council and opened as a museum, there wasn't an awful lot in the house because the contents were actually sold off in 1922. 90% of the things that you see in the house today weren't here so it was an empty shell, so the visitor assistants and staff had very little to really talk about, so there are reports of a lot of them just making stories up, like, ghost stories and of course if you tell enough people these things it becomes local legend. So there might be an element of that as well, but I mean what happened to her at Christmas absolutely is true, there's no question, yes, yes.
Moderator2: I mean imagine dying of sadness from losing your pearls.
Moderator1: No, I can't.
Moderator2: Exactly, yes.
Moderator1: Steve, what about a Christmas object, like, do you have a favourite Christmas object?
Steve: I'm glad you asked me that question, I'm going to hand you this so you can have a look. This is perfect, this is the perfect Christmas object.
Moderator1: Is it a sleigh?
Steve: It is. So you'll see that in the North Hall, so it's not currently visible to the public unless they ask us very, very nicely or bribe us with Ecclefechan Tarts we'll take them down, but it's a beautiful sleigh.
Moderator2: According to the earliest Temple Newsam guidebook which is 1922, this sleigh was presented by who?
Moderator1: Is this University Challenge?
Moderator2: Star for ten. I'm failing. We've got a member of staff that was on University Challenge, Anthony, he dropped this one in the other day over a cup of tea. We were in the staff room we were in the staff room we were talking about Jeremy Paxman and he said, 'Oh I've met Jeremy Paxman.' And then he went on to tell us it was on University Challenge, and we asked him for three questions that he answered and-,
Moderator1: Did he get any right?
Steve: He got I think two or three right, yes. See the thing about University Challenge, do you watch it? (talking over each other 29.29) Dip in and out of it, me too, me too.
Moderator2: A bit like The One Show.
Steve: Yes, it would happen to be one. There's no greater feeling than getting a question correct on University Challenge, it is the best unless it's a pop culture question, if the answers Blur you've not earned any points as far as I'm concerned.
Moderator1: When it's pop culture they're all just like pfft, no idea (talking over each other 29.51).
Steve: So what it was presented to?
Moderator2: Oh God I don't even know how to pronounce this, it was presented to the Mayor of Enkhuizen (ph 29.59), (TC 00:30:00) Enkhuizen (ph 30.01).
Steve: The Mayor of Ecclefechan?
Moderator2: The Mayor of Ecclefechan by the King of Holland.
Moderator1: Imagine been presented with a sleigh.
Steve: What would you do with it?
Moderator2: Ride in it.
Moderator1: Chuck it in the north section of Temple Newsam.
Steve: What would you use to pull it? A team of cats.
Moderator1: You could get your dog, I'll get my dog.
Moderator2: Yes, yes, yes, the dogs.
Moderator1: Will there be enough power between a-,
Moderator2: He's a big boy.
Steve: A greyhound and a-, what's your dog called?
Moderator1: Wilbur.
Steve: Wilbur.
Moderator2: I think this is really good.
Steve: It's beautiful isn't it and it's the perfect Christmas object I would say.
Moderator2: Yes, well it literally is Christmas isn't it.
Moderator1: Yes, it is.
Steve: And we cleaned it recently too because it was filthy.
Moderator1: How'd you go about that?
Steve: A lot of little elves. We use pony hairbrushes so you have to really-, I mean same with everything, you know, sort of, delicately, just very, very delicately because it's painted so any flakes of paint that will come off something like that you can't just go with the Henry Hoover-, (talking over each other 30.53).
Moderator1: I can hear the children, can you hear the children?
Steve: I can hear children just in the background too, what do we do?
Moderator1: We keep going.
Steve: Okay, yes, let's just power through, this is what podcasters do isn't it?
Moderator1: And this is all about Christmas you know, the joy of children's -,(talking over each other 31.06)
Steve: Shall we just pretend to be dead when they walk in the room? (talking over each other 31.10) Fake our own deaths as they walk through.
Moderator2: That is nice isn't it.
Steve: It depends, it depends, it's nice when it's fleeting but when it's all day it's grating.
Moderator1: They sound like a heard of blood elephants.
Steve: They are, they're terrible. (talking over each other 31.24) What were we talking about?
Moderator1: We were talking about horse hair.
