Hello, I'm Head of Programming, Conor Boyle.
Today, something a little different.
We're excited to share with you a hand-picked episode of a brand new series,
Hotels with History, produced by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Peron International.
From grand buildings that hosted royalty to secluded retreats that shaped cultural legends,
Hotels with History uncovers the remarkable stories behind some of the world's most storied hotels,
as well as the layered histories of the places they stand in.
In each episode, hosts Richard E. Grant and Jules Peron travel to a different hotel,
sharing the unforgettable moments that occurred both inside and outside the walls and grounds,
and how the forces of history transformed entire regions into luxury destinations we know today.
Now, over to Jules and Richard for Hotels with History.
London has always been a city that knows how to entertain.
From Henry VIII schmoozing the diplomats of the day at Hampton Court with feasts of excess
like we've never seen,
to November 1827 when Isambard Kingdom Brunel held a party in the dim recesses of his yet-to-be-completed Thames Tunnel.
The 40 guests were illuminated with gas candelabras, the dinner table...
was covered in red drapery and the band of the Coldstream Guards echoed around the space with renditions of Rule Britannia and See the Conquering Hero Comes.
It is a city that has had Viking invasions, the Norman Conquest,
the Great Fire, the Industrial Revolution, the Great Exhibition, the Blitz, the Olympics.
A global financial centre, a cultural hub, and a major holiday destination,