0:00:02 > 0:00:04Pubs have been at the heart of Britain for hundreds of years.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06Cheers, mucker.
0:00:06 > 0:00:07In city taverns...
0:00:07 > 0:00:08..and village inns...
0:00:08 > 0:00:12..landlords have pulled pints for locals, travellers
0:00:12 > 0:00:15and, well, the odd king or two, myself included.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Try and have a drink now.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20LAUGHTER
0:00:20 > 0:00:25But with 30 pubs closing every week, our historic taverns need defending.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Step. Step.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30We're heading out to discover amazing stories
0:00:30 > 0:00:32linked to the nation's watering holes.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36- Not far to go.- How far? - Oh, a couple of miles.- What?!
0:00:36 > 0:00:38From the Wars of the Roses...
0:00:38 > 0:00:40..to shipbuilding on the Clyde,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44we've ditched our bikes so that we can sample an ale or two.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Get in!
0:00:46 > 0:00:49- This is very good. - THEY LAUGH
0:00:49 > 0:00:50So, join us for...
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Oxford - the city of dreaming spires.
0:01:04 > 0:01:10For centuries, it's been a mecca for some of the greatest literary minds.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Some of Britain's best-loved authors have enjoyed nothing more
0:01:15 > 0:01:19than a pint in a pub as a reward for a hard day's writing.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24And in Oxford, that's definitely the case.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Welcome to Oxford, the birthplace of this -
0:01:29 > 0:01:33- the Oxford English Dictionary. - Thank you.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Now, the complete work has 59 million words in it,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39but I, at the minute, am just interested in one -
0:01:39 > 0:01:42how Dave here would describe Oxford.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Well, it's simply pulsating with literature and history.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46Isn't it, Si?
0:01:47 > 0:01:50- It is. That was very well put, that, mate.- Thank you.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54I, however, am interested in just two.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Here. Public and house.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Because the pubs, apparently, in Oxford,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02are some of the oldest in Britain
0:02:02 > 0:02:04and each one of them has got a story to tell.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07And that's talking our kind of history. Come on.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Oxford has the oldest university in the English-speaking world.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20It predates its illustrious rival Cambridge by around 100 years
0:02:20 > 0:02:24and has been home to some of the world's most famous authors.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29- What have you got there? - I've got a guidebook.
0:02:29 > 0:02:30And did you know that, in Oxford,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33there are more published authors per square mile
0:02:33 > 0:02:36- than anywhere else in the world? - I did, funny enough.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39- Oh, give over. You didn't. - I did.- You didn't.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Our Oxford pub crawl starts in the 1940s,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45here at The Eagle and Child.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51This pub was the local for a group of renowned authors.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56'As a way of coping with the grim realities of World War II,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00'they created a new brand of fantasy fiction.'
0:03:02 > 0:03:07CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien hung out here regularly for 20 years.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Now, that's dedication.
0:03:11 > 0:03:12Oh, brill.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Oh, look at this, mate.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19- Oh, the snug - the heart of a pub.- Yeah.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21What a place to come and sit and toast your toes
0:03:21 > 0:03:24- while you're thinking great thoughts.- Oh, it's marvellous.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27It's great, this, isn't it? It's like a proper boozer.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30As well as being writers,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Tolkien and Lewis were both university fellows,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36or dons as they're known at Cambridge and Oxford.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40On Tuesdays, along with a group of their colleagues,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42they would drop into The Eagle and Child
0:03:42 > 0:03:44for a lunchtime pint.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Literary expert Dr Anna Caughey...
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- Hello, Anna, I'm Dave.- Hi.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51..is here to tell us more.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Hi, how are you? Nice to see you.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- Hey, we love that snug. It's fab, isn't it?- It's lovely.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- Hey, how old is the pub, Anna? - Well, this has actually been a pub
0:03:59 > 0:04:00since the middle of the 17th century.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03And there was a famous bunch of chums who used to meet here,
0:04:03 > 0:04:04- wasn't there?- Absolutely.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06A group of writers called The Inklings,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09and they actually used to meet right in this room over here.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12- Really?- Ooh! - I think we should go and stand
0:04:12 > 0:04:15where great minds thought over a pint, Dave.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17I have an inkling we should find out about The Inklings.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19I think we should.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21What a great idea.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Oh, hey, it's lovely, isn't it?
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Here we are, stood in the presence of greatness.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Tell me, who were The Inklings?