Steve: Horsehair brushes. Oh that was in my incident with the Henry Hoover, so I decided one day being a diligent member of staff I thought, 'I'll go and vacuum the museum case in the Bullion Room.' We have these beautiful etoile (ph 31.42), these beautiful, well they're heavily designed, they're, sort of, like gold cases that I think they kept toothpicks and various things like that in there.
Moderator2: All the essentials.
Steve: All the essential things that we've all got and there were loads of dead ladybirds and flies in these cases because we tend to, sort of, get that and I thought, 'I'll just go and vac the case out.' You know, before my tour, so I went in with the Henry Hoover and I was just taking all the flies up and then I completely underestimated the power of a Henry and the fragility of said etoile (ph 32.12) case and it just went (talking over each other 32.15). Yes, now most people would just go, 'I won't tell anybody about that.' But I went downstairs and told everybody about that, yes it was like, 'You never guess what I've just done.'
Moderator2: Steve. What star sign are you?
Steve: Libra.
Moderator1: I knew it, when he said that she knew that he was a Libra.
Steve: Really? There was a nice sound effect in the background it was like, 'Libra, boom.'
Moderator2: I feel like that's the same as me, like, I have to tell people stuff all the time.
Moderator1: Yes, I'm a Libra too, I'm a chronic Libra. When's your birthday?
Steve: 27th of September. What are the typical Libran characteristics then?
Moderator1: Just beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
Steve: Yes, wait. Yes, yes.
Moderator2: I'm going to ban us for talking any longer than ten minutes otherwise it's going to take me all the week to edit this, so we're going to quick fire this. Where would they of had Christmas here?
Steve: The Great Hall. Next question.
Moderator2: That was really quick.
Steve: No, it would have been the Great Hall I would imagine, I mean they would have dressed other areas too but as far as the actual main celebrations.
Moderator1: It's a beautiful place.
Steve: It is, it is. Huge Christmas tree in there, you'd of had the great and the good dining in there, the servants at one end the upper echelons of the house at the far end, a lot of festive cheer. Back in the Tudor times-, we're sitting above the Great Hall at the moment, so this wouldn't have been here back in the 1500s it would have just been open right up to the roof voids, but at the far end you'd of had a gallery so there would have been minstrels, musicians playing music, so it would have been very festive. It would have been big Yule Log, huge Yule Log, what's that?
Moderator2: I used to love minstrels.
Moderator1: Just giant minstrels with legs.
Steve: They gave those out traditionally didn't they as well the minstrels as people would come into the house and any Mars confectionery? It's well known, well known fact.
Moderator2: Mars bars are my favourite chocolates, I think (ph 33.51).
Moderator1: Are they, interesting. I like a Wispa Gold, anyway.
Moderator2: Wait, quick fire question, Steve, what's your favourite chocolate bar?
Steve: Galaxy.
Moderator2: Okay. Plain?
Steve: Yes, oh yes, none of your caramel.
Moderator1: I only really like Dairy Milk and (talking over each other 34.04) corner shop chocolates.
Steve: Here's an interesting Dairy Milk thing, so, you know, years ago it used to be quite square didn't it, very, sort of, angular yes, and then they changed to (talking over each other 34.15) rounded yes. They got loads of complaints saying they'd changed the recipe, 'It's milkier, it's not as nice' It's not at all it's because your brain perceives it differently because it's smoother.
Moderator2: Different shape.
Steve: Yes, different shape that's all it is.
Moderator2: I prefer it.
Steve: Yes, I mean you're not a milk fan though are you Meg you've said before.
Moderator2: Not milk on its own.
Steve: What do you leave out for Santa then?
Moderator2: Ecclefechan.
Steve: Just a bottle of Ecclefechan.
Moderator2: I think I left him out-, Oh I actually remember I used to leave him out beers.
Steve: Yes, good.
Moderator2: My dad was, like, 'Santa really likes beer, leave him out a beer that would be really good.' And I used to leave him out a little stubby.
Moderator1: Another quick-fire question back to Temple Newsam, who's your favourite person, who's your favourite Temple Newsam-er?
Steve: There's too many to choose from isn't there? Margaret Lenox would be a good one she was the lady that was given the house by Henry the 8th, her uncle. She was a very ambitious lady, super, super ambitious and her sermon say, 'Married Mary Queen of Scots.' And she was imprisoned in the tower of London I think on two or three occasions by Elizabeth. Yes, because of, sort of, arranging these marriages and the like, she was a feisty lady there's no question at all.
