Greg Jenner

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.

Zouane Chabotot. Zouane Chabotot. But also, he was also... Zouane Chabotot. He was also Jean Cabot, to the French, and he was John Cabot.

Zouane Chabotot. Zouane Chabotot. But also, he was also... Zouane Chabotot. He was also Jean Cabot, to the French, and he was John Cabot.

Yeah, that's good. So 1497, Vanessa, he sets off from Bristol. Why? And in what ship? Because he's a Venetian. What's he doing in Bristol?

Yeah, that's good. So 1497, Vanessa, he sets off from Bristol. Why? And in what ship? Because he's a Venetian. What's he doing in Bristol?

Much colder than we were expecting, am I to say? Yeah. So John Cabot, or Zwan Cabot, was sent off by Henry VII, Henry Tudor, father of Henry VIII, from Bristol, returns to Bristol and says, I found China, job done. There are more expeditions and they're not, they don't go that well, do they, Vanessa?

Much colder than we were expecting, am I to say? Yeah. So John Cabot, or Zwan Cabot, was sent off by Henry VII, Henry Tudor, father of Henry VIII, from Bristol, returns to Bristol and says, I found China, job done. There are more expeditions and they're not, they don't go that well, do they, Vanessa?

Yeah, I mean, there's definitely going to be... You don't want to come back and say, no, it's definitely not China. You probably want to say, could be China. Your Majesty, we've completely failed. You're not going to say that, are you?

Yeah, I mean, there's definitely going to be... You don't want to come back and say, no, it's definitely not China. You probably want to say, could be China. Your Majesty, we've completely failed. You're not going to say that, are you?

Yeah. That money you gave me, wasted. It's gone. Threw it in the sea. I've cut my head off in advance. So you're right. So Giovanni de Verrazzano... thinks he's found the Northwest Passage, he's actually found North Carolina, which actually, of course, is where Blackbeard operated. Ah, of course. We're linking back to your earlier episode. So that was 1523.