Hello, there, I’m Chief Yeoman Warder Pete McGowran from her Majesty’s Palace and Fortress of Tower of London. I look after another thirty-six Yeoman Warders and we are classed as a Body of Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London. I’m presently in the Byward North Office which dates back to around 1280 talking to you guys out there.

How did you become a Yeoman Warder?

I was on holiday in London when my wife thought it would be a good idea if I looked at this job. I never ever envisaged myself being a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London. I was living overseas at the time. My wife said: ’You’re good at telling stories’ – I didn’t know how to take that. However, I did apply for the job. To be a Yeoman Warder- nicknamed Beefeater – you must have spent over twenty-two years in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces. I spent over twenty-five years in the Royal Air Force. You must have had a rank of sergeant major and you must have been awarded a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. So I applied for the job and within six weeks I was having an interview at the Tower of London and eventually got the job. It was never in my dreams to do this job but as time went on I suddenly realised that maybe I could do this.

What is a life of a Yeoman Warder like?

If you become a Yeoman Warder at the Tower, you’re signing up to live with your family at the Tower of London, there’s no retirement age for a Yeoman Warder so you’re here as long as you’re fit enough to do the job. So this is where my family lives. It’s not a bad postcode but it’s hard to get a pizza to the front gate sometimes!

Just behind me there is Mint Street. That’s where coins of the realm were made and produced until 1810.  It’s now where the Yeoman Warders live, all the way around the palace. The houses are called casemates. There are thirty-seven Yeoman Warders with their families that live at the Tower of London. There are about forty-five in total because we have a doctor and a priest. We have our general and Keeper of the Crown Jewels, and the Governor and the Deputy Governor. So forty-five families in total living within the walls of the Tower of London. Very busy place!

You’ll see me walking past the houses here. These houses are the Tower Green’s other homes where the Yeoman Warders live within the Tower. And because we’re in the lockdown, you’ll see that one of the cars is outside as well, very very rarely you’ll see a car inside the Tower of London, in the Inner Ward there is.

What has lockdown in the Tower been like?

A lot of people are keeping very fit. We have a moat here that goes around the Tower and a lot of people run around the moat. We have a gymnasium and a gym out on the wharf as well. So a lot of guys take part in that. I think most of us have dogs in the Tower and we take our dogs for a walk. So we’re all doing a lot more fitness than we would do if we had the visitors here in the Tower of London. We’re obviously on lockdown but we keep the place as pristine as we can. There’s one of the Yeoman Warders, actually watering the grass so we don’t only sweep the leaves up and empty the bins and check all the square, preparing for our visitors. You’ll see an Yeoman Warder even watering the grass there. Well done!

What’s your most memorable moment as a Yeoman Warder?

Probably 2014 when Her Majesty came to the Tower of London to rededicate the chapel of St Peter and plant ceramic poppies in the moat because we were commemorating the beginning of the First World War.

Where is your favourite place in the Tower of London?

I love the Chapel of Royal of St Peter ad Vincula, Latin for St Peter in chains. That chapel is five hundred years old this year, built on the orders of Henry VIII. Beautiful chapel, he built it for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. She didn’t like the other church that stood there as it got severely damaged by fire. So Henry built that chapel there. Beautiful chapel because two of my three children were married in there! I worked there for many years as the Chapel Clerk.

What are most people surprised to learn about Yeoman Warders?

They find it hard to realise that when they go home at night we carry on. We’ve even got our own pub in the Tower of London. Not as many as there used to be in medieval times. There used to be quite a lot of pubs in here. It was better to drink beer than water in those days!

We have our own life within the Tower. I think if anything shocks people it’s usually that one.

What do you do on your days off?

I’m a great theatre-goer and I love musicals. I love concerts. I’m just a mad music fan. And because we’ve got the boat and the pier outside the Tower, I’ll jump on the boat and go down to The O2 and see a concert. I’m not always going to be at the Tower of London whilst I’m here it’s a great place for entertainment. I’ve been around the world from my forces background but I’ve never been in such a vibrant city so I’m making good use of it while I’m here.