Moderator2: I really want to do a Mary Queen of Scots episode to be honest.
Steve: Do it. Well here's your place for it then, yes, absolutely.
Moderator1: Okay, aside from, like, Christmas objects what's your actual favourite object in the collection or here?
Steve: Well I like yours actually with the stag's head that's a good one I forgot about that. For me I never get tired of seeing the pike clock being played, I don't know if you guys have seen that?
Moderator1: You've shown me the pike clock.
Steve: I thought I had, yes, it's amazing and it's kind of a bit obvious because it is such a show stop, showstopper even of piece, but it is just stunning. 1765 it's kind of jazz hands, it's quite ostentatious, there's a lot of bling to it, but back in 1765-, those kids sound like they're very, very close don't they, they're going to come aren't they, any moment.
Moderator1: Are they going to come through the door?
Steve: And ta-da.
Speaker: Hello.
Moderator2: You can come in.
Speaker: Can we come through?
Moderator2: Of course you can.
Steve: You're live.
Moderator1: Just be careful of the cable.
Steve: Just watch this.
Moderator1: (kids coming through room 36.15 - 36.38)
Moderator2: Can I just say I knew that there was chance that, like, kids were going to walk through but I didn't anticipate they would all be like shouting, 'Not Tudor.' (talking over each other 36.43) 'You are not Tudor', I love that. Okay, right we've reached the end of the podcast.
Steve: That flew by.
Moderator2: It flew.
Steve: I imagine for you too.
Moderator2: It did that was wonderful.
Moderator1: Like Santa's sleigh.
Steve: It was abysmal.
Moderator2: And Steve at the end of every podcast we ask our guests the same three questions.
Steve: Oh okay.
Moderator2: The first question is what's been your favourite day at work?
Steve: I would say favourite day at work would probably be when we had the centenary celebrations in October, it was the first time we'd-, well we basically charged nothing, we charged sixpence which is what people paid for in 1922 when the house opened to the public. And as a result of that everybody came down from the community people that knew of Temple Newsam, they knew the park, they knew the farm, they hadn't been in the house, and they used that opportunity to come in. And they literally had their little sixpence, little six pennies and came in and it was great because you're welcoming people in that just wouldn't ordinarily have come into the house. That was a good one, we've had a lot of filming here as well, that's always fun when we have.
Moderator1: Have you ever seen a celeb?
Steve: Yes, yes, yes, absolutely.
Moderator1: Who's the best one that you've seen?
Moderator2: And wasn't Jenna Coleman here?
Moderator1: Jenna Coleman in here. Albert, is it Tom Hughes who plays Albert in the thing, he had a bath in this room pretty much where you're sitting now.
Moderator2: Did he?
Steve: He did, yes.
Moderator1: One of the Victoria's, I think it was the actual film the Young Victoria had Rupert Friend as Prince Albert.
Steve: Can I just tell you I know nothing about actors, so you're going to have to tell me who Rupert Friend is.
Moderator1: Do you not. Well no, it's just that my biggest-, so I don't really know that much about him, but, like, do you know people, like, who do you fancy so much and it's Rupert Friend but only as Prince Albert really. So I fancy Prince Albert from that film, but not Rupert Friend in anything else.
Steve: Oh okay. I mean the guy that plays Albert in Victoria is a handsome chap, but I'd taken against him the first time he came I thought he seemed like a diva because we were talking-, (talking over each other 38.36)
Moderator2: He was like, 'Get me a bath right now.'
Steve: 'Right this moment.' And then the second time he came I was working on this wing, they were filming in here and he was nice, and he came bounding over, 'Hi, I'm Tom.' Shaking hands, 'Tell me about this place.' We had a right old natter and I thought, 'He's going through the motions he does this with everybody.' And then he went off to film something and came back, 'Oh so you were talking about the-,' Nice guy, yes. So I would say, yes maybe the filming's a good one, anything involving the technicians is great as well when you have to suddenly.
Moderator1: Our Kev.
Steve: Yes, I mean we've got to get Kev on here, you have to he's amazing.
Moderator1: Kev's such a sweet boy. (talking over each other 39.14).
Steve: He's the nicest bloke ever, he's a great guy, he is, yes.