0:04:28 > 0:04:30The Inklings were a group of writers and academics.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32They had quite a few different members,
0:04:32 > 0:04:37but probably the most famous were CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40And they actually used to meet up in here from the 1930s
0:04:40 > 0:04:43all the way through to the 1950s, have a bit of a pint and a chat
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and talk about the books that they were writing.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49I find it odd, you know, with the glittering spires of Oxford
0:04:49 > 0:04:53and the most wonderful libraries and studies they must have had,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55that they choose to think great thoughts,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57to come and chat, in the pub.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- Such is the power, I suppose, of the pub.- Absolutely.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03I think this was a really nice, informal place for them to meet up -
0:05:03 > 0:05:05a place that was away from the college
0:05:05 > 0:05:08and perhaps away from the students as well.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12These lunchtime get-togethers were pretty positive affairs
0:05:12 > 0:05:14for Lewis and Tolkien.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Indeed. During the era that they drank here,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24they wrote their two most famous post-war fantasies -
0:05:24 > 0:05:25The Lord Of The Rings
0:05:25 > 0:05:29and The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31We know they did a lot of their best arguing here.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35We know that it could get a little bit heated and intense at times,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and also that this is the space where CS Lewis
0:05:37 > 0:05:39passed around the printer's proofs
0:05:39 > 0:05:41of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- to his friends to read. - BOTH:- Wow.- Yeah.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- Can you imagine being there for that?- Yeah.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47- What a special occasion.- Mm-hm.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51You'd be so, so, so cross if you spilt your pint on that.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Wouldn't you?
0:05:53 > 0:05:57"Here, man, I've told you about that before, you clumsy oaf!"
0:05:57 > 0:05:59If you look at their work,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02pubs are actually a really important theme in both of their writing.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04In the ending of The Lord Of The Rings,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07in the books, when the hobbits go back to the Shire,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10they actually find that Saruman has been wreaking havoc
0:06:10 > 0:06:11and destroying the place.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14One of the first things they notice is The Green Dragon Pub
0:06:14 > 0:06:17has no food and no beer and all its windows are smashed.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20It's actually a really, really sad scene
0:06:20 > 0:06:22and it's Tolkien's way of representing
0:06:22 > 0:06:23exactly how wrong things have gone.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Do you think that, with the pubs getting wrecked,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28do you think that had anything to do with the war?
0:06:28 > 0:06:30I think that's a big theme in both of their work,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and we know that, while they were meeting here in The Eagle and Child,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36a lot of the time was while the war was actually going on.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39I think that was a very stressful time for both of them.
0:06:40 > 0:06:46It took from 1937 to '49 for Tolkien to write The Lord Of The Rings,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48all while he was a regular here.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54No doubt dreaming up his great characters and stories over a pint.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01I've seen pictures of Tolkien and he does remind me of a hobbit.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03I mean, do you think he would be offended by that?
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Actually, I don't think he would've been offended at all.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09In fact, would you like to hear what Tolkien had to say about himself?
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- Yeah.- Oh, very much, yeah. - This is what he says.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17He says, "I am, in fact, a hobbit in all but size.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20"I like gardens, trees and un-mechanised farmlands.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23"I smoke a pipe and like good, plain food,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25"but detest French cooking."
0:07:25 > 0:07:27So, I think he very much saw himself
0:07:27 > 0:07:29as being a bit of a hobbit-like character.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31I think he'd have agreed with you.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33What a wonderful place for a hobbit to exist.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Lewis and Tolkien's fantasy stories are as popular today
0:07:38 > 0:07:40as when they were first written.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44The Lord Of The Rings' cult status
0:07:44 > 0:07:48has even spawned a whole community of fantasy gamers.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53These guys meet up regularly to play Warhammer Fantasy,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55a tabletop war game.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59It's a bit different to darts and pool,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01but it just goes to show you
0:08:01 > 0:08:04the ever-changing games you can play down the boozer.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Ooh, now, this looks interesting.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- Hello, chaps. ALL:- Hello.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14- Is this inspired by Tolkien?- It is.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18It is the next generation on from the books, you could say, really.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- It's a different slant on Tolkien. - Cos I have a confession to make.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23I used to play it in my early 20s
0:08:23 > 0:08:27and I painted my figure and I was a...