A passion for music.. What genre is your favourite?

I love soul and Motown music. I was brought up on that being a Birmingham boy from Warwickshire. I love all sorts of music to be honest but that’s probably my favourite. I was one of the first to get in and see the Motown Story in town. There’re some great shows, that’s my style of music.

Do you ever play music in the Tower?

Yes, I’m well known for blasting out music. Every now and then I’ll even put it on in the office.

What is your favourite music spot in London?

I’m a frequent visitor to the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, I love it on a Friday night. You can go upstairs and dance and all sorts. Ronnie Scott’s is the place to go. Just go early and go to the left-hand door. Tell them the Chief sent you!

What does being a Londoner mean to you?

You become a Londoner very quickly because you become very proud of the city and what it’s got to offer. It’s an ancient city. It’s one of the most historic places in the world where a lot has happened in society to map out what we do now. So I’m very proud of living here. I’m very proud of the city. It’s probably my most favourite city in the world. It’s an honour to be able to be here and be part of the buzz of the place. It has a hell of a buzz. I’m a Londoner and until we meet again in London…Take care.

source: Visit London
 

National Poetry Day in Hungary

We celebrate the National Poetry Day on April 11^th in homage to our most famous modern poet, Attila József (1905-37). The poem, translated by Zsuzsanna Ozsváth, marks the 32^nd birthday of the poet.

For My Birthday

Upon my thirty-second year –
what a surprise, this poem here,
knicky-
knacky:

a little gift with which I say,
lurking alone in this café:
happy
happy.

Thirty-two years just blew away,
I never made ten doits a day:
hungry,
Hungary.

A pedagogue I might have been,
not this pen-busting, might-have-been,
saddie
laddie.

But no; Herr College Chancellor
showed me the outside of the door:
mocktor
Doctor.

It was a short sharp shock for sure,
my `father’ poem got its cure;
his word
and sword,

that saved the fatherland from me,
evoked my spirit and set free
its name
and flame.

`As long as I have any say
you’ll not teach here a single day’ –
bibble-
babble.

If Mr Antal Horger’s pleased
our poet’s grammar-study’s ceased –
folly’s
jollies –

no high school, but a nation I,
although he like not, by and by
shall teach,
shall teach.

Születésnapomra

Harminckét éves lettem én –
meglepetés e költemény
csecse
becse:

ajándék, mellyel meglepem
e kávéházi szegleten
magam
magam.

Harminckét évem elszelelt
s még havi kétszáz sose telt.
Az ám,
Hazám!

Lehettem volna oktató,
nem ily töltőtoll-koptató
szegény
legény.

De nem lettem, mert Szegeden
eltanácsolt az egyetem
fura
ura.

Intelme gyorsan, nyersen ért
a „Nincsen apám" versemért,
a hont
kivont

szablyával óvta ellenem.
Ideidézi szellemem
hevét
s nevét:

„Ön, amíg szóból értek én,
nem lesz tanár e földtekén" –
gagyog
s ragyog.

Ha örül Horger Antal úr,
hogy költőnk nem nyelvtant tanul,
sekély
e kéj –

Én egész népemet fogom
nem középiskolás fokon
taní
tani! 

when we were kids

there was a strange house

all the shades were

always

drawn

and we never heard voices

in there

and the yard was full of

bamboo

and we liked to play in

the bamboo

pretend we were

Tarzan

(although there was no

Jane).

and there was a

fish pond

a large one

full of the

fattest goldfish

you ever saw

and they were

tame.

they came to the

surface of the water

and took pieces of

bread

from our hands.

our parents had

told us:

“never go near that

house.”

so, of course,

we went.

we wondered if anybody

lived there.

weeks went by and we

never saw

anybody.

then one day

we heard

a voice

from the house

“YOU GOD DAMNED

WHORE!”

it was a man’s

voice.

then the screen

door

of the house was

flung open

and the man

walked

out.

he was holding a

fifth of whiskey

in his right

hand.

he was about

30.

