Barking Abbey in London was once a center of female scholarship and literary culture, housing famous nuns such as Mary Beckett and Elizabeth Chaucer. However, it was unfortunately demolished during the Reformation, leaving behind only a fragment of Anglo-Saxon architecture.
In this episode, the hosts discuss different aspects of London life, including places, and one of the hosts talks about his pilgrimage to Barking, an ancient place in East London.
London was initially too dangerous for Augustine to settle due to stray dogs, bandits, and non-Christian kings, but eventually, Bishop Erkanwald established the church in London and his sister, Athelberg, turned the abbey at Barking into a center of female scholarship and literary culture.
In the 10th century, King Edgar the Peaceable pursued a woman named Wolfhilda, who rejected him and became a saintly abbess at Barking Abbey, which was known for housing other famous nuns such as Mary Beckett and Elizabeth Chaucer, but was unfortunately demolished during the Reformation.
In the Blitz, All Hallows by the Tower was badly bombed and revealed an Anglo-Saxon doorway made out of Roman tiles, which is the only fragment of Anglo-Saxon architecture in London and dates back to the founding of Barking Abbey.
Anglo-Saxon London is difficult to find and requires imagination, as there is very little physically preserved of it, but the 1950s in London saw a boom in coffee due to Italian immigrants bringing their shiny coffee machines to places like Soho.
In the 1950s, Soho in London was a cosmopolitan and vibrant neighborhood with coffee bars, Italian restaurants, and a diverse range of food and cultural offerings.
In the late 1950s, the coffee bar Two Eyes in Soho, London, becomes popular after hosting skiffle bands like Wally Whiter and the Vipers, which marks a cultural moment when youth culture and rock and roll start gaining attention in Britain.
The BBC program Six Five Special features the Two Eyes coffee bar in Soho, London, and this live broadcast from the bar solidifies its reputation as a popular venue for youth culture and pop music.
The Two Eyes coffee bar in Soho, London, had its moment as a popular venue for skiffle music in the late 1950s, but by the time the Beatles became well known, it was no longer cool and eventually closed in 1970.