0:08:27 > 0:08:29What was I? I was a Bjornin.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31You know, one of those shape changers.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35'A Bjornin? It sounds like an ABBA tribute band.'
0:08:36 > 0:08:40I'll have you know, I was really into it in my younger days.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43This dice game allows the lads to really immerse themselves
0:08:43 > 0:08:45in Tolkien's fantasy world.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Is this your way of escaping from reality?
0:08:49 > 0:08:51- Yeah, it is.- Absolutely.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Definitely. The real world, it's just too...
0:08:53 > 0:08:55- Real.- ..real for me.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57THEY LAUGH
0:08:57 > 0:08:59There's two aspects - there's the social side
0:08:59 > 0:09:01where we meet and we play each other,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04but there's also the time we spend building and painting the models.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06And does liquid refreshment play a part in...?
0:09:06 > 0:09:10- It certainly does.- Can we have a go? - Yeah, no problem. Of course you can.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11- Yeah.- Step up.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17The game involves miniature models being manoeuvred into battles
0:09:17 > 0:09:20depending on, well, a roll of a dice.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Death to the Trolls! Death to the Trolls! Aargh!
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- Ooh, one.- So, is this castle ours?
0:09:28 > 0:09:31'Ooh, you know what, Kingy? I think I could get into this.'
0:09:31 > 0:09:35- You've got the help from the Eagles.- Ah, the Eagles, yeah.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40'And what better place to play than in Tolkien's local boozer?'
0:09:40 > 0:09:42And how does it feel sitting here
0:09:42 > 0:09:45playing where Tolkien used to sit and think and write?
0:09:45 > 0:09:47I never thought I'd do it. It's like a dream come true.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49- To be honest, this is where it all started.- Yeah.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52So, it's like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Well, lads, I know from experience that this can take many, many hours,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00so Dave and I are going to let the armies go.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04- Have a great time. - It's time for us to elf off.- It is.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08- Thanks, fellas, and thanks very much for your time.- Thanks, guys.- Bye.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15I wonder what Tolkien would have made of that.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Hmm. A group of grown men playing with elves and orcs down the pub?
0:10:19 > 0:10:20I think he would've approved.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- Phwoar!- Well, that was fascinating, wasn't it?
0:10:25 > 0:10:28It's true to say that the fantasy of Tolkien really does live on.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30- Here's a bit of trivia for you. - Crack on.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32I think I'm right to say
0:10:32 > 0:10:34that the only pub named after a Tolkien character
0:10:34 > 0:10:36is called The Hobbit and it's in Southampton,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38but they were having trouble with the licence fee
0:10:38 > 0:10:40cos it costs a lot of dosh to call it The Hobbit.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44So, two Hobbity characters, Ian McKellen and Stephen Fry,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47stumped up the dosh for the licence fee.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49- Magic!- No, no, it was just cold, hard cash.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54And that's not the only fascinating pub fact we have for you.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55Oh, no.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Pub signs tell a story too,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00and here are a few of our Oxford favourites.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04The Chequers, just off the high street,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06dates back to the 1500s.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10The checked sign is a Roman symbol for a money changer,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and, you guessed it, it was the place used to house,
0:11:13 > 0:11:14well, a moneylender.
0:11:14 > 0:11:15Clever, isn't it?
0:11:17 > 0:11:21The Grapes first opened its doors in 1820.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23It's also named after a Roman tradition.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26When a bunch of grapes was hung over the tavern door,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28it meant that a new batch of wine was ready
0:11:28 > 0:11:30and much merriment was to be had.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33Then there's the Turf Tavern.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36This place dates back to the 14th century
0:11:36 > 0:11:39and its name reflects the venue's gambling history.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Top spot for a pint and a punt.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Hey, Dave, Oxford - what a fantastic place to be a student.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47And a university don.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50I'm going off to examine another great Oxford tradition
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and to dabble a little bit more in the academic life.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56- I've got an invitation like that. - Are you punting?
0:11:56 > 0:11:58No, I'm going in to see what the authors do
0:11:58 > 0:12:02on the inside of these hallowed halls and colleges you see.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Anyway, don't fall in, mate.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06'Don't you worry, Kingy.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08'There are punting experts around these parts.'
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Time for a stroll down some of Oxford's learned lanes.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23The university has over 30 different colleges
0:12:23 > 0:12:28and I'm heading to one with a rather strange name - Brasenose.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Now, here's an interesting fact.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35If you were in trouble in medieval times,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37you could knock on the door of a college
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and be given sanctuary, much the same as you could in a church.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43That meant that you couldn't be accosted by the law.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Excellent.
