Greg Jenner

We should say, I mean, it wasn't just Europeans who were exploring Northwest Passage. As always on this show, we have to sort of say it's not just European explorers. I mean, indigenous peoples were already sort of exploring this. They'd already discovered it by being born there. They were living there. Yeah, definitely.

We should say, I mean, it wasn't just Europeans who were exploring Northwest Passage. As always on this show, we have to sort of say it's not just European explorers. I mean, indigenous peoples were already sort of exploring this. They'd already discovered it by being born there. They were living there. Yeah, definitely.

Yeah, well, we've done an episode on the Vikings getting to Newfoundland, you know, a thousand years ago. So I guess those interactions continued.

Yeah, well, we've done an episode on the Vikings getting to Newfoundland, you know, a thousand years ago. So I guess those interactions continued.

So it's not big, long ships, not huge, not massive battleships. We're talking about a little coracle, a little canoe. Yeah.

So it's not big, long ships, not huge, not massive battleships. We're talking about a little coracle, a little canoe. Yeah.

That's a lot of paddling.

That's a lot of paddling.

Blimey. That is absolutely taking my breath away. I'm just looking at the map going, Scotland's not even on the map.

Blimey. That is absolutely taking my breath away. I'm just looking at the map going, Scotland's not even on the map.

So there's a motorway service station in between.

So there's a motorway service station in between.

OK, so we've done some foreshadowing there because we've talked about the 12th century and indigenous communities. But we need to get on to the Europeans because they're the ones with all the sort of drama and danger. The first European voyager was in 1497. And like you, Stu, he had a Bristol connection. You're a Bristolian now by choice.

OK, so we've done some foreshadowing there because we've talked about the 12th century and indigenous communities. But we need to get on to the Europeans because they're the ones with all the sort of drama and danger. The first European voyager was in 1497. And like you, Stu, he had a Bristol connection. You're a Bristolian now by choice.

Do you know who this explorer might have been? 1497, set off from Bristol. Blackbeard.

Do you know who this explorer might have been? 1497, set off from Bristol. Blackbeard.

Oh, God. Yeah, OK. Yeah, it was Cabot, who had a variety of names. We call him John Cabot in England, but he was Zwan Caboto because he was Venetian, which is a different dialect. Was he really? I didn't know that. He was a Venetian.

Oh, God. Yeah, OK. Yeah, it was Cabot, who had a variety of names. We call him John Cabot in England, but he was Zwan Caboto because he was Venetian, which is a different dialect. Was he really? I didn't know that. He was a Venetian.

You could try.

You could try.