Moderator1: He's definitely getting some presents this Christmas isn't he, no coal for Kev. Sorry, do you want to do the last two?
Moderator2: Absolutely, so the last question is a twofold one it is of everything we've talked about today which is an eclectic mix-,
Moderator1: Literally could be any number of things.
Moderator2: What would you have as a takeaway for our listeners, a quick ten second snippet and on the back of that what's your literal favourite takeaway?
Steve: Oh gosh, I should have prepared this shouldn't I, thought about it. Can I have one that's nowhere near here, does that still count as a takeaway.
Moderator2: Yes, course.
Steve: Seafood shack in Ullapool.
Moderator2: Okay, nice, yes.
Steve: Which is miles away, but I went there a year or two ago and my car broke down on the way to Ullapool which meant that I had to (TC 00:40:00) stay over.
Moderator2: Is that West Coast, Scotland?
Steve: Yes, West Coast. And this amazing literally it is just a shack, a queue a mile long to get to it and there's unbelievable seafood, so fresh, I went there two or three times in the space of, like, one day, it was amazing. So I would say if it had to be something from, sort of, close to home I'm t the biggest fan of takeaway if I'm honest with you.
Moderator2: No, that's fine.
Moderator1: What about as Christmas twist, what is on your Christmas dinner plate?
Moderator2: Oh I like that, that is a good one isn't it. Well obviously, sprouts.
Moderator1: Number one.
Moderator2: Yes, but covered in Marmite now.
Moderator1: Covered in Marmite.
Steve: I'm going to try the blue cheese thing there's no doubt about it at all. I take ownership over the roast potatoes, I know you're not a massive fan Meg of the roast potatoes.
Moderator1: I don't not like them I just think they would go first for me.
Steve: I feel as though I could convert you, I'm sure of it, we could chuff em up right good. Yes, I mean now here's an interesting one because I think turkey it's an overrated meat to be quite frank.
Moderator1: You're looking at a vegetarian apart from the stuffing.
Steve: But that's fine because you can do some amazing things, sort of, vegetarian.
Moderator1: If anyone comes near me with a nut roast-, (talking over each other 41.10)
Steve: Forget the nut roast. Well what's your substitute for the meat?
Moderator1: Linda McCartney veggie sausages.
Steve: Old school, so 80s.
Moderator1: Actually no, my mum used to make that for me because that's all I really wanted, and God bless her sweet Lynn. My aunt is such a good cook she makes, like, this broccoli vegetable cheesy bake type thing that everyone wants in on and they look at it like, 'Meg, we actually really want your thing.' And I'm like, 'No, back away this is my thing.' And it's all, like, blended up vegetables, like, mixed with, like, loads of cheese and, like, baked. What's your actual takeaway that you want our listeners to go away with?
Steve: I want people to come and visit Temple Newsam as the takeaway, does that count?
Moderator1: Do it, it does yes.
Moderator2: It's the ultimate takeaway.
Moderator1: We're, sort of, stuck here on the fringes of the city, it's not the easiest place to get to, you've got to work for it a little bit. We do have the Flexibus which is great, but once you're here you'll have an amazing time. So I mean everybody knows about the farm, the park and you can spend all day walking round that's great but come in the house and give it a go and if you've got kids all the better. You know, it's always been traditionally seen as a place and museums generally, it's a bit stuffy, you know, and full of old things, 'You can't touch this, you can't interact, you can't do this, you can't talk to the staff they'll patronize you and make you feel like you don't know anything.' And it's not the case here at all so so laid back and it's an amazing place for children and we've gone to a lot of effort recently to really make it a lot more inclusive and a lot more family friendly. So we've got play bays, sort of, outside of the Christmas period, but during Christmas, there's so much going on as well and the house looks stunning, it really does, you guys will have to have a walk around, you know, and see it, it's amazing. Before you go-, (talking over each other 42.45), what I've got is a little game for you.
Moderator1: Oh my god.
Steve: Right. I've written on Christmas cards, I've got some facts, but there's one fib and I want to see if you can tell which one the fib is.
Moderator1: Is this going to be a new format point?
Steve: Could be. Okay, so fact or fiction, okay, in Catalan every nativity scene features a figure of a peasant mooning whilst defecating.
Moderator2: I want it to be a fact.
Moderator1: How do you moon and defecate at the same time?
Steve: Well pull your pants down and-,
Moderator1: Yes, but isn't that just going for a poo?