0:12:50 > 0:12:51Wow.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55What a fantastic place to learn.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Brasenose College was founded in 1509
0:13:00 > 0:13:02and used to have its own brewery
0:13:02 > 0:13:05dedicated to producing ale for the students.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Sounds like my kind of college.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10I'm here to meet archivist Georgie Edwards
0:13:10 > 0:13:12and college steward Alan Bennett
0:13:12 > 0:13:17to find out more about an ancient student beer-drinking ritual.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22There's two people over there and I can smell beer. Marvellous.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25These are the men and women I need to talk to. Hello, are you...?
0:13:25 > 0:13:27- You're the archivist, Georgie. Is that right?- Yes, hello.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- Georgie, hi. Very nice to meet you. I'm Si. Alan?- Alan.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32This is quite a special place.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35I mean, it's a remarkable building, isn't it? Remarkable hall.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38- So, what have we got here? - It's a celebration beer
0:13:38 > 0:13:41that is drank on Shrove Tuesday after dinner.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44So, the beer would be drunk as a celebration on Shrove Tuesday.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47The hall would be full of pupils and students of the college.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Of the college. And they all stand on the benches.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54- There's over 120 people, 130 people in here.- Wow.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59And then the singing commences and the beer is passed around.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03The ale is a specially-brewed concoction
0:14:03 > 0:14:06using a mix of fruit and spices.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08And it would be rude not to sample it.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11So, ooh, what do we have in it?
0:14:12 > 0:14:13Ooh, yeah, you can smell...
0:14:13 > 0:14:17- Ooh, yes, you can smell the spice - star anise, ginger.- Ginger.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19- Ooh, cinnamon. Nice. - Yeah.- Mixed spice?
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Mixed spice, stem ginger and star anise.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Yeah, and then, quite often, right at the end,
0:14:24 > 0:14:29- I just pour in some more beer just to give it a head.- I like you.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31- Do you drink it, Georgie? - Yeah.- Where's yours, Alan?
0:14:33 > 0:14:36- Mine's in here. - THEY LAUGH
0:14:36 > 0:14:38You see, rank has its privilege, doesn't it?
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Well, I'm looking forward to this.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Mm.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52- Nice?- I can see the attraction, that's for sure.- Mm, delicious.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Isn't it? I have to say,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57it's the first beer I've ever had to chew.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59THEY LAUGH
0:14:59 > 0:15:01It's very pleasant, though.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Brasenose is a rather funny-sounding name
0:15:05 > 0:15:07for such a prestigious college
0:15:07 > 0:15:12and randomly, it all links back to a disappearing door knocker.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15What's the story behind the knocker?
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Basically, the college is named after the brazen nose,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21- so brass nose.- Brass nose.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23The knocker in the hall behind us
0:15:23 > 0:15:27- was brought to the college from Stamford in Lincolnshire...- Right.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30..where some students rebelled to.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35You mean they nicked it. That's outrageous behaviour.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39'Students today nick traffic cones. Back then, it was a door knocker.'
0:15:44 > 0:15:46So, this is what the college is named after -
0:15:46 > 0:15:48the Brasenose Knocker.
0:15:49 > 0:15:50Amazing.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52I'm drinking beer in a really nice hall
0:15:52 > 0:15:54looking at a brass knocker
0:15:54 > 0:15:59and he's out in the freezing cold in the wet punting.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01You'll have to send him some.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03He can get lost. THEY LAUGH
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Well, Kingy, while you're sampling ale,
0:16:08 > 0:16:13I'm taking a punt on Rob Walters, Oxford city tour guide and writer.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15- Hello, Rob. I'm Dave.- Hello, Dave.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17- Nice to meet you.- You too.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23'Punting along the river is the quintessential leisure activity
0:16:23 > 0:16:27'for any self-respecting Oxford University don.'
0:16:27 > 0:16:28Oh!
0:16:28 > 0:16:31- This is a gentlemanly way to travel, isn't it?- It is.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Well, you can keep Venice. I've been wanting to do this for ages.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39When did punting start in Oxford, Rob?
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Well, it's been going a long time. Originally, it wasn't for pleasure.