he had a cigar

in his

mouth,

needed a shave.

his hair was

wild and

and uncombed

and he was

barefoot

in undershirt

and pants.

but his eyes

were

bright.

they blazed

with

brightness

and he said,

“hey, little

gentlemen,

having a good

time, I

hope?”

then he gave a

little laugh

and walked

back into the

house.

we left,

went back to my

parents’ yard

and thought

about it.

our parents,

we decided,

had wanted us

to stay away

from there

because they

never wanted us

to see a man

like

that,

a strong natural

man

with

beautiful

eyes.

our parents

were ashamed

that they were

not

like that

man,

that’s why they

wanted us

to stay

away.

but

we went back

to that house

and the bamboo

and the tame

goldfish.

we went back

many times

for many weeks

but we never

saw

or heard

the man

again.

the shades were

down

as always

and it was

quiet.

then one day

as we came back from

school

we saw the

house.

it had burned

down,

there was nothing

left,

just a smoldering

twisted black

foundation

and we went to

the fish pond

and there was

no water

in it

and the fat

orange goldfish

were dead

there,

drying out.

we went back to

my parents’ yard

and talked about

it

and decided that

our parents had

burned their

house down,

had killed

them

had killed the

goldfish

because it was

all too

beautiful,

even the bamboo

forest had

burned.

they had been

afraid of

the man with the

beautiful

eyes.

and

we were afraid

then

that

all throughout our lives

things like that

would

happen,

that nobody

wanted

anybody

to be

strong and

beautiful

like that,

that

others would never

allow it,

and that

many people

would have to

die.

Charles Bukowski

German-born, Los Angeles-based poet and author who is remembered for his works of dirty realism and transgressive fiction. A writer of novels, poems, short stories, and screenplays, he is known for works such as Factotum, The Last Night of the Earth Poems, Notes of a Dirty Old Man, and Barfly.

Suspected of draft dodging, he was arrested by FBI agents in Philadelphia, and he spent nearly a month in prison during the World War II years.

His poetry deals with the subjects of love, alcoholism, Los Angeles, and poverty.

His memoir Ham on Rye describes his childhood with an abusive father. Bukowski married health food restaurant owner Linda Lee Beighle nine years before his death from leukemia. He had a daughter named Marina.

Actor Mickey Rourke played Bukowski in the 1984 film Barfly.

Number 5. Head bobbing. Neither a definitive nod nor a shake, the somewhat bouncy movement is, to many, confounding. You are not going to find a consensus on the exact reasons for the head bobbing. There are multiple theories with some connection perhaps to the hierarchical nature of the society. It is also a way of acknowledging that one is listening to the speaker without necessarily agreeing or disagreeing.

Number 4. Wearing a dot. Called a bindi, the circle is placed on the forehead and between the eyes for a number of reasons. Among them is to declare one’s connection to the Hindu religion. For many Indian women these days, bindi is more of a fashion statement and is worn on weddings and other formal occasions.

Number 3. Being late to social engagements. People have attributed the habitual tardiness to historic events, time zone issues, and even poor infrastructure. Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that showing up afterthe established hour is perfectly acceptable.

Number 2. Using hands to eat seemingly inconvenient items. Sure, a chicken wing seems like a perfectly reasonable item to grab onto, but rice? Many say the means heightens the food consumption experience, be it for spiritual elevation, health reasons, or strictly gastronomic pleasures. Ultimately, nobody really seems to know why the practice has endured.

Number 1. Not using the word “thank you” for family and friends. In short, being there for the loved ones when needed is just what a person is expected to do. Therefore, no special kudos are necessary.

Which often poorly understood habit do you find most fascinating?

Can you fill in the gaps in the sentences?

1. Head …… is a way of acknowledging that one is listening to the speaker in India.

2. A bindi is a …… on the forehead of Indian women.

3. …… or being late is perfectly acceptable in India.

4. Indians eat rice using their ……  only.

5. …… is a word not used for family and friends in India.

Key

1. bobbing

2. dot

3. Tardiness

4. hands

5. Thank you