Steve: It is, but it's facing the-, if it's true (talking over each other 43.19), it's just coming from the depths of my depraved mind maybe.
Moderator1: I would love that to not be true, that would be so funny if you'd made that up.
Steve: Okay. So offices parties there's a 25%-, this is kind of on the same theme actually, there's a 25% in increase in admissions to A&E at Christmas due to injuries sustained attempting to photocopy ones bottom.
Moderator1: Absolute fact.
Steve: Do you think that's a fact?
Moderator2: Yes, but what kind of injury would that be?
Moderator1: I don't know whether that rings true now because-,
Steve: No pun intended.
Moderator2: How many people do photocopying?
Moderator1: That is good to know because (talking over each other 43.50) I have to use those printers.
Steve: Ever faxed it?
Moderator1: I have faxed, I am old enough to have faxed, I've not faxed my bum.
Steve: That's old school. But you're going with fact with that?
Moderator1: Yes.
Steve: And what about the first one, the Catalan?
Moderator1: I think you've made that up.
Moderator2: I want fact.
Steve: So that can be the fib, okay. Okay, the Henry the 8th spent the equivalent of 13.5 million on his first Christmas as king.
Moderator2: 100% fact.
Moderator1: True, ostentatious man.
Steve: Ostentatious man, okay.
Moderator1: Wait, how many fibs are there?
Steve: I'm not sure, I forget now. George the 4th wrote the words and music to the popular school nativity song Little Donkey. King George the 4th, you know Little Donkey don't you?
Moderator1: Can you sing it?
Steve: Can you sing it Sara?
Moderator2: I know the words.
Steve: Little donkey on a dusty road.
Moderator1: Guys I've literally never heard this song in my life.
Moderator2: Carry Mary.
Steve: Yes, it's got all the hallmarks of a George the 4th classic.
Moderator1: Are you really embarrassed?
Moderator2: Yes, I'm really embarrassed, don't make me ever do that again.
Moderator1: Okay, true.
Steve: True, okay. Final one then. I think there's one fib and the rest are facts. Turkeys had to walk from Norfolk to London and had special leather shoes made for their feet.
Moderator2: I don't know about the shoes, but I know they walked from Norfolk to London, that's a fact.
Steve: That's a fact.
Moderator1: Wait, they walked to their death?
Steve: They walked to their death, and they were given little leather shoes, yes, little leather shoes.
Moderator1: That's so sad.
Moderator2: The irony (talking over each other 45.14), what is the point, anyway.
Moderator1: I think it's the defecating one.
Steve: Okay. What are you saying Sara?
Moderator2: I think I'm going to go photocopying, yes.
Steve: Your fib, that's fact.
Moderator1: Is it the defecting one?
Steve: No, it's King George the 4th writing Little Donkey the fib. Yes, it's true if you Google the one in Catalan it's amazing because I think originally it started off-, I don't know the origins of it, but it started off as peasants and then over time this figure has morphed into, sort of, celebrities and cultural figures so you can have people like politicians, Donald Trump, things like that. Every nativity scene there's one there just at the back, so you've go t baby Jesus and everybody else, you can tell I went to Catholic school, everybody else, yes and the little figure at the back there having a poo.
Moderator1: Wow I like that.
Moderator2: Yes, I like that a lot.
Moderator1: Yes, I like that I want to get one of them.
Steve: There you go, that wraps it up nicely.
Moderator2: Doesn't it.
Moderator1: What a peaceful end, what a fitting end to our episode. Thank you so much for coming on.
Steve: Well thank you for inviting me I appreciate it.
Moderator1: Have a bloody lovely Christmas.
Steve: You too.
Moderator1: What I will say is that's the longest we've ever recorded.
Moderator2: Yes. Yes, yes, yes it was right old natter.
Moderator1: It was, oh God there was nattering, there were crackers.
Moderator2: To be fair you brought up hypnotherapy.
Moderator1: Yes, I don't (talking over each other 46.29)
Moderator2: Did you, I can't even remember.
Moderator1: I'm going to leave that in if I do, if I don't I'm not even going to explain it you guys can just work out the rest, maybe I'll talk about it again. Bless Steve sweetheart he's really good isn't he.
Moderator2: He's really good and he was a little bit nervous, and he had absolutely no need to be because-,
Moderator1: Do you think he was nervous?