0:16:42 > 0:16:47It was for work. Shooting pigeons and ducks and so on on the water.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49All sorts of things like that.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54But about 1860-ish, it began to be used as pleasure.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57It wouldn't be Oxford
0:16:57 > 0:17:00if our trip didn't tie in with a famous author.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04It was whilst rowing on the River Isis
0:17:04 > 0:17:07that another of the city's literary giants, Lewis Carroll,
0:17:07 > 0:17:12told a rather tall tale to a ten-year-old Alice Liddell.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15This tale would be transformed into the classic
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Alice's Adventures In Wonderland.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22But not all stories of punting are suitable for children's ears.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27There must have been some sites to see
0:17:27 > 0:17:30- going down the river on a sunny day. - Yeah, yeah.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Well, there was a place up the river from where we are now
0:17:32 > 0:17:34called Parson's Pleasure.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- In the past, before 1878...- Yeah.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41..all of the dons of the colleges were actually ordained priests.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45- They were all parsons.- Right. - And this is where they bathed nude.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- Normally, ladies didn't go by.- No.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Anyway, one day, the dons were bathing there naked
0:17:52 > 0:17:54and a party of ladies did come by.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57A great shout went up. "Ladies ahoy!"
0:17:57 > 0:18:02So, all the dons picked up their towels and covered themselves
0:18:02 > 0:18:04except for one, who put his towel over his head.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- HE CHUCKLES - The ladies went by
0:18:07 > 0:18:08and they said to him afterwards,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10"What the devil did you do that for?"
0:18:10 > 0:18:12And he said, "Well, they won't recognise me, will they?"
0:18:12 > 0:18:14HE LAUGHS
0:18:17 > 0:18:19'Well, I promise to try and remain decent
0:18:19 > 0:18:22'as I attempt a bit of punting myself.'
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Bringing the pole up, keeping the pole straight.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Oh, that's better.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31- I feel quite noble. - ROB CHUCKLES
0:18:31 > 0:18:34- It's long, isn't it? - Very good. Plenty of energy.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Can you imagine, though, the summer,
0:18:37 > 0:18:41where you've got your lady there in her diaphanous garments?
0:18:41 > 0:18:43You've met at the May Ball.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48You're punting down the river looking for a river bank to picnic,
0:18:48 > 0:18:53maybe have that first chaste kiss and plan your life together,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55having children.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58You know, it's the future, isn't it?
0:18:59 > 0:19:01You paint a lovely picture.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Do you know what? I think I better hand over the power, as it were.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- No problem. - Oh, that's it.- You go first.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14I must say, Rob, I've got my best bib and tucker on
0:19:14 > 0:19:15and it's starting to pour.
0:19:15 > 0:19:16I think we better go back.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18I think that would be a very good idea.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22- Shall we go to the pub? - Yes, to the pub.- To the pub.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Great idea, mucker, but Oxford pubs haven't always provided sanctuary.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Back in 1355, in a city tavern,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37a dispute between two students and the landlord
0:19:37 > 0:19:41over the quality of their wine led to a full-blown riot.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44For two days, town fought gown
0:19:44 > 0:19:49and 93 were killed in the Saint Scholastica Day riot.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Thankfully, students and townsfolk mix much more harmoniously
0:19:54 > 0:19:56down the boozer these days.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58And, Kingy, I reckon it's time to meet
0:19:58 > 0:20:01some locals who love their local.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Historically, most people lived outside the city walls
0:20:08 > 0:20:10and pubs like The Old Bookbinders Ale House
0:20:10 > 0:20:11served the working man.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Opened in 1869 in the suburb of Jericho,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19it's one of the area's few surviving boozers.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Three years ago, it briefly closed,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26until it was rescued by the Sadones family,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29including son and mum Josh and Jacky.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31It's one-of-a-kind.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33You don't really get pubs like this so much,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35especially not in Oxford now.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37It was built in 1869.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40It has the feel of a nice, traditional pub. A pub of old.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44It really does feel like it belongs back when it was built.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47We run it as a family pub.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50We invite people with their dogs, with their children,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53and I think that's really important -
0:20:53 > 0:20:58to, you know...for people to be able to go somewhere
0:20:58 > 0:21:00where they can feel comfortable.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02People like Jimmy.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05He's been a regular for nearly 40 years
0:21:05 > 0:21:08and certainly doesn't have far to come.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12I live immediately next door. Ten yards.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16- If I laid down, I'd be halfway home. - HE LAUGHS
0:21:19 > 0:21:22This pub is the best one around, without a doubt.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25I mean, you had such a choice 20, 30 years ago.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28There was a pub on every corner.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30But they've all vanished, I'm afraid.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Most of the pubs are closing wholesale, aren't they? Every week.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46The name of the pub comes from the University Press.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48It's just a publishing house now,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51but they used to do bookbinding and everything there.
0:21:51 > 0:21:52You know, printing.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54The pub served the workers
0:21:54 > 0:21:57of the neighbouring University Press for generations
0:21:57 > 0:22:00and Jimmy, for one, is nuts about the place.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03See what I did there?
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Do you want me to take a handful out like this and show you?
0:22:05 > 0:22:09There they go. And they're free. Help yourself.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11That's definitely a one-off.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13I've never seen that in any pub before. No.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Back on our tour of Oxford's literary pubs,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21we're jumping ahead a few decades to the 1980s.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24And it wouldn't be an Oxford alehouse
0:22:24 > 0:22:28if there wasn't a connection to a famous author.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29Here's one for you, Kingy.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33One of the greatest characters in modern fiction visited this pub,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35and he was on the telly.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Oh, did he, now? Who was it, then?
0:22:38 > 0:22:43Well, to find out, you're going to have to do a bit of detective work.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46- Oh. That was a clue, that, wasn't it? That was a clue.- Maybe.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48That was definitely a clue.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50'The Bear Inn, right in the city centre,
0:22:50 > 0:22:52'is Oxford's oldest pub.'
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Established in 1242, it's certainly a quirky boozer.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Oh, wow. Kingy, look, there's thousands of ties.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07- Thousands of them.- Good, isn't it? - Look at the ceiling.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Around 5,000 ties line the walls.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15The collection was started in the '50s by the landlord,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18who snipped customers' ties in exchange for beer.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Sounds like a fair swap to me, old son.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25- What a fantastic collection. - It is, isn't it?
0:23:25 > 0:23:28'Yeah, let's hope manager James has forgotten his scissors today.'
0:23:29 > 0:23:33- Hello, James.- How are you? - Dave. Nice to see you.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Now, James, we're slightly worried about our ties.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38You're not going to attack us with a pair of scissors, are you?
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Well, we don't tend to any more,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43unless it's a really good tie on a celebrity, in which case, we might.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45So, how does it work, the tie thing here?
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Well, the landlord, in 1952,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50started collecting ties from the local sports clubs and universities
0:23:50 > 0:23:54- and he used to exchange a snip of tie for a bit of beer.- Right.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56And it started off locally and it moved on
0:23:56 > 0:23:58and it's now from all over the world.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01- It's now about 5,000. - Well, you could do Kingy's.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Come on. You could get some free beer.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07- I can just pay for it like everybody else.- No, no. No, no.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- It's not up to much anyway. It's boring. Come on.- Get off.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14- What do you mean? Here.- Oh, you're having a laugh, aren't you?
0:24:14 > 0:24:16'This is my kind of tradition.'
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- There you go.- Marvellous. Thank you very much.- You did it.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23'It's not you getting your tie vandalised, is it?'
0:24:24 > 0:24:26What are you worried about? Free beer!
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Right, you. I want my half pint.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32'Now, Kingy, answer my earlier question -
0:24:32 > 0:24:36'which fictional character visited this pub?
0:24:36 > 0:24:40'Hmm. A quirky Oxford boozer, and I had to do some detective work?
0:24:40 > 0:24:43'Well, it's got to be Inspector Morse.'
0:24:46 > 0:24:47Correctamundo.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50The creator of the Morse books, Colin Dexter,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52supped regularly at The Bear.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55He even set a scene in one of his Morse novels right here.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Unfortunately, Colin isn't able to meet us at the pub.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05But Inspector Morse Society founder, Antony Richards, could.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08- Hello, nice to meet you. - I'm Dave. Nice to meet you.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10- I'm Si.- Nice to meet you too. Hi, Si.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Antony, is it fair to say that Colin Dexter loved pubs?
0:25:13 > 0:25:14Oh, absolutely.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16I mean, as far as Chief Inspector Morse
0:25:16 > 0:25:18and his creator, Colin Dexter, were concerned,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22with their taste for pubs and alcohol, they're one and the same.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24In fact, if you read the Inspector Morse books,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27there has to be a quota of at least ten pints per book, you'll find.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31So, really, pubs played an integral part in plots and...