Moderator2: He said he was.
Moderator1: Oh did he.
Moderator2: He did, you don't listen, don't pay attention.
Moderator1: No that was really just good. I feel really Christmassy, I feel like the crackers made it Christmassy, you know, put my hat on.
Moderator2: Yes, yes, yes.
Moderator1: That Ecclefechan tart.
Moderator2: Yes, good I'm surprised at myself, and I think it's because it feels a bit more mushy than a mince pie which has.
Moderator1: No, I think it's dry, it's drier.
Moderator2: No, but I mean, like, the textures more consistent.
Moderator1: By the way let me just get-, how do you say it because it's like-,
Moderator2: Ecclefechan.
Moderator1: Literally I just had to check (talking over each other 47.14) that we're saying it right because it sounds a little bit like we're swearing but we're not.
Moderator2: It's literally called an Ecclefechan Tart.
Moderator1: Yes, I love that.
Moderator2: Yes, it's a good tart, he's really pulled out all the stops, I can't believe he bought all of the Christmas items for this episode.
Moderator1: Santa, that's what they call him. So what was your favourite Christmas bit?
Moderator2: Okay, first of all everything that Steve said really wonderful, great guest, but my favourite bit was when the kids walked through and they we're like, 'Not Tudor, you're not Tudor.'
Moderator1: Yes, it was quite aggressive, but fair we're not Tudor, you know.
Moderator2: I just think kids are so funny. Well done that really made me laugh, that's going to make me laugh for a long time, I'm going to tell that a lot.
Moderator1: I really hope that of everything that they've learnt about today this is the one thing they take home from it.
Moderator2:
But the thing is that, like, they must have been going around and, like, there task was to point out things that weren't Tudor, I guess. (talking over each other 48.07) five or six and they pointed to, like, our (talking over each other 48.11) recording equipment and mics and laptops and they were like, 'Not Tudor.'
Moderator1: Yes, it was really good. Mines actually a Temple Newsam related one funnily enough. I've heard the story before, but I really like it when someone who actually knows what they're talking about and tells us the story of the Blue Lady.
Moderator2: Oh Steve the storyteller.
Moderator1: Because I didn't know it was at Christmas, so that is perfect actually. I mean obviously a sad ending, but ultimately I like a ghost story.
Moderator2: Great episode, I enjoyed it actually and I'm not a massive Christmas lover, but I'm swayed.
Moderator1: God can you just hear the festive spirit in Sara's voice right now. So I hope you've enjoyed it, and do you know what I hope you have a lovely Christmas if you celebrate it and if not then I hope you wrap up warm because it's bloody cold.
Moderator2: Isn't it, yes. Just do something nice, just treat yourself a little bit whether it's like making a nice hot drink for yourself or, you know, whatever you do.
Moderator1: Oh have a bath.
Moderator2: Or don't.
Moderator1: Do you not like baths?
Moderator2: No.
Moderator1: You don't like baths?
Moderator2: No, I'm like it's just inefficient.
Moderator1: (talking over each other 49.14) Whenever I'm feeling, like, a little bit sad I'll go in the bath, it's like I'm basking in my own tears.
Moderator2: Wallowing.
Moderator1: Yes, amazing. On that note have a lovely time everyone, just thank you as always to Tim Bentley who did our theme tune for us, thank you to Al Finny who did our cover artwork. Transcript of this behemoth episode is on the website. If you'd like to subscribe, share, tell your friends get ready for the new series coming your way in 2023 and just have a really good time and have a really wonderful New Year. And I love you all individually very much even though I don't know you.
Moderator2: Wow, you've got really into this.
Moderator1: Haven't I?
Moderator2: Yes.
Moderator1: I think I've just realised that there are actually quite a few that listen to this. I didn't just realise it, like, I do know it, but, like, (TC 00:50:00) you know when I asked Steve about, like, to tell people what Temple Newsam is and he was like, 'Yes, if they've not-, and people might not know because they might know it as just a farm.' But I was like, 'No, no, we've got listeners, like, who are in America who won't know what it is.'
Moderator2: Yes. We've made a right Christmas mess on this table haven't we.
Moderator1: We've made a right bloody pig's ear of this Christmas, Christ. Anyway love you everyone, see you in the New Year, bye.
Moderator2: Have a great one, yes, bye.