0:25:31 > 0:25:33- So, he didn't just come here for the beer, did he?- Oh, no, no.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36The theory goes that he was a great, avid listener to The Archers.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38He'd listen to that, then afterwards,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42he'd come down to town, go to a pub or two, sit there,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44watch the characters and so on, write some notes,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46perhaps write a page of a book per day.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48He always said, "A page of a book per day -
0:25:48 > 0:25:51"at the end of the year, you've got your novel."
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Colin Dexter wrote 13 Inspector Morse novels in total.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58And John Thaw's portrayal of the character
0:25:58 > 0:26:01is one of the most iconic in television history.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- So, did Morse actually ever come to this pub?- He did, yes.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08A very famous example in one of the latter books
0:26:08 > 0:26:10called Death Is Now My Neighbour.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12He came here. He had a clue.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14There was a death at Bloxham Drive
0:26:14 > 0:26:17and the only clue was a photograph of a person
0:26:17 > 0:26:19wearing a rather splendid tie.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Could've been a sports tie, a military tie,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23club association tie.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24And, of course, as I think you know,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26this place has 5,000 of them
0:26:26 > 0:26:29all over the place - on the ceilings, on the walls and so on.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31So, Morse decides to come here
0:26:31 > 0:26:33to see if he can match up the tie in the photograph
0:26:33 > 0:26:34to the tie in the pub.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37- He comes here to look for the ties. - Yeah.- The pub's closed at the time.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39He knocks on the door.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42He gets the poor landlady out at 10.20 in the morning.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45In fact, let me read you the extract.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48He looks around here for 25 minutes, bemoans the fact
0:26:48 > 0:26:49that Lewis isn't here.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53And then, the young lady Sonya, who's the landlady, comes back.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56Morse shows him the photograph and she says,
0:26:56 > 0:26:57"Is that the one you're looking at?"
0:26:57 > 0:26:59"Morse nodded. 'That's it.'
0:26:59 > 0:27:01" 'But I can tell you where you can find that.'
0:27:01 > 0:27:02" 'You can?'
0:27:02 > 0:27:06"Morse's eyes were suddenly wide, his mouth suddenly dry.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07" 'Yep!
0:27:07 > 0:27:09" 'I was looking for a tie for Steve's birthday
0:27:09 > 0:27:10" 'and you'll find one just like that
0:27:10 > 0:27:13" 'on the tie-rack in Marks and Spencer's.' "
0:27:13 > 0:27:15HE LAUGHS So, the tradition of this
0:27:15 > 0:27:18- is just fantastic, isn't it?- Indeed.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21- I mean, Oxford's all about tradition.- Yes.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23I mean, you're in the oldest pub -
0:27:23 > 0:27:261242 or thereabouts.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28I wonder if we could find Colin Dexter's tie.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Well, I don't think it's here, but I'll tell you what.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Colin couldn't be here today, but he did leave a little gift for you.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Now, I know you, as personalities and stars and so on,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39you probably have your photographs that you give people.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Well, Oxford, being very traditional and old,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44they don't have photographs of their stars.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45They have oil paintings of them.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49- So, Collin signed an oil painting for each of you.- Oh, wow!
0:27:49 > 0:27:51And he put on the back Morse's first law.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53And if you don't know what Morse's first law is,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56it's, "There's always time for another pint."
0:27:56 > 0:27:58- BOTH:- Hey!
0:27:58 > 0:28:01- Oh, that's wonderful.- Oh, fantastic.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04- Oh, that is wonderful. Thank you.- Thank you so much.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05We'll treasure that.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07And, please, when you see Colin,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10- please give him our regards and wish him well.- Oh, I will do.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Well, it's a great treat and a very special gift.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16- Thank you very much. - Pleasure.- Thank you.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20'What a fitting end to our Oxford pub crawl.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22'It's time for us to get on our bikes.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26'I think I prefer the ones we normally ride.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29'You know, with an engine and that. This is too much like hard work.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31'Come on, Kingy.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34'We're just like those carefree Oxford students
0:28:34 > 0:28:37'or learned Oxford dons.'
0:28:37 > 0:28:39- Here, Dave.- What?
0:28:39 > 0:28:42- Do you know where we're going? - Oh, yes. Cambridge.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45- Oops!- You lying toad. Aargh!